Why Did Taylor Armstrong Leave ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’? Inside Her Exit

Taylor Armstrong was a fan favorite when The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills debuted in 2010. Viewers were drawn to her during season 1, but she exited the show after her former costar Camille Meyer exposed that Taylor was in danger in her marriage, leading to tragedies within her marriage.

The Kansas native returned to Bravo as a Real Housewives of Orange County “friend of” in 2022, leading fans to wonder why she left the Beverly Hills franchise nearly one decade prior.

Why Did Taylor Armstrong Leave ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’?

During season 1, Camille revealed information she was sitting on and shared that Taylor’s now late husband, Russell Armstrong, was physically and verbally abusive. The season aired in 2010, and Taylor filed for divorce from Russell the following year. He died by suicide on August 15, 2011.

“After Season 3 and all that I was going through in my life, I decided I needed to take some time away from L.A. and all of the paparazzi,” Taylor explained to Bravo in 2020. “It was a little bit frightening for a while ‘cause I couldn’t go anywhere and I had my little girl and I wanted to take her away for a while and not have her exposed to people constantly yelling and asking me questions about what had happened.”

Taylor Armstrong Returned to Bravo After ‘RHOBH’ Exit

Taylor and her daughter, Kennedy Armstrong, relocated to Vail, Colorado, after leaving the Beverly Hills franchise. The TV personality eventually made her back to California and returned to the silver screen when she joined the season 2 cast of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip in 2022.

The following year, Taylor became the first Housewife to star in two franchises when she became a friend of the Real Housewives of Orange County cast. Taylor joined her fellow southern California Bravo stars Tamra Judge, Heather Dubrow, Shannon Beador, Gina Kirschenheiter, Emily Simpson and ​​Jennifer Pedranti.

“The reason I wanted to come back is because my life is so different now. I want people to see there’s life after domestic abuse,” Taylor told In Touch in June 2023. “My life’s not perfect, but it’s like a phoenix rising from the ashes. I want survivors to see there is love after, and that you can look to the future as opposed to the past.”

As for her spot on the RHOC cast, Taylor admitted that she had to find where she fit into the group.

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“I had to play catchup on why people are fighting over something that happened four years ago. As much as I want to have an opinion, I wasn’t there,” she explained to the outlet. “The hardest part is figuring out, ‘Where do I land?’”

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Taylor left the show after one season.

“Loved spending time with the ladies of #RHOC and thankful I got to give the viewers an update on my life,” she wrote via Instagram in November 2023. “I’ve made some real friendships that I cherish. Wishing the ladies all the best for season 18.”

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If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

If you or anyone you know is a victim of domestic violence, help is available 27/7 at 800-799-7233.