Maury Povich Talks 'Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills' Suicide

Legendary talk show host Maury Povich is celebrating being number one for the last 12 weeks -- thanks to Oprah Winfrey. Embarking on his 14th season of "Maury," he knows real drama -- and that's the exact reason Povich is no fan of "Jersey Shore" or "The Real Housewives."

“I know my stuff is real. It’s not set up. It's not scripted,” Povich tells me, scratching his head when asked about "The Real Housewives." “They rehearse these things on those reality shows. I shouldn’t say a lot about 'The Real housewives' because they are on Bravo which is owned by NBC which owns my show.”

However, following the suicide of "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" husband, Russell Armstrong, Maury remembers how a death of a person who appeared on "The Jenny Jones Show" changed his own show forever.

“I think every talk show got a real straightening when the 'Jenny Jones' incident happened,” Maury tells me on the set of "New York Live." “We all wanted to be very real and have follow up care. And we are not just going to bring them on the show, exploit them and let them go back home.”

It’s too early to tell if Armstrong’s suicide will have any real impact on reality TV. But several cast members from the "Housewives" franchise tell me that no professional help has ever been available to them, no matter how big their problems may be.

Hopefully Armstrong’s suicide will act as a wake up call to reality TV the same way the "Jenny Jones" incident did for the talk show arena. It’s all too easy to forget these are real people.

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Comments

[maybesomeday]

11:11 AM on 09/23/2011

This woman is really a nobody who got picked to be on a reality show about housewives. She was actually being the flashiest with her supposed riches, while the other women on that show actually have money. I think from the very beginning I disliked her, that birthday party for a 4 year old. Who spends $60,000.00 on a 4 year olds birthday? There is just something about her that was never geniune to me.
She tried to hard to be like the other women who really are rich, she just didn't come off as a rich beverly hills housewife to me.
I didn't believe half of what she was saying during the entire first season, she was a troublemaker, she tried to split up a fragile relationship with the Hilton sisters, I never trusted her actions or her words on that show.
So I'm one of those who doesn't actually believe her when she might be telling the truth. As Rusell's said about the pictures she recently sold, those were pictures that were taken after one of her many plastic surgeries, that I believe.
What now that Russell's dead, she thinks she can just say whatever she wants and we are all to believe it. No way! Bravo you need to get rid of this useless housewife. Her husband made a deal with the deal when he signed up for this show. Sadly he is gone now and we will never know the real truth.

[maybesomeday]

11:03 AM on 09/23/2011

Maybe Taylor's telling the truth.Now with his death, she can say whatever she wants and is getting paid to show pictures of what she is now calling abuse.
I know I kept my abuse a well kept secret, but I didn't wait until my husband was dead to make those claims. I also wasn't on a reality show where ratings are important and the juicer the details the better the ratings.
To me it looks like she's abused herself more with plastic surgery than any fist hitting her. How could someone bust open her mouth when her mouth goes from ear to ear? Okay, being sarcastic here about that.
I suppose it's you either believe her or you don't because the abuser is dead now. He can't defend her claims against him.
And personally speaking I think it's so lousy of her to be speaking publically about a very sensitive matter. She's not a star, she's not even a celebrity, she's someone who gained 15 minutes of fame from a reality show, so I do not believe her when I really know nothing about who she is. She has a child to raise now, and with every word she says to the media, and for every dime she takes for any "proof" pictures she sells, she's selling out to those who have really been in abusive relationships.

[eastsideny]

06:16 AM on 09/23/2011

forget about maury, just about the worst and meaningless talk show host. regarding russel's death as well as his business parnter, i smell a rat. i think they were running a ponzi scheme and had one very dissatisfied client. i understand taylor, abuse can be mind twisting. though , in her case, she certainly had enough money to leave him. but she was obsessed with being on tv, obsessed with her looks, anorexic, and in need of plenty of help that she did not seek out. bravo doesn't really care about her well being so she's misguided there also (as she stated on dr. phil yesterday). i feel sorry taylor... she has so many problems.and i don't see her girlfriends helping out. they should have intervened and committed her for help. that would be a true friend.

