Russell Armstrong, the estranged husband of "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Taylor Armstrong, was found dead of an apparent suicide. He was found hanging in his bedroom on Mulholland Drive.
I have a feeling he did this to screw Taylor over financially. Most insurance policies don't pay on suicide. And his business life was a mess from what I have read.
I said OMG and I don't even watch these shows. So young and just very sad. I know he was in the process of a divorce, read he was abusive and he was not denying it. But, you can get help and move on if you want to. Pretty rough way to go out.
Suicide is never the answer. Ever. My step-brother killed himself and it was (and is) devastating. It's been 10 years this Christmas and it still is horrible for me to think about it.
And I don't think Russell did it to screw over Taylor - I think he just made a poor, impetuous decision that is going to affect his family every day for the rest of their lives. That poor, poor little girl has to grow up without her father. Ugh. I hate suicide.
It's interesting to note that his last twitter had a link to the Malibu Recovery Center holiday help line. His Twitter account was @ArmstrongRuss. Malibu Recovery is a drug and alcohol rehab treatment facility.
Very sad. RIP. Wonder how Taylor will use this to her advantage? Hopefully she will take her lips & sink into a hole until this whole thing is over. She shouldn't get 2 mins of airtime on this subject. She was divorcing him. She did not want him, therefore, she needs to stay away from the events that will happen in the next few days following Russell's passing. I'm sure Russell has plenty of family members that will take care of his daughter during the funeral. Keep Taylor out of everything.
Wow sure didn't expect to see that headline this morning. I am very sorry for their daughter and even a sorry for Taylor, much as I dislike her character on the show. Russell was a troubled man to be sure...I wonder how much of being in the spotlight from the RHOBH pushed him over the edge. I mean, this might have happened at some point any way, but I still wonder...
So sad. I know nothing of him except what is posted on this blog since I don't watch the Housewives show. Suicide is NEVER the answer, and now his little girl is without her dad. I hope her family will be there to look out for her cause she is gonna need their strength at this tough time.
O.k. I'm not stunned anymore, so I'm just going to post a couple thoughts. On the show he comes (came?) off a little sketchy and odd. I wonder if the allegations against him are (were?) true and he killed himself because he couldn't deal with the guilt, or the concequences.
Wow. Shocking to say the least, not to mention unexpected, yet the cynical side of me thinks there's some way Taylor is going to milk this to benefit herself. I have nothing but prayers for the child, and hope that she will end up getting the therapy she'll need to process this tragedy.
I agree with you that he did come off as being somewhat odd. If I had to guess there was likely some truth to the allegations. Once a man is accused of domestic abuse it follows him everywhere and people don't forget. Seems like he had a lot of mounting pressures any ways, financial misdealings, Taylor being in the spotlight, and to a lesser degree himself and not handling it well. Also being in the initial stages of divorce, perhaps Taylor was threatening not to let him see their daughter again if those allegations of abuse were true. All speculation of course but perhaps he couldn't see his way out. And there are times that suicide is an act of revenge and perhaps that was his aim.
Very sad that there couldn't have been a different ending to this all
I agree that he most likely had a lot of problems, and also agree that he probably couldn't see his way out. It's so sad when a person gets to that point. What a bloody waste.
I'm going to give stupid Taylor the benefit of the doubt that she won't use this to her advantage. I mean, she did love him at some point, non?
Your guess about that is as good as mine. I would hope that there was some genuine feelings there that went off track. I hear you about Taylor too...she was my least favorite of that crew. For her daughters sake I hope this is a wakeup call to stop focusing on her 15 min of fame and straighten her life out.
I haven't watched too many episodes of RHBH, so what I know, I know mostly from blog posts.
None of us really know what drove him to the edge, but here is something to think about. If it's true that he was in a bad way financially, was being sued and had filed for bankruptcy, because he & Taylor were separated, not divorced (meaning they were still legally tied to each other), his debts & responsibilities may fall to her. And that would only make this so much harder.
