Lala Kent Weighs In on Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright Separation: "I Always Pick the Chick"

During their time as full-time cast members on Vanderpump Rules on Bravo, Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright went through their fair share of ups and downs in front of the cameras.

While Jax was an original star, Brittany joined the Bravo reality series as a guest in Season 4, when she began dating the then-SUR bartender.

Fans were then able to keep up with the good, the bad, and the ugly in their relationship — from Brittany finding out about Jax's infidelity up to the moment the couple tied the knot in 2019.

Though viewers grew accustomed to watching the duo on the show, Jax and Brittany did not return to Vanderpump Rules after Season 8 (although they do star in the spin-off The Valley). However, it appears as though their relationship has finally come to an end as the couple announced their separation in February of 2024.

Fans (and fellow Vanderpump stars) have long shared their beliefs about Jax and Brittany's marriage not lasting, and it appears as the naysayers were right in this case.

In the Feb. 29, 2024 episode of the couple's podcast, When Reality Hits, Brittany revealed that she and Jax had recently separated.

"Many of you guys have been asking me about Jax and I and our relationship," she said. "I know on my last podcast, I alluded to many marriages go through rocky times. Yes, marriages in general are very hard and I've had a particularly rough year this past year. 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."

Some fans are under the impression that the move could be a publicity stunt in the lead-up to the March 19 premiere of The Valley. While that's a possibility, others have pointed out that Jax and Brittany's relationship has gone through many ups and downs over the years and — in some people's opinion — was doomed from the start.

Although the couple is no longer part of VPR, they are still close with some of the cast members. And Lala Kent recently weighed in on the separation on her podcast Give Them Lala. In a Q&A episode that dropped on March 18, she noted that she will "always pick the chick" when it comes to standing with Brittany versus Jax during this separation and even beyond.

"It didn't just come out of left field that, like, I always pick the chick," Lala said. She added, "My mantra is 'leave him.'"

But, she also noted, in general, for her it's always about women making the best choices to make themselves happier as people and as mothers, even if that means ending a marriage.

Rumors about the Jax and Brittany's possible breakout also made the rounds in 2022 when Brittany stopped appearing on Jax's social media accounts.

However, Jax instantly put the rumors to rest by posting himself and Brittany attending the 2022 People's Choice Awards and interacting with fans in the comments sections.

"We would never get divorced, we don’t believe in that. Not sure [why] people are saying that," Jax responded to someone's comment about the divorce rumors.

Several months after Season 8 of the show wrapped, the Vanderpump Rules: Jax and Brittany Take Kentucky leads announced that they were expecting their first child together.

Their son, Cruz Michael Cauchi (Jax's real name is Jason Cauchi), was born in April 2021.

Since their baby was born, Brittany and Jax have shared plenty of photos of him online — and Cruz even has his own verified Instagram account, @LittleBabyCauchi.

While the stars of the popular Bravo series remained fairly consistent over the years since its debut in 2013, the end of the eighth season marked a lot of significant cast changes.

Stassi Schroeder Clark, Kristen Doute, Max Boyens, and Brett Caprioni were all fired for their past insensitive actions (Kristen and Stassi reported Faith to the police for a crime she was not involved in, while the latter two stars had posted racist tweets in the past).

In December 2020, about six months after their co-stars were let go, Brittany and Jax confirmed that they also would not be returning to the show for the upcoming ninth season.

"The last eight years on Vanderpump Rules have been some of the most challenging, rewarding, and fulfilling years of my life," Jax wrote on Instagram at the time. "Although this is difficult to share, Brittany and I will not be returning for another season of Vanderpump Rules. We are excited to take this time to focus on our growing family and share with you our new endeavors."

While some fans thought that the two were actually fired and that the statement was posted so they could save face, Jax has since reiterated that they chose to leave the show.

During an appearance on the Daddy Issues podcast in April 2021, Jax said that it was a "huge relief" to be done with the catfight-filled series.

"It just doesn’t make sense for a 40-year-old to be hanging out with a 20-year-old and fighting and arguing. It was getting stretched, and it just didn't make sense anymore," he said on the show.

He noted that his priorities had shifted tremendously.

"I'm 40. I'm gonna be a father. My focus is on that," he said at the time. "It's just not fair to the show either to be like, 'OK, I'm going to sign up for this but I’m only going to be able to do these, this, and this.' So, you know, I was okay with the decision, you know, to hang it up."

Watch The Valley on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST on Bravo.