Why did Jax and Brittany leave ‘Vanderpump Rules?’

Affectionately dubbed “Cocaine Bear” by some Vanderpump Rules viewers, the chaotic reality TV star Jax Taylor was undoubtedly the biggest villain on the show before Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss blew up the Bravo universe by having a torrid affair.

Jax provided seasons of drama by first cheating on then-girlfriend and former cast mate Stassi Schroeder, then on every subsequent woman who stood still long enough to be his very temporary love interest. In fact, his close friends and fellow cast members came up with an expression for being betrayed by Jax: getting “Jaxed.”

So when the self-described “Number 1 Guy in the Group” introduced his latest girlfriend Brittany to the friend group, his friends assumed she, too, would get Jaxed. And she did. But whether it was true love or the allure of being a star on a top-rated Los Angeles-based reality TV series (a far cry from her former life on a Kentucky farm), Brittany married Jax. Their wedding planning and events took up much of season eight.

However, in season nine, Jax and Brittany suddenly left the wildly successful series, despite Jax being the highest-paid cast member at that time. Now, Jax is not known for his strategic mind or financial acumen. But he was fully aware that starring on Vanderpump Rules was his very best career option. Sure, he pretended he was going to quit the show once to pursue a rewarding job as a social media coordinator for an unnamed hockey team, but that was just a ruse to distract everyone from his latest cheating scandal. So, why did the newlyweds leave the show?

Brittany Cartwright started off getting a hero edit on the series, meaning that producers and video editors included clips that made her look like a sweet southern belle and cut clips that made her look like a shrieking banshee with no integrity. But nobody stays a hero on reality TV forever. As the old saying goes, “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the reality TV villain who loses brand deals.”

Brittany became the villain when she doubled down about hiring an openly homophobic preacher to officiate her and Jax’s wedding by screeching at anyone who quietly took issue with that choice. The happy couple’s eventual decision to replace that preacher with gay icon and pop prince Lance Bass did little to redeem them in the public eye. So, Brittany was the innocent sweetheart no more, and Jax’s raging insolence started to lose its charm.

But, wait! There’s more.

For some, it isn’t enough to be homophobic; they want the full spectrum of bigotry, and they want it now. Brittany participated in something in a past season that she thought was far behind her. And, it might have been, had times not changed.

Vanderpump Rules is a long-running series that began years before sexism, homophobia, and racism were taken as seriously as they are today. Before the #metoo movement, before LGBTQ+ was simply LG, and before George Floyd was murdered, these friends and cast members engaged in behavior that can only be described, these days, as “problematic” if you’re going easy on them and “bigoted” if you’re not.

You see, when Jax cheated on Brittany, he did so with a Black cast member named Faith Stowers. This scandal caused a ruckus and caused problems in multiple relationships on the show. After all, these cast members were all genuine longtime friends, and Jax cheating on then-series sweetheart Brittany caused the women to side with Brittany and the men to side with Jax.

The women, former cast members Kristin Doute and Stassi Schroeder, chose to exact revenge on Brittany’s behalf against Faith Stowers. This is where it all goes wrong — podcasts, Jax’s involvement, what it means for a Black woman to suffer police violence in America, etc.

While Jax, Brittany, and Bravo were tight-lipped about the reason for their departure, most people believe it’s because of the Faith incident, piled on top of their choice of homophobic pastor and the fans tiring of the couple’s antisocial antics.

Will Jax and Brittany return to Bravo?

All signs point to “yes.” The evidence? Jax was brought back to speak with Bravo executive Andy Cohen on his show Watch What Happens Live to give his perspective on former friend Tom Sandoval’s scandal. In addition, a Vanderpump spin-off show is said to be in the works that will bring back Kristen Doute, Jax Taylor, and Brittany Cartwright.

It remains to be seen if Jax and Brittany will make an appearance on season 11 of Vanderpump Rules. If they do return, they will be faced with many new storylines that didn’t exist back when they were on the show.

Some predict that season 11 will focus on newly single Katie Maloney and Ariana Madix’s thriving romantic and business lives as they launch their West Hollywood sandwich shop Something About Her. Another possible storyline will focus on best friends and business partners Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval’s post-scandal relationship and the tension between them about the affair’s effect on their joint business venture, a restaurant called Schwartz & Sandys. Lisa Vanderpump’s bar Pump will be closing, and filming has taken place for season 11 there already. Finally, Raquel’s return: will any of her friends forgive her? Or more importantly for her wallet, will any of her friends film with her?