It’s safe to say Luke Broderick is happy Jax Taylor will not be back for The Valley season 3.
During the Tuesday, July 22, episode of “The Viall Files,” which appeared to be recorded before Jax, 46, announced his departure from the show, Luke, 34, was asked who he wouldn’t bring back for season 3.
Luke replied, “[With Jax], I think it’s dangerous to give a person like him the platform that he has because there will always be apologists. Look, Jax is entertaining. Maybe there is some sort of a show for him.”
Us Weekly broke the news on Wednesday, July 16, that Jax was indeed not returning for The Valley.
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“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,” Jax told Us in an exclusive statement. “Right now, my focus needs to be on my sobriety, my mental health and coparenting. Taking this time is necessary for me to become the best version of myself — especially for our son, Cruz.”
Jax, who shares Cruz, 4, with estranged wife Brittany Cartwright, has documented his ups and downs for more than a decade across Vanderpump Rules and The Valley. After a stint in rehab for mental health, which was shown on season 2, he checked into a second treatment for a cocaine addiction.
During his chat with Nick, Luke was asked whether he has had conversations with Jax about his behavior.
“I have had those moments and have called Jax out. Oddly enough — after I called Jax out — he wanted to hang out more. He’d text me three to four times a week wanting to go golfing or wanting to go do something,” Luke said. “I said, ‘You’re not a good person.’ He didn’t refute it and didn’t even really respond to it. But I saw it hit him.”
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Luke added: “I’d say it was just interesting to me that he was hitting me up to hang out a lot more after that.”
Jax wasn’t the only one who Luke doesn’t think should return. He went on to say “no” when asked whether Lala Kent should join the Vanderpump Rules spinoff in a larger role. (Lala and Scheana Shay made appearances on season 2 of The Valley — to mixed results.) Luke’s curt response also came after his fiancée, Kristen Doute, revealed to Us that she was working on fixing her issues with Lala after an offscreen falling out.
“Strangely enough with Lala, it has been kind of public that we made up in a way. She landed a really gracious apology, which I appreciate. We have not talked everything through yet. We definitely still have some things to do,” Kristen noted to Us earlier this month. “But she’s been very understanding that I’m not ready for that yet.”
Kristen also doesn’t get along with Janet Caperna. Speaking of Janet, Luke added: “Hypothetically, I would like Jax and Janet removed from the show. That would be a good direction to go with things.”
