As Jax Taylor steps away from The Valley, Scheana Shay may have the opportunity to step up.
“We’re making our plans for next season,” The Valley’s executive producer Alex Baskin told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published Thursday, July 24. “Scheana is really friends with that entire group, and so you actually have to take pains, in some cases, to not include that group, or those Vanderpump folks, because they are connected to this group.”
During the season 2 finale, which aired on Tuesday, July 22, Scheana, 40, and her husband, Brock Davies, attended the cast party hosted by Michelle Saniei. Baskin assured viewers that producers “weren’t trying to sort of set anything up” for season 3 with their attendance.
For now, casting decisions for the upcoming season appear to be undecided.
Vanderpump Rules star Scheana Shay isn’t going to let Jax Taylor keep her and Lala Kent from potentially joining The Valley. During the Friday, May 24, episode of Scheana’s “Scheananigans” podcast, she spoke with Janet Caperna and Michelle Lally about Jax’s attempt to gatekeep her from his new Bravo show. “I also saw that for […]
“I said after season 1 that we weren’t adding any more primary cast members, and in part, we were really crowded, and we wanted to give everyone the opportunity to shine,” Baskin explained. “And we did want to give Jasmine [Goode] and Zack [Wickham] the chance to be more involved and take on more prominence. Now, we’re figuring out where we go from here.”
Alex Baskin Kevin Winter/Getty Images
On July 16, Us Weekly exclusively confirmed that Jax, 46, would be taking a step back from the Bravo spotlight after season 2.
“After an incredibly challenging year and many honest conversations with my team and producers, I’ll be stepping away from the next season of The Valley,” Jax said in a statement. “Right now, my focus needs to be on my sobriety, my mental health, and coparenting. Taking this time is necessary for me to become the best version of myself — especially for our son, Cruz.”
Jax shares 4-year-old Cruz with his ex and costar Brittany Cartwright. She is expected to return for season 3.
In response to Jax leaving the show, Scheana said on the “So Bad It’s Good” podcast that it’s a “smart” and “healthy” decision for her former Vanderpump Rules costar.
While losing one of the main anchors of the show can be complicated, Baskin gave credit to a “large and robust group” of cast members for creating a hit show.
“Jax is obviously a mainstay. We did spend half the season without him, and that period of time was really full and rich, so I don’t think that we’re [searching] for story to tell,” Baskin shared. “I think it’s going to be different, but I don’t think different is a bad thing.”
The Valley airs on Bravo Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET. Stream old episodes anytime on Peacock.
