‘Sharknado 4’ Actor Accused of Stolen Valor

| March 19, 2019

Jax Taylor, a television star on the show “Vanderpump Rules,” has recently come under fire from a posting he made about his military service. Some have said it was a case of stolen valor. Read about it here.

He defended himself by posting on Instagram.

Jax was born ‘Jason Michael Cauchi.’ In case you missed him, as many of us might have, Jax also starred in “Sharknado 4.”

I say this because if his enemies are successful in tarnishing his reputation, he may be dropped from a possible sequel and not get to appear in “Sharknado 5” which there is sure to be a demand for.

Jason Cauchi crammed an awful lot of experience into a few short months in the Navy, but it appears that he served. From what he posted on Instagram, it looks like he is being truthful.

 

So relax “Sharknado 5” fans, it’s looking pretty good at this point.

Category: Hollywood, Politics

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USAF RET

What the Sam hell is a “Sharknado”? Or for that matter a vanderpump?

The Al

To answer your first question, Sharknado is a horrible horrible made for TV movie originally released on the SyFy channel.

FatCircles0311

Boomer alert!

(Duck and cover)

Forest Green

SHARKNADO 5!!! I didn’t know there was a Sharknado 2 let alone a possibility of 5!

Good Lord! Can round up all these assholes and put theme in Sharknado 5 where they will all be consumed and forgotten to history?

5JC

But there were so many unanswered questions from the first four.

The first one was so bad it collected a cult following from how bad it was. Not sure how the other three came about.

Peter the Bubblehead

There have actually been SIX Sharknado films as of present date!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharknado_(film_series)

Remember, if you ever feel useless, there was one person in a meeting somewhere that suggested, “Why don’t we make a movie about a tornado full of sharks?”

11B-Mailclerk

The things made money.

That “hey what if…” person is now a legendary obscure hack.

And who could forget the Lavalantulas!

Mason

Two months aboard the TR? How massively do you need to dickstep to get kicked out that fast?

I assume he was booted since he was discharged and not retired and sent on his way as an E-1 (with enough TIS for at least E-2).

Also, from here (http://www.uscarriers.net/cvn71history.htm) he came aboard mid-deployment and left mid-deployment.

AnotherPat

Based on your link, Mason, am guessing he is credited for a Kosovo tour:

“USS Theodore Roosevelt departed homeport for a surge deployment.”

“April 6, The Battle Group arrived on station in the Ionian Sea to support NATO’s Operation Noble Anvil.”

“May 7, The Theodore Roosevelt arrived in Antalya, Turkey, for a five-day port visit.”

“During Operation Noble Anvil(Allied Force), Between April 6 and June 9, aircraft from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 flew 4,270 sorties, of which 3,055 were combat and delivered 800 tons of ordnance on targets throughout the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. These sorties involved essential combat support missions, such as close air support, battlefield airborne interdiction, electronic support and airborne battlefield command and control, as well as strike missions.”

“June 14, CVN 71 anchored off the coast of Palma de Mallorca, Spain, for an eight-day liberty visit; Port visit to Cannes, France, from June 29 through July 5.”

Mason

Caught that. I’d give him credit for it, too.

Odd that his DD-214 doesn’t list the Kosovo Campaign Medal, but maybe that’s because it didn’t come about until 2000 and by then he was already gone. Could be he also doesn’t meet the 30 days consecutive, 60 non-consecutive requirement. He wasn’t there for long…

Peter the Bubblehead

Actually, TIS from E-1 to E-2 in the Navy is 9 months, and he didn’t even make it THAT far!

TIS from E-2 to E-3 is also 9 months.

Mason

Oh, gotcha. USAF it was 6 months.

Comm Center Rat

I didn’t know the Navy offered 6 month enlistment contracts in the late 90s. Jax (Jason) was in just long enough to have a cup of coffee before the siren of Hollywood called to him.

5JC

True, but he still did it. Whatever other failings he may have had he still served.

