Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright have each been granted temporary protective orders amid their ongoing divorce.
The Bravo stars were married from 2019 to 2024, welcoming son Cruz in 2021. Amid their ongoing divorce proceedings, Cartwright requested a restraining order against her ex in August 2026.
In her legal petition, Cartwright accused Taylor of domestic violence during their marriage and after they separated.
“I made a lot of mistakes and behaved in ways during that period of my life that I’m truly ashamed of and regret and take full responsibility for,” Taylor told Us in a statement, denying the claims. “The person I was in 2024, during the darkest time of my life and at the height of my addiction, is not the person I am today.”
Taylor, who checked himself into a 90-day treatment program in 2024, stressed that he is committed to “changing his life” after getting sober.
Jax Taylor Responds to Brittany Cartwright’s Restraining Order, Abuse Claims
“There are allegations being made that I strongly dispute,” he continued at the time. “The full story, context and evidence will be addressed where it belongs — in court. I will respect the court’s orders and the legal process. My focus continues to be my sobriety, working on my mental health, being the best father I can be to Cruz and moving forward in a healthy and responsible way.”
Days later, Taylor filed for his own protective order against Cartwright. Both motions were granted, remaining in effect until a September 2026 court hearing.
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of Taylor and Cartwright’s accusations.
A Decade of Alleged Abuse
Cartwright claimed in her filing that Taylor exhibited “coercive control, financial abuse, emotional and psychological abuse, gaslighting and even physical violence perpetrated upon” her for nearly a decade.
In one instance, Cartwright alleged that Taylor once threatened to “gut [her] like a fish” and physically attacked her. In another, Cartwright said that Taylor pushed her into a coffee table that caused an injury. Taylor, meanwhile, claimed he “sincerely regrets” the incident, which made him enter treatment.
Alleged Online Abuse
Cartwright claimed that Taylor has continued to abuse her following their separation.
“As of the date of separation, the manner in which he abuses me has changed, but the pattern of abuse has continued,” her court docs read. “He now uses our required communications concerning Cruz to harass and threaten me, he makes threats 17 of public humiliation on social media and he continuously confronts me during custody-related interactions as additional means of intimidating, harassing, and disturbing my peace.”
Incident at Cruz’s School Orientation
In Cartwright’s legal filing, she alleged that Taylor was “visibly aggressive” when they both attended a parent orientation at Cruz’s school in August 2026.
“Jax became visibly aggressive and hostile towards me during the orientation in front of others and called me ‘gross,’” Cartwright claimed, alleging that Cruz’s nanny and school administrators were also present at the time. “I started recording him to document his behavior. His behavior at the orientation made everyone rather uncomfortable.”
According to Cartwright, Taylor allegedly “has a tendency of not being able to control his anger and emotions.”
Taylor, for his part, denied the accusations and merely took Cruz outside after their son “became overwhelmed.” (Cartwright previously revealed in 2025 that Cruz was diagnosed with autism.)
“The principal then took me on a tour. During our conversation, I asked her if Brittany had spoken with her previously about registering Cruz, which she kept telling me she had done,” he claimed in his filing. “The principal responded that no, Brittany had never called him. This was extremely upsetting news to me because Brittany has insisted over and over again that she is handling everything for Cruz. She has berated me for asking questions about what is happening, has treated my questions and suggestions like insults, and has rejected my offers to help.”
Mutual Alleged Abuse
In his own filing, Taylor claimed that the exes were “both verbally abusive to each other.”
“[Cartwright] regularly threatened and intimidated [Taylor], and regularly called him abhorrent
names to degrade him and make him feel small, claiming that he would be nothing without her and that nobody likes him,” he argued. “[Cartwright] regularly claimed that [Taylor] was ‘mentally unstable’ when he would question her about parenting decisions related to Cruz.”
Taylor further claimed that Cartwright has “physically attacked” him on multiple occasions, including “slapping him, pushing him, throwing objects and food at him and calling him profanities in front of their son.” In one instance, Taylor alleged that Cartwright physically struck him in the face with a closed fist in front of Cruz in August 2024, but he “never physically retaliated.”
The ‘WWHL’ Accusations
Cartwright claimed on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen in August 2026 that Taylor once skipped his custodial visit with Cruz to visit girlfriend Lori Krebs. He vehemently denied the accusations in his legal request. In his court docs, Taylor alleged that Cartwright actually had custody the weekend he visited Krebs — who was once the Valley star’s publicist.
Texts later obtained by TMZ appeared to show Cartwright objecting to Krebs being around Cruz. A source told Us amid the legal battle, however, that Cruz is “comfortable” with Krebs, who has “raised children on the spectrum” herself and “understands his needs.”
Alleged Career Sabotage
Taylor accused Cartwright of attempting to sabotage his career, claiming that she interfered with a $175,000 offer to appear on Fox’s Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test in 2026 and multiple brand deal opportunities, including one with Smartwater.
“I’ve stayed silent for the past year out of respect for Cruz and because I believed taking the high road was the right thing to do. Staying silent while Brittany continues to lie about me publicly and find any opportunity to humiliate me has been incredibly difficult,” he told Us in a statement in August 2026. “Every time I’ve been presented with an opportunity to rebuild my career, those opportunities have been interfered with by Brittany.”
He further alleged, “Her actions have directly impacted my ability to work, support myself and earn a living.”
In his court docs, Taylor claimed that he “presently has no employment” or potential prospects.
“His sole regular income is a $5,000-per-month holding deal that expires in November 2026; and his savings are rapidly diminishing,” the docs state. “His mental and emotional calm, rebuilt at great personal cost through recovery, has been destroyed.”
Cartwright denied the accusations.
Jax Taylor Claims Brittany Cartwright Is ‘Grossly Negligent’ With Cruz
According to Taylor, Cartwright allegedly refuses to collaborate with him to support Cruz.
“Worst of all, she has been grossly negligent with our 5-year-old autistic son, refusing
to work with me to address his medical and educational needs and overall care in a way that serves his best interest,” Taylor claimed. “Each time I try to address his health, developmental care and schooling, she pushes me away, telling me she is ‘handling everything,’ but never telling me what she is actually doing. I have begged her for information, only to get the same reply: ‘I’m taking care of it.’ She mentions appointments after they have happened.”
Us has reached out to Cartwright and Taylor’s reps for comment about the accusations in their respective filings.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
