Brittany Cartwright Reveals 'The Best Christmas Gift' Amid Co-parenting Challenges

Brittany Cartwright is looking forward to Christmas and hopes Santa will grant her the greatest gift she could ever ask for before the year wraps up. 

The "Vanderpump Rules" alum has experienced a whirlwind year from her separation from Jax Taylor to their messy divorce and her love triangle romance with Brandon Hanson. Now, she's hoping to close this year on a high note.

Brittany Cartwright announced her separation from Jax Taylor in February 2024 before eventually filing for divorce in August. They were married for nearly five years, tying the knot in June 2019 and welcoming their son, Cruz, in April 2021.

Cartwright got candid about her holiday plans at BravoCon 2025, which would be the second Christmas she would celebrate solo after ending things with Taylor. She claimed the finalization of her divorce at the end of the year would be "the best Christmas gift."

The reality TV star's desire to conclude her legal ties to Taylor might stem from her desire to have a less stressful relationship with her estranged husband. However, becoming a divorcee did not stop them from having a co-parenting relationship, which she confessed had its own challenges.

Cartwright told Page Six that she always had their son for Christmas but had to navigate around allowing Taylor to spend the holidays with their son without it affecting her plans. She stressed that it was "so important" to her for Cruz to spend time with her extended family in Kentucky. 

During her BravoCon appearance, Cartwright also opened up about her divorce from Taylor. The Blast shared that she accused her estranged husband of dragging out their separation behind the scenes.

Cartwright explained that she did not wake up one day and decide to end her relationship with Taylor, stressing that it took years of waiting for a positive change in him. She claimed life was better in his absence, as she was having a blast as a single mom.

The Bravolebrity also threw shade at her estranged husband, who dropped out of filming their reality TV show "The Valley" to focus on his rehabilitation. Cartwright declared that she did not miss him, saying:

"It was great to not be harassed all season long. It was nice to have a break and just be able to focus on me and my son. It was a great experience."

Following the end of her romance with Taylor, Cartwright began dating Brandon Hanson. The Blast reported in October that she announced the end of their relationship during an episode of her "When Reality Hits" podcast.

Their whirlwind relationship ended two months after it made headlines, with Cartwright explaining that they remain good friends despite their separation. She confessed that their romance went public sooner than they wanted; however, the primary cause of their breakup was long distance.

Although their relationship ended amicably, it was controversial to say the least. When shutterbugs caught Cartwright and Hanson, a woman identified as Jasina Stanko came forward as the latter's wife. She stressed that they were still married, but an insider claimed Hanson had separated from Stanko before dating Cartwright.

Cartwright's love life wasn't the only challenge she faced, as she had to navigate the complex emotions tied to raising a son with autism. The Blast shared in April that she opened up about Cruz's autism diagnosis in an interview, revealing the news didn't come as a surprise.

According to the mother of one, neither she nor Taylor was shocked by Cruz's condition. Instead, they were grateful for the diagnosis as it helped them understand a lot of things about their son. "It opens a lot of doors," she said.

Cartwright explained that Cruz was mostly nonverbal but had "everything he needs," including an occupational therapist, a speech therapist, and a therapeutic companion who followed him to school daily. She added that she and Taylor were learning as they navigated their new normal.

During a separate interview, Cartwright reflected on her decision to end her marriage to Taylor. The Blast covered the story, reporting that she accused her estranged husband of spiralling out of control and getting violent.

Cartwright claimed Taylor had no problem being abusive in their son's presence, alleging that he would yell at her in front of Cruz. "I had to take Cruz out of the house," she said, noting that her estranged husband had become "so aggressive and horrible."

In an earlier interview, Cartwright reflected on Taylor's sobriety journey and how his addiction had caused their family so much pain. She stressed that she wasn't trying to keep Taylor away from their son, but she needed him to become someone she could trust.