Kristen Doute and Luke Broderick Talk The Valley, Jax and Brittany Drama and More

Summary

Bravo's Hot Mic: Detailed Summary of "Kristen Doute and Luke Broderick Talk The Valley, Jax and Brittany Drama and More"

Release Date: January 21, 2025

In this compelling episode of Bravo's Hot Mic, hosts Kristen Doute and Luke Broderick delve deep into the intricacies of their personal lives, the challenges of returning to reality TV with The Valley, and the ongoing drama surrounding Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright. The conversation is candid, revealing, and enriched with insightful reflections on relationships, personal growth, and the pressures of public life.

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1. Welcoming the News: Pregnancy Updates

The episode kicks off with heartfelt congratulations as Kristen announces her pregnancy. The discussion swiftly moves to Brittany's candid take on her own pregnancy journey.

• Brittany Cartwright shares her mixed feelings: “I’m not the most fun thing I’ve ever done. It could be way worse” (00:21). She elaborates on her hormonal fluctuations and the extensive medical monitoring she's undergoing, stating, “It’s just a fertility doctor. I guess we’re learning now. The fertility doctor treats me like a broken baby bird until she can set me free” (00:45).

• Kristen Doute adds reassurance: “Everything looks great this time. The numbers are all there. Heartbeat strong. Everything’s great” (01:07).

The conversation highlights the emotional and physical complexities of pregnancy, emphasizing both relief and ongoing anxieties Brittany faces.

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2. Returning to Reality TV: The Birth of The Valley

Kristen and Brittany discuss the genesis of The Valley, reflecting on their apprehensions and hopes about returning to the spotlight after their experiences on Vanderpump Rules.

• Brittany Cartwright recounts the two-year deliberation: “It was like two years of serious talks. Maybe we could start branching off, because people were evolving and the pandemic happened” (03:35). She admits her fears about public perception: “What if they’re like, no, it hasn’t been enough time. Like, who does she think she is?” (04:35).

• Zack (the host) probes further into their decision-making process, noting the challenges of re-entering television and the necessity of mutual support within their relationship.

• Kristen Doute reflects on her initial skepticism: “I didn’t think it was gonna be a show. I thought this podcast and then we’d build other businesses” (06:07). Her realization about the necessity of aligning personal and professional lives becomes evident.

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3. Navigating the Relationship with Luke Broderick

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to Kristen and Luke's relationship, exploring how they met, their compatibility, and how they've balanced public life with their personal connection.

• Kristen Doute explains their serendipitous meeting: “Timing is everything. If that hadn’t happened, we wouldn’t be right here” (14:47).

• Brittany Cartwright praises Luke's qualities: “He’s very patient and not douchey… very business-minded” (18:02). She contrasts their strengths, highlighting how Luke complements her with his logistical skills.

• Kristen Doute discusses their balance: “I look to the future… and Kristen’s like, I can’t see past tomorrow” (19:09). This mutual support system underscores how their differences strengthen their bond.

The dialogue underscores the importance of shared values and complementary strengths in maintaining a healthy relationship, especially under the scrutiny of reality TV.

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4. Addressing Jax and Brittany Drama

A heated segment addresses the tumultuous relationship between Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright, providing Brittany's perspective on recent developments and Zach's role in navigating the drama.

• Brittany Cartwright criticizes Jax's actions: “He has to be the center of attention… he can’t get out of his own way” (28:07). She expresses frustration over his inability to take responsibility and improve for the sake of their co-parenting relationship.

• Kristen Doute supports Brittany, noting Jax's slow progress: “He is showing more than I’ve seen out of him, actually calling himself out” (30:29).

• Brittany Cartwright emphasizes the impact on their son, Cruz: “If he can’t do it for himself, do it for your son” (35:36). She advocates for Jax's self-improvement not just for his sake but for the well-being of their child.

The conversation sheds light on the complexities of co-parenting post-conflict and the personal growth required to foster a healthy environment for their child.

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5. Personal Growth and Overcoming Challenges

Both Brittany and Kristen reflect on their personal growth, especially Brittany's journey from being perceived negatively on TV to becoming a resilient mother and partner.

• Brittany Cartwright shares her transformation: “I’m no longer the social butterfly… I really like to be alone” (23:28). She discusses the shift in her priorities, focusing on personal happiness and stable co-parenting.

• Kristen Doute acknowledges Brittany's evolution and her own ongoing therapy: “I’ve been in therapy recently… my inner dialogue… I talk to myself in a way I would never talk to someone else” (34:09).

• Brittany Cartwright emphasizes accountability: “I have to prove myself through actions over time” (30:32). Her commitment to personal responsibility contrasts sharply with the victim mentality she criticizes in others.

Their insights highlight the importance of self-awareness, accountability, and continuous personal development in overcoming past mistakes and building healthier futures.

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6. The Influence of Reality TV and Maintaining Authenticity

Brittany and Kristen discuss how reality TV can amplify personal flaws and the importance of staying grounded despite newfound fame.

• Brittany Cartwright warns against ego inflation: “Don’t forget where your roots were. Take yourself down a few notches” (38:30). She advises fellow cast members to remain humble and authentic.

• Kristen Doute reflects on the necessity of mutual support within the cast: “The Vanderpump cast was kind of self-policing… everyone else would reign that person in” (39:18). This self-regulation prevents individual egos from overshadowing the group dynamic.

• Brittany Cartwright comments on the evolution of relationships within the cast: “The Tom that I once knew… he’s not really the Tom that I knew” (41:48). She touches on how time and circumstances can alter personal connections.

This segment underscores the delicate balance between maintaining personal integrity and navigating the public's perception in the reality TV landscape.

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7. Advice for Fellow Cast Members and Moving Forward

Towards the episode's conclusion, Brittany offers advice to fellow cast members like Tom Sandoval and emphasizes the importance of personal growth over seeking external validation.

