I guess April 4th was the day to get married for Bravo housewives past and present! Not only did Real Housewives of Atlanta's Kandi Burruss tie the knot with Todd Tucker, but Taylor Armstrong also walked down the aisle with her Couples Therapy counterpart John Bluher. Now the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star is talking to People (of course she is!) about life and renewed happiness and learning to love after the suicide of estranged husband Russell Armstrong.
It was hard for Taylor to find love again, y'all. She tells the magazine, "When everything you think is one way turns out to be different, it's a scary feeling. I couldn't fathom ever loving somebody again, ever trusting somebody again."
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Claiming she suffers from PTSD from years of domestic abuse, Taylor states, "I have post-traumatic stress disorder; it's part of my makeup. A lot of that comes from the volatility. The type of abusive relationship I had, [the abuse] would come out of nowhere. I just became so jumpy about everything."
Thankfully, in the wake of financial crisis, she was able to lean on her attorney John (although I'm sure his now ex-wife wasn't too thrilled). Taylor reveals, "There was something really noble about how he was going to help me. He had plenty of things going on in his life – he didn’t need to deal with this whole reality-TV mess – but he made a commitment to do it. Whatever John says, his word is his bond," adding, "One day we looked up and it was like, 'You look different!' It took both of us by surprise. I never thought I would look at a man again."
Taylor explains that she felt so damaged by her first marriage, saying, "I said to John when we first started having feelings for each other, 'I'm exhausted, and I can't change anymore.' In my marriage there was so much control and you have to act this way or be this way or your dress is too short or too long – I hated the person I had become. I was constantly trying to be someone who was going to make [Russell] happy. So I told John, 'If you want to love me, you're going to have to love me exactly like I am.' And he has stuck to that 100 percent."
Discussing daughter Kennedy, whom John has legally adopted, Taylor shares, "One of my biggest regrets with my past relationship was that I wasn't strong enough to get out sooner. Kennedy wasn't exposed to the physicality of it, but she clearly knew something was wrong. Now, for her to get a father and see a healthy, very equal relationship, we're showing her what she deserves."
Now Taylor feels that her family is complete, gushing, "The only thing that bothers me about my relationship with John is that we found each other [later] in life. I wish I could have had a lifetime with him," concluding, "The past is behind me. I'm finally getting to be the person I was meant to be."
And I'm sure we'll get to see that person too…you know Taylor isn't going to give up the spotlight any time soon!
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[Photo Credit: Picture by: Beef/TC/Splash ]
