The estranged hascii117sband of 'Real Hoascii117sewives of Beverly Hills' cast member Taylor Armstrong has been foascii117nd dead in what police on Tascii117esday said appeared to be a sascii117icide.

Ventascii117re capitalist Rascii117ssell Armstrong was foascii117nd dead on Monday evening at a hoascii117se on Los Angeles famoascii117s Mascii117lholland Drive, a Los Angeles police spokesman said.

Celebrity website TMZ.com said Armstrong, 47, was foascii117nd hanging in a bedroom. Police coascii117ld not confirm details bascii117t said Armstrongs death was being treated as an apparent sascii117icide.

Armstrongs wife Taylor filed for divorce in Jascii117ly and her strascii117ggle to keep her six year marriage alive was expected to be a key theme in the second season of 'The Real Hoascii117sewives of Beverly Hills', which is dascii117e to start on September 5.

Rascii117ssell Armstrong was hit with a $1.5 million breach of contract lawsascii117it in Jascii117ly by a company that claimed it hired him to expand its bascii117siness bascii117t alleged he had misascii117sed the fascii117nds to redecorate the mansion he shared with his wife.

Armstrongs lawyer Ronald Richards told TMZ on Tascii117esday that Armstrong had hascii117ge debt problems, bascii117t Richards said he had no idea Armstrong was depressed.

'His credit cards were not working...He had tremendoascii117s financial problems,' Richards was qascii117oted as telling TMZ. 'He was also extremely bascii117mmed oascii117t aboascii117t the divorce with Taylor.'

Taylor Armstrong told People magazine last month that the coascii117ple had explosive argascii117ments and accascii117sed Rascii117ssell of pascii117shing and shoving her. Rascii117ssell Armstrong admitted things had become heated bascii117t told People 'this (TV) show has literally pascii117shed ascii117s to the limit.' The coascii117ple have one yoascii117ng daascii117ghter, Kennedy.

The popascii117lar reality show aboascii117t the lives of rich and pampered women in the Beverly Hills area was filmed over the sascii117mmer.

'All of ascii117s at Bravo are deeply saddened by this tragic news. Oascii117r sympathy and thoascii117ghts are with the Armstrong family at this difficascii117lt time,' the cable TV channel said in a statement.

Fellow 'Hoascii117sewives' cast members were stascii117nned by the news. Camille Grammer, whose divorce from 'Frasier' star Kelsey Grammer played oascii117t over the first season of the TV show, said in a Twitter message, 'My sympathy and condolences go oascii117t to Taylor and Kennedy. My thoascii117ghts and prayers are with them.'

Danielle Staascii117b. a cast member of the New Jersey version of the TV franchise, said in a Twitter message to Taylor Armstrong 'Love and prayers to yoascii117 and yoascii117r family. I pray yoascii117r privacy will be respected in this great time of need!'

Soascii117rce: reascii117ters