Brittany Cartwright Reveals Her 3-Year-Old Son Was Diagnosed With Autism

Brittany Cartwright is getting vulnerable about her 3-year-old son, Cruz.

In a new interview, the reality star, who married her soon-to-be ex-husband, Jax Taylor, on "Vanderpump Rules," revealed she learned her child was diagnosed with autism.

Cartwright and Taylor were open about their concerns regarding their son during the first season of "The Valley." Now, Brittany Cartwright is focused on doing what she can to support his growth and well-being.

While speaking with PEOPLE magazine about the challenges she's faced over the last year with Taylor, Cartwright also opened up about Cruz's development.

According to her, Cruz, 3, hit specific milestones when he was younger, such as walking and crawling, but as he got older, she and Taylor noticed he was "regressing," specifically in his speech.

"He stopped talking almost completely," she said.

Cartwright went on to say that her son is "mostly nonverbal." However, he occasionally says different words, including "Mommy."

"It can be difficult because I've never heard him say, 'I love you,' but he is so loving, and he shows me he loves me every single day," she said. "He is such a mommy's boy."

Cartwright, 36, said that although she and Taylor were "expecting" the news about Cruz's diagnosis, hearing it from doctors made things "real" for their family.

She explained that things would look "a little bit different" moving forward, but she feels more than equipped as his mother. "He is my better half. He is my little partner in crime. He is everything to me, and even though he can't talk, I know everything that he wants, everything that he needs. We're just so synced, it's incredible," she said.

Later, Cartwright explained that Cruz's autism would be "challenging at times," but she's not concerned with the little one's growth.

"What I really want people to understand about autism is he sees the world so much more vibrant and amazing than any of us ever will. It doesn't mean that he's not going to be the smartest in his class. It doesn't mean he is not going to work for NASA one day. There aren't any limitations to what he can do," she added.

Cartwright's revelation about her son isn't the first time the Bravo veteran has opened up about his well-being. In a previous episode of "The Valley," Cartwright addressed her "concerns" with Taylor, who said it was "obvious" their son struggled with speech.

Consequently, they decided to have a speech therapist visit their home "to make sure that he has all the help that he needs."

While caring for her toddler, Cartwright has also been involved in a messy divorce from her husband, Taylor. The pair first shared they were living separately in 2024 before revealing their plans to end their marriage.

Months later, while appearing on Bravo's "Hot Mic" podcast, Taylor shared more about his personal life, including his decades-long addiction to cocaine.

“I am an addict," Taylor said candidly. “I have substance issues—primarily with cocaine."

Although Taylor, who joined the cast of "VPR" in 2013, said he's been working on himself, Cartwright seemed unphased by his words.

According to her, the "House of Villains" star has put their family through "years" of "trauma."

"His behaviors are still alarming, and his treatment plan seems to be the bare minimum," she added.

While on the "I Do, Part 2" podcast, Cartwright admitted that she sometimes catches herself thinking about what could happen between her and Taylor.

"I've had, I'm not gonna lie, I've had like a couple of times where I was like, lonely and was, like, 'Whoa, what might happen?'" she revealed. "But we never got back together, and we never will get back together."

According to Cartwright, since splitting from Taylor, she began realizing that their relationship patterns were unhealthy.

Her realization has also helped her gain a new kind of confidence.

"I know I’m worth so much more, and I can do so much better than what he put me through. That’s a confidence that I never had before," she said.