I think the overwhelming majority of women collectively starting hating Terrence Howard after he gave his infamous “baby wipes” interview. The interview was from 2007, and it haunts him to this day. People STILL bring it up. In between uttering such lines as “I like women who look like me. Generally, you’re attracted to women who look like you, because the most beautiful thing in nature is your own reflection,” Terrence went on to describe his “dealbreaker” for ladies as “Toilet paper – and no baby wipes – in the bathroom. If they’re using dry paper, they aren’t washing all of themselves. It’s just unclean. So if I go in a woman’s house and see the toilet paper there, I’ll explain this. And if she doesn’t make the adjustment to baby wipes, I’ll know she’s not completely clean.”

Which is a lengthy way of saying that I have no problems believing any bad story about Terrence Howard. In February, his second wife, Michelle, filed for divorce, and she recently filed for a restraining order against Howard. TMZ got their hands on her filing, in which she claims that Howard was repeatedly physically abusive towards her:

Terrence Howard’s estranged wife got a restraining order against the actor this morning — claiming Howard constantly beats her and threatens to kill her … but Terrence says it’s all a big, fat lie.

Michelle Howard filed court documents, obtained by TMZ, claiming Terrence began beating her up just 7 days after they were married in January 2010. In the docs, Michelle claims Howard “slugged me across my face and neck” … and threatened to throw her off a balcony.

Michelle claims the violence continued throughout their marriage — with Terrence allegedly committing several violent acts, such as:

– smacking her in the face and chipping her tooth with his wedding ring
– throwing her down to the ground in a parking lot
– telling her, “I’ll hit a woman quicker than I’d hit a man”
– Saying, “If you tell anyone about my personal business, I will kill you and no one will ever know”
– Screaming, “Bitch, walk home. That’s my car, I pay for it.”

Howard also filed legal papers, adamantly denying that he EVER threatened Michelle — but claiming she has been threatening to “release private materials to 3rd parties for her own personal financial gain” unless he paid her money. Sources connected to the case tell TMZ … the material in question includes a video of Howard singing naked in the shower.

This morning, an L.A. County Superior Court judge granted Michelle a temporary restraining order preventing Howard from going near her or contacting her until their next court hearing.

Michelle filed for divorce back in February.

[From TMZ]

All of the descriptions of abuse are terrible except for “Bitch, walk home. That’s my car, I pay for it.” I would be terribly offended if a dude said that to me, but I’d be lying if I said that I couldn’t imagine EVER saying that in my own life. But as for the claims of physical abuse… God knows. I would imagine a lady would have to put up with a lot of baby wiping heartbreak just to marry Terrence, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if a crazy dude like Howard only attracted equally crazy women. I’m going to go with Michelle’s side of the story, though. Because, as I said, I’ll believe anything about Terrence Howard.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Dr. Drew is such a hack that he regularly armchair diagnoses celebrities with addictions and other problems based on interviews they’ve given. For instance he questioned Angelina Jolie’s charity work and wondered whether she was still on drugs after she admitted that she’d done heroin in her youth. He also called out Brad Pitt for admitting that he used to smoke pot, also in his past, and for moving his kids with Angie around while they’re working. (Kaiser did a recap of some of Dr. Drew’s nonsense here.) In this latest case, though, I’m rooting for Dr. Drew and I almost agree with him.

On the last episode of Kim & Kourtney go to New York so they can have a spin-off, Kim moves to punch Kris Humphries after the big oaf steps on her toe and breaks her pedicured nail. Kris of course quickly deflects Kim’s blow since he’s a giant basketball player. It looks like Kim was seriously going for him, and like she could have caused some damage if she landed that punch. Dr. Drew got all incensed about it and says it’s a clear incident of domestic violence and that domestic violence goes both ways, meaning women can commit it against men. He also said that stuff like this can escalate into a more dangerous, abusive situation. Go Dr. Drew?

Holy matrimony took an unholy turn back in October, when news broke that reality television star Kim Kardashian filed a disclaimer of interest — wait, no, I meant a petition for divorce from New Jersey Nets free agent forward Kris Humphries.

Their marriage lasted 72 days, just enough time to get footage for Kardashian’s new E! television series, Kourtney & Kim Take New York. The series debuted on Monday and featured startling footage of Kardashian winding up to punch Humphries for “accidentally breaking her toenail,” according to TheImproper.com.

