Who Pays the Price for ‘Real Housewives’ Fame?

The pressures of living real life in the limelight have had tragic consequences for “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Taylor Armstrong. Estranged husband Russell Armstrong reportedly took his own life in Los Angeles Monday, according to The Wrap. He was 47.

Armstrong had been vocal about the negative toll the show took on the couple’s relationship, declaring, “This show has literally pushed us to the limit.” Plagued by violent arguments that were fodder for public scrutiny and legal accusations that he misappropriated funds from investors, Russell hit rock bottom in the days preceding his death, said attorney Ronald Richards, according to TMZ.

The Armstrongs aren’t the only “Real Housewives” couple to struggle financially. Touch Weekly reports Real Housewife of New Jersey Teresa Guidice and her husband, Joe, filed for bankruptcy two years ago with an astonishing $11 million in debt. Now credit card-free, Teresa insists she was unaware of their financial situation at the time.

Watching the pair in action, Teresa’s claim seems plausible. On the show, Joe is portrayed as a gruff, paternalistic and very traditional patriarch, while Teresa embraces the supporting role – mother, wife, homemaker. But Teresa’s TV gig hasn’t had the adverse effect on this couple that it had on the Armstrongs. In fact, it may be their saving grace. Joe reportedly has sold his pizzeria and is currently unemployed, making “The Real Housewives” the couple’s sole source of income.

Teresa and Joe may be the exception that proves the rule, though. Other housewives, like Orange County’s Tamra Barney and Beverly Hills’ Camille Grammer, have divorced during the series. In Barney’s case, the show certainly played a role in the break up. Barney told The Beast her then-husband, Simon Barney, “did not want to come back (for season 5), and I did.”

She further confided, “He’s very private and — we’re having a lot of financial problems, and he just didn’t want to expose that. You could see the frustration on his face when we would film.”

While Tamra Barney may have chosen the life of a “housewife” over her real-life marriage, Camille Grammer was the one left behind when her husband, actor Kelsey Grammer, moved to New York “for work” and never came back. Although Kelsey insisted that he and Camille had talked about separating, she claimed the whole thing took her by surprise. One thing’s certain: The relationship suffered from a profound lack of communication.

There’s no denying that being a part of the “Real Housewives” franchise exposes cast members to a unique set of stressors which their families often share. In the voyeuristic world of the privileged whose only desire is fame, it may boil down to a question of exactly how much that fame is worth.

Sources:
Russell Armstrong Distraught Over Divorce and ‘Tremendous Financial Problems,’ TMZ
Tim Molloy, Russell Armstrong, ‘Real Housewives’ Husband, Dead of Apparent Suicide, The Wrap
Real Housewives of NJ’s Teresa Giudice: “I’m Terrified of Being Poor” Plus Preview New Episode!, RealityTEA
Amy Kaufman, ‘Real Housewives, Real Problems,’ The Daily Beast
Caroline Goddard, ‘Kelsey Said, Camille Said,’ She Knows Entertainment


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