Cowardly? That's pretty harsh. Suicide might absolutely always be the wrong answer, but try to consider that, in what must have been the deepest levels of hopelessness and despair, he thought this was the best answer. So sad.
Russell must have been either shy or had the personality of a moth. He was very disconnected from Kennedy, which was obvious the day he had to take care of her.
He was always distant with Taylor who seemed to want a genuine romantic relationship similar to Kyle's.
When I first started watching I didn't know about their financial troubles. I've since read that their business Madoff'd other people and both Taylor and Russell are being sued.
While suicide pisses me off to no end, I'm still sad for Kennedy.
Taylor is still his wife. They have a daughter together. This is going to be a financial disaster for her.
Nothing good is going to come from this. She looked like she was coming unwound on the previews for the upcoming season, not that she struck me as stable last season.
i don't watch the show or know the back story, but this is devastating. my heart breaks for that precious little girl who now has to grow up w/o a daddy.
...and a sad truth is that deep down, where the bottom line lives, bravo is thrilled at the ratings the show is about to bring in.
About Bravo, I really hope that they reconsider airing some of the footage they have. She only filed for divorce a month ago, and hopefully that was timed with the ending of taping for this season (besides the reunion show, which I don't believe has happened yet and am not sure how Bravo will proceed). So, hopefully they don't really have much inflammatory material to begin with, but I really hope out of respect for Kennedy and her dad that they cut anything pertaining to him directly. It will make me uncomfortable on a good day and downright pissed on a bad day.
I do feel bad for the kids. Suicides make me think of this, from Wendy O Williams: I don't believe that people should take their own lives without deep and thoughtful reflection over a considerable period of time. I do believe strongly, however, that the right to do so is one of the most fundamental rights that anyone in a free society should have. For me, much of the world makes no sense, but my feelings about what I am doing ring loud and clear to an inner ear and a place where there is no self, only calm.
I feel sorry FOR HIM for feeling like he had to do this. Suicide is a very personal thing, it is literally showing the end result of the inner most thoughts and feelings of someone obviously very troubled about something, or somethings.
I actually dont fault him for being sorta odd on RHOBH because hell, I would be too. Its fucking cameras in your life/home/relationship. In fact, upon reflection, its sorta refreshing that he was so awkward around the cameras.
As for the wife abuse and the cheating people out of their money, well, that is what it is. Not condonable at all. Still, I came on here to say that I was floored and that it is a very sad thing when anyone commits Suicide and my heart goes out to him.
Jasmine - I totally agree re; being tripped out about the cameras.
I'm actually shocked, but not shocked, if you know what I mean? He always seemed off.
I am an avid viewer of RHBH and RHNJ (this season), and I have to say these programs trip me the fuck out. I think all involved are kind of mentally unstable in some way. I mean, really, who needs all this drama in their for-real lives?
I will be so fascinated to learn how Bravo proceeds with this. I have to think that Taylor's divorce goings-on were going to be a part of the new season. Like most Real Housewives, they seem to be oblivious on how taking part in this show is going to affect their children.
I find it really sad the number of people who condemn others who take their own lives, because of how it make them/their family/their friends feel... from my perspective it is just indicative of exactly how much pain they must have been in to take such drastic measures. I believe it deserves my compassion and sympathy and not my condemnation. Equally the people left behind are accorded the same consideration. I have had 2 very close friends commit suicide and have also found my cousin (who has always been my best friend) when she OD'ed on prescription drugs to try and do the same thing, so am not speaking without experience
@Jaded -- I've had friends who've attempted suicide, and there are few times in my life when I've ever personally felt so powerless. I'm eternally glad they failed in their attempts. I'm sorry for your own losses, and I love what you said about sympathy over condemnation. I completely agree.
Thank you, Jaded, for saying exactly what I came here to say.
It is statistically extraordinarily likely that all of us either know or are someone who has attempted or completed suicide. To think that we should condemn people who are so obviously in pain/fucked up/hopeless is unfathomable to me. Even if someone is a complete asshole up to their very last breath (and I'm not saying that is the case here--I don't know him from Adam), that doesn't mean we can't be kind and compassionate while those left behind try to move forward.
