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Kyle Richards Slams Accusations She’s Faking Marital Issues: ‘Dumbest Thing I’ve Ever Heard’
Kyle Richards has broken her silence about the rumors that she’s faking her marital issues amid her split from husband Mauricio Umansky in order to maintain “relevance.”
“What human being would create a story like this for? No offense, Alex. I love you and everybody with the show. But who would do that for ratings? Put their family through this,” Kyle, 53, told Bravo executive Alex Baskin on the “Bravo’s Hot Mic” podcast on Tuesday, November 14. “That is one of the dumbest things I’ve maybe ever heard in these 13 years. I’m going to pretend that I’m separated and torture my children so that people tune in? I mean, it’s just the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star added that she’s “not looking to be more relevant” after starring on the reality show for 13 years. “I would never put my family through this, ever, for … I almost said it was a dumb TV show, sorry!” Kyle continued.
The Bravo star concluded that the accusations are “so annoying” and “frustrating,” and they “couldn’t be any more different than who I am.”
News broke on July 3 that Kyle and Mauricio, 53, had split after 27 years of marriage.
“Kyle and Mauricio have been separated for a while now but are still living under the same roof. They remain amicable as they figure out what’s next for them and their family,” a source revealed to People at the time.
The couple responded to the report via Instagram the following day, shutting down divorce rumors but confirming that they’ve “had a rough year,” the “most challenging one” of their marriage.
“There has been no wrongdoing on anyone’s part,” their joint statement continued, seemingly referring to the rumors that Kyle cheated with close friend Morgan Wade. “Although we are in the public eye, we ask to be able to work through our issues privately. While it may be entertaining to speculate, please do not create false stories to fit a further salacious narrative.”
Both Kyle and Mauricio have gotten candid about their separation several times since then. While attending BravoCon on November 4, Kyle used the word “divorce” for the first time to describe their situation.
“I’ve been through a lot this year and it does change you,” the reality star said. “Losing my best friend to suicide, my divorce, all that has made me stronger. But it definitely changes you as a person.”
The next day, Kyle got emotional as she discussed the separation and their current family dynamic.
“We have a very strong family unit. My three girls [Alexia, Sophia and Portia] still live at home, so it’s still like, ‘Who’s going to be home for dinner tonight?’ in the family chat,” she said. “[Mauricio] was busy doing Dancing With the Stars, so he wasn’t around as much, but we’re just trying to figure it out. We know that we love each other.”
Kyle continued as she held back tears, “A lot of people say, ‘What are you doing? Pull it together. Fix everything.’ Obviously, that’s what I want. This was not my idea of a fairytale, clearly.”
