Tom’s Advice to Jax About Not Living With an Ex Post-Split Isn’t Aging Well

Taking his own advice? Tom Sandoval’s past instruction for Jax Taylor after his brief split from Brittany Cartwright in 2017 is not aging well.

“You guys need to work [it] out,” Sandoval, 40, told Taylor, 43, during season 6, episode 20, of Vanderpump Rules, which filmed in summer 2017 but aired in April 2018.

At the time of the conversation, Taylor was still sharing an apartment with Cartwright, 34, after dumping her following a few rocky months together. (Their short-lived split came after the Sharknando 4 star’s affair with Faith Stowers — which happened between seasons 5 and 6 — came to light.)

Sandoval insisted during the episode that living under one roof with Cartwright was a big mistake on Taylor’s part.  “You guys do not need to be sleeping in that apartment together at all,” the TomTom cofounder told his one-time BFF. “You can’t do that man. You guys have broken up.”

The restauranteur’s eye raising comments aired five years before Sandoval found himself in the exact same situation — living with ex Ariana Madix after cheating on her with Raquel Leviss.

Us Weekly confirmed in March that Sandoval and Madix, 37, called it quits after dating for nine years amid his months-long affair with Leviss, 28. The former couple have since continued to reside in their California home.

“They own the house together, and what happens next with the property will take time to sort out,” a rep for Sandoval told Us on March 7. “This isn’t something that’s going to be decided in a weekend.”

Madix’s pal — and Pump Rules alum — Kristen Doute claimed that Sandoval, whom she dated before the Florida native, is refusing to vacate the house.

“We tried having a mutual friend, one of Ariana’s college best friends, rather than someone too close to them [reach out to him] … just saying, ‘Listen, dude, you gotta at least give her a couple hours heads-up when you need to come home to pick things up. You need to let this rest for at least a few weeks. Allow her to grieve, allow her to heal,’” Doute, 40, alleged during the March 16 episode of the “Viall Files” podcast. “And of course, his response is, ‘It’s my f—king house. I own half of it. I will come and go as I please, and if she has a problem with it, she can leave.’”

While the Schwartz & Sandy’s cofounder and Leviss have since issued public apologies and said sorry to Madix for the scandal they have remained in contact. The twosome once again made headlines in late March when the former pageant queen was spotted outside the exes’ shared home.

Madix’s friend Logan Cochran called out the duo for their actions via his Instagram Story on March 30, telling them to “at least pretend to have some decency.”

Taylor, for his part, reconciled with Cartwright before the aforementioned 2018 Pump Rules episode aired. The twosome got engaged in June 2018 and tied the knot the following year.

In June 2020, Taylor’s affair with Stowers, 34, once again made headlines when the Georgia native detailed what it was like being the only Black cast member on the Bravo show.

“I felt like after their friend did something that we both were involved in that he’s done like, a thousand times, they wanted to attack me instead of him. They wanted to attack, attack, attack, attack, attack,” Stowers said at the time via Instagram Live. “I was wrong, I was this, I was that, calling me names, saying my hair was nappy, which is weird coming out of their mouths. …  I was just really, like, confused that they were attacking me and giving him nothing — in my opinion. He got off very, very, very, easy — especially with the things I’ve been told.”

Amid the drama, Cartwright was accused of being racist towards Stowers, which she denied. Taylor, meanwhile, came under fire when old tweets about his former costar resurfaced. Six months later, the couple announced that they would not be returning to the reality show for season 9.

After leaving the series, the Michigan native welcomed his first child, son Cruz, with Cartwright in April 2021. While the pair have somewhat distanced themselves from the show, they have remained friends with many of its stars.

When news broke in March that Sandoval cheated on Madix, the pair weighed in on the drama ahead of the season 10 reunion taping.

Sign up for Us Weekly’s free, daily newsletter and never miss breaking news or exclusive stories about your favorite celebrities, TV shows and more!

“I was there the first week during the Miami vacation. I was there the week [Tom and Ariana] started dating,” Taylor claimed during a March appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, referencing a season 3 Pump Rules episode where rumors swirled that Sandoval had cheated on Madix during a Florida getaway. “I said it many times, but no one wanted to believe me.. … It 100 percent happened. I was in the room next to them.”