Lifestyle Health Addiction and Sobriety Brittany Cartwright Is 'Fully Taking' Over When Reality Hits Podcast After Ex Jax Taylor Reveals Substance Addiction Cartwright also addressed Taylor's bombshell admission and expressed suspicion about his desire to stay sober By Esther Kang Esther Kang Esther Kang is a writer at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2023 and has previously worked for publications like TMZ and TooFab. People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 10, 2025 04:31PM EDT 2 Comments (L) Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor. Photo: Steven Simione/FilmMagic; Gary Gershoff/Getty Images Brittany Cartwright is ready for a fresh start! Shortly after her ex-husband Jax Taylor got candid about his issues with substance addiction, The Valley star, 36, revealed there would be changes coming to their joint podcast, When Reality Hits, in a video shared to Instagram. "So I'm parked out of gas station right now, but I am just so excited because I just finished my shoot to do the whole rebrand for When Reality Hits," she said in the clip. "I'm fully taking it over. I cannot wait for you guys to see this photo shoot." "This is going to be so much fun," she continued. "I cannot wait. Like When Reality Hits is going to another level, and I am so ready for this." Jax Taylor Admits 'I Am an Addict' as He Candidly Speaks Out About His 'Substance Issues' with Cocaine and Alcohol In the caption, Cartwright wrote that the shift was "official" and teased a "full rebrand coming your way very soooon." The change comes after Taylor revealed he had a cocaine addiction during an emotional appearance on Bravo's Hot Mic Podcast on March 4. “I have substance issues — primarily with cocaine. It’s hard to say out loud. I’ve been dealing with this on and off since I was 23 and now I’m 45," he explained. "There was times where I would stop doing it but then there were times where I’d go heavy on it.” “I’ve never said this in my life," Taylor continued. "So to come out and say that I have an addiction [and] that I have a sickness that I have to work on the rest of my life is a really big deal for me. Obviously, it’s a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.” (L) Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright. Kevin Winter/Getty Brittany Cartwright Reacts to Ex Jax Taylor Revealing His Cocaine Addiction and 'Substance Issues' (Exclusive) On the March 8 episode of When Reality Hits, Cartwright reacted to Taylor's admission on Hot Mic and expressed skepticism over his desire to get better. “No one wants Jax to be better more than I do. Like, let's be real," she explained. "I've tried and tried and tried for years and years to help this man get better and for us to be a happy family. I was deeply, madly in love with that with him." "My love was real and I tried very, very hard to make sure that especially after we had our son [Cruz], that he was getting the help he needed," she continued. Cartwright claimed that she urged Taylor to seek help at a facility for a second time to get treatment for his addiction. In September 2024, Taylor checked into an in-patient facility, after which he revealed he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and PTSD. Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright with their son Cruz. Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Brittany Cartwright Responds to Those Asking 'Why I Stayed' amid Ex Jax Taylor's Addiction PEOPLE has reached out to Taylor's reps for comment. She alleged that Taylor eventually agreed to go after she staged an "intervention" with his friends, family and employers that he made the decision to get sober. "He fought it, he fought it, he fought it," she recalled, claiming he said, "I don't have a problem. I only do it when I'm drinking. I don't have a problem, this and this and that. [He] never would admit it." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. “I really hope that he truly has been sober for these last 83 days, but he's also said to me that he knows exactly how long it takes to come out of his system," she claimed, adding that Taylor undergoes drug testing at a facility every Monday. "It scares me. So I am drug testing him myself for the safety of my son, and I'm going to continue doing that for a while," Cartwright continued. "But I just feel like it's just so hard because even if he is sober, his actions have not changed. I think that that's the hardest thing for me.” Close Leave a Comment