@Jaded...totally agree. I think it is a very difficult decision for people who feel like they have no other options. If you have ever been clinically depressed, or known someone who was, you would know how draining the illness is for the person suffering from it and those around them. Family and friends generally do as much as they can to try to lift their loved ones from their depression, often times letting other things in their own lives fall to the wayside. As effed up as it may seem, I think that people who contemplate (or follow through with) suicide are actually making a pretty selfless decision in some ways. When they take their own life, it is almost like they are giving everyone around them their lives back.
I suffered from a pretty debilitating clinical depression in my youth, and when I thought about ending my life, that is one of the main reasons why I thought it was a good idea. I could see the pain in my loved ones' eyes and feel their frustration because they couldnt help me no matter how hard they tried and sometimes I thought that if I ended it, at least my family wouldnt suffer with me anymore.
Lori, I'm really glad you were able to deal with it, and hope you're now happy and living a good life.
I have a lot of sympathy for Taylor. Losing someone, regardless of the circumstances, is never easy. This morning, shortly before I heard about Russell, I found out my friend's father died. He had been sick for a long time, and was just lingering. My friend is naturally sad, but relieved his suffering is over. Grief, and relief, can co-exist.
Lori, thanks for sharing such a personal view point and am really glad that you were able to move past the depression you experienced when you were younger.
I can't help but wonder, like some of you, if it was the combination of the invasiveness (sp?) of being a Real Housewife husband + all the allegations, their dirty laundry which drove him to do this.
I think it's horrible that so many people are blaming Taylor for her estranged husband's suicide and speculating how she will "cash in" on it.
The blame lies with him, even though it will burden those closest to him to their graves.
The enduring image I have of him is as a controlling, manipulating man who couldn't stand to let his wife sit with a group of women for more than 10 minutes before he was tired and yanked her away.
Undoubtedly, there are many things we will never know about him, though I'm sure we'll hear lots in the near future before he's forgotten.
My prayers are with his young daughter and Taylor.
Severe unchecked depression is real and don't add being bi-polar into the mix.
I remember I was dealing with some things in 2001-2003 and a bit beyond, but those were the main years and I had gotten to the point where all I could think about was driving my car into a pole or off of a cliff. It is serious business and I am so grateful and thankful for the people who loved me and supported me and led me through those dark times. It was so out of control it was frightening.
Thank you, mssnarky. People who say suicide is cowardly and/or selfish can honestly go fuck themselves. Clearly none of you have been in the depths of fucking despair where medication isn't working and suicide is the only relief. Good for you. My father commited suicide and I only feel sorry for his pain, not that he was a selfish, cowardly asshole. His pain was greater than he could bear. Period.
Holy shit. That poor, poor little girl. :-(
ReplyDeleteThis shocked me.
ReplyDeleteWOW! I am not easily shocked, but that really shocked me!
ReplyDeleteI feel so sorry for his little girl.
ReplyDeleteShe is going to grow up very lonely i'm afraid.
I have a feeling he did this to screw Taylor over financially. Most insurance policies don't pay on suicide. And his business life was a mess from what I have read.
I said OMG and I don't even watch these shows. So young and just very sad. I know he was in the process of a divorce, read he was abusive and he was not denying it. But, you can get help and move on if you want to. Pretty rough way to go out.
ReplyDeleteA complete shock - there are simply no words.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteShowbiz. It's a killer....
ReplyDeleteActually, the truth is that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Sad.
As are most of these reality/scripted extravaganzas.
Suicide is never the answer. Ever. My step-brother killed himself and it was (and is) devastating. It's been 10 years this Christmas and it still is horrible for me to think about it.
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't think Russell did it to screw over Taylor - I think he just made a poor, impetuous decision that is going to affect his family every day for the rest of their lives. That poor, poor little girl has to grow up without her father. Ugh. I hate suicide.