• Brittany Cartwright advises Tom Sandoval: “I hope he gets through this sort of… and then hopefully come out the other side of it” (40:57).

• She critiques the pervasive victim mentality: “How dare I take responsibility for my own actions” (37:22), advocating for self-improvement and accountability.

• Kristen Doute and Brittany Cartwright discuss the impact of personal choices on broader relationships and the well-being of their families, reinforcing the theme of responsibility and proactive growth.

Their collective advice centers on the necessity of internal change and the rejection of perpetual victimhood to foster healthier relationships and personal fulfillment.

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8. Closing Remarks

The episode wraps up with expressions of gratitude and well-wishes, highlighting the positive trajectory of Kristen and Luke's relationship despite past challenges.

• Zack commends their resilience: “I’m proud of the fact that we’re sitting here right now… it’s a remarkable reversal” (34:09).

• Brittany Cartwright expresses optimism for their future: “Thank you for building something so wonderful for us” (42:08).

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Notable Quotes:

• Brittany Cartwright (00:45): “The fertility doctor treats me like a broken baby bird until she can set me free.”

• Kristen Doute (01:07): “Everything looks great this time. The numbers are all there. Heartbeat strong. Everything’s great.”

• Brittany Cartwright (03:35): “Maybe we could start branching off, because people were evolving and the pandemic happened.”

• Kristen Doute (06:07): “I thought this podcast and then we’d build other businesses, but here we are.”

• Brittany Cartwright (18:02): “He’s very patient and not douchey… very business-minded.”

• Brittany Cartwright (35:36): “If he can’t do it for himself, do it for your son.”

• Brittany Cartwright (38:30): “Don’t forget where your roots were. Take yourself down a few notches.”

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Conclusion

This episode of Bravo's Hot Mic offers an intimate glimpse into Kristen Doute and Luke Broderick's lives, shedding light on their pregnancy, relationship dynamics, and the tumultuous journey back to reality TV. Through honest conversations and reflective insights, they navigate the complexities of personal growth, public scrutiny, and maintaining authentic relationships amidst the challenges posed by reality television. The discussion also provides valuable perspectives on handling past conflicts, fostering healthy co-parenting relationships, and the importance of humility and accountability in the ever-evolving landscape of celebrity life.

Transcript

[Kristen Doute]

Foreign.

[Zack]

It's nice to host you guys as well as the new edition.

[Kristen Doute]

Oh, yeah. Got a little one on the right.

[Zack]

Yeah.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Gummy bear fetus.

[Zack]

Oh, my God. Congratulations, first of all.

[Kristen Doute]

Thank you.

[Zack]

What's it like? How has the pregnancy been?

[Brittany Cartwright]

I don't know. It's okay. Not great. Not, like the most fun thing I've ever done. It could be way worse.

[Zack]

Yeah.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Like, I'm not. I think about my friends, and I'm not sick like Brittany was. And there's, like, certain things I look at, like, my friends, pregnancies. I'm like, I wasn't like that, and that didn't happen. So, like, those are all good things. Moody as hell.

[Kristen Doute]

But, yeah, I was about to say it's safe to say she's been a little hormonal.

[Zack]

Awful.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Awful. I'm on extra hormones because we did IUI so we had to, like, we're just. It's just a fertility doctor. I guess we're learning now. The fertility doctor treats me like a broken baby bird until she can set me free. So I've been a broken baby bird up until now, but it has arms and legs now, so that's cool.

[Zack]

That's really cool.

[Kristen Doute]

Yeah. Everything. Everything looks great this time. The numbers are all there. Heartbeat strong. Everything's great.

[Zack]

Good. Well, also, obviously, after everything that you've been through, which we documented a bit last season and then, you know, this season as well, on the Valley, then tell me about actually finding out that you were pregnant.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Oh, I mean, it was like, thank God. That was really. It. Like, I. I feel like part of me feels like I should have been more, like, emotional and excited and, like, doing toe touches and jump or, like, cartwheels or whatever, and. But I was just, like, relieved. But I think that was part of, like, my moodiness was partially from the hormones for sure, but also I was going. Which is odd for most pregnant people don't go to an ultrasound every single week since, like, from, like, six weeks on. It's just, like, not what they do. But I was going and getting blood work, still doing and going every single week to see the doctor just to make sure. Making sure everything is fine. And every week I was just like, just say it's there.

[Kristen Doute]

Yeah.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Because last time we didn't get that.

[Kristen Doute]

I think we're just now getting into the relief. Kristen has been stressed going in. I think there's been something in the back of your mind.

[Brittany Cartwright]

It's like they're going to tell me it's not okay.

[Kristen Doute]

Yeah.

[Brittany Cartwright]

But so it's not gonna happen now. I mean, there's, like. Obviously, there's always, like, a. You can never say never, but it's, like, pretty much it's not gonna happen.

[Zack]

Not any. Right. I mean, not any heightened issues. Right?

[Brittany Cartwright]

Totally.

[Zack]

There's no heightened risk, right?

[Kristen Doute]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. Yep.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Yeah. So I feel like we're finally in the clear, which is awesome.

