Bravo Producer Defends Jax Taylor Filming 'The Valley' Following His 30-Day Stay In Rehab

It's been several weeks since "The Valley" viewers saw Jax Taylor check himself into rehab during an earlier episode.

In the June 17 showing, however, the villainous reality star returned to the group after missing 30 days, and seemed to pick up where he left off, bumping heads with several of his co-stars and his soon-to-be ex-wife, Brittany Cartwright.

In the days leading up to Taylor's on-air return, fans had expressed their disappointment with the network for allowing him to return to the group.

During a recent interview, however, one of the show's executive producers pushed back against the criticism and defended the decision, arguing that Jax Taylor should have finished filming the season so that they could tell the full story.

“We’re all trying to figure out how to tell the story responsibly and fairly, in a way that is entertaining and real,” Alex Baskin, the show's executive producer, told Variety in a recent interview. “But that doesn’t put a gloss on what is really happening. This subject matter is dark!”

In an April 2025 episode, viewers saw Taylor have a difficult conversation with Kristen Doute, in which he admitted to being a "mess" before stating that he was checking into a treatment center to address concerns he had about his behavior.

Cartwright, meanwhile, disputed Taylor's claims that he had voluntarily checked into a health facility and implied that he had only done so to stay on the show. “I think if his job wasn’t on the line, he wouldn’t have went [to rehab],” she said.

The mother of one also revealed that an intervention she organized with friends and loved ones nearly ended with a call to the police to convince him to seek treatment.

“The cops were going to be called if he did not at least go and try to get help. I think, like 100 percent, he wouldn’t have went at that time because he was still in denial," she said. "You had to hit your rock bottom and stuff to actually want to go get help for yourself. For some reason, I think that he was still not at that rock bottom."

Cartwright's revelation startled some of her most loyal fans, who had most recently questioned the Bravo network for allowing Taylor to return to the show and other programs, such as "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen."

Baskin addressed those concerns, however, and defended the network's decision to allow Taylor back into the fold.

“Our job is to tell the full story,” he said.

“If we didn’t tell the story in its completeness, then we would be covering up something that really happened and denying Brittany the chance to share what she had been through," he continued.

Baskin explained that by allowing Taylor the chance to film these real-life events, it provided a platform for their story, which focuses on all parties, including Cartwright.

Taylor also appeared to defend his continued presence on the show in a statement to Variety, saying he recently completed his "200th day of sobriety from both alcohol and cocaine."

"It's been a long road and continues to be as I work through my mental health issues," he added.

Taylor, 45, opened up about his decades-long addiction to cocaine during a previous interview, admitting he'd been using the illicit drug since he was in his 20s.

Baskin also discussed how the cast might change for the third season of the hit Bravo show.

“We’re figuring out all of it,” he stated. “It’s very likely the show does look different next season, but I don’t know what different means.”

The executive producer also noted that "no one is guaranteed a job indefinitely."

"Many times before, we’ve had to make a change based on someone’s behavior. But seeking help is the opposite of that. Seeking help is obviously what we completely support," he added.

He concluded by explaining that the network is aiming to cast friends with authentic connections for the third season to maintain the show's core premise.

“We don’t want to be in a situation where we are forcing together people who wouldn’t spend the time together in real life,” he said. “That can become taxing and difficult to watch.”