Lisa Vanderpump didn’t know Jax Taylor was addicted to cocaine — but she could tell when filming Vanderpump Rules with him that something was wrong.
Vanderpump, 64, called into Andy Cohen’s Radio Andy on Wednesday, March 5.”How long has this been going on? Because I knew when he had a huge deal with me and the last words he said were, ‘You’re on my show,’” Vanderpump began, referring to the season 8 finale of Vanderpump Rules.
The restaurateur recalled looking into Taylor’s eyes and knowing “something was awry, for sure.” Vanderpump expressed hope that Taylor, 45, would continue to remain committed to his sobriety after going public with his personal struggles.
“But Jax is very stubborn and he is going to tell you what he wants you to know,” she added. “I knew something was going on but [I don’t have much contact with him] on The Valley. I am not that involved — not like I am with Vanderpump Rules.”
Taylor broke his silence about his struggles with cocaine on the Tuesday, March 4, episode of Bravo’s “Hot Mic” podcast. “I have substance issues — primarily with cocaine. It’s hard to say out loud,” he said. “I’ve been dealing with this on and off since I was 23 and now I’m 45. There were times where I would stop doing it but then there were times where I’d go heavy on it.”
Jax Taylor. Charles Sykes/Bravo
Taylor clarified that he cut out alcohol as well. “People ask you, ‘Do you have an alcohol problem too?’ I don’t necessarily think I have an alcohol problem but the two go hand in hand,” he noted. “I can’t do cocaine without drinking. So I just gave up both. I’m proud to say I’m 83 days sober right now, which is the longest I’ve ever gone in my life without either.”
After fans questioned Taylor’s behavior in the past, he acknowledged there were “some signs” they were picking up on, adding, “And [producers] did pull me aside a couple times and say, ‘Listen, calm down now.’ They didn’t know, but they thought I was drinking too much.”
Taylor subsequently explained that production wasn’t “supplying” the cast with alcohol or any substances.
“I would go off on my own. We would film a scene and you have 30 minutes [of] downtime so most people go rest. I would go to a bar, get lit or go next door from SUR and that’s where we all went because we weren’t allowed to drink during scenes,” he detailed. “During certain times, we would go to parties. But when we’re doing these important scenes, they were like, ‘Stay away from that’. But we’d all sneak in the back alley or we would all go get ripped before a scene.”
Following Taylor’s revelation, his estranged wife, Brittany Cartwright, spoke out in a statement.
The stars of Vanderpump Rules are no strangers to controversy. The staff of Lisa Vanderpump’s West Hollywood restaurant SUR made their debut on Bravo in 2013 as part of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills spinoff. The season 1 cast included Vanderpump, Stassi Schroeder, Jax Taylor, Katie Maloney, Tom Sandoval, Kristen Doute and Scheana Shay. […]
“His addiction unfortunately has done irreparable damage to my son and I,” Cartwright, 36, who shares 3-year-old son Cruz with Taylor, began via her Instagram Story on Tuesday. “I’ve spent years trying to help him. I wish more than anyone I could say how proud I am of him today but I’d be lying. His actions will speak for themselves.”
Cartwright addressed criticism about her past relationship with Taylor.
“And to those asking why I stayed if I knew he had a problem all these years. You can’t help who you fell in love with. I’ve done absolutely everything in my power to get him the help he desperately needed. Unfortunately, I was naive and believed his empty promises and his pleads to change for years,” she continued. “Once you have a child with someone, it’s not easy to leave. It took everything in my power to gather the strength to walk away. For those that have been through similar, you get it. For those that question me … that’s OK. I’m in a much better place now.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