[Zack]

Wow. Well, we'll get back to that. But I want to go back in your journey. We have so much to cover, obviously. It's great to see how full circle everything is, and it's great to see through, you know, what you've called the darkest period of your life, which was post vanderpump, you know, and the way that that ended, and then wondering what was. What to do from there and picking up those pieces to now. So I want to. I want. I want to cover that. I want to cover what the Valley meant to you, what the challenges on the first season meant. Let's start with when we started talking about doing the Valley in the first place, which was when I was talking to Jax and Brittany at first, but obviously we had kept in touch to sort of see, you know, what else we could do and where to pick up in your lives. Tell me about that. Tell me about the hopes and fears that were associated with coming back to television in this.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Yeah, I mean, that was. It was. I don't think a lot of people know. It was, like, two years of serious talks. Like, I don't know how long before that you guys even considered it, because I know it was something we briefly discussed back in the end of my vanderpump days, where it was like, where are we kind of going from here? Maybe we could start branching off, because people were evolving and the pandemic happened. Everything that happened with Stassi and I happened. So then come, like, 2022, when it was, like, a true discussion of, like, let's actually start discussing and filming these little interview moments and seeing what's going on with everyone. I was definitely more hopeful, more excited than I was scared, but I was also terrified. Like, what if people don't want to hear from me? It makes me emotional, but, like, what if they. What if they're like, no, it hasn't been enough time. Like, who does she think she is? Why does she get to. You know, why are we just gonna forgive her after a couple of years? Because she feels like she gets to be on TV again. So I feel really lucky.

[Zack]

I almost felt like as it became more real and once I was informing you that, like, I actually think we're going to make this. Which I really hesitate to say because I think you can fuck with people's emotions if you get them too excited. So it's usually my job just to try to control it. Just like, for example, before we did Vanderpump Rules, when I was like, no, no, no, I'm not lying to you. This is a real thing. But. But by the way, it's not official, you know, sort of all of that. Then I could see your trepidation at that point, because you then started to process what it might mean, what the reaction to you might be, and you started to question, like, can I go through that again?

[Brittany Cartwright]

Right. Very much so. And when it became a reality, I, you know, just started dating Luke. This is a world he is so not familiar with, and it's not even just not the reality TV, entertain entertainment industry, but L.A. yeah. LA in general. I mean, he knew what I did, but when we started dating, that's not what I did for a living. It was just kind of like, this might happen, and it's what I used to do. So.

[Zack]

Gifts with purchase.

[Kristen Doute]

Yeah. I mean, okay, so back up to when you told me initially that this show might be a thing, I'll be honest, I didn't think it was going to be a thing. I did not believe that I was going to end up on TV with this show. I was like, all right, we're going to build this life together. We started the podcast together, and. And be honest, I didn't believe that we were gonna have. I was gonna be on tv. I didn't think it was gonna be a show. I thought this podcast and then we'd build other businesses, but here we are.

[Zack]

Well, and from our standpoint, once you guys were really serious about each other, then obviously we wanted to get to know you, and it was important that you were a part of the show to be able to tell Kristen's story. And you never really know. Like, when you hear that someone is dating someone, we're kind of like, how long is it going to last? Is it a real thing? What's the situation? But obviously you were serious enough that you guys had met. Not that long. I mean, how long had you been. Been dating?

[Kristen Doute]

Like, not long enough.

[Zack]

Yeah.

[Kristen Doute]

For cameras to come on.

[Brittany Cartwright]

It was like, summer of 2022.

[Kristen Doute]

That's when we first met. But we didn't officially start dating till, like, fall of 22, so it had been, like, less than six months when the show was picked up.

[Zack]

Yeah.

[Kristen Doute]

And it's like, hey, we're doing this. I'm like, okay. That was her non negotiable. When we started dating, we'd lay out basically what we have to have in a relationship if we're gonna go the distance. And she said, I can't date someone that refuses to be on tv. And I was like, I had some.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Questions, especially because I was finally given the opportunity again. It was such a huge part of my. It was all of my adult life, really, since my mid to late 20s.

[Zack]

It's really hard because you can't control who you fall in love with from either direction. But it's virtually impossible to be on one of these shows if you don't have the participation and cooperation of your partner. It just doesn't work, you know, for so many different reasons.

[Kristen Doute]

Right.

[Zack]

And I've thought, you know, the other way, where I'm like, if it makes more sense for someone not to be on the show, then and to, you know, live their life with their partner off camera, cool. I get it. You know, but you have to be in alignment, right?

[Kristen Doute]

Yeah, yeah. You know, it crossed my mind, like, would this be more like Housewives, where Kristen's like, you know, main character? You know, I. My face shows up a few times, but I don't have a real role in the. What do you say?

[Brittany Cartwright]

The, like, the cast and the presence or what?

[Kristen Doute]

Yeah, I guess in the cast, like, in a regular. On a regular basis, have my relationships with everyone else in your friend group. Because initially I wasn't even friends with most of the people in the friend group. So I'm like, where. Where do I fit in here?

[Zack]

Which became a point of discussion in the first season of the show. Right. Was like the expectation that you had to make the effort to integrate yourself into the group.

[Kristen Doute]

Yeah. I didn't even like most of the.

[Zack]

People, Honestly, I could tell.

[Kristen Doute]

Yeah.

[Zack]

Which is one of the things I like about you is you are no bullshit. So you do not hide that well.

[Kristen Doute]

Hide what? My disdain for certain people.

[Zack]

Yes, it's readily apparent.

[Kristen Doute]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Zack]

So it's. And then really early on in season one, something really difficult came up. Right. Which is when you had issues with Michelle and Jesse and Vanderpump Rules came up. Right. And specifically the really challenging incident that ended up ending your time on Vanderpump Rules came up, and it was like your worst nightmare had come true.

[Brittany Cartwright]

I mean. Yeah. But, like, looking back on it, it's like I gave them the fuel to start that fire.

[Zack]

I remember when you and I were.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Talking about that even thinking about it.

[Zack]

The minute that you had raised an issue that was, you know, associated with that, with race, with all that, then I was like, shit, that is going to come up. And we talked about it, and you said, like, you know, I can't believe that you would want that to come up in the show. I'm like, I didn't. I wish you wouldn't have said that. You know, and then at that point, that's the way, you know, this version of television works. That's the way this genre works.

