The Valley star Brittany Cartwright welcomed her 36th trip around the sun with open arms.

“It’s no secret that the past year has been incredibly tough for me,” Cartwright, 36, exclusively told Us Weekly as she prepared to celebrate her birthday. “I feel like I’m starting my 36th year almost as a new me in a way, and so I decided to throw myself a little birthday celebration with some of my closest friends.”

Some of Brittany’s “closest friends,” of course, include Kristen Doute and her fiancé Luke Broderick — who are expecting their first child together — as well as Nia Sanchez, Janet Caperna, Zack Wickman, Jasmine Goode, Melissa Marie, Scheana Shay, Lala Kent and Tom Schwartz.

“I had asked everyone coming tonight to make a donation in honor of the Los Angeles wildfires instead of bringing a gift,” Brittany tells Us. “So all the funds we raise this evening will go towards the American Red Cross Fire Relief. I also have another really exciting initiative I’m working on to raise funds for the people affected by the fires here in L.A. that will be announced soon.”

She continued, “Anything I can do to help, I will.”

Steve Granitz/FilmMagic Brittany Cartwright is ready for her next chapter after filing for divorce from estranged husband Jax Taylor. Shortly after Us Weekly confirmed Cartwright, 35, filed for divorce from Taylor, 45, on Tuesday, August 27, after five years of marriage, The Valley star took to social media to share a message about entering her […]

Earlier this month, numerous wildfires tore through the greater Los Angeles area, devastating neighborhoods including the Palisades and Eaton. To date, the fires have destroyed more than 12,000 structures and killed at least 27 people. As many as 200,000 residents were forced to flee their homes in order to escape the flames.

Many celebrities, including Mandy Moore, Paris Hilton, Spencer Pratt and more, either lost their homes or were forced to evacuate.

In addition to raising funds for the ongoing L.A. wildfire relief efforts, Brittany is focusing on a new year as she says goodbye to a tumultuous 2024. The reality television star celebrated her birthday exactly one week after her and her estranged husband, Jax Taylor, separated and she moved into an Airbnb. The party took place at Brittany’s house.

After five years of marriage, Brittany filed for divorce in August 2024 — six months after she announced she and Jax were taking “space” from each other. According to court documents obtained by Us at the time, Brittany listed their date of separation as January 24 and cited “irreconcilable differences “ as the reason for their split.

The pair share 3-year-old son, Cruz.

In October 2024, Brittany gave Us an exclusive update on her relationship with Jax and how she is navigating the couple’s very public divorce.

“I’m trying to just like, you know, focus on my son and he is, like, the light of my life,” Cartwright told Us at the time. “We’re having so much fun together. And it’s a lot, but I’m just smiling my way through it all.”