Bravo reality television star Brittany Cartwright has spoken out in Los Angeles after being granted a temporary restraining order against her estranged husband Jax Taylor.
Cartwright, 37, was seen in Los Angeles on Saturday following a Los Angeles Superior Court decision on Thursday ordering Taylor, 47, to remain at least 100 yards away from her amid their increasingly contentious divorce proceedings.
When approached by photographers in a video clip published by celebrity outlet TMZ and asked for comment on the protective order, Cartwright answered, "Nope."
When asked if she had any message for her supporters, Cartwright added, "Just thanks for the support - I'm okay."
The legal action follows a court declaration filed by Cartwright in which she alleged years of abuse by Taylor, including explicit death threats.
Representatives for both Cartwright and Taylor have been reached out to by the Daily Mail for further comment on the court proceedings.
Allegations of domestic violence and court filings
Alongside her application for a temporary restraining order, Cartwright filed for sole legal and physical custody of the former couple's 5-year-old son, Cruz, who is autistic.
A judge in Los Angeles Superior Court denied the request for sole custody pending an upcoming formal court hearing.
In her sworn court declaration, Cartwright described a violent incident in July 2024 during which she alleged Taylor threatened to "gut" her "like a f***ing fish" and "f***ing kill her."
She alleged that Taylor threw furniture at her during the confrontation, leaving her physically injured with a swollen and bruised knee after allegedly being struck by a coffee table.
Cartwright submitted photographs to the court showing her bruised knee alongside images depicting their home in disarray following the alleged altercation.
She further stated in court documents that Taylor destroyed three of her mobile phones and an iPad during the same incident.
In her legal filing, Cartwright detailed years of alleged misconduct, accusing Taylor of "coercive control, financial abuse, emotional and psychological abuse, gaslighting and even physical violence perpetrated upon me."
She also accused Taylor of calling her a series of "degrading and humiliating" names in front of their son, including "fat ass b***h", "fatty", and "whore".
Text message arguments over child custody
Cartwright included copies of text message exchanges between herself and Taylor within the court documents, showing arguments regarding custody arrangements for Cruz.
In one message sent on July 15 after Taylor arrived at Cartwright's home to pick up their son, Taylor wrote, "Plan on the state dropping by twice a week unexpectedly. I don't feel comfortable with your alcoholism and animal droppings to be left the floor for my son to see or step on."
Cartwright responded by warning Taylor against entering her property: "You have been warned I will call police for trespassing and again my son is signed up for camp and going to We Rock the Spectrum. YOU ARE NOT MY BOSS. Grow up and leave me alone you are sick and will never change."
Taylor replied, "Are you threatening me that sounds like a threat?"
Cartwright fired back: "This is not a threat this is my home. I am advising you I do not feel safe or comfortable with you stepping foot around me or my property. Pickups will be done on the street through Zuly."
She continued in a subsequent message: "After you banged cursed and screamed in front of my son at my front door I no longer feel safe with you on my home property and I am advising you that doing so is trespassing."
Jax Taylor issues public response
Taylor released a public statement on social media on Friday in response to the claims raised in Cartwright's legal filings.
"I made a lot of mistakes and behaved in ways during that period of my life that I'm truly ashamed of and regret and take full responsibility for," Taylor wrote.
"The person I was in 2024, during the darkest time of my life and at the height of my addiction, is not the person I am today. I got help, went to treatment, and today I'm 1 year and 9 months sober. I've remained committed to treatment and therapy, working on myself and changing my life," he continued.
"I was shocked to see claims about alleged incidents from over two years ago being brought up now, especially when there have never been any police reports filed or criminal charges brought against me related to them. There are allegations being made that I strongly dispute. The full story, context and evidence will be addressed where it belongs - in court."
Concluding his public response, Taylor stated that he would respect judicial proceedings while prioritizing his recovery and fatherhood.
"I will respect the court's orders and the legal process. My focus continues to be my sobriety, working on my mental health, being the best father I can be to Cruz and moving forward in a healthy and responsible way," Taylor wrote. "All I can do is own my mistakes, stay committed to the changes I've made and make sure the choices I make today reflect the man and father I want to be."
Reality television history and personal fallout
Cartwright and Taylor were together from 2015 until 2024.
Taylor was an original cast member on the Bravo reality television series Vanderpump Rules, which launched in 2013 and follows employees at restaurants owned by businesswoman Lisa Vanderpump in West Hollywood, California. Cartwright joined the show in 2016 for its fifth season.
Both stars were dropped from Vanderpump Rules at the conclusion of season eight in 2020, but returned to television in 2024 for the spin-off series The Valley, which focuses on former cast members raising families in the San Fernando Valley.
Taylor starred in the first two seasons of The Valley, but exited the series last year to seek treatment for substance abuse and mental health issues following the breakdown of his marriage to Cartwright.
Tensions between the former couple intensified in July when it was revealed that Taylor was secretly dating Lori Krebs, who was Cartwright's longtime publicist and former close friend.
During an appearance earlier this month on Bravo talk show Watch What Happens Live, Cartwright labeled Taylor's relationship with Krebs a "complete betrayal," adding that she had previously considered her ex-publicist "family."
Cartwright claimed that Krebs was still actively employed as her representative when the romance came to light, only hours before TMZ published photos of Krebs and Taylor embracing in Mexico.
"She was still getting a retainer from me, still making 10 percent on things from me, she was still my friend... family, basically," Cartwright said during the broadcast.
Taylor responded to Cartwright's television interview in a since-deleted comment on an Instagram post shared by the show, writing, "The amount of blatant lies in this interview is unbelievable," according to Us Weekly.
Taylor has also accused Cartwright of attempting to sabotage his career opportunities following their marital split.
"What hurts the most is feeling like no matter how hard I work to rebuild my life, move forward or earn new opportunities, there are constant attempts to tear those opportunities away," Taylor said.
