Taylor Armstrong

"Real Housewife" & NYT Best-Selling Author

Taylor Armstrong

"Real Housewife" & NYT Best-Selling Author

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Biography

Taylor Armstrong recently made Real Housewives history as the first Housewife to switch franchises since it premiered back in 2006. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star is joining The Real Housewives of Orange County as a friend of the ladies for its 17th season as announced by PEOPLE and BravoTV.

After nearly ten years away from the cameras, Armstrong returned in The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Ex-Wives Club, which premiered on Peacock on June 23, 2022.

Taylor Armstrong is an original cast member of the hit Bravo show, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Debuting to critical acclaim in 2011, the Beverly Hills franchise won a Critic’s Choice Television Award for the success of its inaugural season.

But behind the glamorous façade of The Real Housewives, Armstrong had her own personal drama. She hid a very dark secret; her husband, Russell, had been physically, verbally, emotionally and financially abusing her for years. Following the familiar pattern of many domestic violence survivors before her, Armstrong witnessed domestic violence in her home as a young child – the abuse of her mother at the hands of her father.

Thankfully, Taylor was able to break the cycle of violence. After six years of abuse with Russell, she found the courage to leave. Tragically, soon after, Russell took his own life. Armstrong and her young daughter, Kennedy, found themselves starting their lives over while the whole world watched.

Armstrong has been interviewed on Entertainment Tonight, Dr. Phil, The Today Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, E!, Extra, Access Hollywood, The Wendy Williams Show, Watch What Happens Live, OWN, WeTV, VH1, PeacockTV and dozens of others, including local programs across the country. She has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, People magazine, US Weekly, Life & Style, In Touch, OK!, Star, The Hollywood Reporter, The Enquirer, Business Weekly and other publications.

In 2012, Armstrong authored her first book, Hiding from Reality: My Story of Love, Loss and Finding the Courage Within. The autobiographical account of Armstrong’s life and personal experience with domestic violence became a New York Times bestseller. Armstrong established The Taylor Armstrong Foundation in order to further her mission; the foundation works to raise awareness, educate the public, provide housing resources for shelters, and help victims recover and reinvent their lives.

Speaker Videos

Breaking the Cycle of Violence

Hiding from Reality on The Today Show

Physical Signs of Abuse on Entertainment Tonight

Surviving Domestic Abuse in the Spotlight

History of Domestic Abuse

Home & Family Appearance

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Speech Topics

Hiding from Reality: My Story of Love, Loss & Finding the Courage Within

Armstrong is passionate about sharing her story speaking at colleges and universities, charity events and business conferences. In her captivating talk, she relates the deeply personal story of how she found herself in a relationship of inequality, her struggle with both love and fear of her husband, and how she summoned the courage from within to finally leave him. Armstrong also shares illuminating and even humorous anecdotes regarding her experiences as a cast member on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, where she often found herself battling with friends who struggled to understand the extent of her abuse.

Armstrong shares:

Relationship Inequality
Gender bias in the workplace
Self-esteem, financial inequality and domestic abuse
Recognizing red flags in the early stages of relationships, both personal and professional
Insights for friends and family of abuse victims and survivors who may not understand the complicated relationship between the abuser and the abused
Financial and emotional long-term effects of leaving an unhealthy relationship
The importance of knowing one’s self-worth, drawing boundaries, managing expectations and finding the courage to let go of unhealthy relationships

Testimonials

"It was wonderful! Taylor was amazing and did such a great job in conveying the message we were hoping the guests would takeaway."

- Human Options

"Thank you so much for speaking at the AVDA event yesterday. Everyone was in tears during your speech and you were really able to communicate what living in an abusive situation is like. For some of the women in the audience, it has been an abstract thing; your talk made it very real for them. Thank you again for coming all this way, we so appreciated it!"

- AVDA