Updated

Updated · E! NEWS · Jul 23

Kristen Doute Slams Jax Taylor Over Alleged Romance With Brittany Cartwright's 10-Year Friend

Updated

Updated · E! NEWS · Jul 23

Kristen Doute Slams Jax Taylor Over Alleged Romance With Brittany Cartwright's 10-Year Friend

Q: Did Jax and Lori's romance begin before his official separation from Brittany in February 2024?

No. Based on the available reporting, there is no confirmed evidence that Jax Taylor and Lori Krebs began a romance before his separation from Brittany Cartwright. The clearest reporting says their relationship “evolved over the past several months” after both had separated from their partners. Court records cited in related coverage place Jax and Brittany’s separation in late January 2024, publicly announced in February 2024. That means the documented timeline does not establish a pre-separation affair. What does exist is rumor and speculation. Reports say chatter about Jax and Lori surfaced in early 2024, around the time of the breakup, and both Jax and Brittany denied those claims at the time. Later sightings, including a restaurant appearance in May and the Mexico photos published in July 2026, fueled stronger public belief that they were involved, but those incidents occurred well after the separation. Kristen Doute’s criticism and Brittany’s comments reflect anger and a sense of betrayal, especially because Lori had been Brittany’s publicist and close friend. But those reactions do not amount to proof that the relationship started before the split. So the most accurate answer is that the romance has not been shown to have begun before the February 2024 separation. The public record only supports that rumors began around that period, while the reported relationship appears to have developed afterward.

Q: Is this a genuine connection or a storyline manufactured for the finale of 'The Valley'?

It appears to be both: a real off-camera relationship that Bravo is now using as a finale hook. The strongest evidence that the connection itself is genuine is that it broke outside the show. TMZ published photos of Jax Taylor and Lori Krebs together in Mexico, and reports say they had also been seen earlier in Boca Raton. Multiple accounts say the relationship developed over several months after both were separated from their partners, with shared experiences around divorce, parenting and autism cited as part of the bond. Brittany Cartwright’s reaction also appears real-world and immediate: she said she would address it when ready, sources say she felt blindsided, and Krebs was reportedly fired after the photos surfaced. At the same time, the way this is being folded into The Valley looks clearly producer-driven. Additional reporting says Bravo picked cameras back up after the scandal broke so the fallout could be captured for the finale and reunion. That suggests the romance was not originally built as a season-long arc, but the network is now shaping it into one because it is explosive and directly affects central cast relationships. So the available facts point to a genuine personal development, not a fake romance invented from scratch. But its late-stage prominence on The Valley is almost certainly being amplified and packaged by production for maximum dramatic impact.

3 articles · Updated · E! NEWS · Jul 23

Kristen Doute told Watch What Happens Live on July 22 that Jax Taylor allegedly dating Brittany Cartwright’s publicist Lori Krebs was “totally deceitful,” arguing the issue was Krebs’ role as Brittany’s trusted paid professional.
Lori Krebs has been close to the group for more than 10 years and also serves as Jax’s publicist, Doute and castmate Zack Wickham said, making reports of the relationship especially shocking to them.
Photos from Mexico earlier this month fueled the rumors, while a source told E! News the relationship shifted only in recent months after both were already separated from their partners.
Brittany Cartwright, 37, who shares 5-year-old son Cruz with Jax, said on her July 17 podcast that she would speak “the truth” soon but is currently focused on protecting her son and her peace.
The dispute lands amid Jax and Brittany’s long-running split: they separated in February 2024, and Brittany filed for divorce in August 2024.