Reality television personality Jax Taylor has been granted a temporary restraining order against his estranged wife Brittany Cartwright in Los Angeles Superior Court. Taylor, 47, secured the temporary order against Cartwright, 37, on Tuesday, according to court documents reviewed by The Daily Mail. The order will remain in effect through September 24, when a formal hearing in the case is scheduled.
The court decision follows a temporary restraining order granted to Cartwright last week against Taylor. Under that prior ruling, Taylor was ordered to remain at least 100 yards away from Cartwright as their divorce proceedings grow increasingly contentious.
In his Monday court filing reviewed by The Daily Mail, Taylor asked the judge to deny Cartwright's temporary restraining order. He requested that the court order Cartwright to stay a minimum of 100 yards away from him and his personal residence.
Taylor stated in the paperwork that Cartwright has spent the last several months systematically "disturbing the peace" in his life. He claimed she conducted a deliberate campaign of indirect attacks carried out through third parties, media outlets, and electronic technologies.
Allegations of Financial Harm and Sabotage
Taylor alleged in the court documents that Cartwright's actions over the past five months have cost him lucrative professional opportunities. Specifically, he claimed her interference resulted in the loss of a $175,000 role on the Fox reality competition series Special Forces: World's Toughest Test.
Taylor also alleged that Cartwright contacted beverage brand Smartwater, telling representatives that associating with him would look "awful for your company." He stated that her efforts led at least two additional prospective business partners to pull out of potential deals in August, citing skincare brand Carpe and mental health non-profit organisation Bring Change to Mind.
Furthermore, Taylor claimed that Cartwright ruined his efforts to partner with an autism awareness non-profit organisation. He stated in the filing that she spread falsities regarding his visitation schedule with their five-year-old son, Cruz, during an appearance on the Bravo talk show Watch What Happens Live.
Taylor added that Cartwright labeled him as "abusive" in a post on the Instagram page of celebrity outlet TMZ. In his legal filing, Taylor formally denied "each and every allegation" made by Cartwright in her restraining order petition.
Taylor asked the court to issue his temporary restraining order "without notice to Brittany," arguing that advance notice would cause him further emotional pain and anguish.
"I am genuinely afraid that if she is told in advance that I am doing this, she will retaliate by issuing a flood of denigrating statements on social media and every platform available to her," Taylor stated in the court paperwork. Representatives for Cartwright and Taylor did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.
Cartwright Allegations and Abuse Claims
Cartwright submitted her restraining order petition in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, making bombshell allegations of years of abuse and explicit death threats. Los Angeles Superior Court serves as the trial court of general jurisdiction for Los Angeles County, California.
In her sworn declaration, Cartwright alleged that Taylor threatened to "gut" her "like a f***ing fish" and "f***ing kill her" while throwing furniture during an argument in July 2024, which left her physically injured.
Cartwright submitted photos with her filing showing a swollen and bruised knee, which she stated occurred after Taylor threw a coffee table at her. She also accused Taylor of destroying three of her mobile phones and an iPad during the incident.
In her declaration, Cartwright described a broader pattern of alleged misconduct, stating that Taylor subjected her to "coercive control, financial abuse, emotional and psychological abuse, gaslighting and even physical violence perpetrated upon me."
Cartwright also accused Taylor of directing humiliating and degrading slurs at her in front of their son, including calling her a "fat ass b***h", "fatty", and "whore".
She attached copies of text messages between the pair showing disputes over custody arrangements for their son. Cartwright filed for sole legal and physical custody of five-year-old Cruz, who is autistic. However, the presiding judge denied the request for sole custody pending the upcoming court hearing.
Taylor Response and Sobriety Journey
Taylor released a public statement on social media on Friday in response to the claims made 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 in the statement.
"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.
Taylor expressed surprise over the timing of the allegations, noting that no police reports or criminal charges were ever filed regarding the events. "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," he stated.
He added: "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. 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 Recent Romance
Taylor and Cartwright were together from 2015 until 2024. Taylor was an original cast member on Bravo's reality television show Vanderpump Rules, which launched in 2013 to follow bar and restaurant staff in West Hollywood, California. Cartwright joined the series in 2016 for its fifth season.
Both stars were dropped from Vanderpump Rules after season eight in 2020. They returned to television in 2024 on the spin-off series The Valley, which follows former Vanderpump Rules cast members navigating family life in Los Angeles. Taylor appeared on the first two seasons before departing last year to seek treatment for substance abuse and mental health issues following the breakdown of his marriage.
In July, reports revealed that Taylor had secretly begun dating Lori Krebs, Cartwright's former close friend and longtime publicist.
Cartwright discussed the romance during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live earlier this month, calling the relationship a "complete betrayal." She explained that Krebs was still working as her publicist on retainer and earning a ten percent commission when she learned of the romance, just hours before photos of Taylor and Krebs together in Mexico were published by TMZ. Cartwright noted that she had previously considered Krebs to be "family."
Taylor responded to Cartwright's interview in a since-deleted comment on a Bravo Instagram post, writing: "The amount of blatant lies in this interview is unbelievable," according to Us Weekly. Taylor has also accused Cartwright of trying to destroy his career. "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.
