‘The Valley’ Star Janet Caperna Was Married to Her Hometown Sweetheart Before Jason
Janet Caperna, a Columbus, Ohio native, married her first husband in 2014.
Published April 16 2025, 5:45 p.m. ET
Since The Valley debuted on the network on March 19, 2024, Bravoholics have been seated for all of the drama that follows the “cool moms and dads” of the show. Set in Los Angeles, Calif.’s most prominent suburbs, the couples on the show deal with everything from parenting woes to more personal issues, including multiple divorces.
Ahead of The Valley’s Season 2 premiere, two of the show’s couples, Jesse and Michelle Lally, and Vanderpump Rules alums Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright, filed for divorce. Fortunately, some couples are still standing strong, including Jason and Janet Caperna, who fans met for the first time in Season 1.
During Season 2, Janet and Jason shared more details regarding their marriage. However, some fans may not know Janet was a Mrs. before finding her forever love and a baby. So, who is her first husband? Let’s discuss!
Who is Janet Caperna’s first husband?
Janet’s first husband was someone she met long before The Valley became an option for her. While she didn’t discuss her ex much on the show, she mentioned on Season 2 of the Bravo show that she still had some wedding china left over from her first marriage. Smart girl!
Although Janet is pretty funny on The Valley, her marriage before Jason was a serious business; she married Phillip Fortener in June 2014. Janet met Phillip while living in their hometown, Columbus, Ohio, and they’re both from the same suburb of Dublin, per The Columbus Dispatch. According to her ex’s LinkedIn, he still resides in Columbus and works as a Finance Committee Member for Columbus Humane.
It’s unclear why Janet and Phillip divorced, though they have moved on. Phillip’s Instagram account shows him with his family and friends at multiple events in Columbus, signaling he’s over his ex.
Janet Caperna is determined to make her marriage to her second husband, Jason Caperna, last.
Fortunately for Janet, she and her first husband divorced far away from Bravo’s cameras. However, she’s aware of the two divorces in tandem in Season 2 of The Valley and said she and Jason are determined to prevent them from suffering the same fate.
“I think it'd be crazy not to look at everything and be like, ‘Oh, is this good?’” Janet admitted to Us Weekly about her concerns about the show being positive for her marriage. “But Jason and I check in with each other, and I think — I hope — we will see more of our relationship [next season].”
In addition to checking in, Janet and Jason aren’t bothered by the rumors swirling around their marriage. During Season 2 of The Valley, the couple’s co-star Kristen Doute accused Jason of taking his wedding ring off when he goes out. Fans immediately jumped on the theory, questioning if he took his ring off to cheat on his wife. However, Jason swiftly shut the noise and said he would never step out on Janet.
“It’s tough because it’s not just a ring off,” he explained to Us Weekly in April 2025 ahead of The Valley Season 2 premiere. “There’s definitely an implication there,” Jason, 41, exclusively told Us Weekly on Thursday, April 10, at the red carpet for The Valley season 2 premiere. “When somebody says you take your ring off, it’s not like, ‘Oh, I forgot it’. It’s like I’m doing it to try to get girls or something, as if I take it off and they just flock to me.”
“People can be shady, but I am not one of those people,” he added. I would never do anything to jeopardize this lady, right here, my wife, our son, and the family we have.”
Janet also laughed off the rumor, joking that her husband thought he could get more girls with his ring off. We love her playful approach to her second marriage!