Speculation has been swirling about how Bravo would deal with the August 15th suicide of Russell Armstrong—estranged husband of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Taylor Armstrong—in its upcoming season of the show. And though it’s still unclear how much we’ll see of the Armstrongs when the show airs, Bravo has clearly decided to be proactive regarding the issue of Russell Armstrong’s death.
According to sources, the network taped a special on Monday featuring Housewives Lisa Vanderpump, Camille Grammer, Kyle and Kim Richards, and Adrienne Maloof (for obvious reasons Taylor Armstrong was not present)—one that specifically addresses Armstrong’s suicide. It remains unclear if the special will air before or after the premiere of the show’s second season just a few days from now, on September 5th. The LA Times blog reports:
An individual close to one of the “Housewives” said the ladies were not given specifics as to how things would unfold during their sit-down and that it was intended as a way to get their reactions to what happened.
The second season is still on the books as premiering Sept. 5; the network has wrapped the re-editing of the premiere episode. In the original version, Taylor is shown shopping for lingerie in an attempt to spice up her marriage and she later becomes emotional when discussing her attempt at marriage counseling.
A representative for Bravo would not elaborate on whether the scenes remained in the final cut.
So what do you think? Insensitive, shameless ratings grab on Bravo’s part or an honest attempt to deal with what is obviously a very raw and difficult topic? I’m not sure what IS the “right” way to handle something like this publicly, to be honest (other than respectfully, of course). What say you? And will you be watching?
About Tracey Gaughran-Perez
