Former ‘Real Housewives’ Star Taylor Armstrong: ‘I Didn’t Get To Be Myself’
When Taylor Armstrong appeared on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” her troubled relationship with her late husband Russell was a central part of her story. Parenting clashes, mounting tensions, allegations of abuse — cameras captured it all. Then, after Russell took his own life in 2011, filming took an even more complex, emotional turn, with the former “Housewife” speaking pointedlytells “Oprah: Where Are They Now — Extra,”
While filming “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” Taylor says that her true personality remained hidden. “The years that I filmed ‘The Real Housewives,’ I didn’t get to be myself,” she says. “I was just a shadow of a human being.”
Taylor says that “Real Housewives” didn’t capture her fun-loving side and other core aspects of her personality.
“I wish that people could see how much I love to laugh and how much fun I love to have, and that I have my own opinions,” she says. “All of the things I [was] holding inside during those years are back.”
In 2014, Taylor married attorney John Bluher. The relationship marked a powerful turning point for her.
“It’s the first time in my life that I’ve been exactly who I want to be,” she says. “I said to John when we got married, I said, ‘I can’t change anymore. You have to love me exactly the way that I am.’ Because I changed so
Their happy union, she adds, has taught her something very important. “I’ve come to realize that I deserve to be respected and cherished and loved,” she says. “That’s the most valuable lesson I could have learned.”
Now, the 44-year-old says she’s embraces being her true self.
“I laugh as loud as I want to now, I don’t ever keep my words to myself,” Taylor says. “I get to be exactly who I want to be. Every day.”
“Oprah: Where Are They Now — Extra” is a digital series from the OWN show “Oprah: Where Are They Now?”
