Getty Images Taylor Armstrong opened up about her ex's death -- and her daughter's reaction.
Taylor Armstrong is set to become the first “Real Housewives” star to cross franchises, as she joins the cast of “The Real Housewives of Orange County” years after she appeared full-time on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”
The mom of one had faced the most challenging time of her life while filming with the Beverly Hills franchise. Aside from going through a divorce, her ex-husband Russell Armstrong died by suicide amid her time on the show, according to TMZ.
Warning: Potentially triggering content is contained in this article.
“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. I just had this sinking feeling that something terrible had happened,” Taylor Armstrong said on an episode of the “Divorce Sucks” podcast in March 2019.
“It had never crossed my mind in the past. He was very narcissistic and not someone who you would ever think would take their life. But ultimately, I found him hanging in the house that he had moved into,” she added.
With Orange County filming underway, Taylor Armstrong has been doing press and has been talking about her past. This was the case during a sit-down with Melissa Pfeister on the “Side Piece” podcast during which the reality star opened up about something her daughter Kennedy said about Russell Armstrong after he died.
Here’s what you need to know:
Taylor Armstrong Revealed a Sad Memory She Has of Her Daughter
On the January 4, 2023, episode of the “Side Piece” podcast, Taylor Armstrong recalled a memory she has of her daughter.
Taylor Armstrong said that her daughter really didn’t spend too much time with her dad, as he was always at work. She was just 5-years-old when her dad died. The former RHOBH star said that she took a doctor’s advice to talk to Kennedy about her dad because it was “important” for her to understand that people “don’t just disappear.”
“One day we were in the car on the way to school, not long after, and I said, ‘do you miss daddy?’ And she said, ‘no. N-O.’ And she was in her carseat and I said, ‘well I miss him sometimes,'” Taylor Armstrong continued. She tried to remind Kennedy about a trip they took as a family to Hawaii, but the youngster didn’t want any part of the conversation.
“And then she said, ‘mommy? Why would you miss a boy that screamed at you all the time?'” the “Real Housewives” star recalled. “Kids are so much more perceptive than we think,” she added.
Armstrong & Her Daughter Have New Lives
Taylor Armstrong left the world of reality television to give herself and her daughter time to process and heal from the tragedy. In the time since, Taylor and Kennedy Armstrong have moved from Beverly Hills to Orange County and Taylor Armstrong has worked hard to ensure that her daughter could have a fulfilling life complete with happiness, friendships, and love.
As for why Taylor Armstrong is coming back to reality television now, well, she wants people to see her on the other side of the tragedy.
“I returned to HW’s because I wanted the viewers to see that there is life after tragedy,” Taylor Armstrong said on her Instagram Stories in response to a fan who asked her why she decided to come back to the franchise all these years later.
“When I left #RHOBH, my life was in such a horrible place and I want others who are going through difficult times to know they have strength not only to make it through adversity but to use their strength to support others. My story felt unfinished,” she added.
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