Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright are taking an unconventional approach to salvaging their marriage.
During the Friday episode of their When Reality Hits podcast, The Valley star opened up about his recent outing with model Paige Woolen and provided a surprising update on his relationship with Cartwright.
“I am not — I repeat not — dating anybody. I was seen out with someone and it was strictly lunch. Obviously, Brittany and I are separated and have been for a long time,” the 44-year-old clarified. “What we are going through right now is tough. Marriage is not easy.”
Taylor’s statement comes three months after Cartwright announced their breakup following four years of marriage. The Bravo stars share a 3-year-old son, Cruz.
Taylor revealed that he and Cartwright are considering various options to navigate their separation. “We are trying to figure out a lot of different things: therapy, separation, and maybe, possibly, dating other people,” he shared. “We are trying to exhaust everything before we have to go down the divorce road — if that would be the case.”
Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor – Felix Kunze/Bravo
In a surprising twist, Taylor mentioned that he and Cartwright have agreed to explore dating outside their marriage. “We are both on the same page about dating other people. That is OK,” he continued. “We are both in agreement that this is OK. The most important thing, though, is our son.”
He elaborated on the arrangement, emphasizing their mutual understanding and established rules. “Part of taking some time apart means exploring other people. All marriages are different, but this is what is good for our marriage. This is something we talked about and we are on the same page. We have a couple of rules with it, but this is what we are exploring.”
Taylor stressed that he’s not the only one partaking in their agreement. “That is not to say Brittany isn’t doing what she’s doing. I know it’s not out there what she is doing, but she’s doing her own thing, too,” he said.
Taylor firmly denied any romantic involvement with Woolen. “I am not dating anybody — nor do I plan on dating anybody,” he concluded. “I don’t know if I am ready to start the dating thing again. I don’t think I am. We are just hanging out right now with whoever. I know Brittany is probably doing her own thing too. We are in agreement about it.”
Brittany Cartwright – Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Haddad Media
The reality star also took to X (formerlyTwitter) on Thursday to dispel rumors of him and Woolen.
An eyewitness previously told ET that Woolen picked up Taylor in a limousine from the home he formerly shared with his estranged wife. Their driver chauffeured them to Granville Café in Los Angeles, where they spent three hours.
After their extended lunch, they later celebrated Ariana Madix’s brother, Jeremy Madix’s, birthday at Taylor and Cartwright’s bar, Jax’s Studio City.
Cartwright announced her split from Taylor in February. Since then, the couple’s marital woes, which led up to their split, have played out on The Valley, which was filmed last summer.
Throughout the show’s inaugural season, Taylor insisted that he and Cartwright would work through their problems.
“My wife and I love each other to death and we don’t believe in divorce. We work through it. We don’t believe in separation. We don’t believe in any of that,” he said. “My wife’s going to have to bury me in the f**king backyard. I will never go anywhere. She will never leave. We’re going through a little bit of a hiccup right now.”
Cartwright disagreed, though, telling a friend, “We would go down that path [of divorce].”
When ET spoke with Taylor at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, he admitted that the status of his marriage remains uncertain.
“We’re just trying to figure things out,” he said. “… I don’t know what’s going to happen. I am definitely working on myself right now. The separation has definitely been good for me, but I do miss her. I miss her a lot. So, I don’t know, we’ll see if she’ll take me back.”
The Valley airs Tuesdays on Bravo.
RELATED CONTENT: