By Anya
I admit it. I don’t like Bravo’s Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (RHOBH) Taylor Armstrong. I didn’t like her in season one. I found her phony and an instigator. I didn’t like her when she went after Kim Richards and it made me mad when Kyle Richards backed Taylor over her own sister during numerous arguments during the season. (We have since learned the Richards’ sisters relationship is complicated enough without the likes of Taylor Armstrong trying to stir up drama).
Whispers started in season one that Taylor and husband Russell might be a little unsavory in their business practices. There were numerous lawsuits against them. They were apparently far from rich and, in fact, drowning in debt. This wasn’t really a mark against them, however, in the Real Housewives World where once or twice a season a Housewife is forced to declare bankruptcy in order to hold on to some monstrously tacky house and a lifestyle well beyond her means. Taylor stood out from even the more notorious of the Housewives, however, with various people from her past coming forth and basically calling her a grifter. One of the more embarrassing accusations made against Taylor was that she actually adopted the last name “Ford” for a time in order to try and convince people she was an heiress of the Ford Motor Company. (And if you haven’t guessed yet, “Taylor” isn’t her real first name either). Taylor is the type of woman who will say that one of her richest castmates is the godmother of her daughter when the castmate is sitting right next to her shaking her head! She has chutzpah if nothing else and if these were only transgressions, I wouldn’t care to write about her. I have gone on record with saying fame whores and gold diggers and their ilk don’t really bother me. To each his/her own, I say. They usually end up paying a high price for their gain, anyway. Unfortunately, Taylor’s actions have gone way beyond the already low standards set for these “personalities.”
In season one of RHOBH, we witnessed what I would describe as an uncomfortable marriage between Taylor and Russell (mainly uncomfortable for the viewer). Taylor was portrayed as unhappy, emotionally unfulfilled and envious of the seemingly brilliant marriage of her BFF and co-star, Kyle Richards. Russell was distant, awkward in social encounters and a workaholic. There was yet no indication that the man was the monster he is now portrayed by Taylor (and Bravo) to be.
Season 2 of RHOBH was filmed over the spring of 2011. In August of 2011, just weeks away from the premiere, Russell Armstrong hanged himself. (Unless you want to believe conspiracy theories that he was murdered. Andy Cohen of Bravo shamelessly floated this rumor for Taylor’s reaction on
Monday’s RHOBH reunion.) Taylor and Russell were separated at the time of his death. As viewers of the show would later learn, Taylor pulled the plug on the marriage months before his death — shortly after she was disinvited to a group (filmed) vacation to Hawaii with her dear friends and castmates. There is a long back story there, but nobody wanted to chill with Taylor and her “plus one” at that point. Their lawyers were basically telling them to stay away from the toxic couple. Taylor’s timing in ending her marriage is interesting, isn’t it?
Many wondered whether Bravo would scrap the whole season or at least edit out Taylor and Russell completely after the news broke of his death. Bravo (publicly) took some time to think about it and then proclaimed: The Show Must Go On.
Bravo didn’t shy away from continuing with its planned “story” for Taylor this season. Taylor was no longer just emotionally unfulfilled, Russell not just a loser who couldn’t satisfy his wife. Now he was a wife beater and sadist. Throughout the season, Taylor peddled this storyline to the other ladies. With few exceptions, the other Housewives seemed to buy the Taylor is a battered woman storyline. Was it because they really believed her story or because they knew this was the story arc they were all cast to play into? We may never know.
Now that season two has finished broadcasting (with sky high ratings), Taylor is out with a book about her marriage to Russell. Entitled “Hiding from Reality: My Story of Love, Loss and Finding the Courage Within.” She reportedly began working on the book mere days after Russell’s suicide. It’s a book that purports to tell the reality of her marriage to Russell and how she suffered as a victim of domestic violence. She recites horrific accounts of Russell’s physical violence towards her. She claims the book will help other women suffering at the hands of abusers. Many bloggers and now even Diane Diamond at TheDailyBeast.com have pointed out many inconsistencies in the story Taylor is telling. Taylor presents no evidence beyond her word that these events occurred.
