( CNN ) -- Russell Armstrong complained before his apparent suicide that his estranged wife 's reality show was going to `` crucify '' him in its upcoming season , his mother said Wednesday . John Ann Hotchkiss said Armstrong and his wife Taylor , a cast member on Bravo 's `` The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills , '' had been happy before they agreed to join the reality show . Once it aired , `` I watched it slowly destroy their marriage , '' she told HLN 's `` Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell . '' `` Before the new season even started , before he took his life , he said , 'Mom , they 're just going to crucify me this season , ' `` Hotchkiss said . `` He said , ' I do n't know what to do . I 'll never survive it . ' I thought he meant businesswise or something , '' Hotchkiss said . `` Perhaps there was a double meaning there . I do n't know . '' Russell Armstrong was found dead at a home in the hills above the Los Angeles suburb of Bel Air on Monday , police said . His wife had filed for divorce in July , telling People magazine that she was verbally and physically abused during their nearly six-year marriage . Hotchkiss said her son was upset by the criticism of other cast members and complained that `` All the network cares about are ratings . '' `` I know it hurt him deeply , because he would talk to me about it -- never criticizing Taylor , of course , '' she said . `` I know it brought him down . '' Bravo did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday . In a statement posted on the network 's website , Executive Vice President Andy Cohen said the network was `` still trying to process yesterday 's very sad news '' and trying to figure out what to do with the upcoming season of the show , which had been set to premiere September 5 . Armstrong 's lawyer , Ronald Richards , said the allegations of verbal and physical abuse stemmed from `` drunk arguments '' between the couple . Meanwhile , Armstrong was financially drained , had been defending himself against a multimillion-dollar lawsuit and his credit cards had been suspended -- all pressures Richards said were made worse by the show . `` He takes a lot of time , doing a lot of events for the show , and he starts supporting an increasingly more expensive lifestyle , '' Richards told HLN . `` So he ends up being in a very vulnerable position financially , because he 's totally distracted now , supporting the show . And then these constant press reports about negative things about him hurt his capital business . '' Richards said the couple should be edited out of the upcoming show , `` and he should rest in peace . '' Watch ISSUES with Jane Velez-Mitchell Monday through Sunday at 7pm ET on HLN . For the latest from ISSUES click here .
Russell Armstrong 's mother says show `` slowly destroy '' her son 's marriage . Armstrong appears to have hanged himself Monday , police say . Score: 6