Jax Taylor Makes an Appearance on Season 11 of 'VPR' — but Why Did He Leave in the First Place?

When cast members Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright left the Bravo reality show Vanderpump Rules, it didn't appear to be on good terms. The husband-and-wife duo announced their departure from the show in late 2020, but there was apparently more to the decision than their similar Instagram posts made it seem. Why did they leave Vanderpump Rules?

According to reports, Jax was let go from the cast of Vanderpump Rules in December 2020 following a complete upheaval of the cast. Only six months prior to Jax's firing, in June, Bravo also let go of the show's co-stars Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute, for racist actions against Black former cast member Faith Stowers.

In an Instagram Live in summer 2020, Faith claimed that Stassi and Kristen had previously called the police on her, falsely accusing her of a crime. The network fired them both.

But it didn't take long for fans to point fingers at other cast members for their own racist actions, including Jax.

In a resurfaced tweet from 2017, Jax answered a fan's question about Faith's potential to become a permanent cast member by bringing up allegations of crimes she didn't commit.

“She’s wanted by the police for grand theft auto and ‘awol’ from military, bad idea to be on a reality show dude,” he tweeted, according to Us Weekly. “Someone’s going to jail.”

Bravo reportedly made the decision to let go of Jax and Brittany later that year, and both of them posted similar statements online about their departure.

Jax had been on the show for eight seasons; Brittany had been on it for five.

"The last 5 years on Vanderpump Rules have been some of the most challenging, rewarding and fulfilling years of my life. Although this is difficult to share, Jax and I will not be returning for another season of Vanderpump Rules," Brittany wrote. "We are excited to take this time to focus on our growing family and share with you our new endeavors."

In an April 2021 interview with the Daddy Issues podcast, Jax claimed that he was happy at no longer being part of the show, saying it was "a huge, huge relief – for me."

He claimed his role on the show "didn't make sense anymore" after he "talked [about] it with producers," and that he was happy to have the opportunity to move on.

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

He admitted he would often argue with the producers over what he would and wouldn't shoot, and eventually it made more sense for him to leave the show. He also said that being a father was the top priority for him.

Some fans had to re-watch the Season 11 trailer for Vanderpump Rules to make sure they really did see Jax back on their screens. In a quick scene with Lisa Vanderpump, Jax is shown talking about (what else?) himself. Apparently, he wants to be the number one guy in the group again. Or, maybe not.

According to Jax on his and wife Brittany Cartwright’s podcast When Reality Hits, he films scenes with his former Vanderpump co-stars all the time. Apparently, this time around, producers felt it necessary to add one or more of those scenes to the edited episodes. Does that mean he’s back for good? Not quite, but he will apparently make an appearance in an episode or two.

Executive producer Sheonna Mix said at BravoCon 2023: “There’s going to be this amazing moment with Jax Taylor where he has the opportunity to talk, for lack of a better word, to Tom Sandoval."

It's possible he'll also plug his VPR spinoff The Valley (more on that in a moment!), which is set to premiere in spring 2024. Accordingly, his appearance on VPR Season 11 will most likely take place later in the season, as a sort of strategic lead-up to The Valley's premiere.

Per Bravo, The Valley — which launches in spring 2024 and includes former VPR cast members Jax Taylor, Brittany Cartwright, and Kristen Doute — "follows a group of close friends as they trade bottle service in West Hollywood for baby bottles in the Valley all while they navigate bustling businesses, rocky relationships, and feisty friendships."

It sounds like a mix of VPR with The Hills: New Beginnings. If you mix those shows together, you've got the The Valley!