Brittany Cartwright and Kristen Doute have come a long way since waiting tables and fighting in the back alley of SUR. The Vanderpump Rules alum have moved on to the next chapter of lives (and reality TV) in Bravo’s new series, The Valley. Though the besties have been off our screens for a few years now, they have been keeping busy. Cartwright and her recently estranged husband, Jax Taylor, have an almost three-year-old son, Cruz, and a successful podcast, “When Reality Hits with Jax and Brittany.” In addition to continuing to grow her clothing line, james mae, Doute also started a podcast called “Sex, Love, and What Else Matters.” Despite working on their own successful endeavors, Cartwright and Doute were always determined to return to our screens.
“We’ve been working on the idea for the show for so long, even back in 2019,” explained Doute. “It just felt like the right move.” Cartwright was excited for Bravo fans to witness the next phase of their lives. “It’s so great not to wait tables and stuff on camera,” said Cartwright with a laugh. “Nothing against it, but The Valley is so much more real and open and honest.” Cartwright also believes that audiences will find this iteration of their lives “relatable,” saying, “That’s what’s going to make this show different than Vanderpump Rules.”
The Valley will also sadly document the events that led to Cartwright’s and Taylor’s separation. Since her time on Bravo, Cartwright always did damage control with their friend group after Taylor behaved badly. “That’s been my life for nine years. It can wear on you,” explained Cartwright. “That’s one of the reasons we are where we are now.” Though friends with both Cartwright and Taylor, Doute admits that Cartwright shouldn’t have to clean up after Taylor’s messes. “I say pretty often, Brittany has to take care of the baby tonight, and she also has to take care of Cruz.”
Cartwright and Doute spoke to DECIDER over Zoom to talk about their new show, Doute’s motherhood journey, and what fans can expect this season.
DECIDER: Brittany, you start off filming for this season right after your jaw/neck lipo. Is this how you envisioned re-starting your reality tv career?
BRITTANY CARTWRIGHT: I would never do lipo that close to filming again because half the time I look like I have a frowny face. I just have to laugh at myself and crack up at those moments. When the trailer came out, so many people were posting, “why does she look like she’s frowning?” The procedure was three weeks prior. My doctors definitely thought I would have full mobility back in my jaw. It didn’t happen like that. Learned my lesson.
Kristen, you’ve obviously put a lot of work into yourself. Were you at all apprehensive about returning to reality tv, especially since you’re in the midst of trying to start a family?
KRISTEN DOUTE: At first, I thought you were talking about my Botox. I was like, “well, thank you so much.”
[laughs] No, but you do look incredible!
KD: I’m just kidding [laughs]. I was more nervous than apprehensive. We’ve been working on the idea for the show for so long, even back in 2019 before the pandemic. Jax and Brittany really spearheaded The Valley idea; it was just something that felt so real to us. It provides a much more normal view of our everyday lives. It’s been a few years, but I was more excited than nervous.
Yes, you three are far beyond SUR.
BC: Yes. It’s so great not to wait tables and stuff on camera [laughs]. I had so much fun working that job. Nothing against it, but The Valley is so much more real and open and honest. People are going to relate to things that we go through with our families and as couples. That’s what’s going to make this show different from Vanderpump Rules.
KD: At that point, we had truly outgrown Vanderpump Rules. The three of us moved to the Valley now five years ago. So it just, like Brittany said, feels more organic to do something like this.
I do want to get into the show. Kristen, is Luke still living in Colorado? Has he thought anymore about moving to LA full-time?
KD: Yeah, Luke owns a 70-acre ranch in Colorado. He’s still there, still building on his property, but he’s very much living in between California and Colorado.
How are you two doing with the distance? You seem to be navigating it well.
KD: Thank you. It’s not always easy. I’m very lucky that, especially obviously filming the show, he committed to being in the Valley for the summer. Since then, we’ve done a lot of road trips together because both of our families are in the Midwest. I’m lucky that it’s such a quick trip to Colorado. He’s usually only gone for a couple of weeks at a time. I also try to get out there as much as possible. We are both aware that much sooner than later we’re going to have to have a concrete plan for where we want to lay down roots.
