Lala Kent & Katie Maloney Discussed Jax Taylor Cheating Rumors Before His Separation From Brittany Cartwright

Rumors swirled about Jax Taylor before his separation from Brittany Cartwright. On Tuesday's episode of Vanderpump Rules, Lala Kent, Katie Maloney, Scheana Shay and Kristina Kelly were out to eat when speculation about their former co-star began to swirl.

The conversation started when Scheana tried to explain why she believed Ariana Madix stayed in her decade-long relationship with Tom Sandoval before his affair with Rachel Leviss broke, given that the couple was going through a tough time.

"You don't really know until you're in it. You can't judge because you don't know," Scheana said. "Look at Jax and Brittany! They were married and had a baby! I could not believe that when they did."

Jax and Brittany's tumultuous relationship, including the time he cheated on her, played out during their VPR days. Even so, the couple got engaged in 2018, tied the knot in 2020, and welcomed their son, Cruz, in 2021.

"There are still stories about him running around town," Katie noted of Jax, to which Scheana replied, "Oh, I've heard."

Lala weighed in next, claiming that the rumors about Jax are "beyond" what Scheana knows.

Brittany announced her separation from Jax on their podcast, When Reality Hits, explaining, "Me and Jax are going through stuff... We're going through parenting stuff that is hard."

"I wanted to be transparent with you guys. Yes, marriages -- in general -- are very hard and I've had a particularly rough year in mine this last year," she said in part. "Jax and I are taking time apart, and I made the decision to move into another home to take some space for the sake of my mental health."

While the pair remains separated for the time being, thanks in large part to "communication" problems, according to Jax, the bar owner told Page Six that divorce isn't on the horizon.

Amid the pair's separation, speculation swirled that the reality stars were purposefully making news to drum up publicity for their upcoming reality show, The Valley, but a source told ET that isn't the case.

"Jax and Brittany have been having relationship issues for a long time. They are trying to figure things out and need space from each other in order to do so. They want to do what’s best for their family," the source said. "They aren't in a place where they would fake a break up for attention or press. They are genuinely going through a hard time."

Lala agreed, joking on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, "They don't need any help with [publicity]. They are all a hot mess."

Shortly thereafter, ET exclusively reported that Bravo had resumed filming The Valley to capture the aftermath of the separation, since production on the spinoff wrapped last year.

While fans will have to wait until the end of The Valley's first season to see that footage, the trailer for the show promised plenty of drama in the lead up to the separation.

In the trailer, Jax and Brittany appear to fight the most over the future of their family, with Brittany wanting to give Cruz a sibling. Jax tells his wife that "bringing another human being [onto the earth] is worrisome to me," bringing her to tears -- and when she fights back at him, he shuts her down and tells Brittany she "can't" express those emotions.

There's also mention of cheating rumors, the stress of becoming new business owners, Brittany not feeling desired and an intense fight in front of their friend group about how Jax treats Brittany.

Vanderpump Rules airs Tuesdays on Bravo. The Valley will premiere March 19 on the network.

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