Brittany Cartwrightwas seen with her son Cruz in Los Angeles on Wednesday, following estranged husbandJax Taylorchecking into rehab.
The 35-year-old reality star —who recently sparked romance rumors with The Bachelorette star Tanner Courtad — appeared tense as she held their three-year-old son in her arms amid the news of Jax seeking mental health treatment.
Wearing a casual outfit of a red plaid shirt and black biker shorts, the brunette beauty kept her only child close as she navigated through a parking lot.
She maintained a low profile behind dark designer sunglasses, finishing her look with a messy bun and white sliders.
The outing comes after Jaxchecked himself into an in-patient facility last week and not only is he allegedly still in the Los Angeles area, a source claimed to DailyMail.com, but is also still in communication with Brittany and Cruz.
Brittany Cartwright was seen with her son Cruz in Los Angeles on Wednesday, following estranged husband Jax Taylor checking into rehab
The 35-year-old reality star looked visibly tense as she held their three-year-old son in her arms amid the news of Jax seeking mental health treatment
'He's still in communication with Brittany and his son,' a source exclusively revealed to DailyMail.com.
The source went on to say that, at this point in time, it's not known how long the Vanderpump Rules alum will be in treatment.
'He is unsure how long he will be staying. It'll be however long he needs,' the source added.
Another source spilled, 'Brittany's priority is taking care of their son while Jax is away, and she is making sure Cruz still gets to speak to his father.'
Brittany and Jax announced their separation in February after nearly five years of marriage. She has since moved out of their $1.9 million Valley Village home and into an Airbnb.
'Brittany is supportive of Jax seeking treatment. She has been begging him to get therapy for years, so she's glad he's finally decided to get help for his mental health struggles,' a source told DailyMail.com.
The former couple are 'putting a pause' on any talk of next steps, per the source.
'Jax and Brittany have put a pause on their relationship. They are still separated and dealing with their marital problems.
Jax Taylor is still 'in communication' with his son Cruz and estranged wife Brittany Cartwright while in mental health facility
Taylor and Cartwright are 'putting a pause' on any talk of next steps, per the source; pictured April 2024
Cartwright and Taylor welcomed their son
'Now it's about Jax getting help for his mental health before they can continue their conversation about their marriage and what's next,' the source shared.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Cartwright's representatives who declined to comment.
Meanwhile, Brittany is holding down the fort at Jax's Studio City, hosting weekly The Bachelorette watch parties with pals Tom Schwartz, Jasmine Goode and Charity Lawson.
Charity, who was the lead for season 20 of The Bachelorette, 'played a part' in introducing one of her former suitors, Tanner Courtad, to Brittany, according to a source who spoke exclusively with DailyMail.com.
Brittany and Tanner 'have been hanging out together' ever since they met at The Bachelorette watch party for Jenn Tran's season on July 15 at Jax's Studio City.
Tanner, 31, then attended another watch party with the reality star the following week on July 22 and 'has been tagging along as Brittany films The Valley,' per the source.
'They recently filmed at Dave and Buster's with the rest of the cast for Janet [Caperna's] birthday.'
The Kentucky native, who had Tanner on her August 2 podcast When Reality Hits with Jax & Brittany, is reportedly 'a lot happier,' and has even lost some weight in recent weeks.
Brittany has been 'hanging out' lately with former Bachelorette suitor Tanner Courtad, sparking romance rumors on social media
Cartwright has recently paid off her $35k tax debt, DailyMail.com can exclusively report; (seen in June)
'Brittany has been happier lately and less stressed, and her happiness is contributing to her eating healthier and living a healthy lifestyle,' the source revealed.
'Separation and the time apart from Jax has been a really good thing for her for sure.'
Another reason why she might be 'less stressed' is because she has recently paid off her $35k tax debt, DailyMail.com can exclusively report.
Documents obtained by DailyMail.com reveal a release on Brittany's state tax lien for $35,239.88 was filed by the Franchise Tax Board of the State of California on July 26, 2024, just over a month after she was slapped with the lien.
DailyMail.com previously reported that she was hit with the tax lien on June 12, 2024, months after she was forced to move out of her marital home she once shared with Jax.
Jax did not leave their 3,765-square-foot five-bedroom mansion in San Fernando Valley, which they purchased in 2019.
'I knew that he wasn't gonna leave so I had to leave,' Brittany confessed last season of The Valley. 'It was too toxic of a situation, especially for my son.'
Brittnay and Jax — who share three-year-old son Cruz — announced their separation in February after nearly five years of marriage; (seen with their son in May 2023)
The former pair started dating in 2015. They got engaged in 2018, married in June 2019 and welcomed their son Cruz in 2021; (seen in March 2023)
Jax, for his part, took to his Instagram while in treatment to inform his fans that he was in a wellness facility to get better for his little boy.
'Working on getting better for you and myself buddy, I love you,' he captioned a photo of himself kissing Cruz.
A rep for Jax told TMZ, 'Jax has always been candid about his mental health struggles, especially during the past few months on his podcast.
'He has made the decision to seek in-patient treatment. This is a particularly sensitive time for him and his family. They ask for privacy and respect until he is ready to speak more on this matter.'