[Brittany Cartwright]

And of course, my brain, it just didn't even go there. I wasn't thinking about how this could come back and bite me in the ass. Of course I wasn't. I was just thinking about what was happening in real life at the time and what my friends, cast members, you know, were talking about. And so there goes my big mouth, not thinking about the fact that this was going to come back and haunt me.

[Zack]

But, you know, it actually ended up working out for the best. And I can say that only now, which is that it had to be dealt with. It had to be discussed. And I don't think any of us knew how to do it because we all wanted to be sensitive about it and about what you had been through and, you know, also the perspective of the audience. And I think that you're then having to make yourself vulnerable and deal with it, I think, allowed people to move on from it.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Yeah. Yeah. Because we could. You can't just, like, skate past it. No, it's like some. Yeah. There are some people in the audience that had forgiven me or moved on from it, but there was a lot of people that I knew. The second they saw my face again or they were reminded of it in any way, they were still going to be angry.

[Zack]

Yeah.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Or still have feelings, whatever those feelings were about the past. So as much as I didn't want to talk about it, I. I also knew, like, if we didn't, it was just gonna be this huge elephant in the room, and it was gonna affect the audience in some way. And if it was negative, that was really gonna screw me. It was gonna screw the show, and it was gonna hurt other people.

[Zack]

Yeah. How did those years in the wilderness, how did those difficult years impact you? How did they. How did they change who you are?

[Brittany Cartwright]

Oh, God. I mean, I think the fact that it was the pandemic was like a blessing and a curse, because the blessing of it was I did have a lot of time to be alone and think about things, and it wasn't Like, I was, like, outcasted by my friends, necessarily, but it was like we all had to sort of be alone. Right. But then the curse of it was it was a lot of alone time to do nothing but think. So it was really great that I had the time to, like, see it from other people's perspectives because I was. I was bothered that people had the reaction that they did, because it's not at all what I meant. I don't want to get fully into it all over again, but there was no ill intention from me as far as being hateful or toward anyone.

[Zack]

And I thought that was the biggest thing for you is, I think, separating out what people might have thought about that action from who you are. That was the thing that I thought was the hardest, is that you didn't want to be branded that kind of person. And then you understood why people.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Yes, that was the lesson that I had to learn, was that it's not up to me how other people feel, because their experiences I know nothing about. And so that's really. I mean, God, when you say put yourself in someone else's shoes, how many times have we all said that throughout our life? That's what that really means. You can't put yourself in someone else's shoes. And sometimes you just have to accept the fact that people are going to feel the way they feel because of the life that they've had to live and the way that they've been treated that I will never know anything about. And I have to be extremely sympathetic to that. So as soon as I could drill that into my head and in my heart and, like, really accept that, that's when I started to grow, I think.

[Zack]

Yeah. And you got there because at first, obviously, it was a incredibly charged time and you were. You were really worried in every sense, practically. That was your job. Yeah. And then also it was, you know, hard to be the. The target of people saying that about you. And I think you had to go through it to get to the other side and. And you did.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Yeah, I mean, I. You know, and it's never. I was never like a cry me or ever poor me type thing, but I literally lost everything.

[Zack]

Yeah.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Not just the show, like everything I'd ever worked my entire adult life for, which then had a ripple effect on a lot of people that I loved my family, like, they were getting hate on. Cause their social media is such a presence now. Like, they were getting hate on social media. There were a lot of people in my family and close friends that I was able to Financially help out for a long time that I was no longer able to do that. So there was such a ripple effect from all of that happening. But holy shit, am I grateful that that is in the past and people allowed me to move on.

[Zack]

Yeah, well, that's why. I mean, I'm, you know, proud of the fact that we're sitting here right now, you know, and that you guys are engaged and that you're expecting, and it's just a. It's a. Yeah, it's a remarkable reversal. I want to then cut to you guys meeting, and I love the fact that you met at Rachel O'Brien's wedding.

[Kristen Doute]

Right. And what's so funny, though, is, like, you know, everything is a matter of timing. And if that hadn't happened, we wouldn't be right here. There's no chance I would be here. If her career had kept going the way it was going, she and I probably would have never met, and she wouldn't have given me a second look also. Probably. I don't know.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Yeah, I don't know.

[Kristen Doute]

Well, you probably actually. Who knows? But I don't know.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Timing is everything.

[Kristen Doute]

Timing is everything is what I'm saying. Like, I feel like the reason we have all these things going so well in our lives because we or you went through this down and up and pandemic kind of killed the business I had going. And so we were both, like, in a rebuilding time.

[Brittany Cartwright]

We were both like, you don't have a job, I don't have a job.

[Zack]

Perfect. You're the one.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Yeah, we were both, like, on the escalator to success, but we weren't there yet.

[Kristen Doute]

Yeah, we had made it past the bottom. Right?

[Zack]

Yeah. So you met and then were you dating right away?

[Kristen Doute]

No, she was so fresh out of her last relationship that she knew she needed some time to be single yet.

[Brittany Cartwright]

A week or so. Probably a week or two.

[Kristen Doute]

Yeah, I think you said two weeks. I don't know. I don't know the actual time.

[Zack]

You do work fast.

[Kristen Doute]

But. No, it wasn't like that. But I was the one she invited. She took me to Sheena's wedding in Mexico. We went on a number of trips. We were at Janet's birthday.

[Brittany Cartwright]

And a month after we. Or a month and a half after we met?

[Kristen Doute]

No.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Oh, yeah.

[Kristen Doute]

Probably about that because. So the timeline. We had the wedding, that thing went great. About a month later, we went to a show at Red Rocks in Colorado, and then I was coming out to see her in New York.

[Brittany Cartwright]

There's a lot of big visits.

