As we know, Taylor Armstrong’s abusive, ponzi-scheme running husband allegedly killed himself about a month ago. Russell Armstrong’s death was ruled a suicide, although he didn’t leave a note and his business partner was also found dead by suicide just a day later, also without leaving a note. It looks suspicious to some, but either way the guy is deceased and Taylor has understandably been grieving and has yet to give an interview following his death. I heard part of the 911 call she made with a friend when they discovered Russell’s body, not by choice as I never listen to those 911 calls willingly – it was on a news show I was watching, and it was heartbreaking. The guy with Taylor was telling her it was all right, and she was crying hysterically and saying “It’s not all right.”
Yesterday Taylor released photos of her bruised and battered face, taken back when Russell was alive. She’s accusing him of beating her in the months leading up to his death. There’s plenty of other evidence that he was an abuser. Two of his exes, also accused him of abuse and had restraining orders out against him. As we discussed yesterday, many of us feel sympathy for Taylor as a victim of domestic abuse, but still question her motive for releasing those photos at this time. Taylor is a manipulative, conniving person with a slippery relationship with the truth. (See this video that someone sent in.) I do think she was horrifically abused, and that this is her story to tell, but that doesn’t make me see her as a likable person, just someone in a sad circumstance.
Entertainment Tonight announced that they’ll air an interview with Taylor next Tuesday. They also gave a timeline for those photos we just saw of her injuries:
“A source close to Taylor reveals that she underwent Lasik eye surgery on July 5. Days later, the source claims that she was hit by Russell so hard that her corneal flap was dislocated.
For the rest of the month of July, Taylor was not seen in public as her injuries healed. Her first public appearance after that was on August 1, at a press tour promoting season two of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”
Radar Online is reporting that Taylor was considering going a little more classy for her first interview following Russell’s death, and that she was in negotiations with Barbara Walters. Walters wanted to question her about the fact that she was living like a millionaire when she was broke, and ask her about the show possibly contributing to Russell’s death. Taylor couldn’t have that, so she went with the fluffier, easier option:
Walters had been Taylor’s first choice for the interview, but there were simply too many hurdles that the veteran journalist refused to comply with. “Taylor had a list of demands that Walters just wasn’t willing to go along with. Taylor didn’t want to be grilled about her participation on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills possibly contributing to Russell’s suicide. She didn’t want to be put on the hot seat regarding her spending habits. In the end, Entertainment Tonight was able to come to an agreement with Taylor that she was extremely comfortable with,” a source close to the situation tells us.
Taylor is now “beginning the process of dealing with probate and tax issues that she is now facing after Russell’s suicide. Russell left no will behind. Taylor is going to have to find a job in the very near future, beyond her work on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” the insider tells us.
[From Radar Online]
Well, I guess I don’t necessarily have to tune in to ET next week, since this interview is just going to be Taylor saying she had no idea her husband was suicidal and that she went through a lot behind closed doors. I really don’t see her opening up much, especially if she’s not willing to take responsibility for her overspending or talk about how RHOBH may have impacted her husband. (That’s all on him, but I think she should at least be willing to discuss it, even if she just gives a bland practiced statement on it.) I do feel sympathy for her as a victim of domestic violence, no one should have to endure that.
We heard last week that Taylor got a book deal, and that it will include the photos of her domestic violence injuries. Many of you pointed out that this could be the rollout for that book, although it’s strange to me that she would sell the photos first to ET and then turn around and put them in a book too.
On a more superficial note, don’t Taylor and Nancy O’Dell look like clones? That’s about all I’ll say on that matter. (Must bite tongue.)
These photos are from March.
Credit: WENN.com
I agree with you, CB, I just think her timing for all this stinks.
I’m sorry, I do not buy her as the innocent, abused wife. I do not doubt that her marriage got inappropriately physical but, considering the behavior we’ve seen from her (just imagine what we haven’t seen), I’m guessing they were both inappropriately mentally and physically abusive to one another and that she instigated as much as he did. This woman is ruthless and the fact there appears to have been no calls made by healthcare professionals treated her (who are required by law to report this sort of thing) makes me question the veracity of pretty much anything she claims on the issue.
I finally figured out who she reminds me of:
http://www.li-kids.com/photos/JumpStartWorldGrowingSmartLaughwithMeBotley.jpg
“Inappropriately physical.’
Oh gawd.