There is something unsettling about the fact that this book and several episodes of a highly rated television series aired very serious accusations about a man who is no longer here to defend himself. In case you didn’t know, in addition to a five-year-old daughter Russell had with Taylor, he had two other children — teen sons from two different relationships. I can’t imagine Taylor’s book is doing anything but making their grief at losing their father that much more difficult. It should be noted that both of the mothers of these boys do not support Taylor and contradict her version of events on numerous points.
So why are Taylor Armstrong and her employer, Bravo, going after a dead man? The answer is pretty clear = money. After all, Bravo gets a nice cut of all the books that the Housewives under contract to them publish. Unfortunately, that money is tainted with the blood of a dead man.
I lived in Boca Raton for 30 years, but I didn’t know Taylor. I would be interested in where she hung out. Guess she was looking for a rich man, they are plentiful in Boca. Is that where she met Russell?
Mary,
I read Taylor went by several names, before she married Russell.
“Golddigger”! Have you noticed how unemotional and unhappy her daughter Kennedy seems. Even at the $50,000 Birthday Party, the little girl seemed very detached. I am always amazed that any of the women on any of the RH shows consider themselves good parents. If they were they would keep their children out of the spotlight and spend more time at home “parenting” then out every night at parties and shopping!
It’s hard for me to separate my dislike of Taylor from my distrust of her. I think she’s a very manipulative person. That doesn’t mean she wasn’t abused, but I tend to suspect that she’s exaggerated the level of the abuse. JMO.
I’m torn with this subject. Part of me says that if Taylor was abused she has the right to deal with it however she needs to and if that means writing a book, then that’s what she should do. The other part of me wonders if this is the most healthy way to deal with this.
I guess I don’t feel like I’m in a place to judge her since I’ve never been in her shoes and had to deal with anything like that.
i think alot of people grew up in or are in domestic violence
households. But sadly some people are lying about it. Plus the police now charge you with dv if someone says you threatened them, without them even hearing it: this has ruined it for the REAL survivors of dv. Now everybody questions someone & i question Taylor’s motives here.
Got here from Randy Edwards post. Read this article and had to made a comment. Stoopid Housewives has been writing articles about Taylor and Russell for a long time. If you are not aware of the site, just look it up. It is great that more people are catching on to these grifters, but if someone is looking for detailed, researched info, go to Stoopid Housewives. Randy did a question/answer session on SH December 31. There are also interviews with Russell’s exes.
Bla bla. Taylor was the abuser in their relationship! We all saw the manipulation..
IMO you have a very negative preconceived view of Taylor.
I was never a fan of her either, but I think its horrible the way she is being attacked.
I am embarrassed to admit it~ but I watch all the real housewife shows.
I have changed my mind often about many of them~from one episode to the next and from one season to the next.
But we all need to remember we are only seeing bits and pieces of what goes on in their life and it is what BRAVO chooses to show.
Many people change their name and it doesn’t mean they are doing it for sinister reasons.
No one knows what happened between Russel and Taylor behind closed doors, but IMO she has proof he was abusive to her.
Do I agree with her writing a book about the abuse? ~I have my own conflicting opinions on that one.
And this grifter accusation?
All reality celebrities receive FREE Gifts~ actually ALL Celebrities do!
And everyone of the housewives has something they are advertising on the show to MAKE $$
Another point is ANYONE who commits suicide had a mental issue, as well as any man that hits their wife.
Along with Russel’s mental issues he had something going on within his business that was not on the up and up ~ And then Russel’s business partner(supposedly) committed suicide as well ~IMO makes their deaths questionable.
She’s a sociopath, pure and simple.
Never seen the show and never will because I cannot stand to look at this Taylor Armstrong person’s lips and/or mouth.eewwwwwwh.
She is full of it. I don’t believe the abuse stories, or at least not the level she is trying to portray. Was there police reports or investigations into these allegations? If not, then IMO she/Bravo shouldn’t be using them as part of a story line, given that he isn’t her to defend himself. This book is clearly her way of capitalizing on the “abuse” and the death of her husband. She is using the “I wrote it so it might help someone who is afraid and being abused now” line. Who wants advice from a faux, pretentious “housewife”?