Kardashian appears to be smiling while throwing the punch and Humphries doesn’t exactly cower in fear, but psychologist Dr. Drew Pinsky opined on CNN that the punch amounted to domestic violence.

“What you are seeing there is domestic violence,” Pinsky told viewers. “A lot of people watching this may not understand that and I get that. It looks playful. What’s the big deal? It is a massive deal.”

Pinsky continued: “Kris and Kim, listen, they’re separating and that’s over with, this doesn’t need to be reported or anything. But anybody listening at home or viewing this has to understand the spectrum of domestic violence. And this is an incontrovertible piece of evidence of someone who is engaged in a domestic violence relationship.”

[From CBS Sports]

So for all the times that Kris calls Kim “fat” or acts like a dick or accidentally steps on her, Kim is behaving even worse by lashing out at him physically. Even if Kim’s punch was delivered with a smirk, it’s still domestic violence according to Dr. Drew. I don’t think she was joking, she looked serious about hitting him. It’s a hard call for me to make since I don’t like either one of them and don’t particularly give a sh*t, but young teens watch this show and they should know that’s not acceptable.

In other Dr. Drew news, it looks like he’s softening his stance against drugs. Or maybe he just bases it on whether he likes the celebrity or not. On the whole Miley Cyrus “I’m a stoner” Bob Marley birthday cake controversy, Dr. Drew said she’s not an addict. He told Extra “I don’t think it’s that big of a deal… Real marijuana addicts don’t quite talk like that. I don’t think we have somebody who has a drug problem on our hands.” Uh huh. When that Miley smoking “salvia” video came out in December of last year, Dr. Drew said “This is a child who is in trouble and who is suffering and this is her way of trying to manage that. Get professional help.” I bet Miley or someone close to her reached out to him after that, so during her next crisis Drew would be on her side. It worked. Now the Kardashians have to kiss his butt so he’ll call their dysfunctional squabbles no “big deal.”

Look at Kim serving up food at the LA Mission. Jennifer Love Hewitt does this every single year. Credit: WENN

Kate Major gives Michael Lohan’s other piece the side eye

Remember Kate Major? She’s the former Star Magazine reporter who hooked up with Jon Gosselin in 2009 and then cried in several interviews about how he promised her a job as his assistant, prompting her to quit her job gossiping. Jon of course ditched her after just two weeks for another woman. Then she started dating Michael Lohan and was involved in an abusive relationship with him for over a year. Major was on the Dr. Drew show yesterday detailing the physical and emotional abuse she suffered while dating Lohan. I saw a bunch of clips online from the show and it was hard to watch. She explained that Lohan, currently in jail, had threatened to kill her and then commit suicide, and that he regularly flew into rages and hurt her. She also said that Lohan was in possession of sex tapes of the two of them together that he made without her knowledge and that he was threatening to release them. Also, there was a very awkward scene were another one of Lohan’s ex lovers was on the couch with Kate and talked about how she had a relationship with Michael while he was supposedly dating Kate. Poor Kate was seething and holding back tears.

I came away from watching that feeling sorry for her and thinking that Kate had a drinking problem. I’ve seen her look drunk in interviews before and on Dr. Drew she looked bloated and hungover to me. Well my assumption probably wasn’t far off the mark. Kate was hauled off a Delta flight early Monday morning for being drunk and she was arrested for being abusive to the person escorting her off the plane. TMZ had the detail that she was even in first class. The Dr. Drew show must have been paying for it.

According to the LAX police department, Kate was denied boarding by Delta airline “due to being intoxicated” at 12:05 am Monday.

“Los Angeles Airport Police responded to Terminal #6 (in the gate area) for a report of an irate passenger refusing to de-board an aircraft as requested by the airline.

“As Major deplaned under escort by airline personnel, she committed battery on the subject conducting the escort,” according to the statement released.

Kate was placed under a citizen’s arrest and airport police took her into custody, processed her into the Airport Police station and she was released about 2 am. Lindsay was released from jail at 1:30 am.

Kate has a court date schedule for this arrest at a later date, but she has to be in court on Tuesday, November 8 for her temporary restraining order against Michael Lohan, who is in jail right now for violating the restraining order.

Michael has a November 9 court date.

[From Radar Online]

I guess you’d have to have some major issues to date both Jon Gosselin and Michael Lohan. This woman is a wreck, and sadly now I’m starting to believe some of Michael Lohan’s claims that she was abusive to him, too. I’m sure she got the worst of it, but it sounds they had an incredibly toxic relationship. You just know that Lohan is going to get out of jail and go running back to her. We’re sure to hear about it, because it won’t end well.

Mel B and Stephen Belafonte with her daughters Phoenix Chi, Angel and a friend on 5-16-10. Credit: WENN.com

Remember when Britney Spears refused to hand her kids over for their regular visit with their dad in early 2008, and was subsequently hauled off to the hospital on a 5150 hold? She was violating a court order and acting erratically and there was a standoff of several hours with police. Something similar happened earlier this month during a visit between Scary Spice Mel B’s 12 year-old daughter, Phoenix Chi, and her dad, Mel’s first husband Jimmy Gulzar, 42. Gulzar refused to let Phoenix leave his home and Mel’s current husband, Stephen Belafonte, called the cops after a few hours. Phoenix claims Gulzar of grabbing her by the arm to keep her there, and she subsequently filed a report with police accusing him of battery.

FORMER Spice Girl Mel B is furious at ex-husband Jimmy Gulzar after he allegedly held their daughter Phoenix Chi captive during a custody visit.

The distraught 12-year-old has filed a police complaint accusing Gulzar, 42, of battery.

She claims she feared for her safety after he grabbed her arm and refused to let her leave his LA home.

Sources close to Mel, 36 – real name Melanie Brown – said the schoolgirl was so afraid she considered climbing over a balcony to escape.

She was finally allowed to go after Mel’s current husband, Stephen Belafonte – who had arrived to collect her – called the cops.

Sources close to Mel, who is currently in Sydney filming the Australian X Factor, said she was “disgusted and appalled” by Gulzar’s alleged behaviour.

Police have taken a full statement from Phoenix and are due to speak to Scary Spice Mel about the events leading up to the incident on October 10.

The distraught 12-year-old has filed a police complaint accusing Gulzar, 42, of battery.

She claims she feared for her safety after he grabbed her arm and refused to let her leave his LA home.

Sources close to Mel, 36 – real name Melanie Brown – said the schoolgirl was so afraid she considered climbing over a balcony to escape.

She was finally allowed to go after Mel’s current husband, Stephen Belafonte – who had arrived to collect her – called the cops.

Sources close to Mel, who is currently in Sydney filming the Australian X Factor, said she was “disgusted and appalled” by Gulzar’s alleged behaviour.

Police have taken a full statement from Phoenix and are due to speak to Scary Spice Mel about the events leading up to the incident on October 10.

[From Mirror.co.uk]

This is the same guy who spanked a three year-old autistic boy at the playground at the zoo when the boy pushed another child (presumably Pheonix) in 2002. Gulzar was also arrested two years prior, in 2000, when he refused to hand over Phoenix to Mel’s sister. I guess when he was married to Mel for all of 14 months he loved to spend her money – the Mirror says his nickname was “Jimmy Goldcard.” She also had to pay him a settlement of about 1.9 million dollars.

We heard some similarly negative stories about Mel’s current husband being abusive, but he seems to treat her and her daughters well as far as we can tell. They’re also still together after rumors last year that they were just about to get a divorce. Mel just had her third daughter, her first with Stephen, Madison Brown Belafonte on September 1. She was just named the new Jenny Craig ambassador in Australia and New Zealand.

First Photo below is from 10-29-11 and is credit: Pacific Coast News. Second photo is of Mel with Angel, Eddie Murphy’s daughter, on 10-7-11. Credit: WENN.com

The last we heard of Lindsay Lohan’s abusive father, Michael, he was being charged with domestic violence after visiting his on-again girlfriend in Tampa, FL earlier this week ahead of a hearing they were set to attend for an earlier instance of domestic violence between them. Lohan’s girlfriend, Kate Major, claims that during that visit they had sex, after which she got upset because he didn’t pull out as she requested. Lohan also went wild, Gibson-style, over not getting a beej. Major told police that Lohan grabbed and shoved her, causing bruising, and that he threatened to throw her off the balcony and slit her wrists. After that happened Lohan was presumably told to stay away from Major. So of course he called her a bunch of times and probably taped it all. Major then called the cops to complain. When police went to Lohan’s hotel to arrest him, he jumped off the third floor balcony, got hurt of course and then tried to hide in some trees. Later he claimed that it was all Major’s fault anyway. What a dumbass.