[Kristen Doute]

Yeah. Then I come out to see her in California when she got into her apartment and. And Jayna invites me to her birthday party, which I think you've told me that at that time, you were like, I don't know if I wanted. She was still, like, questioning.

[Brittany Cartwright]

He's like, I'm going to fly in. We're going to go to Joshua Tree, right? I was like, yeah.

[Kristen Doute]

Then after that, she invites me, but.

[Brittany Cartwright]

With the whole crew. I mean, Jasmine and Melissa were there, Janet and Jason, Jackson and Brittany. So it was like the whole crew.

[Kristen Doute]

Right away met everyone. That's actually at that point, Jason and I connected more than anybody. But then from there, it went to the Sheena's wedding thing, which you didn't decide until the day before that you wanted me to come. That's a whole thing. It's like, I had brought up. I was like, yeah, just let me know. You know, I'm pretty flexible. I was working with you.

[Brittany Cartwright]

He's like, I'll just come to Mexico. Like, I know I'm not gonna go to the wedding, but if you just want someone there. Cause I was going with Jackson Brittany because they were filming Vanderpump, right? And Jackson Brittany and I weren't filming. And I'm like, well, this is super fun. I'm gonna be like the third wheel to Jackson Britney. And so I'm like, yeah, just. Why don't you just come? It's like, we'll get to have a vacation because we're not working, right? And then he was just gonna go do his thing while the actual wedding happened.

[Kristen Doute]

My flight to Mexico was literally booked less than 24 hours before I left. I did not know. I was at a friend's party in Indiana, and she calls and is like. She was so stressed about being alone. She's like, I'm just gonna be alone. What? In my. I'm gonna be alone in my hotel room so much. I don't want to be like that. And now you can't come. I'm like, what do you mean I can't come? Like, I can still make it. She's like, wait, can you really can? Okay. And she started sending me screenshots of flights. Any of these work? Any of these work? Like, yeah, sure. And made it happen.

[Zack]

That was a good test.

[Kristen Doute]

Yeah, that's the test. Can I. Can I fly by my seat into the pants? Like, that's right.

[Zack]

Literally, what attracts you to each other? What is it that you see in each other?

[Brittany Cartwright]

He's very patient and not douchey, which is great. There's not like, there's no, I won't say that you don't have an ego, but it's not an ego. Like, it's not vanity. It's not a vain thing where all that is. It's very like what is very la of my previous boyfriends and male friends for the most part.

[Kristen Doute]

I spend enough time here. Vanity's creeping up on me.

[Zack]

We're going to get you.

[Kristen Doute]

It's already happening. Like, you got the haircut, the beard out, you know, I'm like, okay.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Very patient, very, like a very hard worker. And I think my favorite things. There's so many things that he's like the opposite of me. Like, he's very logistical and like very business minded and very like it keeps you on track. That side of the brain that I'm. It's just not what I. I wouldn't say it's not even my strong suit. It's just nothing I'm interested in. It bores the hell out of me. But then at the same time, he's a dreamer. Like, very much so. Lives in the world of like all the, all the possibilities that could be rather than it has to be the right now and the boring of it.

[Zack]

Yeah.

[Kristen Doute]

So I think, yeah, that's where we're opposites and I think is where we work best, is that I look to the future like I'm a two, five year planner. Like, all right, if we hit these steps, moving forward. And Kristen's like, I can't see past tomorrow. So that's, that's one way we really balance each other out. I mean, I have a color coded.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Calendar on the fridge. Like, that is where I can see if that, if it doesn't exist, then I can't at all.

[Kristen Doute]

And I talk about like, okay, so three months from now. Okay, so next summer. So in three years when our baby's two years old, you know, I'm talking like that and Kristen's like, I got to catch her at the right time conversation because Too stressful. Yeah, it's too stressful to talk about.

[Brittany Cartwright]

But you can handle that.

[Kristen Doute]

I'd love it. I love. And I don't have to visualizing the future and how great it can be if we, you know, hit these benchmarks on our way. That's, that's kind of my role. But I mean, I love how Kristin's always in the moment. Always in the moment. She's gorgeous. Goes without saying. And she's more ambitious than anyone I've ever been with. She, she's a Hard worker. She. Business might not be her strong suit, but she is very ambitious and works hard with it.

[Brittany Cartwright]

It's just boring.

[Kristen Doute]

And it's boring. Yeah.

[Brittany Cartwright]

I wish I liked it more. I should.

[Kristen Doute]

I just need you to trust me more.

[Brittany Cartwright]

I know.

[Kristen Doute]

Trust me more with my business intuition.

[Brittany Cartwright]

But I think too, it's like the Midwest, the. The growing up. We grew up the same way.

[Kristen Doute]

I grew up in Indiana, she grew up in Michigan. Yeah. We've got.

[Brittany Cartwright]

So it's like shared values. Yeah. Such like a humbleness and like. And we don't need to do or have or be like the coolest, the finest, the LA of it all. You know, that, like, Hollywood of it all. Like, that's just not how we were raised.

[Kristen Doute]

Yeah. Keeping up with the Joneses is not my game. I don't play that game. Yeah.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Which is fun.

[Zack]

Yeah. Talk a lot about, obviously, the strain and stress that doing something that's public, that is, you know, out of your control can bring to a relationship. But it seems like because your relationship was newish then this kind of forced you guys to jump into it and figure it out or not. Right?

[Kristen Doute]

Yeah. I'm thrown to the wolves, like, six months into the relationship.

[Brittany Cartwright]

I think you know so well, too.

[Kristen Doute]

You think so?

[Brittany Cartwright]

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, who. You always land on your feet.

[Kristen Doute]

Yeah. That's true.

[Brittany Cartwright]

And you've always say that about yourself. You. You started filming the Valley and hanging out with some people that are not the easiest people to hang out with.

