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'Real Houswives' Taylor Armstrong: Husband Physically Abused Me

By Cynthia Hsu, Esq. on July 29, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Taylor Armstrong says domestic abuse is the culprit behind the demise of her marriage. The Real Housewives divorce comes after a five-year marriage to her husband, Russell Armstrong, a venture capitalist.

Armstrong, 40, filed for divorce just a few weeks ago, according to The Daily Mail.

She recently revealed the allegations of abuse in an interview with People magazine.

Armstrong says that during their marriage, her husband was both physically and verbally abusive with her. He would call her names, pull on her hair and shove her, reports Reality Tea.

Armstrong is familiar with domestic abuse from her childhood, and has been a staunch advocate for battered women in the past. "Allowing this to happen in my own relationship was something I felt very ashamed of," Armstrong says in the interview.

Armstrong and her husband have a five-year-old daughter. She says she decided to file for divorce in order to make sure her daughter had a better environment, reports Reality Tea.

The couple had previously gone through marriage counseling before filing for divorce. Her husband claims that he might have shoved her in the "heat of the moment," but it was uncharacteristic and happened at a strained time in their lives - namely, appearing on Real Housewives. He denies that he ever pulled her hair, according to Reality Tea.

While criminal domestic violence charges can generally only be brought by prosecutors, domestic violence can also result in civil liabilities. In many cases, courts traditionally forbade family members from suing each other. However, many states now allow family members, such as spouses, to sue for civil liability and damages from injuries resulting from domestic violence.

Maybe a lawsuit will never be filed, but the Real Housewives divorce will likely be played out in the upcoming season of the hit reality TV show. Though, will Taylor Armstrong's domestic abuse claims come to light on the TV screen as well?

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