It's interesting to note that his last twitter had a link to the Malibu Recovery Center holiday help line. His Twitter account was @ArmstrongRuss. Malibu Recovery is a drug and alcohol rehab treatment facility.
ReplyDeleteso very sad for their daughter. suicide is never, ever the answer
ReplyDeleteVery sad. RIP.
ReplyDeleteWonder how Taylor will use this to her advantage? Hopefully she will take her lips & sink into a hole until this whole thing is over. She shouldn't get 2 mins of airtime on this subject. She was divorcing him. She did not want him, therefore, she needs to stay away from the events that will happen in the next few days following Russell's passing. I'm sure Russell has plenty of family members that will take care of his daughter during the funeral. Keep Taylor out of everything.
No. Wowza.
ReplyDeleteWow.
I am stunned.
Wow sure didn't expect to see that headline this morning. I am very sorry for their daughter and even a sorry for Taylor, much as I dislike her character on the show. Russell was a troubled man to be sure...I wonder how much of being in the spotlight from the RHOBH pushed him over the edge. I mean, this might have happened at some point any way, but I still wonder...
ReplyDeleteSo sad. I know nothing of him except what is posted on this blog since I don't watch the Housewives show. Suicide is NEVER the answer, and now his little girl is without her dad. I hope her family will be there to look out for her cause she is gonna need their strength at this tough time.
ReplyDeleteMay his son and his daughter find their happiness, and may their father rest in peace. So tragic.
ReplyDelete@KLM...so sorry to hear about your step brother, that must have been devastating for your family.
ReplyDeleteO.k. I'm not stunned anymore, so I'm just going to post a couple thoughts. On the show he comes (came?) off a little sketchy and odd. I wonder if the allegations against him are (were?) true and he killed himself because he couldn't deal with the guilt, or the concequences.
ReplyDeleteWow.
ReplyDeleteShocking to say the least, not to mention unexpected, yet the cynical side of me thinks there's some way Taylor is going to milk this to benefit herself.
I have nothing but prayers for the child, and hope that she will end up getting the therapy she'll need to process this tragedy.
So shocking. That poor child. Suicide is such a selfish thing.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhat a selfish coward.
ReplyDeleteI don't know who these people are, but it's a terrible situation, obviously. My heart goes out to any children involved in this tragedy.
ReplyDelete@KLM -- I am so, so sorry for your loss. I can't even fathom it.
@Sue Ellen Mishkey
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that he did come off as being somewhat odd. If I had to guess there was likely some truth to the allegations. Once a man is accused of domestic abuse it follows him everywhere and people don't forget. Seems like he had a lot of mounting pressures any ways, financial misdealings, Taylor being in the spotlight, and to a lesser degree himself and not handling it well. Also being in the initial stages of divorce, perhaps Taylor was threatening not to let him see their daughter again if those allegations of abuse were true. All speculation of course but perhaps he couldn't see his way out. And there are times that suicide is an act of revenge and perhaps that was his aim.
Very sad that there couldn't have been a different ending to this all
@Voice O'Reason
ReplyDeleteI agree that he most likely had a lot of problems, and also agree that he probably couldn't see his way out. It's so sad when a person gets to that point. What a bloody waste.
I'm going to give stupid Taylor the benefit of the doubt that she won't use this to her advantage. I mean, she did love him at some point, non?
@Sue Ellen
ReplyDeleteYour guess about that is as good as mine. I would hope that there was some genuine feelings there that went off track. I hear you about Taylor too...she was my least favorite of that crew. For her daughters sake I hope this is a wakeup call to stop focusing on her 15 min of fame and straighten her life out.
Wow, Diane, that's a little callous, no?
ReplyDeleteI haven't watched too many episodes of RHBH, so what I know, I know mostly from blog posts.
None of us really know what drove him to the edge, but here is something to think about. If it's true that he was in a bad way financially, was being sued and had filed for bankruptcy, because he & Taylor were separated, not divorced (meaning they were still legally tied to each other), his debts & responsibilities may fall to her. And that would only make this so much harder.
