Season 2 of The Valley kicked off with a dramatic and emotional look into the unraveling relationship between Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright. The premiere episode, which aired Tuesday on Bravo, made it clear that their separation has become deeply messy and volatile.
It’s been almost nine months since the couple decided to take a break, and Jax, 45, admitted in a confessional that things between them are “not going well.” While they agreed to see other people, tensions have escalated, particularly after Jax saw a video Brittany sent to another man, triggering a major emotional spiral. “It’s so toxic. It’s so broken,” Jax said, revealing Brittany had recently texted him about trying to fix their marriage — but the discovery of that video derailed any progress.
Brittany, 36, also expressed her side, saying that just when she thought they were making progress, “all hell broke loose,” completely shifting the direction of their separation. The breaking point came when Jax found messages between Brittany and his friend Julien on their son Cruz’s iPad.
Brittany claimed that Jax’s reaction was explosive. Speaking to Michelle Saniei, she recounted how he flipped a coffee table, which hit her knee and caused a severe bruise. “I was screaming and crying. It was terrifying,” she said. As a result, Brittany no longer feels safe allowing Jax to be alone with their 4-year-old son, citing his increasingly volatile behavior and hard partying.
Jax expressed betrayal over Brittany’s involvement with Julien, someone he considered a friend. “Julien and I were hanging out all the time,” he said. “Meanwhile, she’s still hooking up with him, and I had no idea.” He admitted to flying into a “full, unhinged rage” after discovering the texts — the worst he’d ever felt. Friend Jesse Lally tried to talk him down, urging him to focus on being a father.
Later in the episode, Jax met with his former Vanderpump Rules co-star Tom Schwartz, who voiced serious concerns about Jax’s mental state. “You’re headed toward rock bottom,” Schwartz warned, encouraging him to seek counseling or therapy before things spiral further.
The episode set the tone for a turbulent season, promising more raw moments as the fallout from their relationship continues to unfold.
