Brittany Cartwright has spoken out in reaction to her estranged husband Jax Taylor’s admission that he has been dealing with drug abuse issues for years.

On Tuesday’s episode of Bravo’s H๏τ Mic podcast, Jax, 45, revealed he had been in the thrall of ‘substance issues — primarily with cocaine’ for the past two decades.

Despite the concerning tone of his confession, the former Vanderpump Rules star added that he was ‘proud’ to announce that he was 83 days sober as of the recording.

In a statement to People, Brittany, 36, sounded relieved but still concerned and less than optimistic about her ex’s ability to turn his life around.

‘I’m glad that he finally admitted to what was really going on,’ she shared.

‘For the first time, I can speak openly about the extent of trauma he’s instilled on our family over the years,’ she continued. ‘I’ve tried desperately to help him without success. 

Brittany Cartwright, 36, is speaking out after her ex Jax Taylor admitted he has been dealing with drug abuse issues for years. In a statement to People, she sounded relieved but still concerned and less than optimistic about Jax’s ability to turn his life around

‘I pray that one day he completely knocks this addiction, but I’m skeptical,’ she added. ‘His behaviors are still alarming and his treatment plan seems to be the bare minimum. 

‘I’m trying to navigate this as best as I can for my son and I, but every day is still a challenge and very difficult,’ Brittany concluded. ‘Jax has caused an enormous amount of damage and I have very little trust in him at this point. My only hope is that one day, he will be a better person for his son.’

Read More Jax Taylor, 45, reveals shocking drug addiction as he admits he was high on Vanderpump Rules

She also tried to get some draw readers to her own When Reality Hits podcast by promising to discuss the issue further on an episode scheduled for Friday, March 7.

Prior to revealing his struggles with cocaine, Jax had checked himself into a rehab facility last summer amid his ongoing divorce from Brittany.

The couple met back in 2015, and their tumultuous romance was thoroughly documented on Vanderpump Rules and their six-episode spinoff, Jax & Brittany Take Kentucky.

In 2019, the couple tied the knot at the Kentucky Castle in Versailles, Kentucky. 

After Jax and Brittany were fired from the series in late 2020, they later became main cast members on the spinoff The Valley, beginning in 2024.

In between, they welcomed their son Cruz, now three, in 2021. 

‘I’m glad that he finally admitted to what was really going on,’ she shared. ‘For the first time, I can speak openly about the extent of trauma he’s instilled on our family over the years’; seen on The Valley in April 2024

‘I pray that one day he completely knocks this addiction, but I’m skeptical,’ she added. ‘His behaviors are still alarming and his treatment plan seems to be the bare minimum’; pictured in September in LA

But the couple split early last year, shortly before The Valley premiered. After six months, Brittany filed to divorce the former bartender, citing irreconcilable differences. 

She has since requested full legal and physical custody of their son Cruz, and in October Jax asked the judge overseeing their divorce to grant her the requested custody arrangement. 

On Tuesday’s H๏τ Mic episode, Jax shared that he has ‘substance issues — primarily with cocaine.’ 

‘It’s hard to say out loud. I’ve been dealing with this on and off since I was 23 and now I’m 45,’ he continued. ‘There was times where I would stop doing it but then there were times where I’d go heavy on it.’ 

He stressed to listeners that drug addiction was ‘a really, really tough disease and it’s a really tough sickness.’

‘I’ve never said this in my life. So to come out and say that I have an addiction [and] that I have a sickness that I have to work on the rest of my life is a really big deal for me,’ he continued. ‘Obviously, it’s a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.”

He later claimed to have hit ‘rock bottom’ after splitting from Brittany. During the difficult period he screamed at his estranged wife in front of Cruz.

He also admitted that his drug use was visible to anyone who knew the signs on some episodes of Vanderpump Rules.

‘Every day is still a challenge and very difficult,’ Brittany concluded. ‘Jax has caused an enormous amount of damage and I have very little trust in him at this point. My only hope is that one day, he will be a better person for his son’; seen together in 2023 in Las Vegas

Jax said he used cocaine on and off for 20 years on Tuesday; seen in a season one publicity pH๏τo for Vanderpump Rules

He noted that he could see when he was high on old VR episodes. He also said he had quit drinking, as it went hand-in-hand with his drug use; still from Vanderpump Rules

Jax, who granted Brittany full custody of their son Cruz, three, last year, said he is in therapy and is regularly drug tested. He clarified he’s ‘California sober,’ meaning he still occasionally uses marijuana; pictured with son Cruz

‘How big are my f*****g pupils?,’ he recalled thinking when looking back at an episode. ‘I’m sweating and there’s no reason to be sweating in the scene. Why am I sweating? There were some signs.’

He added that producers at times would tell him to calm down when he was under the influence of drugs, but he believed they were under the impression that he had been drinking too much.

He also defended the show’s crew and producers, claiming that they never supplied the cast with drugs. Instead, he said he would use 30-minute breaks between shooting scenes to slip away to get high or grab some drinks, as none of the cast were allowed to drink while on camera.

Jax clarified that he is now ‘California sober,’ meaning that he doesn’t drink or use cocaine, but he does smoke marijuana occasionally.

‘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,’ he explained. ‘I can’t do cocaine without drinking. So I just gave up both.

‘Obviously, I’m not the type of person who can have one drink and be OK. It’s just not in my cards and I had to stop,’ he admitted. ‘I was going to lose custody. I’m embarrᴀssing my ex-wife and I’m embarrᴀssing myself. Nobody’s looking at me seriously. I want to do it for myself.

He added that he spends as much time with Cruz as his ex allows.

‘I don’t know what else she wants from me. I’m doing everything that she’s asked for just because I respect her and I want to make her happy,’ he said ‘I’m going above and beyond to show her that I do care and I want to be in my son’s life.’

He also revealed that he is currently in therapy and is regularly drug tested.

For help contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline on 1-800-662-HELP (4357).