Non Cedo Ferio

One of my biggest complaints about these half assed SV hunters is cases like this. Looks like they are going out of their way to ruin this guys life. Sure he’s had abbreviated service. But he’s being truthful about it. People get out for a variety of reasons but if you are not trying to misrepresent yourself then I don’t see it as SV. These hunters are most likely trying to make a name for themselves by selecting a high profile individual to embarrass. It’s the same with these guys who want to get a viral video of “ busting “ a homeless guy whos either wearing surplus uniforms or too drunk to be credible. I say leave the outing to those who know how to investigate properly. Cause peoples lives and reputations should never be ruined over half truths and innuendos not to mention the damage it does to the legit SV community.

Veritas Omnia Vincit

Indeed you are right about this and it makes people like my non-military friends and colleagues who are not at all familiar with military matters wonder why these people are harassing American citizens over petty nonsense.

Most people really don’t give two shits about your service, they say thank you because it’s customary these days but the minute you leave their sight they don’t think about what you did or didn’t do, they don’t even care because it doesn’t matter at all to their daily lives.

I know some folks who don’t even care about the liars at all if there’s no fraud involved because it doesn’t impact their lives in any way whatsoever.

Most people know the SEAls are elite, but most people have no fucking idea that these days people deployed be can be almost any MOS and find themselves in harm’s way.

It’s why no one is against the war anymore, it turns out to not impact their lives at all so they don’t give a shit if we’re fighting somewhere or not.

The smaller percentage of Americans that serve the easier it becomes to ignore the concerns of veterans, and any issue that affects them.

As a society we pretend to give a shit by offering ten percent off on food and product, but beyond that it’s of no consequence to the public at large.

Comm Center Rat

Agreed. It’s not a nation at war. It’s our military at war. I served in the military in the 80s and 90s and never once heard “thank you for your service.” I served again after 9/11 and lost count of the number of times I was thanked for my service. The only thanks that ever met anything to me was when a group of VN veterans greeted our flight with returning Afghanistan troops at the Atlanta airport.

Personally, my military retired pay and TRICARE benefit are the only thanks I need or want. But if a business offers a 10% discount then I’ll be there to collect and help them feel good about their generosity.

Disclosure: I do not wear a leather vest, chaps, doo rag, SEAL Trident, SF ball cap, or pony tail.

MI Ranger

So you do have the big gaudy Tattoo about death or War Dogs?! 😉
I’m with you Comm Center Rat, I have a collection of T-Shirts with various JumpMaster wings on them, and Skulls and Daggers on them but the only place they get worn are to bed (when its cold). I registered my retirement card with Lowes to save the tax (10%) when I shop, and most of the clerks read the statement “thank you for your service” to me when I check out, but other than that few know. I may get a Veteran plate for my car, now that they are expiring not to brag, but to save some money on the plate.

akpual

I thought a Sharknado was a vacuum cleaner.

Jeff LPH 3, 63-66

There is a shark vacum cleaner but not a sharknado vacum cleaner. I went on Amazon to look for it but Eurika, no such thing.

11B-Mailclerk

Hoover heard such a thing?

26Limabeans

I thought it was the first front wheel drive American car.

Outcast

E-1, no mos I can see, 6 months service, 3 months at Lackland AFB (sorry a little foggy here as in 1965 Lackland was basic training and tech schools were elsewhere), just Discharge no mention as to status of type, less than month assigned to ship. At least that is what I can understand from records, No reserve duty. Sorry but to me something stinks here.

Non Cedo Ferio

So his rate would be mess management (MS) the old name for culinary specialist. A School used to be Lackland and type of discharge and re codes usually not releasable to others by. NPRC. Hope that clears a few things up.

NECCSEABEECPO

Nothing stinks here. He was on deployment and more then likely, looks like they hit a port of call and he got drunk and stupid, then NJP and kicked out. The Navy does that.

NHSparky

What’s that shit you’re not supposed to drunk cause it’ll make you piss hot? Ouzo?

Red Ghost

Absinthe. The Green Fairy. It tastes like licorice, so I’ve been told. Having never drunk it in Bulgaria while on pass. Just saying.

5th/77th FA

Former Navy culinary specialist? Cook? Secret squiirell seal? Sounds legit? Naaawww.

Possible 3fer on Continent of Insults? Motion made!

Never saw Sharknado (?) original 1 or any others. Do I need to get cable?

AnotherPat

5th:

No, he does not not “qualify” for the Continent of Insults.

