The biggest revelation on Tuesday night’s “Valley” reunion was that Jax Taylor’s domestic abuse went much deeper than was discussed on the show this season.
When host Andy Cohen asked Taylor’s estranged wife, Brittany Cartwright, about the huge fight between them that led to Taylor seeking professional help, Cartwright started listing off all of the abuse she faced from her spouse.
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She began with information that audiences knew from this season: “He was extremely aggressive. He threw the coffee table. It landed on my knee. It turned black immediately. He threw both barstools.”
Then came the new information.
“He threw my Stanley cup and broke it,” she continued. “He threw my phone and broke it. He threw my laptop and broke it. He threw me into the rose bushes…”
Although Taylor denied it, Cartwright doubled down, saying, “Yes, you did. It’s on my Ring camera doorbell. My close friends up here have seen the videos.” That led co-star Zack Wickham to nod affirmatively and Kristen Doute to verbally confirm she had seen them.
With such a revelation, Bravo viewers certainly had follow-up questions. Yet Cohen immediately pivoted back to grilling Cartwright about a romance with Taylor’s former friend: “How long did you date Julian?”
Whether it was bizarre editing or an autopilot choice by the usually inquisitive Cohen, it was a response that seemed oddly coded in victim shaming: Sure, getting thrown into a rose bush is tough, but have you thought about how Jax feels about you dating his buddy?
Minutes later, as the episode wrapped, a hotline screen was shown for people struggling with substance abuse issues, which, given Taylor’s struggles, is reasonable. Yet there was no similar message shown to viewers who might need help dealing with domestic violence, however triggering the scene might have been. (If needed, help is available via the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.)
This episode of television — the first of a three-part reunion — also comes after Taylor allegedly decided to step back from Season 3 of “The Valley.” Who knows to what extent Bravo allowed Taylor to save face by saying he made the decision with his team and producers, but Bravo could have also let it be known that domestic violence has no place on the network. Would things be so wishy-washy if a Bravo employee who was not on camera behaved in the same way to a coworker?
There’s no denying that Taylor was a reality TV star from his first moments on “Vanderpump Rules” when the show debuted in 2013. Audiences couldn’t take their eyes off of this self-obsessed hunk who was seemingly incapable of telling the truth. Yet after more than a decade of women and drinks and lies and coke and megalomania, the mask has slipped off. He may be great television, but the cast of “The Valley” shouldn’t be forced to tiptoe around or justify the behavior of a man who treats the mother of his child this way.
Taylor ended the episode tearfully lamenting that, “I know some people think I’m not human. I’m the devil. I get it. But I still have fucking feelings too.” Fair enough, and hopefully you are truly committed to your sobriety and mending fences with your son. But just go away and do it on your own, and Bravo: Please don’t give him the platform to return.
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