Jax Taylor Requests Court to Declare Him Legally Single Amid Bitter Divorce From Brittany Cartwright

Former Vanderpump Rules star Jax Taylor is taking another significant legal step in his ongoing and contentious divorce from estranged wife Brittany Cartwright. According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly on Tuesday, October 13, Taylor’s attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, has formally asked a judge to grant a bifurcated judgment on marital status. This legal move would allow Taylor to be declared legally single while the couple continues to work out the remaining details of their divorce, including financial, property, and support issues.

In the court documents, Taylor’s legal team is requesting that the court separate the question of marital status from the broader, unresolved divorce settlement. A bifurcated judgment is a procedural tool in family law that allows one aspect of a divorce — often the dissolution of the marriage itself — to be finalized before other contested matters are settled. This can be particularly helpful for couples who are eager to move forward with their personal lives but are still entangled in lengthy negotiations over assets, debts, and other obligations.

“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.”

Taylor’s attorney further argued that the reality television personality is “well within his rights to seek an immediate dissolution of marital status.” The filing paints a picture of a marriage that has run its course, with both parties presumably ready to close this chapter of their lives. The request also appears designed to push the divorce forward after a process that Taylor’s legal team describes as frustratingly slow.

According to the court documents, Taylor’s attorney noted that “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 filing goes on to ask the court to “grant his request for order in its entirety and declare him legally divorced from [Cartwright].”

Us Weekly has reached out to attorneys representing both Taylor, 47, and Cartwright, 37, for comment on the latest development.

The exes, who share 5-year-old son Cruz, filed for divorce in 2024 after five years of marriage. Their relationship has been highly publicized since their early days on Vanderpump Rules, where viewers watched their romance blossom. The couple later starred together in the Bravo spinoff The Valley, which chronicled their lives as married parents alongside a circle of friends in California’s San Fernando Valley. Their split marked the end of a relationship that had long been a central storyline in the reality television franchise.

The new filing comes amid an already complicated and emotionally charged divorce process. In late August, Cartwright was granted a temporary protective order against Taylor, according to court documents viewed by Us Weekly. Cartwright, who filed the restraining order request in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, August 27, accused Taylor of domestic violence. The news was first reported by TMZ. The protective order added another layer of tension to an already difficult legal battle, and it has remained a topic of public interest ever since.

Despite the acrimony, a source previously told Us Weekly in July that Cartwright is not the reason the divorce has remained unresolved. The source pushed back against any suggestion that Cartwright was holding up the proceedings, describing her approach as cooperative and focused on the well-being of their young son.

“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.

That statement came amid reports that Taylor was frustrated with what he perceived as a lack of progress in the divorce. However, those close to Cartwright have maintained that she is not the obstacle. The source’s comments appeared intended to clarify that she has been willing to work toward a settlement, even as the legal process has dragged on.

In the meantime, Taylor has publicly moved forward with his personal life. Since his split from Cartwright, Taylor has been dating his former publicist, Lori Krebs. The relationship has drawn attention from fans and tabloids alike, particularly because Krebs was once part of Taylor’s professional inner circle. Taylor has been open about his feelings for Krebs, telling Page Six in August that he is happier than he has been in a long time.

“I love [Lori] to death. You can’t help who you fall in love with. Everybody deserves to find happiness,” Taylor said. “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.”

The relationship appears to have been a stabilizing force for Taylor, who has spoken candidly in the past about his struggles with mental health and personal turmoil. His remarks about being in the “happiest place” he has ever been contrast sharply with the legal battles and public controversies surrounding his divorce from Cartwright.

Now, in his latest court filing, Taylor is reiterating his desire to formally close out his marriage. The documents include a personal statement from Taylor expressing his wish to move on from Cartwright as quickly as legally possible.

“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 uncommon in high-profile divorces, especially when both parties agree that the marriage is irreparably broken. By severing the marital status from the remaining unresolved issues, the couple would technically become single in the eyes of the law, allowing them to remarry or otherwise live as unmarried individuals while still negotiating the financial and logistical details of their split.

This approach can also help reduce the emotional strain of remaining legally tied to someone you have separated from. For celebrities whose personal lives are constantly under public scrutiny, the ability to officially move on can be meaningful both personally and professionally.

Still, it remains unclear how Cartwright will respond to Taylor’s request. Her legal team has not yet publicly commented on the bifurcation filing. Given the existing restraining order and the contentious history of their divorce proceedings, there is a possibility that Cartwright may oppose the request or seek certain conditions before agreeing to sever the marital tie.

The couple’s divorce has been one of the most closely followed reality TV breakups in recent memory. Fans have watched their relationship evolve from a fairy-tale romance to a turbulent marriage marked by public arguments, infidelity allegations, and ultimately separation. Their joint appearances on The Valley only intensified public interest, as viewers saw the cracks in their relationship play out on screen.

Taylor and Cartwright’s son, Cruz, remains the central focus for both parents amid the legal chaos. Sources close to both parties have emphasized their shared commitment to co-parenting, even as their personal relationship has deteriorated. The eventual resolution of the divorce, including custody arrangements and financial support, will likely take into account what is best for the young boy.

As the legal process continues, Taylor is making it clear that he wants to move forward without delay. His latest filing sends a strong message that he is eager to leave the marriage behind and begin the next chapter of his life as a single man. Whether the court will grant his request remains to be seen, but his attorney has laid out a straightforward argument: the marriage is over, and there is no reason for the legal system to keep the two bound together any longer than necessary.

With no trial date set and the case moving slowly, Taylor is seeking an alternate route to finality. The judge will now have to decide whether to grant the bifurcated judgment, a decision that could bring Taylor one step closer to officially moving on from his marriage to Cartwright. For now, fans of the reality TV couple will continue to watch as their legal drama unfolds in the courts.