Former 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' OG Taylor Armstrong says she finds it "upsetting" to watch her friends on the show now, and shares why she left.
Taylor Armstrong is opening up about her exit from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
While she recently switched franchises, hopping over to Orange County after departing RHOBH back in 2016, Armstrong said she can't bring herself to watch her former show, despite all the time that's passed.
"I stopped watching mostly the Beverly Hills girls because I love them all so much and watching them fight," Armstrong said in an interview with Us Weekly.
"I know what that anxiety feels like when you're in that situation when you're fighting with your friends on camera and it's just so much pressure," she continued. "And I was like, 'I can't watch this.' It's upsetting me watching them yell at each other."
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View StoryWhen asked why she left RHOBH in the first place, Armstrong shared that a television show that showcased women fighting with each other was not aligned with the work she does for women's empowerment.
"I'm working on so many other projects. I'm really big in the women's empowerment space, so working on Empowered Experts is a big project," she told the outlet.
"It's going to take a lot of my time and it’s all courses and retreats and things for women, just kind of building each other up," she continued. "Sometimes it's a little difficult when watching my friends fight on TV and then turning around and being empowered. It doesn't really fit sometimes."
Armstrong would go on to appear on Real Housewives spinoff, Ultimate Girls Trip, in 2022, before ultimately joining The Real Housewives of Orange County for the franchise's 17th season, as a "friend" of the show. Her time on RHOC was brief however, with Armstrong revealing in November that she was leaving the show after just one season.
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"Loved spending time with the ladies of #RHOC and thankful I got to give the viewers an update on my life," Armstrong wrote in a statement, captioning a gallery of photos from her time on the show. "I've made some real friendships that I cherish. Wishing the ladies all the best for Season 18."
"P.S. Adding season 17 to my IMDb. 😉🍊," she joked.
These days, she's shifted to scripted television, telling Us, "It's great to play somebody else and not get yourself in trouble playing you."
She's rooting for her friends still on Housewives, however, including Kyle Richards, who Armstrong believes will continue her reign on RHOBH, despite rumors that Richards may exit the series ahead of Season 14.
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View Story"I can't imagine her not being on the show," Armstrong said.
"I also think it might be good for her just to take a year and be happy and not feel the pressure of the show on top of everything that's going on in a relationship," she added, referencing the drama that's played out between Richards and estranged husband, Mauricio Umansky.
"It's nice to step away and take a breather for a minute. I don't know if she would know how, though," Armstrong noted. "She's been doing it for so long."