I wouldn’t be surprised if Bravo had some scenes re-shot (like the Kardashian drama was) so that she could dramatize it even further.
Not sure why anyone wants to defend the “grifter” tag she is getting. Her past is full of classic grifting moments and witnessed by her former friends.
She is being attacked because she has no scruples and was more concerned with HER “image” then she was with the family finances. Who throws a $50,000 birthday party, while at the same time the spouse is trying to figure out how he can pay for it?
I will not jump on the hate Taylor bandwagon, just because what others think or believe.
Who spends 25 K on sunglasses or spends a million on a wedding ~ANYONE who wants to!
What anyone buys with their own money is there business.
And NO ONE knows what their finances were? ( Russel didn’t seem upset about money at his Daughters party)
I will DEFEND anyone when I believe they are getting a raw deal.
I already said I am no fan of hers but I certainly do not believe she should be ostracized for speaking about her situation.
I even LMAO when Brandi gave her that verbal smack down on the Reunion.
CoCoPuff, I respect your POV. As I said, it’s hard for me to separate disliking Taylor and finding her shady. I think she *is* shady; I don’t know the truth of all the grifting allegations but I think there’s enough smoke to reasonably expect that there’s fire. I’ve seen her caught in lies a couple of times, and it’s just a simple fact that when you KNOW someone to be a liar you take everything they say with a grain of salt.
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I’m not even totally unsympathetic to her writing the book (assuming it’s truthful) for the money. As Andy Cohen pointed out when Taylor was on Watch What Happens Live this week, she needs money. Better to write a truthful book than try to grift people, I guess. (Again, just reiterating – I don’t know if it’s truthful or not.)
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Taylor does bug the @$#%%^& out of me, though. There’s the ridiculous mouth, which is a very shallow reason for disliking someone, I’ll admit. One of the things about her that bugs me the most is that I’ve noticed she’s pretty blatantly manipulative in terms of how she tries to present herself – she constantly makes references that suggest she’s meek and afraid of speaking up for herself, but when there’s conflict, she’s usually anything but. When I see her put on that “poor little voiceless Taylor” act, it kind of makes my skin crawl.
Bravo! I think so too. Taylor was abuser in this relationship. She started all the drama becouse she was jealous and everbody fought each other because of that. She had him for lifestyle and money and when he couldnt provide anymore she left him. Just like that. And poor man killed himsellf because he heard what she was talking about him. She is so crazy. How people cant see that. It is so obvious.
Mo says..I guess I don’t feel like I’m in a place to judge her since I’ve never been in her shoes and had to deal with anything like that.
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Funny, Mo, you know I thought about that when I was writing this article. I am aware that I haven’t walked in her shoes. That is a very valid point that I respect. Strictly my personal point of view, but I do believe there is enough independent evidence to brand Taylor a liar. So to Jennie’s point, once you know someone has been untruthful, it’s difficult to put that information aside when deciding on the truthfulness of these latest accusations. If there were more independent proof or people coming forth to support her claims, I might feel differently, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
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I don’t wish Taylor any harm. I hope she is able to move forward productively and happily for the sake of her daughter. That said, I do understand the anger felt by Russell’s family and friends who feel a very bad number has been played on him. And I don’t necessarily want to see her on a TV show I otherwise enjoy without her presence.
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Lastly, I want to point out that I place a large amount of blame for this unfortunate situation on Bravo TV. They really have acted in a shameful manner, in my opinion. (I haven’t even gotten to their decision to allow poor Kim Richards to be shown in the state she was in this season and to basically turn her into a joke.)
I just watched Taylor on Dr. Drew. I think there are many unanswered questions about everything. Tomorrow night Russell’s sister is going to be on.
Taylor just tweeted that she is releasing her medical records on her facebook page to silence the doubters. She feels that calling her a liar regarding this makes it harder for others suffering DV to speak out.
I have never watched any of these Housewife shows. I think that is for the best, LOL.
