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Taylor Armstrong, best known from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, has come forward with new and disturbing details about the abuse she endured during her marriage to the late Russell Armstrong. As revealed in the April 14, 2025 episode of Hollywood Demons, Taylor described multiple violent encounters that escalated over time.
According to the Daily Mail report dated April 11, 2025, one incident took place at a friend's house, where Russell allegedly threw Taylor into a swimming pool and held her underwater after overhearing a conversation about her safety. In another instance, as per a Page Six report dated April 11, 2025, Taylor said Russell threatened to kill her for serving pizza to his sons without vegetables.
Taylor Armstrong also disclosed in OK Magazine’s April 11, 2025, coverage that Russell once struck her so hard he fractured her orbital floor, requiring reconstructive surgery. She filed for divorce in July 2011. One month later, Russell died by su*cide, as reported by ABC News on August 16, 2011.
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5 key insights about Taylor Armstrong's abusive marriage explored
Taylor Armstrong’s experience of domestic violence during her marriage to Russell Armstrong has been documented through her appearances on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and, more recently, in the April 14, 2025, episode of Hollywood Demons.
Across multiple interviews and reports, she has described recurring patterns of abuse, emotional trauma, and physical violence that eventually led her to file for divorce in July 2011. These five insights shed light on the key incidents and recurring dynamics that defined her relationship.
1) Pushed underwater during a violent altercation at a friend’s home
One of the most severe incidents took place at a friend’s home when Taylor Armstrong was offered help to leave her marriage. According to a Daily Mail report dated April 11, 2025, Russell had overheard a conversation where a couple expressed concern for her safety.
He responded violently by attacking the male friend and attempting to drown Taylor in the swimming pool. In her words,
“He threw me in the pool. He grabbed the man, knocked all of his teeth out, and he jumped in the pool and he was trying to hold me under the water.... I thought he was going to drown me.”
2) Threatened her over a pizza served without vegetables
Taylor Armstrong recalled a moment when a routine household activity turned dangerous. As per a Page Six report dated April 11, 2025, she said Russell became enraged when she served pizza to his sons without a vegetable. She stated,
“He came into the house, grabbed me by the throat and put me against the wall. He said, ‘If you ever serve my kids a pizza without a vegetable again, I’ll kill you.’”
This incident was also cited during her interview on Hollywood Demons.
3) Surveillance and fear inside the home
During their marriage, Taylor stated that Russell placed recording devices throughout their home, leading her to believe that she was constantly being monitored. In the OK Magazine report dated April 11, 2025, she explained,
“It got to the point where I assumed I was being recorded all the time. I always assumed he was listening.”
According to the same source, she described feeling fear even while cameras were filming The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, often worried that Russell would “explode in the car.”
4) A violent assault on her 40th birthday prompted the divorce
In June 2011, on her 40th birthday, Taylor Armstrong was physically assaulted after returning from Las Vegas. As detailed in a New York Post report dated April 11, 2025, Russell became suspicious and accused her of infidelity. Later that night, while in bed, he attacked her. Taylor recounted,
“He raised up, leaned over like this, and punched me....He fractured my orbital floor, and so I went to see the doctor, and Russell went with me.”
The injury required reconstructive surgery and marked the point when she decided to file for divorce.
5) Russell Armstrong’s death and financial strain
A month after Taylor initiated divorce proceedings, Russell was discovered deceased by su*cide at a friend’s residence. As reported by ABC News on August 16, 2011, he was over $1.5 million in debt at the time and facing lawsuits. His lawyer, Ronald Richards, explained,
“He was living month to month to support his lifestyle for Taylor.”
While Taylor Armstrong never thought her ex-husband would take his own life. As per the Daily Mail, April 11, 2025, she stated,
"There was a myriad of things that he was very concerned about, but I never thought that he would kill himself,...su*cide never crossed my mind.”
Russell Armstrong's death brought an end to a deeply troubled period in her life.