Michael Lohan was just arrested AGAIN in Florida after allegedly contacting his GF Kate Major — and law enforcement tells TMZ, he tried to escape by jumping off a 3rd-story balcony … and plummeting 34 feet to the ground.

According to law enforcement sources, Tampa police responded to a call early this morning from Kate, who claimed Michael had been trying to contact her by phone and wouldn’t leave her alone.

We’re told officers interviewed Kate at her apartment after she made the call — the same apartment where Michael allegedly bruised her up earlier this week — and while they were there, Michael allegedly called again.

According to law enforcement, officers believed Michael was a “threat” — so they rolled up to his hotel to arrest him.

But here’s the crazy part — law enforcement tells TMZ, Michael tried to escape by hopping his 3rd story balcony … but crashed to the ground … and then tried to hide in some trees.

After officers pulled him down, Michael was placed under arrest for violating a condition of his pretrial release (presumably for contacting Kate) … and resisting arrest without violence.

Michael is currently back in custody — at the same jail he was released from less than twelve hours ago.

5:30 AM — Michael is currently in the hospital getting a possible foot injury checked out.

[From TMZ]

Well at least he doesn’t have to claim he’s suffering from chest pains in order to go to the hospital instead of the jail this time! Major issued a statement to TMZ claiming that “I am sick of being lied about by Michael Lohan Sr.’s false allegations about his continual physical and mental abuse toward me.” Lohan spoke to paparazzo (video below and onRadar) stating that “Major ‘baited’ him into calling her by claiming she was about to be evicted from her apartment.” I believe Major, not that I care too much either way. How much do you want to bet that Lohan called the photographer himself and then sold the footage?

Michael Lohan has been arrested, yet again, for yet another domestic violence incident with a girlfriend. When it comes to Lindsay’s dad’s storied criminal history it’s hard to recount it all, but been accused on other occasions of abusing at least two different girlfriends, including the latest on-again one, Kate Major, who can’t seem to quit him. He also spent two years in prison on a four year sentence for several charges including assault and drunk driving. (Before he was even out of jail in ’07 he would regularly communicate with the press about Lindsay, of course.)

TMZ has the details from the police report and it’s disturbing. Apparently Lohan and Major fought when she wouldn’t give him a beej, and also after they had sex and he refused to pull out. It’s unclear if the two incidents are the same. Lohan squeezed Major’s arms, pushed her, and threatened to slit her wrists and throw her off the balcony. Lohan complained of chest pains, so instead of being taken to jail he was taken to the hospital. This is the exact same thing he did in March when he was arrested for three counts of felony domestic violence against Major. He complained of chest pains and got taken to the hospital back then too. Rinse and repeat.

Michael Lohan’s ex-girlfriend told police … he flipped out and threatened to kill her because “she wouldn’t give him a ‘bl*w job’” … this according to the police report obtained by TMZ.

According to the report, Lohan’s ex, Kate Major, told police Michael came over to her Tampa apartment last night, when he began to yell at her about an upcoming domestic violence court hearing. Major claims the argument got heated … and MiLo got violent.

Major claims Lohan pushed her multiple times and squeezed her arms. She claims Mike also told her he would “slit both his wrist and her wrist. He also threatened to throw her off the balcony (4th floor).”

Kate says Michael threw a TV remote control at her … but he missed, so he smashed her cell phone.

Major also told police Lohan came over to her apartment the night before … and they got into an argument that turned physical. Major says she threatened to call police, but Michael banged his head on a door, causing his forehead to bleed … and warned that if cops came over, he would blame her for the injury.

Major told cops she regretted not calling police at the time, but insists “she was scared.”

Lohan also spoke with police …insisting last night’s incident was triggered by a sexual encounter … described in graphic detail in the police report.