[Zack]

Like, or which we will get into. But I. I think that from an outsider's point of view, one of the things that I appreciated about you, just observationally, was that you both were. You. You rode for Kristen, so you were there for. There was no question that you wanted to take care of her and you were looking out for interest, but you also were honest with her. And so there were a couple of times where, remember, we would have conversations about something and I thought you helped Kristen see things that, in my view, she needed to see.

[Kristen Doute]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I've been told I'm sometimes a good mouthpiece for Kristen as well as.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Yeah, you're not abrasive, but you don't sugarcoat things by any means.

[Kristen Doute]

I'm abrasive.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Assertive. I would say assertive more than aggressive.

[Kristen Doute]

I'm far from perfect.

[Brittany Cartwright]

But you don't. You don't bullshit me either. You're not just going to be like, oh, you're. Honey, you're so perfect.

[Zack]

And you'll hear it if someone says it the right Way as much as you can be a complete pain in the ass.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Totally.

[Zack]

If someone actually says it the right way.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Yeah.

[Zack]

You will hear it. Or if someone points to facts, then you're okay. And I've. I've found that in conversations or if.

[Brittany Cartwright]

I want to be better, I don't want to live in. I mean, me now versus me, like, 10 years ago.

[Zack]

Yeah.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Completely different. I lived in, like, Kristen Victimland, where. Where the whole world was against me. Like, seasons one, two, three, four of Vanderpump Rules. It was like, why is everyone mad at me? What did I do? And now, as a grown adult, I don't want to live in a la la land where I'm messing up and doing nothing about it to fix it.

[Zack]

Cause I found that. I found that to be very different last season, where there were a couple things in particular where you would call upset about something and I would point out the other side. And it wasn't always the most fun conversation, but you could hear it, which is very different. Which is. I mean, showed a lot of growth.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Thank you.

[Kristen Doute]

I have to say, too, that she doesn't always hear what I say, but Zach is a key part of our relationship because Zach can come say verbatim what I said. If Kristin's in a spiral or just in a place that she cannot hear what I'm saying, Zach can come over, say the exact same words that I said, and she goes, huh? I thought of it that way.

[Brittany Cartwright]

And I'm like, it's so true. I would say, and Brittany could, too, but Brittany won't, because Brittany is the sugar coater, which I love, because that's just Britney as a whole. But Brittany is my best friend. Is like, oh, honey. Like, no, no. Like, you're. You didn't do anything wrong. You know where an example would be like, I. I am no longer the social butterfly that I used to be. I really like to be alone, and I really don't like to go out. I don't know if it's an age thing. It's a before I was pregnant thing for sure, but it's just. I don't know if it's a reality TV thing. I get really overwhelmed in public places, and he's a lot younger than I am, and he still wants to go out, and he is a social person. And he'll say, like, I want to go out this Friday night with these friends or even with Zach, and I get irritated by it. And then Zach will come to me, and he's like, leave him alone. Like, leave him alone, let him go out. Just because you want to be a boring homebody doesn't mean Luke wants to. And I'm like, okay, fine.

[Zack]

That's so funny. Yeah. And at this point, you're just happy that he can persuade her. It doesn't matter that you've been saying the same thing.

[Kristen Doute]

Yeah, I mean, it did annoy me at first. First being like, I said these exact things to you, Chris, and literally these exact same words. And Zach comes and says it and you're like, huh? But now. Yeah, now, whatever it takes. Like, hey, whatever it takes.

[Zack]

Yeah, that's funny.

[Brittany Cartwright]

So you're not wrong.

[Zack]

I want to talk about Britney and Jax because obviously you might. Yeah, we have to go there. Obviously. That's been kicked up a bunch recently.

[Brittany Cartwright]

I mean, every day, yesterday, this morning.

[Zack]

Yeah. In part by the conversations that I had with each of them here, which is sort of a preview of the show that we're gonna unleash. But I know you have really strong feelings because you've been there for Britney through all of this. So tell me about your response, your reaction to some of the things that Jax said about Britney trying to get back together, about how he's a changed person. What's your point of view, Kristen Doty?

[Brittany Cartwright]

It's just. It's typical Jax. It's the same Jax that I've known 17 years. It's the same Jax that the audience has watched on TV for the last 12 plus years. It's the Jax that starts with this much truth example on this podcast sitting right here, he said, you know, Brittany had, like, texted me to, like, come over or something or to hang out. There was truth to that. She was trying to give him a chance. She was trying to see the brighter side of things. And it was like within a minute, he was like, hey. And then Brittany asked me to have drinks. Brittany asked me to come over for dinner. Britney. And he just kept building this lie. Because the way Jacks works, if everyone hasn't figured this out, the truth is just never juicy enough for him. So he has to make it a little bit bigger. And he admits this about himself and he knows that this is true. So all of a sudden ends up, Britney's texting him to hook up. Have you ever heard Brittany Cartwright in her life say, hey, you want to come over for drinks? Brittany doesn't have drinks. Brittany had shots of tequila when she wants to get fucked up, and that's it. So it's just like, why? Why do you have to lie over something so small and Every time she gives Jax a chance, he ruins it doing stuff like that. And then they're back at the bottom. And then things that have even happened over the last 48 hours, I mean, he's just. He can't get out of his own way. I mean, I was at Britney's yesterday working. We were shooting something. And while we're in glam, I get a text from Jax. The same exact text I got from him maybe two or three weeks ago. Hey, so I know I've asked you this before, but, like, do you have a therapist you could recommend? Because. Because what? Jax don't bullshit somebody who knows this world very well. And then when he also is on this podcast saying, like, he's a mental health advocate, who the hell do you think you are? It just. I can't take anything that comes out of his mouth. The only thing that he said that was of any truth is that he's verbally abusive.

