RHOBH’s Taylor Armstrong Reveals Horrifying Details About Abusive Marriage to Late Husband Russell

Taylor Armstrong sat down for a rare tell-all about her abusive marriage to late husband Russell Armstrong, the timeline of it being filmed on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and more.

During the newest installment of Investigation Discovery’s Hollywood Demons, which premieres on Monday, April 14, Taylor addressed burning questions about her personal life — including the allegedly suspicious circumstances surrounding Russell’s death.

“It is a really hard question when I have people ask why I stayed [with him]. It is so complicated and statistically most domestic violence victims return seven times before they find the courage to leave,” Taylor explained in the special. “I questioned myself a lot, asking, ‘Am I being abused?’”

Taylor admitted it “just felt cringey” thinking she was a victim of domestic abuse, “Because I would think to myself that I really do have it all.”

The reality TV star made her Bravo debut as a series regular on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills from 2010 to 2013 before making guest appearances throughout the years. During her time on RHOBH, viewers saw the ups and downs in Taylor’s marriage to Russell. In July 2011, Taylor filed for divorce, citing physical and verbal abuse. One month later, Russell died by suicide.

Taylor, who shared daughter Kennedy with Russell, later moved on with now-husband John Bluher. The couple tied the knot in 2014 and Taylor has since praised Bluher for changing her view on marriage.

“That’s why I believe I’m married now because I would’ve never trusted anyone again [after my first marriage],” she exclusively told Us Weekly in June 2022 while comparing her marriages. “After all the lies that were built in my previous relationship, having someone that just stood by me — even though we couldn’t stand each other for a while — was the reason that I trust him so much, and we became best friends.”

Taylor recalled how she was initially unsure about dating again after her split from Russell. “I just felt so betrayed,” she told Us. “I think if it wouldn’t have been someone that I trust so much because of everything I went through, I don’t think I would’ve ever been in a relationship again.”

Keep scrolling for the biggest bombshells about Taylor and Russell’s marriage:

Her Difficult Childhood

“My earliest childhood memory is surrounded by trauma,” Taylor revealed. “Because I had domestic violence in my house as a child from a very young age.”

Because of her past, Taylor changed her birth name of Shana Hughes to Shana Taylor as a reference to her stepfather. She then moved Taylor forward and added Ford as her last name, which took inspiration from her favorite designer Tom Ford.

Early Days With Russell

After meeting at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, Taylor and Russell had a “whirlwind” romance where they moved in together “within a couple of months.” They got “married that same year” but Taylor admitted she didn’t remember him asking her to tie the knot.

“I was pregnant when we got married and he was already a dad,” she said about Russell’s sons from a previous relationship. “Perhaps that gave me confidence in the kind of person I thought he was at his core. He stuck around with his kids when my dad didn’t. It felt right at the time but in retrospect there were all kinds of red flags.”

When it came to money, Taylor recalled her initial introduction to his finances.

“I never saw him even flinch over money,” she noted. “I don’t remember cooking once because we went out every single night.”

Feeling Controlled

“I think a majority of people had no idea what was going on behind the scenes,” she explained about the “surveillance” that started with her finding a tape recorder. “My housekeeper would find recording devices all the time. It got to the point where I assumed I was being recorded all the time. I always assumed he was listening.”

Taylor referenced a specific example of abuse when she cooked pizza for his sons.

“He came in the house, grabbed me by the throat and put me up against the wall,” she recalled about how Russell “threatened to kill” her for giving his kids pizza with no vegetables.

The Limo Scene

Once the couple joined RHOBH, Taylor was concerned Russell’s abuse would become public.

“We had the cameras on and I was afraid he would explode in the car. I could see it and I could tell he would start to give me this look,” she explained. “And we were in a limo with cameras so I thought, ‘Let us get home before this happens.’ Because he could not control himself.”

Despite not being concerned about money, Russell allegedly started to use finances as a way of controlling her. “I had no access to cash and I had no access to bank accounts,” she mentioned. “So the financial control became a huge part in me not being able to leave.”

Friends Who Tried to Step In

Taylor and Russell’s friends attempted to help since some of them “were very aware of what was going on.” There was an instance when Taylor got offered help — only for Russell to catch wind of the comments.

“Russell was hiding around the side of the house and heard everything. He came flying in and he threw me in the pool before knocking all of the guy’s teeth out,” she claimed in the doc. “He jumped in the pool and was holding my head under the water. I thought he would drown me.”

Being Outed on National TV

“It was pretty well known that I had marital problems but I wasn’t ready for my abuse to be outed on television,” Taylor shared about the moment Camille Grammer revealed on screen that she was being abused. “I remember looking at the producer in just a blank stare thinking, ‘It is out,’ and I couldn’t put it back. Camille had outed the fact that I was abused. I was saying, ‘You have no idea what you have done to me. He has threatened to kill me before.’”

A Fight That Changed Everything

Before season 2 of RHOBH aired, Russell and Taylor got in an argument where he accused her of infidelity.

“He raised up, leaned over and punched me. He fractured my orbital floor,” she shared as a photo of her injury was shown. Taylor lied to the doctor that she got kicked in the face by her daughter but the medical professional doubted her version of events. “I knew the doctor didn’t believe that I was saying. Of course I couldn’t say anything.”

Taylor went through “reconstructive surgery” and subsequently filed for divorce.

Russell’s Shocking Death

Taylor and a friend found Russell dead after he didn’t show up for a divorce meeting.

“I ran into the street outside the house when all of a sudden I realized my daughter was in the car,” she recalled. “She asked, ‘Did my dad do something stupid?’

Sitting Down With Dr. Drew

The last part of the Hollywood Demons special featured Dr. Drew asking Taylor about the timeline of events leading to her divorce and Russell’s death.

“We were filming toward the end of the season. I had to not film because I had the eye surgery and after we filmed the finale. Everyone was very aware of what happened,” she said before explaining why she agreed to join a reality show while in an abusive relationship. “Maybe in a way I felt if the cameras were there, I would get the good version of him.”

She added: “I wish I would have been brave enough to leave earlier for her. And there’s shame for not being stronger.”

While discussing Russell’s death, Dr. Drew and Taylor questioned the circumstances around his passing. Days after Russell died, an associate of his named Alan Schram died by suicide. They were both part of an elite investor group so Dr. Drew and Taylor voiced theories of foul play, which the authorities never substantiated in their investigations.

A trial lawyer also spoke out about how he “effectively served” Russell for filing bad faith bankruptcy and misappropriating investor money in a lawsuit and within two days Russell died. Taylor offered more insight into the financial fallout, adding, “We had an offshore protection trust that he said had 12 million. They were all empty. There ended up being 30 plus bank accounts.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.