Jax Taylor Announces He Is 'Stepping Away' from The Valley to Focus on His Sobriety:
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The Bravo star said he'll be stepping away from 'The Valley' after revealing his longtime addiction issues
By Brianne Tracy
Jax Taylor attends the 2024 Reality TV Stars Of The Year at The Highlight Room
Jax Taylor has revealed that he'll be "stepping away" from filming for The Valley's upcoming third season
Taylor said in a statement that "after an incredibly challenging year" he decided to exit the show to "focus on his sobriety"
A source tells PEOPLE Taylor's castmates were "blindsided" by the news of his exit
Jax Taylor will not be returning for The Valley season 3.
In a statement shared with Variety on Wednesday, July 16, Taylor, 46, revealed that "after an incredibly challenging year and many honest conversations with my team and producers, I’ll be stepping away from the next season of The Valley."
"Right now, my focus needs to be on my sobriety, my mental health, and coparenting relationship," he continued. "Taking this time is necessary for me to become the best version of myself — especially for our son, Cruz."
Us Weekly was the first to report the news.
A source tells PEOPLE that Taylor's The Valley castmates, including estranged wife Brittany Cartwright, were "absolutely blindsided by this news."
"They were not given any advance notifications about his exit," says the source. "Most of the cast were notified that filming was going to begin at the end of the summer, and they expected Jax would be a part of the new season because — even as lately as yesterday — he hadn't said otherwise. This is a huge surprise."
Bravo has not commented on Taylor's exit.
Jax Taylor, Brittany Cartwright on Watch What Happens Live
Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright.
Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty
During a March podcast appearance, Taylor revealed his longtime struggles with cocaine addiction.
"I have substance issues — primarily with cocaine," Taylor said. "It’s hard to say out loud. I’ve been dealing with this on and off since I was 23 and now I’m 45. There was times where I would stop doing it but then there were times where I’d go heavy on it.”
“I’ve never said this in my life," he continued. "So to come out and say that I have an addiction [and] that I have a sickness that I have to work on the rest of my life is a really big deal for me. Obviously, it’s a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.”
Taylor entered an in-patient facility in August 2024, shortly after announcing his separation from Cartwright, with whom he shares son Cruz, 4.
At the time, Taylor's team said in a statement that he "has always been candid about his mental health struggles, especially during the past few months on his podcast. This is a particularly sensitive time for him and his family. They ask for privacy and respect until he is ready to speak more on this matter."
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In April, Cartwright told PEOPLE that she’d had “enough” of Taylor’s “come downs” related to his substance abuse issues leading up to their separation.
“It got so bad, and he was just so aggressive and horrible to me, yelling at me in front of our son,” she said. "I had to take Cruz out of the house."
After they split, “he just spiraled out of control,” she said. "There was no possible way that we were going to meet back in the middle again."
Cruz Cauchi, Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright attend the debut of Fantasy Lab Las Vegas' Midnight Dreams immersive experience at the Fashion Show mall on June 09, 2023
Jax Taylor, Brittany Cartwright and their son Cruz.
Gabe Ginsberg/Getty
During Taylor's time in the facility, Cartwright filed her divorce paperwork.
"I realized I have to do this now, before he gets out and has the chance to pull me back in,” she said. "It was time."
Cartwright's fraught relationship with Taylor — who said in March that he’s sober — upon his return from the facility has been documented throughout the current second season of The Valley.
The season 2 finale of The Valley airs Tuesday, July 22, at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
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