Jax Taylor’s decisions have confused his Vanderpump Rules costars in the past, and his recent social media activity is no exception. The SUR bartender gave Us Weekly exclusive insight into why he blocked Tom Sandoval, Ariana Madix and Kristen Doute on Instagram.
“I go through my phases in social media, usually when it’s after a couple drinks and then I’ll go through the blocking phase,” Jax, 40, told Us at Carl’s Jr.’s Ultimate Avocado Brunch earlier this month. “Andy Cohen always tells me just to mute people and say, ‘Don’t give people the satisfaction. You should just mute them.’ But no, I’d rather block them, because they think they’re being cute, so I’m just going to block them. They want to say something and see what they can get away with, so I block them. As far as blocking my castmates, I’ve unblocked one of them, Kristen, and two others are still blocked and they’re going to stay blocked.”
Jax, however, insisted that his decision to block Tom and Ariana is “not about being on the outs” with his costars.
“I think they’re great people and I love them. I mean, Tom’s my best friend. I just need a break,” he told Us. “People don’t understand, yes, we do film a show together, but we also hang out together everyday. We hang out together more when we don’t film than when we do film, if that makes any sense.”
Jax further explained that there’s a lot of reality shows where the cast only sees each other when the cameras are rolling.
“Not us,” he revealed. “We see each other more when we don’t film because, when we film, sometimes there’s different settings for different groups of people. But we all hang out together all the time, normally. So just like when you hang out with your brother and sister, you start to get annoyed after a while, you need a break. You need a break.”
The Bravo personality made headlines last month after he stopped keeping up with Kristen, Ariana and Tom on the social media platform days after they wrapped season 8. Kristen confirmed on August 24 that Jax indeed “blocked” her, but the cast members reunited two weeks later.
“He loves me, he loves me not… HE LOVES ME 🌼 @mrjaxtaylor,” Kristen captioned a photo from a pool party at Jax and wife Brittany Cartwright’s house on September 2.
Jax added that Brittany, for her part, is on good terms with all of their costars.
“Brittany’s OK with everybody,” he told Us. “Brittany doesn’t get mad at anybody. I’m the one that’s always rocking the boat!”
Scheana Shay, meanwhile, told Us that Jax has opted to unfollow her in the past too at a luncheon to celebrate BB Lifestyle in Beverly Hills.
“Last time I asked him, he goes, ‘I did it to everyone. It’s not you, it’s nothing personal,’” the “Good As Gold” songstress told Us on Thursday, September 12. “I’m like, ‘OK. I guess I’ll return the favor and unfollow you.’ … I’m never surprised by him, or I’m always surprised by him, one or the other.”
Vanderpump Rules is expected to return to Bravo later this year.
Reporting by Emily Marcus