The 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' star has, through her representative, expressed grief over Russell's suicide, saying in a statement that she 'is devastated by the tragic events.'
- Aug 17, 2011
AceShowbiz - Taylor Armstrong may have witnessed the discovery of her estranged husband's dead body on Monday night, August 15. According to TMZ, the star of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" was present at Russell's Los Angeles residence when he was found hanging in his bedroom.
Inside sources claimed that Taylor and Russell, who are in the process of divorcing, had been in contact regularly. They had planned to meet on Monday afternoon, but he didn't come. Taylor became worried and began "frantically texting and phoning" Russell when his friends told her they had not heard from him.
Getting no response from her estrange husband, the 40-year-old reality star went to his house with a friend and found the owner of the property. She reportedly watched on as the owner peered through Russell's bedroom window and spotted him hanging. Words are, she stayed at the house for hours afterward.
A representative for Taylor has issued a statement regarding Russell's suicide. "Taylor Armstrong is devastated by the tragic events that have unfolded," so said the rep. "She requests privacy at this time so that she may comfort her young daughter. Her thoughts and prayers are also with Russell's 11 and 13-year-old sons."
Russell's attorney, Ronald Richards, has also expressed his disbelief over his client's suicide. "I'm very shocked by this," he told PEOPLE. "Besides being upset about his divorce and its effect on his kids, he didn't show any outward signs of depression."
Still, Ronald admitted that Russell's debt and legal problems, which include a $1.5 million lawsuit for misusing funds and breach of contract by MyMedicalRecords.com, did cause Russell a lot of stress. He also blamed "Real Housewives" for adding the stress level as saying, "Being thrust in the spotlight didn't do any favors for Russell and Taylor."
A source close to the estranged couple also suggested that Russell likely broke down because of his stress level. "He was depressed," said the source. "He had a lot going on these past few months. The split from Taylor was a long time coming but it still took a big toll on him. He had no money; he was failing in business. It all added up."
Russell was found dead hanging in his bedroom on Monday night. LAPD spokesman Richard French told PEOPLE, "I can confirm that Mr. Armstrong was found dead from an apparent hanging in a residence on Mulholland Drive." No suicide note, however, was found on the scene.