Big deal. All the medical records will show is what she told the medical staff and their observations. The records won’t show what really happened or why she didn’t report the abuse sooner (or at all). When you try and profit from DV, you are going to be looked at with a suspicious eye. If she is telling the truth, why worry about the doubters?
That is sad that she has to go to those lengths to prove she was abused : (
And Pam IA it is a good thing you do not watch any of the Housewife shows~ I seriously wish I never started.
I became (addicted) because of a weekend marathon of the RH of OC years ago while I was sick.
I caught up with the first season in one day ~ Damn you Bravo!
And I just watched a show were the wife shot her husband after being abused for years. .
And then we have that horrible Josh Powell story.
Taylor may not have a attractive personality but IMO when someone/anyone is claiming abuse ~we should believe them unless they are proven otherwise.
Russell was accused of domestic violence before and Taylor did seem to be fearful around him.
Jennie,
I do not understand WHY Taylor threatened Kim Richards last season? or why she felt the need to be so aggressive towards Brandi?
But when it comes to the fact~ if I believe she was abused by Russell~ Yes I believe she was.
Sorry for posting again but I also meant to add that it could of been Taylor or even Kennedy dead instead of Russell.
CoCoPuff…I caught up with the first season in one day ~ Damn you Bravo!
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Girl, I know of what you speak! 🙂
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Mo, I did see about Taylor releasing those records. It seems they are related to the black eye incident. There was a lot of discussion that the black eye could have been due to an elective cosmetic procedure. The records (from my brief review on Radar) seem to confirm that an *injury* occurred. Of course, it doesn’t prove that Russell was responsible, but it partially substantiates her version of events (emphasis on partially).
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I think this issue really goes beyond Taylor. I am seeing a lot of discussion about DV, about what is credible evidence, how should women react when other women present a claim, etc. Perhaps the discussion might be good for us all? One can hope.
I don’t know; Taylor keeps saying that anyone who doubts her is damaging the cause of DV victims everywhere, but I actually think she is the one doing the damage, by tying herself to the cause so firmly. Does that make sense? I really don’t want to be *too* hard on her; for all I don’t like her I will say again that I don’t really KNOW the truth here. But by associating her personal experience with the DV cause as a whole, I feel like she’s the one creating a connection between the issue and potentially false claims. I wish she’d just frame it as a personal story rather than playing the spokeswoman.
Jennie,
I have seen her interviews on several shows, she seems to agree with whoever is talking with her at the moment. I really feel she needed an excuse for Russells debt problems and death. Joining a problem, a violent one puts her out front in the race. I wish her and her daughter well, but there has to be much more to her story. I also have noticed not one person in her family has spoken up for her anywhere.
CocoPuff…You know what a grifter is RIGHT? It is not someone that receives free gifts…hahhaha….it is a scam artist…a liar, a cook, not to be trusted…see Taylor Armstrong
IMO Taylor is not a scam artist, liar or a (COOK) as you say ~LOL
As a woman I would rather believe another woman when she claims to be abused then to see her as a liar.
I cannot believe how upset I am about this when I do not know these people. For about a minute I liked her and then all her lies and phoniness and gold digger ways started showing. All one has to do to see she’s a pathological la is watch all the footage. I believe they had a tumultuous marriage n that they abused each other at times. I don’t believe a word of all the crazy stories that sociopath tells. Just look at her expressions when she gets called out n listen to her stutter n try to backtrack n change her story. She lied with Adrienne sitting there telling Andy she was Kennedy’s godmother. She’s a very sick woman. All I know is this if she’s lying and I believe she is God is going to get her for the pain she’s causing his children, mother, sister n friends. I lost a brother who was my world n I cannot imagine the pain I’d feel if a fame whore psycho tried to run him like this. I am really worried for that little girl also. Thank god his boys have different mothers, I’m afraid for Kennedy because Taylor reminds me of casey Anthony. God Bless everyne involved including that sick monster.
I hate how no one has mentioned so far (as far as I’m aware) that any time Taylor cries, there are no tears and no sniffs. When u cry, u have a runny nose and water running down your face. Not once with her.. not …once.