Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright’s court fight has gained another layer, with Taylor’s attorney now accusing Cartwright of using the custody and restraining-order dispute to wear his client down.
Attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan told TMZ that he believes Cartwright is trying to “beat him down” and hopes the pressure will cause Taylor to stray from his sobriety. Kaplan also characterized recent custody concerns raised by Cartwright as fabricated emergencies.
The comments arrive days after Cartwright obtained a temporary domestic violence restraining order against Taylor on Aug. 27. Taylor then filed his own request on Aug. 31, denying her abuse allegations and accusing her of interfering with his work and damaging his reputation.
The legal situation already has immediate consequences. Taylor is currently ordered to stay 100 yards away from Cartwright, her home, her vehicle and their son Cruz’s school, while his visitation with the 5-year-old is suspended until a Sept. 17 hearing.
Taylor’s Lawyer Says the Pressure Is Targeting His Sobriety
Kaplan put Taylor’s sobriety at the center of his latest response. He told TMZ that Taylor has passed every drug test since leaving treatment and accused Cartwright of applying pressure in hopes that he will relapse. “That is a goal for which she will not succeed,” Kaplan said.
Taylor has separately made sobriety part of his own response to Cartwright’s allegations. After she obtained the temporary order, he said he had been sober for one year and nine months and remained committed to treatment and therapy.
Taylor also acknowledged behavior he regrets from what he called the darkest period of his addiction. “I made a lot of mistakes and behaved in ways during that period of my life that I’m truly ashamed of and regret and take full responsibility for,” he said in an Aug. 28 statement.
The Custody Ruling Is More Complicated Than Kaplan’s Description
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Kaplan told TMZ that Cartwright attempted to restrict Taylor’s custody through her restraining-order request and said the court denied those requests. Public reporting on the order shows a more complicated result.
PEOPLE reported from the temporary order that Taylor is barred from visiting Cruz until the Sept. 17 hearing. Other reports say the judge did not immediately grant Cartwright’s separate request for sole custody, leaving that issue for the upcoming hearing.
Before the current dispute, Taylor and Cartwright had reached a custody agreement in March giving them joint legal custody. Taylor was scheduled to have Cruz on Wednesday nights and every other weekend, while Cartwright had him for the remaining regular days.
Taylor’s new filing also cites an August appearance Cartwright made on Watch What Happens Live, where she said he had missed time with Cruz because he was in Canada with his girlfriend, Lori Krebs. Taylor claims the Aug. 1-2 weekend she referenced was actually Cartwright’s scheduled custodial time and called her statement knowingly false.
Taylor Says the Conflict Cost Him a $175,000 TV Job
Employment is another major piece of Taylor’s request. In court filings reviewed by PEOPLE, Taylor said he had been hired for an upcoming season of Fox’s Special Forces, which he described as his first job after treatment.
He alleges that Cartwright contacted the network and criticized its decision to give him a platform. According to his filing, the casting was then “abruptly cancelled.” TMZ reports that Taylor valued the lost job at $175,000.
Taylor further alleges that other prospective business partners backed away from working with him and has asked the court to prevent Cartwright from contacting employers for the purpose of harassing, disparaging or interfering with his employment. His requested order would also require her to remain 100 yards away from him and limit direct communication to matters concerning Cruz.
Cartwright’s Temporary Order Remains in Effect Until the Next Hearing
Cartwright presented a sharply different account when she requested protection on Aug. 27. In her declaration, she alleged a years-long pattern of coercive control, financial abuse, emotional and psychological abuse and physical violence. She said she was in “genuine fear” for her safety and peace of mind.
Her filing alleged incidents dating back years as well as more recent confrontations, and she claimed Taylor continued to harass and threaten her through communications they were required to maintain concerning Cruz. Taylor has denied her abuse allegations while acknowledging conduct from his period of active addiction that he says he regrets.
The temporary order granted to Cartwright is not a final judicial determination that her allegations are true. Cartwright’s representatives had not publicly responded to Kaplan’s Sept. 2 accusations when TMZ published his interview. The next scheduled hearing is Sept. 17, when the court is expected to revisit the temporary protections and custody issues involving Cruz.