Ethermac|Jax Taylor Shares Reason He Chose to Enter Treatment for Mental Health Struggles

Jax Taylor is Ethermacgetting candid about his health journey. 

One day after sharing that he's receiving in-patient treatment for his mental health struggles, the Vanderpump Rules alum revealed that his 3-year-old son Cruz—whom he shares with ex Brittany Cartwright—was a big reason why he chose to seek help. 

"Working on getting better for you buddy," Jax wrote in an Instagram post July 31 alongside a photo of him planting a kiss on the little one's cheek. "I love you."

And being a dad to Cruz isn't the only way the 45-year-old is getting inspiration as of late. Jax recently reshared a motivational quote that gave insight on his mindset. 

"Be strong enough to stand alone, smart enough to know when you need help," read a message shared to his Instagram July 30, "and brave enough to ask for it."

And while Jax has been sharing details on his journey before entering his treatment, he does want to keep the matter private for the most part. As his rep explained in a July 30 statement to E! News about his decision to enter an in-patient facility, "This is a particularly sensitive time for him and his family."

Acknowledging that the Valley star had previously been "candid about his mental health," the spokesperson added that his family asks for "privacy and respect until he is ready to speak more."

His treatment marks a new chapter for Jax following his separation from Brittany, 35, in February after four years of marriage and nearly a decade of dating. 

Shortly after, Brittany said the breakup was due to the couple having a "particularly rough year this past year."

"On my last podcast, I alluded to many marriages go through rocky times," she shared in a February episode of their joint podcast When Reality Hits. "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."

As for Jax? He echoed her explanation, agreeing that they'd made the right move by calling it quits. 

"Until I can fix myself and get to where I want to be," he told Andy Cohen during a May appearance on Watch What Happens Live, "I can't be good for her."

Read on for a full breakdown on Brittany and Jax’s split…

Years before they even got married, Jax Taylor cheated on Brittany Cartwright in 2017 when he hooked up with former SUR waitress Faith Stowers. 

"This isn't my first time being caught cheating," Jax admitted at the time as the drama played out on Vanderpump Rules. "In the past, I've gone through months and months of deny, deny, deny, and that didn't work for me." 

But while a devasted Brittany broke up with him, they got back together months later and eventually wed in 2020.

Fast forward to February 2024, Brittany announced she and Jax—who share 2-year-old son Cruz—had separated after four years of marriage. 

"Yes, marriages in general are very hard and I've had a particularly rough year this past year," the Kentucky native shared on their When Reality Hits podcast. "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."

"I'm taking one day at a time," Brittany added. "I don't know what the future holds, but right now my focus is on being the best mom to Cruz."

One month later, the cracks in the couple's relationship became much more apparent when Bravo released the trailer for its new series The Valley.

"I don't feel like he's attracted to me, we don't have sex ever," Brittany admitted in the March 11 preview before Jax added, "It's so hard to be married sometimes."

Plus, costar Janet Caperna teased in the clip, "There's a rumor about Jax cheating online."

However, Jax slammed allegations of infidelity days after the trailer release.

"We're just having a little communication issues right now. That's all, there's nothing else," he exclusively told E! News March 14 at The Valley premiere party. "There's no cheating. There's no infidelity anywhere. It's just communication. I know it's shocking, but people sometimes just don't get along and that's life."

"We see each other every single day," he added. "The only thing that's different is we just don't sleep under the same roof. That's it."

Despite rumors, Brittany confirmed Jax cheating did not cause their breakup and shared the true timeline of their separation.

"We got into a very bad fight and I decided to pack up my stuff," the 35-year-old exclusively told E! News March 18, "and I've been staying in an Airbnb since January 24."

"I'm doing it for my mental space," she added, "and I feel very strong with my decision to get out for a while."

Despite their personal drama, the estranged couple agreed on one thing: They are doing what's best for 2-year-old son.

"He's no. 1 and we both agree on that," Jax told E!. "It's about knowing he's got two loving parents that love him to death and he's gonna have the best life possible, whether we are together or not."

As for their increased fighting, Brittany agreed, "I just don't want that for our son. I don't want him growing up thinking it's normal to live like that."

Brittany admitted in March that "there's always hope," but she just needs Jax to put in the work.

"I don't think anybody will ever love Jax the way I've loved Jax," Brittany told E!. "Over all these years, I've been through so much with him and I'm stuck by his side through everything. So I think that if he makes certain changes that I've asked, maybe we could get back together. But right now, I just really need to figure out myself. I felt really strong and really proud of myself for being able to step out and do what's right for me. My mental health is super important."

One person who wasn't so shocked by Jax and Brittany's separation? Their former SUR boss Lisa Vanderpump.

"Everybody predicted that when they got married," the Real Housewives alum shared with E!. "They said, 'Oh this won't last long,' but I kind of never liked to draw conclusions."

"I don't know what the reason was," she added, "but I imagine it was probably something to do with Jax's bad behavior. I'm not sure, but the indicator of future behavior is normally past behavior."

"I think it’s for the best," their longtime friend Scheana Shay told E! News March 23 of the split. "I think she deserves better and she deserves a partner who’s going to treat her with respect."

And the couple's The Valley costar Kristen Doute agreed with Scheana.

"I'm proud of Brittany for setting boundaries for making the choice for her," Kristen admitted. "But I'm very hopeful that they can work this out. But that's on Jax, that's not on her."