Yes, she “instigated.” She also pushed his buttons and drove him to it. What other worn-out cliches do you want to use to rationalize and excuse DV? How about, she could have just walked away? Do you have any idea how insulting you are being to anyone who has ever been abused, including people who may not be chosen as the Covergirl for DV?
You don’t have to like someone to feel empathy for them, but some posters on here sure have alot of empathy and compassion for abusers.
I am finished with this thread today. Some of the responses in yesterday’s thread sickened me, and this thread is starting out even worse.
Also, if anyone who have wanted to buy MY abuse photos, I would have sold them to pay off my divorce attorney, whose fees were artifically driven up by an abusive spouse who wanted to make the divorce process as drawn out, painful, and expensive for me.
I hope Taylor Armstrong makes loads of money off of this and puts as much as she can in a trust for her daughter.
Taylor may be a victim of DV, but that does not make her a good person. She and Russell have been running scams for years, ripping of hard working people.
My heart goes out to her daughter and Russells other children, they are the true innocent victims in this mess.
‘What other worn-out cliches do you want to use to rationalize and excuse DV? How about, she could have just walked away?’
If you put your hand in the fire and it burns you, do you try it again? If you pet a dog and it bites you, do you try and pet it again or have you learnt your lesson? Women who don’t walk away at the first sign of trouble are their own enablers and staying in an abusive relationship is their choice. Taylor made that same choice, to put up with Russell to maintain a lifestyle she considered more important than either her or her daughter’s safety. Why should I feel sympathy for her?
Men strength is 2X the amount of a woman’s strength. Which means when a man hit a woman the impact is much harder.
I don’t condone DV on either side because women abuse men as well. I don’t know who this woman is but to now release these pics with ET after this man is dead is bad timing on her part.
I can’t begin to understand why now she release the pic. I feel empathy for her experiencing such behavior at a man’s hand.
I do believe she was abused. However, she reminds me of a locust. She gets what she wants from people, (status, money, etc…) and moves on to the next. She strikes me as a user.
Whether she’s likeable or not, the man was shady. He had a history of abusive behavior toward his exes. Those pictures were horrific and whether or not she’s a liar or a bitch, she doesn’t deserve to get hit. That’s all I have to say on this subject.
I just dont even feel sorry for her, I know thats bad. She endured the bruises for the bankroll.
That second-to-last photo, I have never seen cheeks do that before. They have a soffit!
And yes, she does look exactly like that woman next to her (I had/have no idea who she is!).
Did anyone ever stop to think that maybe she signed up for the show hoping that it would reduce the amount of violence from Russell? It’s disgusting to read some of the comments on this site regarding this situation. No woman deserves to be abused regardless of the lifestyle she lives. No one killed Russell but himself. He took the cowards way out and left everyone in his life to pick up the pieces.
@Olanky-I agree. I personally think Taylor and Russel’s marriage probably resembled the relationship between Michael Douglas and Katheryn Turner in the movie “War of the Roses”. Taylor didn’t hesitate to threaten Kim with violence last season and she continually lied and manipulated people last season. I do not like or trust this woman period. I really feel sorry for the children involved.
Cedar falls —
You are either uneducated and clueless concerning DV, or an abuser enabler. What you say is beyond idiotic. You have spit into the face of EVERY DV victim.
WTF did I come back to this thread?
I totally agree with Ms Smith.
Taylor may have been abused but she was no angel by any means. Looks at all the ppl they scammed. I think she’s milking this pity party for all its worth.
I really have to question some of those pictures. She has odd “x’s” marked on her forehead which is a common thing for plastic surgery procedures. Who is to say she wasnt having more procedures done, she’s certainly not a stranger to plastic surgery. Eye bruising is very common with a lot of PS procedures too.
There doesnt seem to be a police report for this incident, which is required by law. I’m not convinced there hasnt been more added to the pics just to sell the drama. I dont put anything past these attention realty ppl who will say or do anything to stay in the spotlight.
Dont get me wrong, Im not saying she wasnt abused but there’s something def. not right with this whole story and the other person involved is gone.
The only one I feel for are the kids involved.
Olcranky- I agree with you.
Seal Team- I’m sorry that you’ve experienced such abuse. No one deserves it. However, based on her manipulative behavior towards everyone on the show last season, Taylor lies just about every chance she gets. So honestly, it’s hard to believe in anything she says even with evidence. When confronted about her lies, she makes another one right on the spot.
