Bravo Will Re-Edit ‘Real Housewives’ in Wake of Suicide

  • Share
  • Read Later
Michael Kovac / Getty Images for One Voice

Taylor and Russell Armstrong on June 5, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California.

The show must go on, even in the face of tragedy.

Bravo has not yet determined if they’ll deviate from the originally-scheduled September 5th premiere date of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, but for now, the show’s producers are back in the cutting room.

Bravo president Frances Berwick says they’ve begun to re-edit the show following Monday’s suicide of Russell Armstrong.  Berwick declined to say which parts of the show were being edited, but it seems likely that they’ll cut or slim down scenes featuring the heated relationship between Armstrong and his estranged “Housewife” Taylor Armstrong.

(LIST: 32 Epic Moments in Reality-TV History)

The marital problems between Russell and Taylor Armstrong were a pivotal storyline of the first season, and the drama was expected to continue into season two. A screener copy of the premiere sent to journalists just a week before Russell Armstrong’s suicide showed the couple in counseling attempting to repair their destructive marriage.

But by all accounts their efforts were unsuccessful. Taylor Armstrong filed for divorce on July 15. While Russell had not yet responded to the request, he was concerned about his television portrayal on Real Housewives. He reportedly told his mother, “They’re just going to crucify me this season,” according to Headline News.

But in the wake of such sadness, it seems only proper of Bravo to attempt to improve Russell Armstrong’s portrayal.

Nick Carbone is a reporter at TIME. Find him on Twitter at @nickcarbone. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.

PHOTOS: Scenes From a Reality-TV Convention