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Bravo facing more criticism over Armstrong suicide

By April MacIntyre Aug 18, 2011, 17:00 GMT

Mourning the loss: Taylor Armstrong and Daughter - Taylor Armstrong Evening of Beauty at the Long-Time-Liner Salon Grand Opening - Arrivals - Long-Time-Liner Salon - Beverly Hills, CA, USA © Claudio Uema / PR Photos

Bravo's reality TV soap series like the "Real Housewives" uses the participants in an unchecked psychological study of sorts.

For those willing to debase themselves and their families on screen, rewards bad behavior and overly dramatic interactions with more money and fame.

The recent suicide of Russell Armstrong, a maligned, soon to be ex husband of one of the "wives", Taylor Armstrong, has opened a can of culpability worms that has some attorneys in Hollywood rushing to see if there's a precedent setting case to be had.

The Wrap reported that Mr. Armstrong's grieving mother lays blame squarely on Bravo and said the show “brought him down.”

John Ann Hotchkiss was interviewed on HLN Wednesday evening, and laid out who she felt was to blame for her son's suicide. She said his reputation suffered in the editing and action during the series' filming and was "anxious" about the new season.

“’Mom, they’re just going to crucify me this season,’” he told his mother recently, Hotchkiss said. “I don’t know what to do. I’ll never survive it.’”

Hotchkiss also blamed the show for destroying her son’s marriage and noted Lisa Vanderpump specifically as one of the cast members who was particularly unkind.

“The bashing got so bad last season I had to stop watching. I just couldn’t bear it. I said, 'Russell can’t you stop this?'” Hotchkiss recalled. “He said, ‘No. All the network cares about are ratings. They don’t care if people are hurt, or if it destroys their marriage.’ And I watched it slowly destroy their marriage.”

Bravo has not commented on the suicide.