Don’t count on a trust for her daughter when she blew 65 grand on a b-day party she couldn’t afford and her daughter hated last season.
Last season it was really scary to see how easily she lied to people then when Kim tried to tell the truth, Taylor threatened her with violence and managed to the turn the situation so she was the victim even though she started everything. This woman does not have any good intentions. Her husband declared bankruptcy a few years before the show. They were living in a rented mansion and she acted like she had all the money in the world to blow. I honestly think she came on the show because she was looking to trade up or to find wealthy people to scam.
There is a reason she’s not sitting down with Walters. There are very real questions that she might not be able to lie her way through.
“staying in an abusive relationship is their choice.”
There are no words.
Why are there X’s drawn on her forehead?? That strikes me as very odd – if she is the victim of domestic abuse and in the hospital, why is some Dr. doodling on her forehead?
She was certainly abused and a victim. But I do not like her actions now. While Russell was alive, she kept things private because of their daughter, but now she will sell out that privacy for a few bucks. I feel bad for their daughter.
Did Taylor (or whatever her REAL name is) know about the abuse suffered by Russell’s exes?? Or was it alright as long as the money lasted?
There is nothing good to say about anyone here. Him for his atrocious treatment of her, and her for her famewhoring ways. Look at the photo. Facing bankruptcy and carrying a Birkin.
What I don’t understand is why the hospital didn’t report her injuries, and why they aren’t being taken to task for it.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Her daughter is the one who has to look at this stuff, and look what she’s doing. Exploiting it all for money.
I’ve not been physically abused, but have been emotionally abused. I understand the dynamic and what you do to try to avoid it happening. I would have a lot more respect for her if she wasn’t selling photos and interviews.
The issue isn’t the abuse but its the exploitation of the issue that I have a problem with.
I side with Ceder Falls, I believe she stayed with the guy for that life style so I don’t feel sorry for her. I would have got my kid and my self out of there with the first sign of violence. I think there is something not right with her.
At this point I think she intend on exploiting people to propel herself to the top. Apparently she has learned a thing or two about playing on the public sympathy. I think she released those pictures because she was afraid the public would sympathize with Russell and his real grieving family. I believe she put the pictures out to grab control. From what we saw of Rihanna situation you can gain a lot of fans from being an abuse victim. Wow what timing…put out hideous abused face pictures then sit back and wait for the public to hate on this man then release the book. Sure she can use the angry women to watch her show so her ratings can soar. I believe she has learn a thing or two about handling people.
I saw these same photos but at a different angle. They show two purple “X” marks vertically aligned on her forehead above the blackened eye. I’m presuming these are surgical marks made by the doctor.
I have nagging doubts about all of this. First, it was the facial reconstructive surgery story, then it was the cheek bone surgery, then it was the eye socket surgery, and now it’s the cornea surgery story. Next it might be a forehead surgery story cuz of those surgical marks.
I also read that Russell actually did have a will & that it was changed 2 wks before he died. But the article didn’t say what the new will stated.
I read over at ROL that Taylor told Russell that she said on RHOBH camera that he had abused her. They said she told him several weeks after she filed for divorce. So this is about 1 1/2 months before he committed suicide.
So when Taylor said Russell wasn’t affected in his death in any part by RHOBH, then how can that be when Russell found out that RHOBH was her first media announcement of the alleged abuse?
@Seal Team – I did not say that I didn’t think there was physical abuse in the marriage nor did I imply that she deserved to be beaten. I said that there are too many red flags about her claims and lack of substantiating reporting that, taken in consideration with the behavior we have seen her display, make me doubt the veracity of her claims.
Additionally DV is not always one-sided and there are many cases in which both partners initiate violence and emotional abuse. Based on what we’ve seen and heard from Taylor, I would be much more likely to believe that she was abusive towards him (mentally and probably initiated physical altercations) as well. The one thing we all know for sure is that Russell’s 3 children are all innocents.
Whether she was abused or not, she has a child that she will have to explain all this to at some point. Some of the pics I am curious if they are plastic surgery pics, etc. I can see if I was hit once took a pic for court and then got the hell out, but…..a series of photos like it is something to be proud of. If he abused her, well he has answered for it, and if she is lying, she is more pathetic than he ever could be. She needs to shut up and spend time with her child who lost a father even if he was an asshole. It takes two in a marriage, and she gives me the creeps, not just with her face, but the handling of this whole mess.
