Taylor Armstrong opened up about her tumultuous on-screen relationship with the late Russell Armstrong and how she was able to learn to love again with her new husband, John Bluher. Fans will Taylor as one of the original cast of RHOBH, where she appeared as a full-time cast member from season 1 through season 3. The socialite appeared as a regular in the series from 2010 to 2013 and has continued to make guest appearances. However, despite giving audiences unfiltered access to her life, it seems more was going on in Taylor's first marriage to Russell than fans first knew.
Though her time on the Bravo franchise was short compared to some housewives, Taylor won fans over with her humor and charm in her interviews. Taylor's personal life and, specifically, her marriage to Russell were Taylor's main storyline during her time on the show. And while Taylor tried to put on a smile, viewers and her fellow castmates could see something was wrong. Many speculated that Taylor was suffering in a toxic and possibly abusive marriage. Then in July 2011, the TV personality filed for divorce, citing physical and verbal abuse. Just one month later, it was revealed that Taylor Armstong lost her husband, Russell, who died by suicide. Viewers were sympathetic to her throughout the season as she shared her struggles with losing her husband as well as detailing many of their marital problems viewers didn't seen on the show.
Now Taylor is opening up about how “paralyzed” she felt following the death of her late husband, Russell. Taylor recently told Us Weekly, “I knew that I had to survive and make it through so that I could take care of [my now-16-year-old daughter, Kennedy]. Kennedy was my first and foremost concern.” Taylor added that the fallout of Russell's death was not made easier by the events documented in RHOBH season 1, itting, “[There are] so many preconceived thoughts about who you are when your life plays out on television."
However, Taylor has also been very vocal about how her time on the show helped her leave her abusive marriage. She mentioned recently that RHOBH actually gave her hope that she could take care of herself as well as her daughter and give her the ability to depart that relationship. Taylor also spoke about how her current husband, John, stood by her side through everything and helped Taylor navigate the legal issues she was going through before the pair became official.
Following the death of Russell, Taylor was left to handle all of the legal issues and lawsuits he'd been facing during their marriage. Thankfully, after a tumultuous few years of financial and legal issues that rival other Real Housewives stars, it looks like Taylor is truly happy with where she's settled down in life. And with her return to television screens just around the corner, fans of Taylor are hopeful to see more of her blossoming romance with her new husband, John, as well as her friendships and drama with the other housewives, when Taylor stars in The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip season 2.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential .
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST on Bravo.
Source: Us Weekly