Taylor Armstrong (born Shana Lynette Hughes; June 10, 1971) is an American television personality. She is known as an original cast member of the Bravo reality series, ''

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills ''The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'' (abbreviated ''RHOBH'') is an American reality television series which has been broadcast on Bravo since October 14, 2010. Developed as the sixth installment in ''The Real Housewives'' franchise, it has ...

''. In 2022, it was announced that she would join '' The Real Housewives of Orange County'', making her the first housewife to transfer franchises. After starring in the show's first three seasons from 2010 until 2013, Armstrong continued to make guest appearances on the ''

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. B ...

'' installment between 2013 and 2016. In June 2022, Armstrong starred in the second season of '' The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip''.

Biography

Armstrong was born Shana Lynette Hughes in

Independence, Kansas Independence is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 8,548. It was named in commemoration of the Declaration of Independence. History Independence ...

, on June 10, 1971. Her family later left Kansas for

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region wit ...

, where Armstrong attended Union High School and was a

cheerleader Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to ente ...

. She graduated in 1989. She later changed her name to Taylor Ford and moved to

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Be ...

, after starting her own

e-commerce E-commerce (electronic commerce) is the activity of electronically buying or selling of products on online services or over the Internet. E-commerce draws on technologies such as mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain manage ...

business. She met her future husband,

venture capitalist Venture capital (often abbreviated as VC) is a form of private equity financing that is provided by venture capital firms or funds to startups, early-stage, and emerging companies that have been deemed to have high growth potential or which hav ...

Russell Armstrong, at a local restaurant in Beverly Hills while waiting to be seated. The two married less than a year later and Armstrong gave birth to their only child, a daughter named Kennedy Caroline Armstrong, who was born in 2006. Armstrong first appeared in the public spotlight in 2010, as part of the cast of the Bravo reality television series ''

''.Yvonne Villarreal
"Taylor Armstrong's search for safety"
''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

''. February 14, 2012. During the series' run, Armstrong's appearance on the show was plagued by rumors of financial issues and

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner v ...

, and she later confirmed that she had been physically abused by Russell Armstrong and had to undergo reconstructive surgery for an

orbital fracture Facial trauma, also called maxillofacial trauma, is any physical trauma to the face. Facial trauma can involve soft tissue injuries such as burns, lacerations and bruises, or fractures of the facial bones such as nasal fractures and fractures ...

after being hit by him. In July 2011, after the filming of the second season of ''Real Housewives'', she filed for

divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the ...

, citing verbal and physical abuse. The next month, her estranged abusive husband died by

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...

; she found his body on August 15, 2011, dead from an apparent hanging, at a home he rented on

Mulholland Drive Mulholland Drive is a street and road in the eastern Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California. It is named after pioneering Los Angeles civil engineer William Mulholland. The western rural portion in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties is na ...

following their separation. Armstrong is currently married to John Bluher, an attorney, whom she wed on April 4, 2014, in

Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles Pacific Palisades is a neighborhood in the Westside region of Los Angeles, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. Pacific Palisades was formally founded in 1921 by a Methodist organization, and in the years that followed be ...

. In June 2022, Armstrong starred in season two of '' The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip'', which premiered on

Peacock Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera '' Pavo'' and '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are r ...

. Filming was completed in September 2021 at Dorinda Medley’s Blue Stone Manor in

The Berkshires The Berkshires () are a highland geologic region located in the western parts of Massachusetts and northwest Connecticut. The term "Berkshires" is normally used by locals in reference to the portion of the Vermont-based Green Mountains that ...

. On August 1, 2022, it was announced that Armstrong would be joining '' The Real Housewives of Orange County'' as a "friend of the housewives" for the upcoming seventeenth season, making her the first housewife to switch franchises.

Internet meme

In 2019, a screen-capture of Armstrong on the second season of ''The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'' was used in an

Internet meme An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...

called " woman yelling at a cat". The meme depicts an upset Armstrong during a heated discussion about her husband's alleged abuse juxtaposed with a photograph of a cat named Smudge. Armstrong reacted positively to the meme. She also talked about her relationship with her ex husband.

Filmography

Television

References

External links