[Zack]

But it seems like this is a different version of Britney and so she has much more conviction. And I mean, I think that's clear by what she said publicly. But also we see that across the second season of the Valley. Oh, yeah, because her friends, obviously with you leading the charge, as well as Zack and others, are trying to prop her up and they want to make sure that she doesn't fall back into, you know, just getting back together with Jax because she thinks that's what she's supposed to do for sure.

[Brittany Cartwright]

And I mean, Cruise has so much to do with that. I think Cruz was the major as he would be because she's the best mother. Like, I look up to her in so many ways, like becoming a mother myself. Cruz is everything to her. And Cruz has some learning challenges, as we know, so he requires more attention, a little more work. So Britney drops everything for that little boy. And is Jax a good dad? Of course he is. But can Jax get out of his own way in order to be a good dad? First and foremost, that's the tricky part, because Jax's anger issues and his need for control over Britney's life and Brittany's choices and decisions that she makes aside from Cruz are still getting in the way of them being able to have a healthy co parenting relationship. But Brittany has now not only become this strong mama bear, she's also like, oh, no, no, no, I get to be Britney too. Like, I get to go out and date. I get to be with someone one day who's going to treat me with respect the way that I deserve it to. And I get to Be happy. Which, thank God for that, if I.

[Kristen Doute]

Can play devil's advocate just a little bit. Yeah, please do, Jack. So I've only known him a couple years. I'm much closer with Brittany. I think I made that apparent this season. And I think he is showing more than I've seen out of him, actually calling himself out, being more aware of how he is, because all I ever saw between him and Brittany was him being a douchebag to her, him just being an asshole. He was never sweet on her since I've been around. And now he says he goes out of his way for her. And it just sad it took him this long to realize that's what you have to do for a healthy relationship. Right. So him recognizing that he's a step in the right direction.

[Zack]

Yeah, I mean, I think it's a step.

[Kristen Doute]

It's not, you know, a step of a marathon.

[Brittany Cartwright]

I think the broken part, though, like, it's kind of what I'm tired of seeing from Jack's also what I'm tired of seeing even from, like, my friends or ex friends that are in reality, I'm Vanderpump or the Valley. It's like this victim mentality of, like, I'm so broken and I'm so down. Why isn't everyone just, like, going easier on me? Because I will tell you from my own perspective what changed me and what made me step up and take responsibility for my own actions. And the words that came out of my mouth was 10 years ago, and me making a really big mistake and everyone going, no, we're not gonna give you that opportunity. In fact, we're done talking to you. And I had to prove myself through actions over time to be led in the good graces of the people that I wanted in my life and that wanted me in theirs, and I had to literally prove it. So for anyone, Jack specifically, to keep talking about being a work in progress and not doing anything about it, I think is what I'm tired of and definitely what Brittany's tired of.

[Zack]

You referred to Even the past 48 hours developments with Jax and Brittany, and tell me what you mean by that.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Yeah, I mean, without getting into, like, detail, of course. It was just things like Britney giving Jax more than an inch and saying, okay, you want to come to this thing for Cruise? You want to come? Okay, great. Then you have to be at the house at this time. We have to be at this place at this time. And Jax just kind of taking his time, doing what he wants, not coming there on time, being in A terrible mood. Do I think Jax has depression issues? Of course. Is that horrible and very difficult for him? Absolutely. You gotta get it together for the sake of your child. You cannot take it out on the mother of your child. Let it go until you get home when you can figure it out. He took it out on Brittany, and then it's like her phone's attached to the car, and then someone texts her that he doesn't like, you know what? You're divorced. Like, you're going through a divorce. You're doing what you do, she's doing what she does. And the way that he speaks to her in the abusive language that he uses, it all happened all over again. And Cruz is in the car, and then, as everyone saw on tmz, he was so in such a bad mood and in a bad place. He then gets in a little bit of a fender bender, and he's being yelling and being explicit with this person because he just has these anger issues. So it was like, it never stops. It never stops. Do I think at some point he needs to give himself some grace and. Yeah, I do. I think that's part of the healing process, is say, stop hating yourself so much. If he stops hating himself, he'll be able to, like, ease up on that anxiety. He has to forgive himself, but he also has to do the work, and he's got to give Brittany some space. He can't. It's like he. He has this need to control, and he's gotta let that go.

[Zack]

But it also goes back to the related point that you made that you learned through your struggle, which is just that you have to put in the work and not. And other people aren't on your timeline.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Exactly.

[Zack]

And that's really hard.

[Brittany Cartwright]

And it's not the, like, see, look what I did. Like, don't I deserve a pat on the back? You don't deserve a pat on the back. You have to be able to give yourself that pat on the back and go, I know that I worked really hard. It's up to people if they want to forgive you.

[Zack]

Yeah.

[Brittany Cartwright]

And they might not. They might not ever. They might say, I don't want you in my life. That's. It's gonna be okay. It's gonna hurt, and it's gonna be really difficult for a minute, but it's gonna be fine.

[Kristen Doute]

So I think this is something. So I've done some therapy recently. I've been in. I. I do have some ups and downs, and I think when I get to a bad place, it's because My inner dialogue, like I'm talking to myself in a way I would never talk to someone else. And I think that may be something that's going on with Jax that he's just so hard on himself and his inner. He's like, I'm stupid, I'm this, I'm that. And saying all these things and it just gets him wound up. And then, you know, a straw that breaks Camel's back could be anyone at any time. And he spends was spending the most time around Britney, so she was always getting the brunt of it.