“[Kate Major] did not want Michael to ejaculate inside her. Michael Lohan stated he did ejaculate in her and his girlfriend got very angry.”

Michael told cops Kate told him she may have been pregnant from previous sexual encounters with him … which caused an argument … but Lohan insists he never laid a hand on Kate.

Michael also told cops the cut on his forehead was caused by Kate … who slammed her apartment door in his face on the previous night.

As we previously reported, Lohan complained of chest pains … so cops took him to a nearby Tampa hospital, where he was treated … and then arrested for domestic violence.

Lohan claimed in his statement to police that he and Kate were going to court today to drop a previous restraining order that was in place against him. We’re guessing those plans have changed.

[From TMZ]

This is the trashy, abusive manipulative creep that was Lindsay Lohan’s sometimes father figure. In no way does this excuse or justify her behavior, her addictions or her sense of clueless entitlement, it just kind of explains where it came from. Time and again we’ve seen how much of a bottom feeding scumbag Michael Lohan is. It’s just a matter of time before he’s in jail again. Like father like daughter.

Taylor Armstrong had her big interview with Entertainment Tonight last night. I thought that she might gloss over things when it came to explaining what happened with her late husband, whom she claims was abusive to her and caused massive eye and facial injuries when he punched her over the summer. She released photos of her injuries a few days ago, and many people were skeptical that they were caused by Russell since Taylor is not the most truthful person. I assumed wrong, she didn’t mince words or hold back details. Taylor described what went on in their relationship, saying that she was abused regularly, that she lived in fear of her husband’s rage and that she covered for him frequently. It was hard to watch and I believed her completely. The people who say she’s lying or exaggerating for sympathy are wrong, in my opinion.

On how Russell abused her while she was pregnant for a stupid reason
He grabbed me by the neck and shoved me against the wall and he said, “If you ever make my children a pizza without a vegetable again, I’ll kill you.”

On the cycle of abuse
You live your life constantly on eggshells waiting for the other shoe to drop. You don’t know if you’re just going to talk to your girlfriend too long at dinner and that’s going to cause someone to fly into a rage. These were not beatings that would go on for hours at a time… there are certainly women out there that experience that. [cries] My heart goes out to them.

Russell was very careful in how he would do things because he didn’t want to leave a lot of physical signs of injury. So often if we were leaving a place and he were angry he would grab me by one side of the hair on my head and bang me by the other side against the car, by the back where you would open the door. Because you would get knots and things in here (touches back of head under hair) and you wouldn’t see it so much.

Sometimes when he was driving he would just reach over and slam my head against the inside window if he were angry.

Just a lot of screaming combined with a few hits to the face.

On if Russell saw himself as an abuser
I don’t think so, not until the end… until the last time that he hurt me when I finally ended the relationship. I think my requiring surgery and there being such specific radiographic evidence of the injury, that he finally really had to look it in the face. I had never seen my husband cry in all the years that we were together. And when I finally showed him the MRI he just put it down and started to cry. I think that, him having to come to terms with that this had gone on for so long.

He had mentioned he was afraid to kill me. I think he meant it in an accidental way.

On how many times he had abused Taylor
Maybe 20. That night was only one punch.

Russell’s last abuse of Taylor
He kept on, he was calling me names and he just reached up and punched me in the eye. I could feel my eyeball shift like it wasn’t in the right place any longer.

I was covering my eye and he was saying “you’re being dramatic, you’re such a drama queen. Now you can tell all your friends that I’ve hit you.”

I said “I can tell you’ve really hurt me this time.”

I could have lost my eye for sure.

On how she explained her injury to the doctor
I told him that Kennedy had kicked me, because Russell told me to tell him that. Russell came with me to the appointment and sat in the chair the whole time. When I came out of the flap repair he immediately came into the recovery room with me and stayed there until I left. I didn’t want him to go to jail so I guess that was all right with me.

On if the doctors questioned her
They were a little surprised as to the degree of an injury from a child.

On the photos of her injury
I feel like they’re very hard to look at. I also feel like they send a pretty loud message that regardless of how someone looks on the outside, you probably don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors.

On why Taylor is coming out now
[They air a message urging domestic violence victims to get help.] I never wanted to call the police, because I didn’t want him to go to jail. I loved him.

