Brittany Cartwright opened up about balancing motherhood, a reality show, and her son Cruz’s recent autism diagnosis, revealing how she handled being away from him during her time competing on “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.”
“The Valley” star told Us Weekly on Friday, September 12, that filming the grueling competition series meant being separated from her four-year-old son for longer than ever before.
With strict rules that limit contact between contestants, she said she had never before been away from Cruz for more than a few days. “It was definitely the longest time I’d ever been away from him,” she said.
Despite the demands of “Special Forces,” Cartwright made a point of staying connected.
She video-chatted with Cruz “any chance that I got,” she said. She also carried a photo of him with her.
Cartwright said coming home was “the best thing ever.”
“With Cruz’s autism, I just really wanted to make sure he knew that I was coming back and that I was going to be there,” she added.
Cartwright Opens Up About Cruz
Cartwright bravely revealed her son’s autism diagnosis in April of this year, according to PEOPLE.
She stated that Cruz is mostly nonverbal. The Vanderpump alum told the outlet that Cruz walked and talked early, but it all changed around the age of 2.
“Then, as he got closer to 2, we started noticing that he was regressing in his speech. He stopped talking almost completely,” she said.
Though Cruz remains mostly nonverbal, Cartwright described how he occasionally says different words, like “Mommy.”
“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,” Cartwright continued. “He is such a mommy’s boy.”
Cartwright on ‘Special Forces’
While the 36-year-old is a veteran of reality TV, she dished on how “Special Forces” was totally different.
“It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life,” she said while appearing on an August 12 episode of “Detox Retox With Tom Schwartz.”
She added, “I’ve been very open about heights and how that terrifies me so doing different things like that, I’m proud of myself.”
Cartwright isn’t the only member from Bravo to join Season 4 of “Special Forces.”
“The Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Teresa Giudice and her daughter Gia Giudice will be taking on the challenge, as well as “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” alum Eva Marcille.
