Tom Sandoval was “somewhat aware” fellow Vanderpump Rules alum Jax Taylor had been struggling with cocaine addiction — and thinks it’s “amazing” that he’s taking steps toward getting the help he needs.
“I mean, I think that’s amazing,” Sandoval, 42, said on the Wednesday, March 5, episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen. “I ’m so proud of him, I think that’s so awesome. He really seems like he’s really been working on himself. For real. For real this time.”
Sandoval also noted that he was “somewhat aware” of Taylor’s “problems” since the pair costarred on a Bravo series for years together, telling host Andy Cohen, “I mean, I’ve been around him over the years.”
When Cohen, 56, asked if “the cast was aware” of Taylor’s struggles, Sandoval replied, “Yea.”
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Taylor, 45, announced on the Tuesday, March 4, episode of Alex Baskin‘s “Hot Mic” podcast that he is “an addict.”
“I have substance issues — primarily with cocaine. It’s hard to say out loud,” he said. “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.”
Taylor, who made his Bravo debut on Vanderpump Rules in 2013, acknowledged that fans had suspected his issues over the years. “[They] could kind of tell that I was on something. Obviously production and [other] people, they didn’t know what I was doing,” he said. “Everything I was doing was on my own but I was just on that train and I couldn’t get off.”
Taylor said recently that he cut out alcohol to help him stay clean from cocaine. “People ask you, ‘Do you have an alcohol problem too?’ I don’t necessarily think I have an alcohol problem but the two go hand in hand,” Taylor said. “I can’t do cocaine without drinking. So I just gave up both. I’m proud to say I’m 83 days sober right now, which is the longest I’ve ever gone in my life without either.”
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Lala Kent, who starred with Taylor and his estranged wife, Brittany Cartwright, on Vanderpump Rules for nearly five years, expressed her support for him on Tuesday.
“That is not easy to admit,” Kent, 34, said during an Amazon Live. “This is going to be his journey and his journey only, and he should be the only one to speak on it because none of us know what he’s been through in his life.”
Kent, who has also struggled with addiction, said she was hopeful that Taylor’s quality of life would take a turn for the better.
“Now that Jax has come out talking about his addiction, it’s a very, very delicate subject,” she said. “Sobriety for someone, it’s not one size fits all. Everyone has a different level of addiction but addiction is addiction.”
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Kent also voiced her support for Cartwright, 36, who shares 3-year-old son Cruz with Taylor.
“Brittany is one of my dearest friends. I know a lot,” Kent said. “I don’t know what is going to be shown on their new season of The Valley. What I do know is I’m very close with her and anything that we’ve discussed, that is her story to share.”
After Taylor’s podcast appearance, Cartwright addressed Taylor’s revelations via her Instagram Story.
“His addiction unfortunately has done irreparable damage to my son and I,” she wrote Tuesday. “I’ve spent years trying to help him. I wish more than anyone I could say how proud I am of him today, but I’d be lying. His actions will speak for themselves.”
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Kent, however, wished Taylor “nothing but the best in his sobriety” and added: “I went to a really great meeting last night that was much needed and then Scheana [Shay] texted me about Jax. Your heart feels broken, but there’s so much hope in sobriety. That’s what I’m feeling for him. Very, very hopeful and excited to see what his future holds if he chooses down this path. Absolutely amazing.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