Kristen, you’re sharing your motherhood journey with us. Brittany, you’ve shared your motherhood journey with us. Were you happy to support Kristen with putting this part of her life before the camera?
BC: Oh yeah, for sure. I’ve always said Kristen would be a wonderful mom. I really am excited for her, and I know it’s going to happen for her one day.
KD: Hopefully, sooner than later.
BD: Hopefully, sooner than later. I support her 100%, and I can’t wait to see her as a mom.
KD: The cameras didn’t get to see Brittany getting pregnant and Cruz being born because of the pandemic, but I got to be around Brittany. I also got to see Scheana [Shay] with Summer, and, at the time, Stassi [Schroeder]and Lala [Kent] with their babies as well. For me, getting to be very hands-on from the day that Cruz was born and getting to watch Brittany as a mom just confirmed my desire to be a mother. I hope that dream soon becomes a reality.
I do want to talk about the conversation Jax had with Kristen at Janet’s County Fair party.
BC: Oh lord.
He was trying to voice his concerns about you and Luke starting a family but wasn’t very delicate about it. I do think he was trying to be a good friend, though.
KD: There’s this fine line between concern and know-it-all that Jax likes to step across. What I constantly explain to Jax is that while he now knows how to parent a baby because he had one with his wife, he did not know about parenting before Cruz was born. I have to go through this on my own. I appreciate his concern but don’t appreciate him being a know-it-all. I think he is a little bit of both. Most of the time.
BC: It’s a little bit of both most of the time, and he doesn’t know when to just drop things either.
Brittany, on Vanderpump Rules, I feel like you were always cleaning up Jax’s messes…
BC: Always.
Does this trend continue on The Valley?
BC: Always. That’s been my life for nine years. It can wear on you. That’s one of the reasons we are where we are now. It can be difficult to always feel like I have to clean up his messes or babysit what he’s going to say or how he’s going to act. It shouldn’t all ride on my shoulders.
KD: I say pretty often, Brittany has to take care of the baby tonight, and she also has to take care of Cruz.
Recently, you and Jax and fellow The Valley cast mates Jesse [Lally] and Michelle [Saniei Lally] have announced your separation. Have you and Michelle been able to help each other navigate through this tricky time?
BC: Big time. Michelle and I have always been super close friends, but we’ve gotten closer since this has happened. We have each other to lean on. She’s been going through a separation longer than I have, so she’s given me so much advice about different things that I could do. Also, she inspired me a little bit because I saw how much happier she was. I needed peace in my life. I needed to be able to break away and really figure out what I want for my future and for my son. It’s been awesome to have somebody like Michelle who’s going through something so similar.
Speaking of someone by your side, I want to talk about someone who is by both your sides: Zack Wickham. What’s it like to share “friend custody” of him?
KD: I’m sorry.
BC: No, it’s fine. It’s great. I’ve been so busy being a mom. I can’t always hang out as much as Zack wants or Kristen wants. There are times that I’m too tired or too busy. So, I’m glad that they’re so close. It doesn’t bother me one bit.
KD: I call Zack my handler. He knows how to get me to do things that I might not do in the right amount of time. He handles my frazzled ADHD really well. Whenever Luke’s out of town, I have Zack to be that person for me. Like Brittany said, she has a baby and a bar and a podcast and everything else. She can’t just drop it all to hang out with her best friends who don’t have her responsibilities. I just think the world of Zack. He’s absolutely hysterical.
BC: He’s very smart and has a good quick wit. I think that’s what’s going to make him good on reality TV.
KD: He does stick his foot in his mouth as well, so that’s also good for reality TV, unfortunately.
Last question. What can you tease about the rest of the season?
BC: It only gets more and more dramatic as it goes on. There’s maybe one more cutesy episode and then things get a little bit crazier.
KD: We do have a lot of lighthearted moments and funny moments, but there are a lot of—
BC: Heavy moments.
KD: There’s a lot of pressure. I don’t have a husband or a baby, so I can only imagine what my friends and the rest of the group are feeling. Janet’s pregnant in the season, and now she has a baby. Brittany has a toddler running around. We are under a lot of pressure to share all of that, but it’s also what we do.
BC: Yeah, exactly. We’re new parents now, but we’re still a lot of fun.
