The Valley star, Brittany Cartwright, has just revealed her son, Cruz’s heartbreaking diagnosis. She has been very open about her son having various struggles. More so, she noted how her estranged husband Jax Taylor’s cocaine habit affected Cruz.
Brittany Cartwright Reveals Son’s Heartbreaking Diagnosis
A while back, The Valley star Brittany Cartwright opened up about her son, Cruz’s regression. She stated that around the age of two, he went backward with his speech, barely even talking. That was cause for concern, so the reality star jumped into action. As viewers saw in Season 1 of the hit Bravo reality series, Brittany and her then-husband, Jax Taylor, put Cruz in speech and occupational therapy. She shared how much he was doing from a very early age:
“He crawled early, he walked early. He was talking, he was saying, ‘Mommy,’ ‘Daddy.’ He was saying ‘Hot Dog!’ from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Then, as he got closer to 2, we started noticing that he was regressing in his speech. He stopped talking almost completely.”
That was what sparked Brittany to seek help, but as time has gone on and now that Cruz is nearly four, she is sharing his official diagnosis.
A week ahead of the Season 2 premiere of The Valley, Brittany revealed that Cruz is autistic. She added that he is mainly nonverbal and has never said “I love you” to her:
“It can be difficult because I’ve never heard him say, ‘I love you,’ but he is so loving, and he shows me he loves me every single day. He is such a mommy’s boy.”
There are some words that Cruz has not let go of just yet, and he will say “Mommy,” but it is still a hard pill to swallow. As Season 2 filming came to an end in the fall of 2024, Cruz’s doctor shared that he had autism. It was not something Brittany Cartwright felt was out of the realm. However, when she heard the doctor officially say the words, it hit her hard.
Regardless of what the doctor had to say, Brittany is there for her son and knows that she was meant to be his mother.
Best Friends
Brittany Cartwright shared that her son is her “partner in crime” plus her “better half.” There is an unconditional love between the two of them that cannot be broken. Admittedly, things will look different as they navigate Cruz’s new normal, but it does not seem to faze The Valley star. In her own way, Brittany shared that she felt she was meant for this challenge, as she told close family and friends. It was something that she wrote down for them to help explain what they were up against. No matter what, Brittany has maintained the most positive outlook, and fans have rallied around her now that she has opened up:
- Sending sooooo much love!!!! You are ON IT!!! That’s the most important thing!!!!
- I work with autistic children! Great job speaking up for your child!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
- He’s got the best mom ❤️
- happy autism awareness month!!!! you are doing amazing ✨
This could not have come at a more appropriate time, as April is Autism Awareness Month. Sending so much love and light to Brittany and Cruz on this incredible journey.
After learning so much about Cruz over the last four years, does this diagnosis shock you? Let us know your thoughts and watch The Valley April 15th on Bravo.
