I absolutely hate how Jax Taylor justified his violence on The Valley season 2—and you will too

The Valley season 2 premiered on April 15, 2025, and from the very first episode, it became clear that the show wouldn’t be shielding Jax Taylor’s behavior. After years of cheating, lying, and deflecting on Vanderpump Rules, there was speculation that The Valley might offer Jax a chance at reinvention.

But instead of softening his image, the show pulled the curtain back further—showing an incident that was deeply unsettling and impossible to defend. In the premiere, Jax revealed during a conversation that, during his separation from Brittany Cartwright, he went through her text messages, discovered she was hooking up with someone he knew, and in a fit of rage, flipped a coffee table.

The table struck Brittany while their son Cruz was in the next room. It was a jarring admission, not just for what happened—but for how casually Jax described it.

"I flipped a coffee table and it hit her,” he shared.

“That’s how I found out,” he added, referring to Brittany’s text messages. Despite the severity of what he described, Jax seemed more focused on justifying his reaction than taking responsibility for it. And that’s what makes a redemption arc feel completely out of reach.

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Jax tried to justify the violence—but it only exposed deeper issues in The Valley

Throughout The Valley’s premiere, Jax framed the coffee table incident as a response any man might have. He explained that finding out Brittany was with someone he knew was too much to handle emotionally. But rather than owning the harm his reaction caused, he doubled down, claiming it was a natural consequence of betrayal.

This isn’t the first time Jax has crossed the line—fans of Vanderpump Rules have watched him manipulate, lie, and lash out for years. But this time, the stakes are higher. Brittany is his wife, and Cruz is his son. Physical aggression in a home with a child is not something that can be brushed off as reality TV drama.

It’s also worth noting that Brittany didn’t even get to tell this part of the story herself—Jax did, and even his version was disturbing. If this is how he chose to describe the event, it raises questions about what wasn’t said. And yet, instead of expressing remorse, Jax went on to say that he wasn’t the only one who would’ve reacted that way.

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The Valley is doing the right thing by not softening Jax’s image

As a viewer, I was relieved to see that The Valley didn’t edit this moment out or try to spin it as a “bad day.” The show didn’t jump in with confessional quotes trying to paint Jax in a better light. Instead, it let his words—and actions—speak for themselves.

This decision signals that the producers understand how important it is to show the full picture. Jax may be a longtime figure in the Vanderpump universe, but that doesn’t mean his behavior should be excused. In a recent interview with Deadline in April 2025, he said that things will get worse for him on the show, and based on the premiere, I hope that means The Valley will keep showing the unfiltered version.

If reality TV is going to feature real relationships, it can’t shy away from showing the consequences of real harm. Jax has had years to change, grow, or even take responsibility—and he hasn’t. At this point, I don’t need a redemption arc. I need the truth. And The Valley season 2 might finally be delivering it.

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Watch the latest episodes of The Valley currently available to stream on Peacock.