Jax Taylor Requests to Be Legally Single Amid Contentious Divorce From Brittany Cartwright
Jax Taylor is taking another significant legal step in his ongoing divorce from estranged wife Brittany Cartwright. The former Vanderpump Rules star has asked a judge to officially declare him a single man, even as he and Cartwright continue to work through unresolved financial, property, and support issues in their divorce case.
According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly on Tuesday, October 13, Taylor’s attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, filed a request for a bifurcated judgment on marital status. In California divorce proceedings, a bifurcated judgment allows the court to sever one issue — in this case, marital status — from the rest of the divorce case. If granted, Taylor and Cartwright would legally be considered unmarried, while the remaining issues in their divorce, including spousal support, property division, and other financial matters, would still need to be resolved.
“Taylor respectfully requests that this court grant his request for a bifurcated judgment on marital status only,” the court documents state. “It is clear that this marriage is beyond repair and that no one will benefit by keeping the parties bound to one another as husband and wife. Moreover, [Taylor] would like the freedom to move forward with his life as a single person, and we assume [Cartwright] would like the same opportunity.”
Kaplan further argued that Taylor, 47, is “well within his rights to seek an immediate dissolution of marital status.” The legal filing also suggested that the progress of the divorce case has been frustratingly slow, leaving Taylor with no clear way forward.
“Nearly two years have passed since the case commenced with minimal case progression, and no set trial date, leaving [Taylor] with no clear path toward resolution and a justified desire to seek an alternate route to divorce,” the court documents allege. “Accordingly, [Taylor] respectfully requests that this court grant his request for order in its entirety and declare him legally divorced from [Cartwright].”
Us Weekly has reached out to attorneys for both Taylor and Cartwright, 37, for comment on the latest filing.
The request comes as the former couple’s split has become increasingly complicated and, at times, contentious. Taylor and Cartwright share 5-year-old son Cruz, and their divorce was filed in 2024 after five years of marriage. The two became fan favorites on Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules before starring together in the spinoff series The Valley. Their relationship played out publicly for years, from their engagement and wedding to the struggles that ultimately led to their separation.
A source previously told Us Weekly in July that Cartwright is not the reason the divorce remains unsettled. The source made it clear that she has been cooperative and focused on reaching an agreement, particularly with their young son in mind.
“Brittany has participated in this process in good faith and remains committed to reaching a fair resolution for everyone involved, especially their son,” the source shared at the time.
The new legal filing is just one part of a broader and emotionally charged breakup. In August, Cartwright was granted a temporary protective order against Taylor. Cartwright filed the restraining order request in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, August 27, accusing Taylor of domestic violence, according to court documents viewed by Us Weekly. TMZ was the first to report the news of the filing. The protective order added another layer of tension to an already difficult divorce process.
Despite the ongoing legal battles, Taylor has publicly moved on in his personal life. He has been dating his former publicist, Lori Krebs, and he has spoken openly about how happy he is in the relationship. In an interview with Page Six in August, Taylor shared his feelings for Krebs and described himself as being in a much better place emotionally.
“I love [Lori] to death. You can’t help who you fall in love with. Everybody deserves to find happiness,” Taylor said at the time. “I’m in the happiest place I’ve ever been, and I couldn’t be happier right now. My mental health has been so amazing since I’ve been with her.”
Even as Taylor expresses happiness with Krebs, his legal team has made it clear that he wants to close the chapter on his marriage to Cartwright as quickly as possible. In his latest court documents, Taylor did not mince words about where things stand between him and his estranged wife.
“There is no dispute that our marriage is over,” he said. “I desire to be divorced now. I would like to move on with my life and to do so as an unmarried person.”
Taylor’s request for a bifurcated judgment is not unusual in high-profile or highly contested divorces. By asking the court to dissolve the marital status first, one or both parties can formally move forward as single individuals while the remaining legal and financial issues continue to be negotiated or litigated. This can have practical implications for taxes, health insurance, ability to remarry, and other aspects of daily life. It can also provide emotional closure for a couple whose relationship has already ended in every way except on paper.
The move also signals that Taylor is ready to put the marriage behind him entirely. His attorney’s filing emphasizes the lack of progress in the case and argues that keeping the couple legally tied to one another serves no purpose. The legal team’s argument is straightforward: if the marriage is over, there is no reason to keep the parties bound together as husband and wife.
For Cartwright, the divorce process has been marked by her own legal actions and efforts to protect herself and her son. The temporary restraining order she obtained in August was a significant development, and it underscored the level of conflict between the two. While neither side has publicly commented on the specifics of the domestic violence allegations, the protective order has become part of the broader legal picture surrounding their split.
The former couple’s relationship has been under scrutiny for years. They married in 2019 in a lavish ceremony that was featured on Vanderpump Rules. Their son Cruz was born in 2021. For much of their time in the public eye, they presented themselves as a strong couple, but cracks in their relationship began to show over time. By early 2024, reports of marital problems surfaced, and their separation became a central storyline on The Valley.
As the divorce drags on, both Taylor and Cartwright have tried to move forward in their own ways. Cartwright has focused on co-parenting Cruz and has been vocal about her experience navigating the split. Taylor, meanwhile, has continued working and has been open about his new relationship with Krebs.
With his latest court filing, Taylor is hoping to at least resolve the question of his marital status without waiting for the rest of the divorce to be finalized. His legal team has made it clear that he wants a clean break. Whether a judge grants the request remains to be seen, but the filing signals that Taylor is determined to move forward with his life as a single man.
The request for a bifurcated judgment is the latest chapter in a divorce that has already produced more than its share of headlines. From the initial separation to the restraining order to Taylor’s new romance, the story has continued to unfold in the public eye. For now, the legal process remains ongoing, and the path to a final divorce settlement is still unclear.
What is clear, however, is Taylor’s intention. He does not want to remain legally married to Cartwright any longer than necessary. In his own words, he wants to move on and live as an unmarried person. Whether the court grants his request will depend on the judge’s decision, but Taylor’s position is unmistakable.
Us Weekly will continue to follow the case as more details emerge.
