Brittany Cartwright announced she’s single again on the latest episode of her podcast When Reality Hits with Brittany Cartwright. The Valley star revealed she and Brandon Hanson have broken up nearly two months after their relationship became public.
“We actually did not last,” the 36-year-old said on the Oct. 10 episode.
“It was kind of like a whirlwind relationship. It went into the public way sooner than we ever would have wanted it to.”
Cartwright explained the split came down to practical issues. The couple lived three hours apart, and Hanson has three children plus work obligations that made the long-distance relationship too difficult to maintain.
“We still care a lot about each other. It ended amicably, but I just could not do the long distance and he’s got a lot of obligations with his three kids and jobs, and we lived three hours away, so it was just too tough to keep it going.”
The reality star also addressed rumors about her recent cosmetic surgery. Some people speculated that Hanson paid for her mommy makeover, which included abdominal reconstruction, liposuction, a tummy tuck and a breast lift.
“Your girl is single and definitely nobody paid for my surgery but me. I’m a boss baby, boss bitch, I got this. All by myself and I’m happy, actually.”
Cartwright said being single is what’s best for her right now. She’s still healing from the surgery and wants time to focus on herself.
“I feel good…I still got a lot of healing to do, a lot of learning to do, so I think being single for a little bit longer is what’s best for me.”
The relationship had moved fast from the beginning. Cartwright and Hanson were friends before they started dating, but media attention came much sooner than either expected.
“So I’m single, tell your friends,”
she joked at the end of her announcement.
How the Relationship Started
Cartwright first stepped out publicly with Hanson at Narwal’s End of Summer Soirée in Los Angeles on Aug. 21. Her Valley costar Kristen Doute told PEOPLE at the event that she approved of the new relationship.
“She has someone in her life that’s really amazing that I am head over heels for. She’s dated people during her single years since her ex-husband [Jax Taylor], and I have not approved of them. They’ve been fine, but not wonderful. This person is very wonderful and very cool.”
Doute, 42, said Hanson being a father made things easier since he understood family dynamics.
When asked if things were getting serious at the August event, Cartwright had said, “We’ll see.”
A source told PEOPLE four days after their public debut that both Cartwright and Hanson were going through similar life changes. Like Cartwright, Hanson was in the middle of a divorce. He and his ex-wife had been separated for seven months when he and Cartwright reconnected.
“The two have found comfort in each other as they’ve been navigating their respective divorces and personal life changes,”
the source explained.
Focus on Moving Forward
At the August event, Cartwright had talked about wanting to focus on herself following her February 2024 split from Jax Taylor. She wanted to prioritize fun times with friends and her young son Cruz.
“I want to focus on me. I just want to have fun with my friends, have fun with my baby and just do fun positive things because I’m so past the drama that I had for so long in my life.”
She said her outlook had changed dramatically after getting out of what she called a “toxic situation.”
“So I’m excited to just have fun and explore this new me. Let go of the dead weight, let go of the drama and just enjoy my life and my family and my friends.”
Now it seems she’s sticking to that plan by staying single and focusing on her own healing process.
