Jax Taylor still has questions about what went through Tom Sandoval‘s mind when he had an affair with Raquel Leviss — and he thinks there may be more to the story.
“I think he’s going through something,” the former Vanderpump Rules star, 44, exclusively told Us Weekly on Tuesday, July 11, while promoting his partnership with Xyon Health. “I don’t want to say midlife crisis, but he’s definitely going through something. I think he’s had a little bit of a diva mentality on the show, where he kind of thinks nothing could touch him, and I think he kind of bit off a little more than he can chew.”
Jax went on to say that he and the rest of the Pump Rules cast are “all on the same page” about where they stand with Sandoval, 41, after his split from Ariana Madix. “His tone-deafness and self-unawareness and selfishness is just on another level,” Jax told Us. “I think something’s going on upstairs. I think he’s got a few screws loose, personally.”
Us confirmed on March 3 that Sandoval and Ariana, 38, called it quits after Sandoval was caught having an affair with Raquel, 28. Filming had already wrapped on season 10 of Pump Rules, but cameras went back up in March to capture the aftermath of the scandal.
While Jax and wife Brittany Cartwright exited the show after season 8, they shared their thoughts on the scandal in several episodes of Watch With Brittany Cartwright & Jax Taylor on Peacock. During a March appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, Jax also said he “called it from day one” that Sandoval would cheat on Ariana.
Jax declined to tell Us whether he and Brittany, 34, will return to Pump Rules (there are also reports about a potential spinoff), but he noted he would play things “a little different[ly]” if he ever comes back. “There’s things about it that I miss and there’s things about it that I don’t miss,” he explained. “I’ve learned a lot. Obviously, now being a father, I look at things a lot differently. I don’t really sweat the small stuff. I pick and choose my battles. I’m learning to let things roll off my back.”
Brittany and Jax became parents in April 2021 when they welcomed son Cruz, now 2. While Jax was known as a troublemaker on Pump Rules, fatherhood has helped calm him down — and inspired him to admit certain things about his life are changing. That’s one reason he decided to partner with Xyon, which offers science-backed solutions for people experiencing hair loss.
“I’m getting to the point in my life where I’m starting to get a little thin on top,” Jax quipped, referring to his hairline. “People like to hide behind it, and it’s one of those things where it happens to everybody. It’s just important to talk about it. The more people talk about it, the better it is for everybody, you know?”
Jax recently started using the brand’s products — which include a new shampoo and conditioner — and he’s already hopeful about the future.
“Slowly but surely, this is gonna work for me,” he told Us. “I was trying to explore what options I was gonna take, and this is definitely the best option for me right now. … I’m 44, I’m married with a kid. It happens.”
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