On coming out with this after Russell’s death
I mourn the loss of him… more than anyone. At the same time, I’ve put myself second in order to protect him, and he doesn’t need my protection anymore, but there are a lot of women in this world that probably do. So I have to fight for the living now.

[From Entertainment Tonight's video]

On ET they explained that the bones on the bottom of her eye socket were fractured, that she had just had lasik eye surgery and that the punch had “wrinkled the corneal flap” of her eye. Taylor showed her CAT scans of the injury, and given her story and the way she told it she makes an extremely strong case. I believe that Russell punched her to cause that injury, that she was going through years of emotional and physical abuse with him, and that she was cowed and upset most of the time. It would also explain so much of their relationship dynamic that was shown on Real Housewives. Tomorrow ET is going to air the part where Taylor recounts discovering Russell’s body after he killed himself. They had a preview and it’s devastating to watch. I doubt we’ll cover that.

This story makes me sad. Apparently Taylor Armstrong got paid $125,000 for those photos of her bruised face that were shown on Entertainment Tonight. Taylor’s interview with ET airs tonight and I’m interested in what she has to say. Given all we know about her I doubt it’s going to be particularly insightful. I know that sounds so bitchy to say given the terrible circumstances, but it’s hard to avoid saying it. To clarify: Taylor was the victim of some horrific abuse at the hands of her late husband, and it’s definitely her story to tell however she needs to tell it. We know Taylor is a piece of work, but that’s not stopping us from 1. feeling deeply for her for what she went through and 2. believing her side of the story, which is backed up with some powerful evidence. Only Russell’s lawyers want us to believe that evidence was faked. We know Russell abused at least two of his exes, according to reports they filed and restraining orders they took out against him at the time. But Russell, who committed suicide last month, has a lawyer who claims that Taylor got that black eye from either “plastic surgery” or a “football” to the face. That’s despicable to say.

Taylor Armstrong has sunk to a new low, according to her late husband’s lawyer — who claims the black eye photos she recently sold for 6 figures to E.T. are nothing but a shameless hoax.

The lawyer, Ronald Richards, tells TMZ … the injuries depicted in the pictures were not inflicted by Russell.

According to Ronald, the injuries in the photos are either from plastic surgery … or a recent incident involving a football to the face — but not from domestic violence.

Richards tells TMZ, “If Mr. Armstrong was the cause of those injuries he would have been arrested and prosecuted.” Richards also notes … Taylor never filed a police report.

Sources close to Taylor insist the pics are legit — claiming Taylor never reported any injuries because she was under enormous pressure to keep up appearances for the show.

As one source puts it — the black eye pics are just the tip of the iceberg … the rest make Rihanna’s battered face “look like child’s play.”

[From TMZ]

Check out the abuse photos. (I’m not posting them here again.) If she had plastic surgery, she would have had bruises around both eyes and not just around one eye. Plus, how would a football cause that much damage? The fact that the attorney had two different explanations and then says “well my client would have been arrested if he did this” sounds like he’s grasping at straws. I guess Russell hired a lawyer as shifty as he was.

I still haven’t been keeping up with “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” Those of you who are still watching can tell me if it’s been worth it, but I doubt it. The show is too sad now that we know that Russell killed himself.

Taylor is shown with Kennedy in April and with Russell in October of last year. Credit: PRPhotos

As we know, Taylor Armstrong’s abusive, ponzi-scheme running husband allegedly killed himself about a month ago. Russell Armstrong’s death was ruled a suicide, although he didn’t leave a note and his business partner was also found dead by suicide just a day later, also without leaving a note. It looks suspicious to some, but either way the guy is deceased and Taylor has understandably been grieving and has yet to give an interview following his death. I heard part of the 911 call she made with a friend when they discovered Russell’s body, not by choice as I never listen to those 911 calls willingly – it was on a news show I was watching, and it was heartbreaking. The guy with Taylor was telling her it was all right, and she was crying hysterically and saying “It’s not all right.”

