Jax Taylor Supports “Valley” Costars Jesse Lally and Michelle Saniei, Who've Also Separated: 'Marriage Is Not Easy' (Exclusive)
The separation of the 'Vanderpump Rules' alum's longtime friends is among the subjects of their upcoming Bravo series 'The Valley'
As Jax Taylor goes through his and Brittany Cartwright's separation, he knows he's not alone in the experience.
While in conversation with PEOPLE at Thursday's premiere for the new Bravo series The Valley at Jax's Studio City, the reality TV star, 44, voiced his support for friends and Valley costars Jesse Lally and Michelle Saniei amid their separation because he understands "marriage is not easy."
The Vanderpump Rules alum shares "it's been interesting" to hear from friends like Lally, as he adjusts to being separated from his wife of nearly four years and they continue to focus on co-parenting their son Cruz, 2.
"Everybody handles this kind of situation differently," he says, noting his support for his longtime friend, who he knew from his modeling days in New York City, and Saniei, Lally's wife of six years.
Related: Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright's Relationship Timeline
"In fact, you know, [it's] not just Jesse. I have about a dozen people going through this right now," Taylor continues. "There's a lot of people going through what I'm going through right now."
"Marriage is not easy," the Bravo star adds. "It's a lot of work. There's a lot of ups and downs."
Despite admitting how "tough" marriage can be, Taylor also says, "But we're handling it the best way we can."
Lally also spoke to PEOPLE at the premiere of The Valley, which follows Taylor and Cartwright's group of friends navigating their next phase of adulthood in early parenthood and their careers in Los Angeles.
The luxury real estate agent says he was "happy" Taylor reached out to him during his marital struggles because he "was going through it way before" his friend was.
"I told him, like, 'Listen, I've been through the miserable part of it. Now we're in mediation and we're doing this... Whatever support you need, I'm happy to be there for you,'" Lally says of when Taylor first came to him "four or six weeks ago."
He adds, "We're all here to support each other. We're all going through different things."
Lally and Saniei's separation is said to be a subject of the first season of The Valley. The two were married in October 2018, according to Bravo, and share one daughter, Isabella Bunny, who was born in April 2020.
Their split comes as Taylor and his wife of nearly four years, who he appeared with on Vanderpump Rules until 2020, are also separated. Cartwright first revealed the news in a late February episode of their podcast When Reality Hits, maintaining that the two were taking it "one day at a time" and their son was continuing to be their No. 1 priority.
The former couple each spoke to PEOPLE about their relationship at the premiere of The Valley.
Taylor revealed that he and Cartwright had been "going through some things for a while now" and both decided it would be best for the entire family if they took "a little bit of a breather."
"I'm not sure what the future holds for this, but you know, as of right now, this is just the best case scenario," he said.
Cartwright, meanwhile, told PEOPLE that although she's been committed to being Taylor's "ride or die for nine years," "there's only so much that a woman can take."
"Once a woman hits her breaking point, it's like 'Done.' Something like clicked in my head, and I was like 'I need to step away from this situation. This is not not healthy. This is not a good situation.'" the TV personality admitted. "My son deserves better. I deserve better."
It remains unclear whether the two will divorce, as neither party has filed any legal paper work. Taylor also previously insisted in an interview with Page Six that their separation was "not a divorce."
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The Valley premieres Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.
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