There are folks claiming he never served.

He did serve. It was short, but he did serve.

Someone has to feed the troops and in this case, Sailors.

😏

SFC D

He tried, apparently failed, I’m not seeing that he’s ever claimed more than what he accomplished. The “Team” that’s trying to discredit him are wrapped around the axle chasing the wrong name. He’s guilty of some really bad movies, though.

5th/77th FA

Roger all that A’Pat and SFC D. That’s why I put my motion in the form of a question. Think I was just champing at the bit and frothing at the mouth over seeing a possible 3fer. Be the FIRST time in a long time that we had a 3fer shot all in one day.

I’ll punish myself by meeting charles w to drink rot gut and smoke cheap seegars.

AnotherPat

5th…

You may be right.

It seems others have found his claim of being in the Navy for 4 years, “driving Navy SEALs..”

Have to give the guy credit for identyfying himself as a “Specialist” since he was a Food Specialist.

He might have driven a car that had a Navy SEAL as a passenger.

His 4 years might have been 4 months…or that he was obligated to serve 4 years…got kicked out of the Navy in 1999, but had to on paper be carried as Inactive for a total of 4 years.

So if there is proof that he did embellish and gave folks the idea that he had anything to do with being a SEAL, well, he may indeed be a candidate for the Insult Wall. I did see the video where he had trouble swimming…and the Producers of the show he was on asked him about his “Navy SEAL training”. He did not answer them, but it makes you wonder why the Producers asked him that question.

rtr/godawgs

Outcast

Seems that I seen a movie once of someone driving around with a real zoo type seal in the car. Them Gollywood types will stoop to anything to try to claim to be a Navy Seal. Just sayin.

SFC D

In light of recent discoveries (as noted in the comments below), I wish to retract my previous statement until further review can be completed.

Perry Gaskill

Just to clear up what might be some confusion, Jax Taylor is probably better known in the entertainment business for a continuing role as a bartender in the reality TV series Vanderpump Rules on Bravo. Taylor had also had a role on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills which included another character named Lisa Vanderpump. Vanderpump Rules is a spin-off of the Real Houswives of Beverly Hills series.

Taylor’s stolen valor freak-out, based on a real threat or otherwise, normally might not matter unless you’re the kind of nitwit who spends a lot of time following TMZ or Perez Hilton. What gives it an additional news hook is that Bravo apparently has been planning to spin Taylor and another actress off from Vanderpump Rules into another series; which means reputational damage control is needed to protect a pending franchise. My own view is:

Forget it, Jake. It’s Hollywood…

Ex-PH2

Sharknado V? That’s the summer lineup for entertainment at the drive-in now? I thought it was ‘Avengers”. Huh.

Ex-PH2

All you have to do is look at that photo of him. It’s a boot camp portrait – I have one, too – and he has no rate badge on his left sleeve, no striker badge, nothing. Means he most likely didn’t pre-qualify before he entered RTCGLakes, or the photo was taken earlier than they used to be taken in the training program.

Peter the Bubblehead

My recruit company were not authorized any rate badges until after graduation. I went to Great Lakes in Jan 1995 and graduated March 1995. My Boot photo is the same, plain cracker jack uniform. Not even authorized the NDSM ribbon we had in our records for the photo.

Mason

It was the same for us USAF types circa 2002. I was even an E-3 and didn’t get to sew it on until graduation.

NHSparky

Correct. My boot photo is slick sleeve even though I was an E-3.

Didn’t put it on until I got to NTC.

NECCSEABEECPO

We didn’t have rate badges, photo’s were taken in week two or three. This was 89.

Ex-PH2

We didn’t have rate badges, either (1967) until graduation, but I was on the drill team and we had a yellow felt diamond-shaped patch with the fouled anchor and screw** on it.

**A ‘screw’ in Navy talk is a propeller for you landlubbers.

Mason

A ‘screw’ means something different to us nautically challenged. 😉

Jeff LPH 3, 63-66

EX; some trivia. The screw insignia with the hole in the middle were for the Engine room (M-Div.)sailors and the screw insignia without the hole in the middle were for A-Div (gang) sailors who maintained all the auxiliary equipment from the ships whistle down to the reefer flats.

