LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The husband of Beverly Hills "Real Housewives" television star Taylor Armstrong committed suicide by hanging, coroner officials said on Wednesday.
An autopsy on Russell Armstrong, 47, also found no preliminary traces of drugs or alcohol in the body of the venture capitalist who died on Monday, the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office said.
No suicide note was found with his body.
Armstrong's death came three weeks before the scheduled start of the second season of the reality TV show about six rich women in Beverly Hills.
Taylor Armstrong had filed for divorce in July and her husband was facing a $1.5 million breach of contract lawsuit. His lawyer told reporters on Tuesday that Russell Armstrong was facing huge financial problems and said the apparently wealthy couple were living way beyond their means.
Cable channel Bravo has yet to say whether it will go ahead with "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" as planned on September 5, or how it will deal with the tragedy on screen.
"We're all still trying to process yesterday's very sad news, and looking at how to proceed with the series, which has finished primary production and was set to premiere on Labor Day. We'll let you know what we decide when we do. In the meantime, we're sending our thoughts and prayers to Taylor and the rest of Russell's family," Bravo's original programing executive Andy Cohen said on his blog on Wednesday.
The marital problems of Taylor and Russell Armstrong emerged in the first season of the show earlier this year, and were expected to be a key theme in the upcoming season.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
