Here's Where OG Housewives Star Taylor Armstrong Is Today
Taylor Armstrong played an unforgettable role in the first couple of seasons of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and will long go down as one of the most controversial personalities in the entire franchise. But not because of her doing. During the second season of filming, she filed for divorce from husband Russell Armstrong, alleging that he was physically and emotionally abusive (via The Daily Dish). "The moment I realized I absolutely had to leave was when they wheeled me down after surgery and my daughter had to see me in the waiting room after having reconstructive surgery on my eye," she revealed on Oprah: Where Are They Now?.
A month later, Armstrong took his own life. And sadly, Taylor was the one who discovered his body. "I went to go meet him one day, and his office was dark and he wasn't there and he was a workaholic, so it was completely unusual for that to be the case," the former reality TVV star told The Daily Dish. "I just had this sinking feeling that something terrible had happened," she continued. "But ultimately, I had found him hanging in the house that he had moved into."
Taylor Armstrong's number-one priority is her daughter
Despite staying on the show for an additional year after Russell's death (and continuing to make appearances over the next few years), Taylor's top priority remains her daughter, Kennedy. Speaking on the Divorce Sucks with Laura Wasser podcast, Armstrong revealed that today Kennedy lives a totally normal teenage life. But she admits it wasn't always easy trying to keep the memory of Russell alive for her daughter.
"I always felt that I had shielded Kennedy from knowing what was going on, because we had a live-in nanny. And he would get home after she went to bed because she was little. And those things happened behind closed doors," Taylor told Wasser. "But I was driving her to school one day, and she was in her car seat, and my psychiatrist had said to continue to bring up her father to her so that she doesn't think people just disappear. And I was saying, 'Do you miss Daddy?' And she said, 'No. N-O.'" Kennedy went on, according to Taylor, "'Mommy, why would you miss a boy that screamed at you all the time?'"
Taylor Armstrong married attorney John Bluher in 2014
We can only assume that the mother-daughter duo continue to be thick as thieves, with Taylor sharing that the pair have since found their happy ending (cue the tears!). Yep, in April 2014, Taylor married attorney John Bluher, who helped her sort out her legal and financial issues following her ex-husbands death. "Today, John, Kennedy, and I became a family," she told People at the time. "I married my best friend and Kennedy's family circle became complete," she said. "I definitely believe the universe put John in my path for a reason ... we were meant to be."
According to E! Online, the ceremony took place at the Bel Air Bay Club in Pacific Palisades, California. Taylor wore a Chagoury Couture gown and was walked down the aisle by Kennedy (via The Daily Dish). A select group of her closest The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills co-stars were in attendance, and we can only imagine how much love was floating around on the happy day.
Taylor Armstrong is a New York Times bestselling author
In her professional life, the star has gone on to become a New York Times bestselling author with her book, Hiding From Reality: My Story of Love, Loss, and Finding the Courage Within. In it, she shares her story with the world. Plus, she's doing her best to help other victims and survivors of domestic abuse (via APB Speakers). She considers herself one of the many faces of domestic violence and has even established The Taylor Armstrong Foundation to raise awareness and help victims recover and start a new life.
Taylor Armstrong has come a long way since her days on reality TV and seems happier than ever. After everything she has endured and all she does to give back, it's safe to say she deserves much happiness moving forward. And judging from her Instagram, which is filled with uplifting photos of beaches and sunsets, as well as pics of her cuddling up with her new husband, the best is yet to come for Taylor.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).