Why Taylor Armstrong joined Real Housewives while she was a victim of domestic violence

During the first night of Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls’ Trip season 2, Brandi Glanville and Taylor Armstrong sat down for a heart-to-heart after years of estrangement because of what went down on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. During their discussion, Taylor opened up to Brandi about why she chose to film her life for reality television while she was undergoing abuse at the hands of her late husband Russell Armstrong.

Taylor started by letting Brandi know that when she was filming the RHOBH she felt very weak and was under a lot of pressure from all angles. She says that when Brandi went after her, she wondered why Brandi didn’t direct her attention to someone stronger.

Brandi went on to say that when she appeared on Season 2 of RHOBH, it was the hardest time in her life.”\ She went on to explain in interview that it was tough because she had just gone through a divorce with her husband Eddie Cibrian (the marriage ended because Cibrian was having an affair with country music star LeAnn Rimes.)

However, Brandi went on to victimize herself because she was also on a TV show where a man died and was accused of domestic violence against Taylor, making the abuse by and suicide of Taylor’s husband about herself. She goes on to call it the “worst year of my life.”

Taylor responded to this by saying “cry me a river.” She thinks it’s unbelievable that Brandi was looking at her in the eyes and talking about what a tough year that year was for her.

After Russell died, Taylor published a book called Hiding From Reality (affiliate link, a percentage of sales from the link benefit this website) about overcoming his abuse, and Brandi judged her for it at the reunion special. Taylor revealed that she was in such financial straits at the time she needed to find a way to make money for herself and her daughter.

Brandi explained to Taylor that she felt like she was on a “Ferris wheel of hell” during that year, to which Taylor replied, “me too.”

“I didn’t not like you,” Brandi explains. “I just didn’t understand how quickly you got over things because I was so devastated. Why would you go on TV with that happening?”

Taylor explained that she now thinks that maybe decided to go on TV because the cameras might “protect” her in some way. She thought Russell would behave himself around the cameras.

Taylor didn’t want the abuse to come out, however. She says Russell would threaten to kill her and she was so shocked when Camille outed the abuse in front of cameras. At that point, there was no going back.

Brandi went on to say that she had questioned at the time whether or not the allegations of abuse were real. She wondered if Taylor had thrown her husband under the bus for reality TV.

In interview, Taylor was deeply offended by Brandi not believing her. “That is the most insensitive and horrible thing you can say to someone who’s being abused. Maybe she should take a look back and realize that I had reconstructive surgery on my face. So, that’s not that easy to fake.”

At the end of the conversation Brandi expressed love for Taylor and felt satisfied with the outcome. Taylor, however, was “more pissed” than when they started talking.

Later, at dinner, Brandi again made the year of Russell’s suicide about her by talking about how hard it was all for her. Brandi was then confronted by the fact that she had come after Taylor for publishing a book.

Taylor let her know that she wrote the book so she could “eat and support my child.” She said she had a window to write the book before the reunion so it could be published and she could get an advance.

Brandi said that she wasn’t making money either at the time, again steering the conversation about Taylor’s tough situation to herself.

Images via Bravo




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