Cowardly? That's pretty harsh. Suicide might absolutely always be the wrong answer, but try to consider that, in what must have been the deepest levels of hopelessness and despair, he thought this was the best answer. So sad.
ReplyDeleteJust Awful.
ReplyDelete@Voice O'
ReplyDeleteThat's the problem with death, isn't it? You never know. That stuff goes with them to the grave, unless they leave a note. I bet he left one.
I've probably seen every episode.
ReplyDeleteRussell must have been either shy or had the personality of a moth. He was very disconnected from Kennedy, which was obvious the day he had to take care of her.
He was always distant with Taylor who seemed to want a genuine romantic relationship similar to Kyle's.
When I first started watching I didn't know about their financial troubles. I've since read that their business Madoff'd other people and both Taylor and Russell are being sued.
While suicide pisses me off to no end, I'm still sad for Kennedy.
This is just so sad. His poor daughter.
ReplyDeleteSome of the other commenters made good points...I wonder if all of his debt will fall to Taylor.
Taylor is still his wife. They have a daughter together. This is going to be a financial disaster for her.
ReplyDeleteNothing good is going to come from this. She looked like she was coming unwound on the previews for the upcoming season, not that she struck me as stable last season.
i don't watch the show or know the back story, but this is devastating. my heart breaks for that precious little girl who now has to grow up w/o a daddy.
ReplyDelete...and a sad truth is that deep down, where the bottom line lives, bravo is thrilled at the ratings the show is about to bring in.
Thanks, Ida and Voice.
ReplyDeleteAbout Bravo, I really hope that they reconsider airing some of the footage they have. She only filed for divorce a month ago, and hopefully that was timed with the ending of taping for this season (besides the reunion show, which I don't believe has happened yet and am not sure how Bravo will proceed). So, hopefully they don't really have much inflammatory material to begin with, but I really hope out of respect for Kennedy and her dad that they cut anything pertaining to him directly. It will make me uncomfortable on a good day and downright pissed on a bad day.
I do feel bad for the kids. Suicides make me think of this, from Wendy O Williams:
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that people should take their own lives without deep and thoughtful reflection over a considerable period of time. I do believe strongly, however, that the right to do so is one of the most fundamental rights that anyone in a free society should have. For me, much of the world makes no sense, but my feelings about what I am doing ring loud and clear to an inner ear and a place where there is no self, only calm.
WOW WOW WOW
ReplyDeleteI feel sorry FOR HIM for feeling like he had to do this. Suicide is a very personal thing, it is literally showing the end result of the inner most thoughts and feelings of someone obviously very troubled about something, or somethings.
I actually dont fault him for being sorta odd on RHOBH because hell, I would be too. Its fucking cameras in your life/home/relationship. In fact, upon reflection, its sorta refreshing that he was so awkward around the cameras.
As for the wife abuse and the cheating people out of their money, well, that is what it is. Not condonable at all.
Still, I came on here to say that I was floored and that it is a very sad thing when anyone commits Suicide and my heart goes out to him.
auto-asphyxiation anyone?
ReplyDeleteJasmine - I totally agree re; being tripped out about the cameras.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually shocked, but not shocked, if you know what I mean? He always seemed off.
I am an avid viewer of RHBH and RHNJ (this season), and I have to say these programs trip me the fuck out. I think all involved are kind of mentally unstable in some way. I mean, really, who needs all this drama in their for-real lives?
I will be so fascinated to learn how Bravo proceeds with this. I have to think that Taylor's divorce goings-on were going to be a part of the new season. Like most Real Housewives, they seem to be oblivious on how taking part in this show is going to affect their children.
I find it really sad the number of people who condemn others who take their own lives, because of how it make them/their family/their friends feel... from my perspective it is just indicative of exactly how much pain they must have been in to take such drastic measures. I believe it deserves my compassion and sympathy and not my condemnation. Equally the people left behind are accorded the same consideration.