Hooti Ho- EXACTLY! She should have stood up long before now for her daughters sake but after the death of Russell, the father of her daughter, dragging his name through the mud for ATTENTION is dishonorable & she looks very suspect. She has no morals.
seal team 6 – Taylor is the girl who cried wolf. She may be telling truth about Russell abusing her but doing it now after his death & after saying he didnt year after year – one is apt to not believe her. If she was hiding it to protect her daughter, why now when her daughter is heavily grieving, does she decide to tell the world?
The man is not here to defend himself. As far as has been reported and from what I have read, no charges were ever filed and no police report was ever made. I think it is wrong to condemn someone who can’t defend themselves.
@cedar falls and Nev – Do you honestly think that domestic abuse victims WANT to stay with their abuser? Sorry to say, but abusive relationships aren’t black and white.
The abusers usually threaten the victims if they try to leave. And if the victim has small children, the abusers will threaten to do harm to the children or take them away.
Not to mention abusers isolate their victims, and keep tight control over their lives, which means a lot of the victims don’t have their own money, they have no friends or family who could help them, nor a place to go if they leave.
I’m not saying Taylor is a great person. But there are more factors than you’d ever know of why she stayed with her husband.
And perhaps the only reason she’s talking about it now is that she doesn’t have to fear her abuser will come after her (or her daughter) for telling the truth about him.
Really, with statements like those, you come off as really ignorant. Why don’t you read up on it, or read or listen to some victim’s stories about their abusive relationships, instead of saying that it’s the victim’s fault?
In response to the previous poster:
1- Russell had 2 other children w/ 1 or 2 women who had a restraining order on him. I don’t remember any accusation that Russell did any abuse towards his other 2 kids when he & the other women split up. So I don’t see how Kennedy would be in danger.
2- Taylor wasn’t kept apart from other people. As a matter of fact, she kept complaining that Russell spent more time away working than hanging around with her.
3- Taylor said why she was with Russell: for the money. She said she married him for the money & liked the perks. I’m thinking the main reason she didn’t leave Russell earlier was because being part of a certain zip code is her life’s ambition. ROL reported that while she’s crying about finances, she enrolled kindergartener Kennedy into a private school that has tuition costs of $10,000-15,000. She’s also driving around in an Escalade. And she was living in a $9,000/mo. rental home.
4- According to ROL, Taylor had ALREADY told Russell that she told RHOBH cameras about the alleged abuse. She told him several weeks after filing for divorce, about 1.5 months before he committed suicide.
So, it’s not like she’s doing this NOW because Russell is dead. I remember that her story of abuse was already out in the open before Russell committed suicide.
“So when Taylor said Russell wasn’t affected in his death in any part by RHOBH, then how can that be when Russell found out that RHOBH was her first media announcement of the alleged abuse?”
Wow, maybe there are consequences to our behavior. Sometimes, when people beat the shit out of their wives, they get exposed for who they really are.
Every {redacted} in this thread talks about choice. Well, looks like Russell made his choice.
^This thread sucks.^
@31 wresa – It sounds like u’ve misunderstood what I meant.
Taylor said that RHOBH had no part in any way in Russell’s decisions about his life.
I’m saying it really might have, especially since he found out that Taylor was talking to RHOBH’s camera about the alleged abuse. I’m saying maybe the public attention that he then knew he would get might have added to his reasoning about what to do with his life.
***
What I think u interpreted from my previous post is that there should be no consequences & that it was all RHOBH/Bravo’s fault & that he was didn’t have any part in his own choices.
That’s incorrect. That’s not what I said.
Everyone who is saying she should have left to stop the abuse is wrong – the risk of being murdered INCREASES when the victim of abuse leaves.
So please explain again why she should have left. It certainly wouldn’t have made her any safer. She had a child with the man so it’s not like she could have avoided interacting with him or disappeared.
“As far as has been reported and from what I have read, no charges were ever filed and no police report was ever made. I think it is wrong to condemn someone who can’t defend themselves.”
Yes, there were police reports and charges filed for domestic violence – by TWO of his ex wives. There is no question that this man was violent towards the women in his life. You think he just magically stopped with wife #3? And if he wanted to be here to defend himself, maybe he shouldn’t have killed himself.