[jorczak9]

11:31 PM on 09/22/2011

Real Housewives of New Jersey is a wasteland of nonsensical, bitter, fake, plastic-surgery addicted, selfish, egotistical, love-deprived women. It's a grown-up version of Toddlers And Tiaras. I feel like vomiting when I channel-surf and watch a portion of this show. It reminds me to hug my parents, treasure my friends, cuddle with my dog and do nice things on a daily basis for strangers. They need to rename this show Real Trashbuckets of New Jersey.

[driverstest]

11:04 PM on 09/22/2011

Maury "you are not the father" Povich offended at anything other than his own show is a joke!

[van50c]

09:56 PM on 09/22/2011

The pot calling the kettle black.

[GeneMartin10]

09:55 PM on 09/22/2011

Maury Povich is the personification of what is worst in America. His show takes the lowest of the low and showcases them in the worst possible light. The majority of people on his show are such trash they don't even recognize the landfill.

[jaslyn]

09:13 PM on 09/22/2011

yea, you have a real classy unscripted show of women trying to find out who's their baby daddy . Whatever Maury, get a grip.

[Audrey Keels]

08:22 PM on 09/22/2011

Oh Please Maury...Every time you say he is not the baby's daddy, the mom jumps up, runs to the stairs falls down on the couch and you coming running to hover over her. Not scripted...pfft!

[avercos]

08:21 PM on 09/22/2011

"No professional help has been available to them, no matter how big their problems have been."

REALLY?? These people live in multi-million dollar homes, I think they can afford to hire their own psychiatrists.

[lrscm]

06:35 PM on 09/22/2011

Bravo and NBC has allowed Taylor Armstrong to make some very demeaning comments about her dead husband. This is shameful because he is not here to defend himself, tell his side of the story or call it a lie. All I can do is stop watching all the Bravo shows and possibly NBC also. NO loss to me in the end, lots of other options.

[momosthought]

08:40 PM on 09/22/2011

Bravo and NBC did not "allow" Taylor to make comments. She's a free woman and can speck when she wishes. He husband killed himself, that does not mean that Taylor cannot tell the truth. Especially when she has been so vilified, for absolutely nothing. I saw his side of the story in the pictures of her from the hospital, when she was lucky she didn't lose an eye.

[lrscm]

06:26 PM on 09/23/2011

Sorry but Taylor is under contract and she is not "free" to make any comment she likes. Bravo and NBC are cashing in on this story and I'm ashamed of them. You asume Taylor's comments about the abuse are the truth, but you cannot know this and the man you accuse is not here to say differently. The pictures you mention are already being challenged by friends so don't be so quick to believe everything you read. My point was and remains that since Mr. Armstrong died, it's not fair or right for Taylor to be doing this to his memory especially since it may or may not be true.

[cassidj]

04:08 PM on 09/22/2011

Maury is the same, week after week. I don't understand how he can stay on the air without mixing things up a bit.

[Bobbie LeVan]

03:59 PM on 09/22/2011

one cannot compare the death from the jenny jones show to russell armstrong's death on real housewives of beverly hills. the guy on jenny jones was set up and put in a situation he was not expecting. russell had the option of not appearing on housewives at all. he chose to appear on it. furthermore, his suicide had nothing to do with the show, although it seems he blamed it to some people, but he was refusing to take total responsibility for his actions. he had a whole lot of problems with his business and money, and he was also abusing his wife, and this abuse is what he was afraid would come out. the show didn't set him up to become suicidal. russell's actions or inactions are what caused him to do what he did, which is a terrible tragedy, but it's a low blow to blame it on the show. on jenny jones, this guy was told that someone had a crush on him, and it turned out to be a guy and he could not handle it. he was totally set up, and eventually murdered this guy

[jerianne02]

03:33 PM on 09/22/2011

I miss Phil Donahue!

[tenstar1]

07:30 PM on 09/22/2011

Phil had some class. No class Maury and Jerry have taken over. Reflects on how stupid and low class our society has become . The people in these audiences are digusting and have no morals. They rute on violence. Disgusting.

[Juliawerck]

02:03 PM on 09/22/2011

On this issue, I can not beleive I agree with anything he says. This show is so unrealistic and shows the over use of money in extreme excess. 2200k for a bottle champagne these ladies drink and just viewing the show for less than 20 minutes it was disgusting the way these Women waste money. Too much clothes, too much everything. They are all addicted to Plastic Surgery and money. A very sick show. These Women should all be ashamed to be involved in such a show where money means nothing except material things and where they can travel. Pure trash to the extreme.