Jax Taylor Admits 'I Am an Addict' as He Candidly Speaks Out About His 'Substance Issues' with Cocaine and Alcohol

Mar. 15, 2025

Jax Taylor.Photo:Michael Simon/Shutterstock

Michael Simon/Shutterstock

Jax Tayloris getting vulnerable about his long-standing battle with addiction.

On March 4,The Valleystar, 45, opened up about his cocaine addiction during an emotional appearance onBravo’s Hot Mic Podcastas he declared: “I am an addict.”

“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," Taylor said. “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.”

Jax Taylor.Andrew Chin/Getty Images)

Andrew Chin/Getty Images)

TheVanderpump Rulesalum — who checked intoan in-patient facilityin September 2024 after he revealed he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and PTSD — also admitted that he doesn’t “necessarily think I have an alcohol problem, but the two go hand in hand.”

“I can’t do cocaine without drinking. So I just gave up both. I’m proud to say I’m 83 days sober right now, which is the longest I’ve ever gone in my life without either,” he said.

Taylor, who entered the in-patient facility shortly afterannouncing his separationfrom his estranged wifeBrittany Cartwright, also said that he knew Bravo fans “could kind of tell” he had substance abuse issues.

Jax Taylor, Brittany Cartwright attend the ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Season 10 Reunion Watch Party.Noam Galai/Bravo via Getty Images

Noam Galai/Bravo via Getty Images

This isn’t the first time Taylor has opened up about his health. In September, he revealed he was spending time in an “intensive inpatient treatment facility” in anInstagram post. He wrote that he’d been “scared of the unknown and what I would find out about myself” when he checked in to the facility “a little over a month ago.”

“After many years of knowing something was wrong but not knowing exactly what it was, I recently learned that I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and PTSD,” he said.

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“It’s been a lot to process and an emotional time for me, however I’ve come home to my son with a new found sense of peace,” he continued. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared for the future but my focus is just trying to be a better version of myself than I was yesterday. Mental health is a lifelong battle of not letting it control you but rather you learning to control it.”

Concluding the post, Taylor added: “Thank you everyone who has reached out in support and who also shared their own personal struggles with me. Your messages have helped me more than you know.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

source: people.com