Did Russell Have a History of Mental Illness?

Published
ET

Our exclusive ET interview with The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Taylor Armstrong continues: Did Taylor's husband, Russell Armstrong, have a secret mental illness?

MORE: New Details on Russell's Suicide

The world was shocked by the news last month that Russell had committed suicide. Was it the pressure of fame and the reality show cameras? Was it Russell's reported financial hardship, being thousands of dollars in debt? Was it a health issue? Now, Taylor reveals to our Nancy O'Dell that her husband did indeed have a family history of mental illness.

MORE: Taylor Armstrong's Horrible Secret

"Russell did have a family history of mental illness," says Taylor. "When he started taking medication, he made several comments to me that he didn't want to end up being one of those people that had a big bag of medication that was necessary to keep him stable."

Taylor says the medication did help stabilize Russell and helped calm his violent outbursts, but he reportedly stopped taking the medication shortly before he hanged himself.

Watch the video for footage of happier times with daughter Kennedy, then catch ET Friday for more of our exclusive interview with Taylor Armstrong.

For more information on Taylor, visit her website.