ReplyDeleteI have had 2 very close friends commit suicide and have also found my cousin (who has always been my best friend) when she OD'ed on prescription drugs to try and do the same thing, so am not speaking without experience
@Jaded -- I've had friends who've attempted suicide, and there are few times in my life when I've ever personally felt so powerless. I'm eternally glad they failed in their attempts. I'm sorry for your own losses, and I love what you said about sympathy over condemnation. I completely agree.
ReplyDelete@Jasmine -- I just <3 you. Truly.
Holy crap. I have no words.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jaded, for saying exactly what I came here to say.
ReplyDeleteIt is statistically extraordinarily likely that all of us either know or are someone who has attempted or completed suicide. To think that we should condemn people who are so obviously in pain/fucked up/hopeless is unfathomable to me. Even if someone is a complete asshole up to their very last breath (and I'm not saying that is the case here--I don't know him from Adam), that doesn't mean we can't be kind and compassionate while those left behind try to move forward.
@Ida B.
ReplyDeleteI love you too my twinsie xoox
@Jaded...totally agree. I think it is a very difficult decision for people who feel like they have no other options. If you have ever been clinically depressed, or known someone who was, you would know how draining the illness is for the person suffering from it and those around them. Family and friends generally do as much as they can to try to lift their loved ones from their depression, often times letting other things in their own lives fall to the wayside. As effed up as it may seem, I think that people who contemplate (or follow through with) suicide are actually making a pretty selfless decision in some ways. When they take their own life, it is almost like they are giving everyone around them their lives back.
ReplyDeleteI suffered from a pretty debilitating clinical depression in my youth, and when I thought about ending my life, that is one of the main reasons why I thought it was a good idea. I could see the pain in my loved ones' eyes and feel their frustration because they couldnt help me no matter how hard they tried and sometimes I thought that if I ended it, at least my family wouldnt suffer with me anymore.
Lori, I'm really glad you were able to deal with it, and hope you're now happy and living a good life.
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of sympathy for Taylor. Losing someone, regardless of the circumstances, is never easy. This morning, shortly before I heard about Russell, I found out my friend's father died. He had been sick for a long time, and was just lingering. My friend is naturally sad, but relieved his suffering is over. Grief, and relief, can co-exist.
thanks Jaded, BlackPrincess and Lori!
ReplyDeleteLori, thanks for sharing such a personal view point and am really glad that you were able to move past the depression you experienced when you were younger.
omg I meant thanks Ida - you would think I knew my own name
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely awful and I'm shocked.
ReplyDeleteI can't help but wonder, like some of you, if it was the combination of the invasiveness (sp?) of being a Real Housewife husband + all the allegations, their dirty laundry which drove him to do this.
Very sad for the daughter. :(
I think it's horrible that so many people are blaming Taylor for her estranged husband's suicide and speculating how she will "cash in" on it.
ReplyDeleteThe blame lies with him, even though it will burden those closest to him to their graves.
The enduring image I have of him is as a controlling, manipulating man who couldn't stand to let his wife sit with a group of women for more than 10 minutes before he was tired and yanked her away.
Undoubtedly, there are many things we will never know about him, though I'm sure we'll hear lots in the near future before he's forgotten.
My prayers are with his young daughter and Taylor.
Severe unchecked depression is real and don't add being bi-polar into the mix.
ReplyDeleteI remember I was dealing with some things in 2001-2003 and a bit beyond, but those were the main years and I had gotten to the point where all I could think about was driving my car into a pole or off of a cliff. It is serious business and I am so grateful and thankful for the people who loved me and supported me and led me through those dark times. It was so out of control it was frightening.
Thank you, mssnarky. People who say suicide is cowardly and/or selfish can honestly go fuck themselves. Clearly none of you have been in the depths of fucking despair where medication isn't working and suicide is the only relief. Good for you. My father commited suicide and I only feel sorry for his pain, not that he was a selfish, cowardly asshole. His pain was greater than he could bear. Period.
ReplyDeleteJada and Ida...get a room already.
ReplyDelete