The Truth About Jax Taylor And Lance Bass' Relationship
Boy-bander Lance Bass and reality television star Jax Taylor used to be the best of pals, but it appears their friendship may be on a bit of hiatus. In a mid-June 2020 episode of Bass' podcast The Daily Popcast, the pop star had some interesting things to say about his (former?) business partner and personal friend.
As reported by People, Bass said he personally took Jax to task regarding past racially insensitive remarks the Vanderpump Rules star made. According to The Blast, one instance involved Jax commenting on a photo of 90 Day Fiancé star Ashley Smith's husband, Jay Smith, saying, "Wow. Your boyfriend's nose is as big as his head." YIKES.
Bass claimed his attempt at getting through to Jax was unsuccessful. "I actually had a conversation about this with him yesterday, and I feel like I'm the only person that he actually heard it from," he said. "He was like, 'I don't understand this big nose thing! Jewish people have big noses.'" To which Bass quickly fired back, "Well yeah, you can't make fun of Jewish or Black people for their noses." The singer added, "He just could not see it."
But not so fast — Jax's camp was quick to call BS and his rep told People, "Jax and Lance were on a call with two other people from their team as well. Those words never came out of Jax's mouth. Those allegations are totally false." So, where does this leave the duo now? Here's what we know.
Jax Taylor and Lance Bass have weathered controversy before
Lance Bass graciously stepped in last minute to officiate Jax Taylor's wedding to fellow castmate and current wife, Brittany Cartwright. Per The Blast, the couple found themselves under tremendous scrutiny when a series of homophobic tweets penned by their original officiant surfaced. The pair was left with no choice but to ditch the pastor and scramble to find a replacement.
Initially, the couple had asked SUR boss and Vanderpump Rules executive producer, Lisa Vanderpump, to do the honors, but after the sudden death of her mother, she was unable to fulfill the obligation. Lucky for everyone, Bass came to the rescue!
And it turns out, the newlyweds were over the moon with the job Bass did. Jax's wife, Brittany, was quoted by People saying, "He's become one of our really, really great friends, and he has really stepped up for us in this moment when we needed somebody. He stepped up and is such a nice, kind person."
Bass, however, maintained on his podcast that the only reason he stepped up to officiate the wedding is because he was replacing someone who was guilty of writing homophobic tweets. "To me, that was a statement. And I thought it was big of them to make that statement," Bass said. Did Bass officiate the ceremony out of the goodness of his heart, or did he feel morally obligated to fulfill the duty? We'll let you be the judge.
Jax Taylor and Lance Bass have unfinished business
Lance Bass and Jax Taylor are (or were?) business partners in a hand-crafted premium mixer company, cleverly dubbed Just Add X. However, in June 2020, Bass took to his podcast to explain how the business partnership came to be andddd how it supposedly dissolved. According to Bass, it was mutual friend and Just Add X CEO, James Kirtley, who is to blame for bringing Jax on the team, not Bass.
Bass is also adamant that Jax chose to leave on his own. In a previous podcast episode, Bass alleged that Jax had stepped down in his role with the cocktail mixer company. According to People, however, Jax's reps called foul on that.
"Last week the Just Add X website had been hacked, showcasing some hateful slurs, which Jax felt horrible about. In an emotional state, Jax had texted Lance and the Just Add X team offering to step down from the company if that was the direction they wanted to take," Jax's rep claimed to People. "The team immediately followed up with a phone call with Lance and the team reassured and fully supported him. It was decided that Jax would continue to stay on the team and that they all had his back given these unpredictable times."
As of right now, it's unclear whether or not Jax has a current role with the brand or not. But one thing is for certain: Someone, somewhere, has some 'splaining to do.
Lance Bass does not believe Jax Taylor is a racist
In June 2020, Lance Bass went on the record stating that he does not believe Jax Taylor is a hateful person. "Look, I'm gonna preface this right now 'cause I know we have a lot of new listeners here. So, I do not think Jax Taylor is a racist. Or a homophobe," Bass professed on his podcast, The Daily Popcast. "And I've said that millions of times. I would not be acquaintances with someone if I thought you were a flat-out racist or homophobe. It just doesn't make sense."
Instead, it appears that Bass simply thinks Jax needs to be held accountable for his problematic past tweets and behavior, just like what happened with Jax's Vanderpump Rules co-stars, who were fired. "I understand what Bravo is doing," Bass said, referring to the network letting four cast members go. "They are draining the swamp. It's so necessary to teach a lesson right now. Yeah, it sucks to get fired for a tweet from two years ago, but you made the bed now you gotta lay in it. You are the example. You're going to have to fall on the sword and lay on it."
Is it possible that Bass is just utilizing the classic tough-love approach when it comes to pal and business partner? If so, is Jax willing to come around to Bass' message? Maybe there's hope for the pair after all. Time will tell.