A Proud Infidel®™

He DID serve, albeit briefly.
He didn’t make any bogus claims. about his service.

Meh, that’s all I see, IMHO it’s time to move on.

Contractor1803

If he served on a deployment to Kosovo, why no AFEM/NEM on his record. As for what is a vanderpump, I believe it’s a Dutch wiener extender. 🙂

AnotherPat

Perhaps he did not qualify for either awards.

Peter the Bubblehead

You need to have a certain amount of time in theater to qualify for AFEM/NEM (I believe 60 days). He wasn’t even aboard the ship long enough, no less in the actual theater for the minimum amount of time. Heck, you need 90 days away from home port just for the Sea Service Deployment ribbon!

Skyjumper

Here’s an interesting bit about Jax Taylor supposedly lying to his former girlfriend claiming he was a NavySEAL and had a SEAL sticker on his pickem-up-truck.

Don’t know what to make of it all…..but, better things to do this fine day than to follow up on
Holly-Weirdos.

https://www.vulture.com/2019/03/vanderpump-rules-jax-taylor-profile.html

Skyjumper

Seems Wikipedia needs to have a correction made to Jax’s service. Four years??

“He attended Michigan State University and community college, but dropped out of school to enter the Navy. He was in the Navy for four years and was trained at a base in Norfolk, Virginia.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jax_Taylor

Mason

The links referenced in that are even more telling. He’s definitely embellishing if the quotes are to be believed.

From https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/jax-taylor-was-in-the-navy-details

“I was in the Navy for four years and I was stationed in Norfolk, VA, on an aircraft carrier called the Roosevelt. I was a specialist. I drove special forces around, Navy SEALs, and stuff like that.”

And this (https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2016/03/jax-taylor-vanderpump-rules-villain-interview) less reputable source, which doesn’t directly quote him, seems to be at least influenced by statements he made.

“[He] joined the Navy because he had nothing else, trained at a base in Virginia, and was eventually stationed in Kosovo during one of those periods when you don’t think of our forces having much to do overseas. He doesn’t really like to say much about it, only that it happened. Three years later, he was a civilian again”

ArmyATC

He may have served, I’ll give him that. But he is definitely embellishing. In a 2018 interview, he claimed “I was in the Navy for four years and I was stationed in Norfolk, VA, on an aircraft carrier called the Roosevelt. I was a specialist. I drove special forces around, Navy SEALs, and stuff like that.”

Keepin' It Real

I saw “Sharknado” the original – “Enough Said” and I’m sorry to break it to you all but “Sharknado 5 – Global Swarming” has already been out.

Sharknado 5

In fact, “Sharknado 6: The Final Sharknado – It’s About Time” has already come out. You can get the entire 6 volume collection. I don’t know about you, but I’m earmarking a weekend to binge watch all 6 – bring the pain!

SFC D

I’d rather drink turpentine and piss on a brush fire.

E-6 type, 1 ea

That’s quite the all-star cast they’ve got there!

Tara Reid (out of rehab long enough to make a movie evidently)
Dolph Lundgren
Tony Hawk
Olivia Newton-John

Daisy Cutter

Here he was directly quoted as being in the Navy for four years. Maybe he doesn’t get a pass?

He later opened up to The Daily Dish about his Navy career, telling us, “I was in the Navy for four years and I was stationed in Norfolk, VA, on an aircraft carrier called the Roosevelt. I was a specialist. I drove special forces around, Navy SEALs, and stuff like that.”

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/jax-taylor-was-in-the-navy-details

The Other Whitey

You lost me at “sharknado.”

MCPO NYC USN Ret.

TPU … and discharged in 2 weeks.

Ah, that is called a clue.

I believe Mr. Shark Nado was a total shitbird and was thrown out of the Navy.

But what would I know …

NHSparky

Question:

Would he qualify for an Entry Level Separation (ELS) if it was initiated by the 180 day mark, even if he served over 180 days before he was shown the door?

Inquiring minds want to know.

MCPO NYC USN Ret.

I suspect he did something. Entry level discharge is kinda like … no harm no foul discharge.

This guy screwed up bad and was thrown to the pier.

Dirt bag.

Bim

And, as DC pointed out above, he IS on record as saying he served in the Navy for four years and worked also with special ops. He did lie.

