Jax Taylor has revealed his addiction to cocaine while celebrating more than 80 days of sobriety.
“This is tough to say. … I’m an addict. I have substance issues, primarily with cocaine. Oh, that’s hard to say out loud. I’ve been dealing with this for I think the last — on and off, since I was 23. I’m 45,” the “Valley” star admitted in the latest episode of Bravo’s “Hot Mic” podcast, hosted by executive producer Alex Baskin.
“There was times where I would stop doing it and then there was times where I’d go heavy on it. I think a lot of people who watched ‘Vanderpump Rules’ over the years could kinda tell that I was on something.”
While the “Vanderpump Rules” alum insisted showrunners “didn’t know” what he was doing behind closed doors, he said he was “on that train” and “couldn’t get off.”
Taylor made sure to note, “I don’t necessarily think I have an alcohol problem, but the two go hand in hand. I can’t do cocaine without drinking, so I just gave up both, and I’m proud to say I’m 82, 83 days sober right now.”
The Bravolebrity told Baskin that “this is the longest” he’s gone without “anything” since he was 21.
“I gotta say it feels really, really good, but I just wanna let people know this is a really, really tough disease and a really tough sickness. I’ve been doing it for so long,” he shared, adding that he feels as though he’s been “hiding it” or “lying about it” for “forever.”
However, he hit his breaking point last year, which he described as “the hardest” of his life, and realized that “enough’s enough.”
“I’m going through a divorce right now, which is extremely difficult. When Brittany [Cartwright] and I separated is when the addiction got worse,” Taylor said as he recalled hitting “rock bottom” and checking himself into rehab.
“That was a lot. I’ve never said this in my life. So to come out and say that I have an addiction — that I have a sickness that I have to work on the rest of my life — is a really big deal for me,” he shared.
“Obviously, I think people have known that there’s something off, but for me to say it — [for it to] come out of my mouth — it’s a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.”
The father of one explained that he’s “worked really, really hard on [his] sobriety,” noting that “it didn’t happen the first time; it happened the second time.”
He elaborated that he “had to go to rehab twice.” Though he “got a lot out of the first time,” there was “an incident” in which he saw a man’s name pop up on Cartwright’s phone, which “triggered” him and caused him to “slip.”
Taylor confessed he “lost it” and “went crazy in the car” with the estranged couple’s 3-year-old son, Cruz, in the backseat, which is “why” he went back to rehab.
“That’s when I knew, ‘S–t, I have a problem. It’s still there,’” he recalled thinking.
The TV personality felt “utter disgust” knowing his young child witnessed his behavior, explaining that Cartwright, 36, urged him in that moment, “You need to go back.” He said he “didn’t even put up a fight” — like he did the first time.
Taylor admitted he “didn’t stay the full time” — only 17 days.
“For me, that was enough. I was like, ‘Another 14 is not gonna do anything. I know that I’m good. I’m OK. I just needed to get back,’” he justified, insisting that he just needed to “remember” why he went to rehab the first time and “regroup.”
The former bartender spent the majority of August 2024 at an inpatient facility, explaining to fans beforehand that he wanted to work on his “serious anger issues” and “get better” for Cruz.
Upon returning home from the treatment center — where he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder and learned he’s a narcissist — Taylor was handed divorce papers.
Cartwright announced their separation in February 2024 after nearly five years of marriage.
“I’m glad that he finally admitted to what was really going on,” the fellow “Valley” star told People in response to Taylor’s cocaine confession.
“For the first time, I can speak openly about the extent of trauma he’s instilled on our family over the years,” she continued, sharing that she’s “tried desperately to help him without success.”
Though the fellow “Vanderpump Rules” alum “pray[s] that one day he completely knocks this addiction,” she is “skeptical” because “his behaviors are still alarming, and his treatment plan seems to be the bare minimum.”
Cartwright added, “I’m trying to navigate this as best as I can for my son and I, but every day is still a challenge and very difficult. Jax has caused an enormous amount of damage, and I have very little trust in him at this point.
“My only hope is that, one day, he will be a better person for his son.”
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