Taylor Armstrong Exits 'Real Housewives of Orange County' — What to Know

Taylor Armstrong is leaving The Real Housewives of Orange County after just one season. She joined the cast in Season 17 as a friend to the show. Her primary storyline centered around her feud with Heather Dubrow over remarks Dubrow made about a role in a movie Armstrong had been cast in. The drama lasted throughout much of the season, but the two repaired their relationship by the reunion's end. The Bravo star made Housewives history by being the first cast member to switch franchises after initially appearing in the inaugural season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Armstrong has remained a staple for Bravo, appearing in the second season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip. She announced her exit from OC in an Instagram post, writing: "Loved spending time with the ladies of #RHOC and thankful I got to give the viewers an update on my life. I've made some real friendships that I cherish. Wishing the ladies all the best for season 18." She shared a mashup of photos including her headshot for the season, and her fellow castmates on the series. The reason for her exit was not noted. And what she has up next is unclear, though she remains am advocate for women and children who are victims of domestic violence.

Armstrong appeared on RHOBH from seasons 1 through 3 as a main cast member before a demotion as a friend to the show for seasons 4 through 6. Season 2 chronicled her marital woes and subsequent split and ultimate death of her ex-husband, Russell. She says he was physically, financially, and emotionally abusive toward her throughout their marriage, and her reasoning for participating in the show was subconsciously in hopes the abuse would stop, or she'd eventually leave.

During an appearance on the Behind the Velvet Rope podcast, Armstrong discussed becoming part of the statistic of 80% of women who are abused by their partners living in silence. She says she stayed due to fear.

"A lot of people live with it because they are not able to completely convince themselves that they're abused. There's so many different kinds of abuse and my abuser would say, You have this house, you have a nanny…oh, you're so abused. I feel so bad for you.' And then I would wrap my head around it because I wanted to and think to myself, 'OK that's not what abuse looks like.' So people that are just emotionally abused for years and years and years, think have more of a tendency to stay because they haven't been struck," she explained.

Armstrong and Russell shared a daughter, Kennedy. She has since remarried.