Yesterday Taylor released photos of her bruised and battered face, taken back when Russell was alive. She’s accusing him of beating her in the months leading up to his death. There’s plenty of other evidence that he was an abuser. Two of his exes, also accused him of abuse and had restraining orders out against him. As we discussed yesterday, many of us feel sympathy for Taylor as a victim of domestic abuse, but still question her motive for releasing those photos at this time. Taylor is a manipulative, conniving person with a slippery relationship with the truth. (See this video that someone sent in.) I do think she was horrifically abused, and that this is her story to tell, but that doesn’t make me see her as a likable person, just someone in a sad circumstance.

Entertainment Tonight announced that they’ll air an interview with Taylor next Tuesday. They also gave a timeline for those photos we just saw of her injuries:

“A source close to Taylor reveals that she underwent Lasik eye surgery on July 5. Days later, the source claims that she was hit by Russell so hard that her corneal flap was dislocated.

For the rest of the month of July, Taylor was not seen in public as her injuries healed. Her first public appearance after that was on August 1, at a press tour promoting season two of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”

Radar Online is reporting that Taylor was considering going a little more classy for her first interview following Russell’s death, and that she was in negotiations with Barbara Walters. Walters wanted to question her about the fact that she was living like a millionaire when she was broke, and ask her about the show possibly contributing to Russell’s death. Taylor couldn’t have that, so she went with the fluffier, easier option:

Walters had been Taylor’s first choice for the interview, but there were simply too many hurdles that the veteran journalist refused to comply with. “Taylor had a list of demands that Walters just wasn’t willing to go along with. Taylor didn’t want to be grilled about her participation on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills possibly contributing to Russell’s suicide. She didn’t want to be put on the hot seat regarding her spending habits. In the end, Entertainment Tonight was able to come to an agreement with Taylor that she was extremely comfortable with,” a source close to the situation tells us.

Taylor is now “beginning the process of dealing with probate and tax issues that she is now facing after Russell’s suicide. Russell left no will behind. Taylor is going to have to find a job in the very near future, beyond her work on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” the insider tells us.

[From Radar Online]

Well, I guess I don’t necessarily have to tune in to ET next week, since this interview is just going to be Taylor saying she had no idea her husband was suicidal and that she went through a lot behind closed doors. I really don’t see her opening up much, especially if she’s not willing to take responsibility for her overspending or talk about how RHOBH may have impacted her husband. (That’s all on him, but I think she should at least be willing to discuss it, even if she just gives a bland practiced statement on it.) I do feel sympathy for her as a victim of domestic violence, no one should have to endure that.

We heard last week that Taylor got a book deal, and that it will include the photos of her domestic violence injuries. Many of you pointed out that this could be the rollout for that book, although it’s strange to me that she would sell the photos first to ET and then turn around and put them in a book too.

On a more superficial note, don’t Taylor and Nancy O’Dell look like clones? That’s about all I’ll say on that matter. (Must bite tongue.)

These photos are from March.

Credit: WENN.com

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Taylor Armstrong has released (sold) photos of the abuse she suffered, allegedly at the hands of her late husband, Russell Armstrong. Entertainment Tonight aired about three photos of her bruised and battered face while she was being treated in the hospital. Taylor had to get plastic surgery to repair her eye. An “expert” gave the opinion that Taylor was either punched out to cause that black eye or pushed into something. It does look like typical abuse, and it bolsters the stories that Russell was abusive to Taylor, which are supported by similar stories and restraining orders taken out on him by two of his exes.

I don’t get why Taylor is releasing these now, when her abuser and the father of her child is dead. It’s not about smearing his memory to me or anything, like I understand why she would want to get her side of the story out there, but why now? It just seems like a bid for publicity, public sympathy and cash, which is frankly what we’ve seen from Taylor prior to her husband’s death. Maybe she wants to set the record straight that it wasn’t Russell who was the victim here, as his family has been portraying him as.

I’m going to be honest, I didn’t tape Real Housewives of Beverly Hills this week. I saw enough last week to never want to watch that show again.

It’s worth noting that the latest news on Real Housewife Adrienne Maloof and her husband, plastic surgeon Paul Nassif, is that they’re cutting back because they’re having financial trouble. Adrienne’s family owns the Palms Casino. On last week’s show, Adrienne and Paul served their guests the most expensive champagne in the world, Angel, at over $2,200 a bottle. That show is so over for me. I’m sorry for Taylor, but that doesn’t mean I have to like her or any of the other Housewives at all.