[Zack]

Yeah, I think that's really tough. And then I think it's also magnified when you're, you know, on a television show and people are winning. That's. That's all really hard.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Yeah, for sure. And Jax, I mean self admittedly, he feels this need that is not. No one else has said, jax, we need you to perform, if you will. He feels the need to always be the center of attention. And I think that's where, like the line comes from, which he has also admitted. It's like that much truth wasn't cool enough or interesting enough. But if I raise the stakes, it's gonna be a way cooler story that people are gonna be more interested in. But it's like sometimes it's cool to just be chill. And I've even tried to explain it to him in a way of like, if you don't want a comeback story for yourself in this exact moment. People love a good comeback story.

[Zack]

Right?

[Brittany Cartwright]

Your friends, we want to see you succeed. I know. He said on your podcast, like, brittany wants me to fail. What good would that do her? It makes her life so much more difficult. When Jax fails, you know, the better I tell him all the time, as angry as I am, I told him this whole summer long, as angry as I am and was at him, I want him to succeed. Because then Cruz has a happy father. Then Britney has someone happy to co parent with every. Jax's life is better. Britney's life is better. Cruz's upbringing is better. Everyone wins if Jax succeeds.

[Kristen Doute]

Yeah. Brittany has said that out loud, that she really wants Jax to take those steps because it'll help everything.

[Zack]

Yeah.

[Kristen Doute]

Best thing possible for Cruz. And this all comes down to Cruz. Jax talks about Cruz too. It's like, if he can't do it for himself, do it for your son.

[Brittany Cartwright]

And if Jax starts focusing on himself and things that make him actually happy, things like projects, whether maybe it's the bar, I don't know. Just things that start little successes in Life. I mean, I know it works for me. Like it's not always the greatest thing to associate your happiness with success. But if you have little wins that are just for you, that make you.

[Zack]

Feel good about yourself.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Yeah. If it's stuff with the gym or if it's stuff with his bar, or if it's like another little project or it's like making his new condo look really awesome, those are all small wins that just kind of like build up your self esteem rather than your ego.

[Zack]

So you mentioned offhandedly, and I'm not gonna let you get away with it without digging into this a little bit, that there are other people in the vanderpump world and in the Valley world that also play the self victimization game. Who?

[Brittany Cartwright]

Oh, I mean, at one point or another. Sheena Lala for sure. Tom Sandoval, I think not Tom Schwartz. I think Katie does not do that anymore. I think Katie really owns her stuff. I think on the Valley we saw that a lot from Jesse in the first season. I'm excited for people to see a shift in Jesse in season two. I mean, there's no mistake. Like I've been much more friendly with Jesse. Like it's been seen a little bit. And there's a, there's a reason for that. We were not okay last summer and I have known Jesse for quite a while, but we were never really close. And I can consider him a friend now for sure, but he had to do a lot of work. But season one of the Valley, everyone saw it just was like this poor me, like the world against me, no one understands me mentality. And that just like irritates me.

[Zack]

Do you think that's a trait that people have that television draws out of them because they're playing to an audience?

[Brittany Cartwright]

I really think it's an ego thing. I think people start thinking they're more important than they are and that's a tough pill to swallow. Like you're not as famous or as cool or as whatever. You have a platform and that's amazing. And you have, dare I say, fans, viewers and fans. And that's part of the reason why we all do this. We love to entertain and then we have this opportunity to build businesses and other things that we love and get to take that fan, fan base with us, which is we're so grateful for and it's so rad. But like, don't forget where your roots were. Like, take yourself down a few notches. I mean, we always say it amongst ourselves. I think we have since Vanderpump days. Like, whether it was this person or this couple. Like you're not Beyonce and Jay Z. Take a beat, Take a breath.

[Zack]

I always used to say that the Vanderpump cast was kind of self policing and that when one person would get out of control, everyone else would reign that person in. Because the show was about the group.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Yeah.

[Zack]

It wasn't just any one person. You came out recently or not you came out recently, but you were asked recently about your friendship with Stassi, and I thought you really maturely said, look, we don't really talk, but she was an important part of my life and, you know, so I value that. But we're just in different places.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, the last time I talked to her, I mean, I'll say like a year ago when we had our pregnancy loss, she was texting me pretty often and being just very loving the way that I think she just naturally is. Especially because we were in each other's lives very close for so long. And then since that, since, I mean, as of today, we haven't spoken since, I think her anniversary, I text her like a happy anniversary thing and she was like, oh, you introduced us. And it was. There were still just. There's no hate. There's no. We're not friends anymore. It's just people grow apart. She has two kids. She has a huge taxing career that keeps her very busy. She has a husband and she has a different group of friends. Katie Maloney, I'm still close to. Are we best friends the way that we were? No. We are in very different places in our lives. It's kind of the same thing. I'm closer with Katie, but it's okay for people to just grow apart without there being some big dramatic breakup. Strangely enough.

[Zack]

What would your advice be for Tom Sandoval now? How does he move forward in life?

[Brittany Cartwright]

I don't think that there is anything I can say that is going to push Tom in any direction one way or the other. I hope he gets through this sort of. It feels like this, like. I don't want to say midlife crisis, but kind of like is kind of what he's in right now. I talk to Schwartz pretty often. Like, we're both very close with Schwartz. And even Schwartz and Sandoval have sort of evolved away from each other. I know there's a lot of love there. I think that's one of those. It's like a me and Katie thing. It's like it'll always be. But I don't think that they're gonna be as close as they used to be. And I think Sandoval's gotta, like, kind of just go through what he's going through and then hopefully come out the other side of it.

[Zack]

The magnitude of it is extraordinary, to say the least.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Yeah. Yeah. It's not the Tom that. It's a bit of the Tom that I once knew. I will say that there are pieces of that, but he's not really the Tom that I knew.

[Zack]

Yeah. Well, it was really great to see you guys, and congratulations on everything that you built, and thank you for building.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Something so wonderful for us.

[Zack]

For more of my conversation, go to bravotv. Com.

[Brittany Cartwright]

I cannot believe.