I think what he is doing is “getting out in front of it”, and producing his narrative in order to muddy the waters a bit.

Berliner

Fluffer?

J C

If you thought the Sharknado movies were bad, better check out “Sharktopus” and Piranhaconda”. Or maybe don’t…

Daisy Cutter

I can see it now. At night on the fantail of the ship, looking out at a full moon glistening off the wavetops like sparklers on the 4th of July.

What are you going to do when you get out of the Navy?

Star in some really, really bad movies. You?

Slick Goodlin

None can compare with the 2005 flick,”Mansquito”.
A convict is showered in a lab explosion with pieces of genetically altered mosquitos and becomes….
MANSQUITO !!!

Dustoff

I’ll see your Mansquito and Raise You an Ice Spider….

Skyjumper

Gggggggrosssssss, Slick!!

Course, it did have the token girlfriend being nailed by his stinger. So, it has that going for it.

Daisy Cutter

Boy, he rammed that proboscis into her like a bus with no breaks.

AnotherPat

Mansquito?

Sheesh…

Whoever produced that movie failed Biology…

Biting Mosquitoes are FEMALE.

😎

Charles

He signed a Delayed Enlistment Program contract in November 1998.(Why is part of that blocked out?)

Went to Great Lakes for recruit training as usual. Nine weeks.

Then on to Lackland Air Force Base to learn to be a cook.

M[ess] S[pecialist] “A” School 7 weeks.
(What the Army would call “AIT”).

Then a first assignment aboard the Carrier Theodore Roosevelt that lasted from May 24, 1999 to June 30, 1999. That’s 37 calendar days!?

By July 1, 1999 he’s back in Norfolk, VA for out processing, with a discharge July 16, 1999.
Six months and six days start to finish, and discharged as an MS SR M[ess] S[pecialist]
S[eaman] R[ecruit]. Pay Grade E1.

Can’t help but notice that “lower block” entries on the DD-214 are all redacted, including the reason for the discharge, the character of service, the RE-code, and …

… strangely enough, so is “DATES OF TIME LOST” that could be AWOL/UA time. (Or could be leave taken that he didn’t serve long enough to fully earn).

—————————————-

Yeah, there is a story there, but it appears that any SV was in the bar hitting up on chicks, and well, that’s another thing altogether.

PTBH

Jason Cauchi was not in the USS Theodore Roosevelt’s (CSN-71) 1999 cruise book in either the Food Service or Wardroom departments, which both carried the ship’s MS crew.

He may not have been on board when photos were taken or was not on the ship long enough to earn a place in the cruise book.

11B-Mailclerk

Well, then we can’t call him “Tomahawk”.

He is not actually a cruise-misser.

FatCircles0311

The average age of this domain must be AM in the garage organizaing old paint cans. Good grief some of these responses. My sides need a break.

FatCircles0311

Correction: that was supposed to be AM radio in the garage organizing old paint cans.

These dog hot dog fingers trying to use the phone keyboard. 🤣

Blake Morgan

“Mangina: The Reckoning”

mangina

Dragoon Marksman

If I had his record of military service, I sure wouldn’t publish it for others to read. It sounds like they mustered him out of the service because he wasn’t suited for same.

SFC D

It’s a public record.

Ret_25X

Never heard of her…

Daisy Cutter

I have an interesting, alternate theory that I’m entertaining.

Taylor never does say who the unnamed mystery person is that is accusing him of lying. He then posts a photo of him in his sailor crackerjack uniform.

Could it be – and to be clear I am asking – could it be another Jussie Smollett situation but in this case he is safe because he can whip out the photo and proof that he served in 1999.

It could possibly a way to get his military experience on the table – by inventing a strawman villain who we have yet to see stating that Taylor committed stolen valor. We only saw Taylor’s reaction to said accusation.

Mind you – just a hypothesis to consider.

Atkron

I’ve got more time on a navy shitter than he has service.

Debs

Its interesting it just says discharge not dishonorable or honorable. I also don’t think it would be very hard to change some things on the paperwork. There’s definitely some ??? About his service. I think something’s will be coming out for sure! Stay tuned?

Ex-PH2

So that settles that, right?