Sombre Taylor Armstrong ventures out in public for first time since estranged husband Russell's suicide

By Jade Watkins


First outing: Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star Taylor Armstrong ventured out in the public for the first time on Wednesday since her estranged husband Russell Armstrong's suicide, earlier this month


Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star Taylor Armstrong ventured out in the public for the first time today since her estranged husband Russell Armstrong committed suicide earlier this month.

The 40-year-old, who has a five-year-old daughter with the late 47-year-old businessman, put on a brave yet sombre face as she stepped out in Beverly Hills, on Wednesday.

Dressed in a simple black vest and jeans, she ran errands around the area.


The reality star shielded her eyes with a pair of oversized sunglasses and was not wearing her wedding ring.

She kept her head down and tapped on her cell phone for some of the outing.

Tyalor also collected a cup of coffee as she got along with her day.

Russell was found dead earlier this month after reportedly piling up debts of $1.5 million.

He had committed suicide by hanging himself, and was found in his bedroom at his home on Mulholland Drive.

Braving the public: The 40-year-old, who also has a five-year-old daughter with the late 47-year-old businessman, put on a brave yet sombre face as she stepped out in Beverly Hills

The Los Angeles City Fire Department pronounced him dead at the scene at 8:16 PM.

He is survived by Kennedy, his five-year-old daughter with Taylor, and Aiden, a 13-year-old son from a previous marriage and a an 11-year-old son with former fiancee Milette Fields.

Taylor had filed for divorce from Russell in July citing physical and emotional abuse.

The reality star up until now has mostly shut herself out of the public eye since the death of Russell.

She was pictured once following the tragedy, but was covered from top to toe whilst she visited the Forest Lawn Memorial Park two weeks ago.

The mother-of-one was presumably there to make arrangements for Russell's funeral, which took place on August 24.

Russell was laid to rest at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale.

Cast members of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, including Lisa Vanderpump, Adrienne Maloof and Kyle Richards, rallied around their co-star at the service.

Taylor's pain over Russell's tragic death can be heard on the harrowing 911 call made the day he was discovered dead.

The tape was released only this week.

In the distressing call, which was made by a male friend on August 15 after Russell's lifeless body was found, his wife Taylor Armstrong can be heard in the background sobbing uncontrollably.

At one point, as the friend explains to the police dispatch what has happened, Taylor can be heard wailing: 'I need my psychiatrist.'

Russell was found dead by Taylor and the caller after committing suicide at a friend's house where he had been staying since separating from the star.

'My friend just hanged himself, do you understand? Come over here and stop asking questions,' the caller is heard saying while Taylor cries in the background.

He initially tries to soothe her, saying: 'Come here Taylor, it's alright. It's alright, it's alright.'

But then in a further sad twist it becomes apparent that Russell and Taylor's daughter Kennedy is also present.

'Taylor, have your daughter go away please,' the caller tells Taylor before saying to the dispatcher: 'my friends daughter is here.'

Underwraps: Taylor up until now has mostly shut herself out of the public eye since the death of Russell


The release of the shocking tape comes just hours after the release of the death certificate which listed Russell's cause of death as 'self inflicted hanging.'

Taylor's outing this week also comes after it was claimed that she began dating a new man in the weeks before her husband's suicide.

She is said to have started a relationship with businessman Jeremy Larner after the breakdown of her marriage in July, America's In Touch Weekly reports.

It is not known if Russell was aware of her alleged romance with the younger man.

Keeping busy: Taylor kept her head down and had her eyes shielded with oversized glasses during the outing


'She was with this guy Jeremy Larner, just days before Russell killed himself,' a source is quoted as telling the magazine. 'She is always with him.'

Larner, according to the magazine, is a 33-year-old businessman from Malibu, California.

Meanwhile, the Bravo network confirmed this week that the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season two will still premiere on September 5 as originally planned - albeit a re-edited version.

The network said it will also air several public service announcements to raise awareness about suicide prevention following the tragic death of Russell.

Coffee break: The blonde star picked up a cup of coffee as she ran her errands


'Bravo will proceed with the Monday, September 5 premiere date of 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,' Bravo Media president Frances Berwick said in a statement.

'Given that these episodes were filmed months ago, the producers of the show taped a brief interview this week with several of the cast members to introduce the premiere.'

'Re-editing of the episodes is still underway,' Berwick added.

Russell's crumbling marriage to Taylor was expected to be a major theme of the second season of the popular show.

The decision to air the show has come much to the disgust of Russell's mother who has continuously begged producers of the show to delay the season.

John Ann Hotchkiss blasted the network's decision not to delay the September five season premiere, despite her son committing suicide just a weeks ago.

The debut will now include recently taped remarks from various cast members regarding the death of Taylor Armstrong's husband.

In a statement she said: 'When I was informed of this, I thought, 'I hope Bravo will take the high road and keep it tasteful. Let's not murder my son twice.'

Instead of delaying the show's second season premiere, bosses decided to re-edit footage.

However it is feared it will show Taylor and Russell's marital problems in the show's usual harsh light.

And she blamed the programme for humiliating her son, and criticised the other housewives.

She said: 'I began to notice things starting to fray when the television thing came into being, and I was very concerned.

Rallied: Cast members of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, including Lisa Vanderpump, rallied around their co-star Taylor at the Russell's memorial service on August 24


'What bothered me the most was...he would be bashed by some of the other cast members, especially Lisa [Vanderpump], who is a beautiful lady—and I just couldn't understand why she would be so unkind to him.

'The program itself really brought him down.'

She also revealed the venture capitalist told her 'Mom, they're just going to crucify me this season. 'I don't know what to do. I'll never survive it.'

It is unknown how Taylor feels about the decision.


source:dailymail