On Wednesday’s episode of Watch What Happens LiveWith Andy Cohen, Kyle Richards delved into speculation surrounding the initial July 2023 story that surfaced about her marriage ending to Mauricio Umansky.
Cohen didn't shy away from the pressing question during the show, asking Richards directly, "Who do you think planted the story about Kyle and Mauricio’s marriage?"
Richards responded with uncertainty, stating, "No, I don’t know. I think that, I really don’t know, I really don’t know. I mean, Mau has some ideas, and he was really upset about it, I was too, I have no idea."
She elaborated further, suggesting that such rumors often stem from a game of hearsay, saying, "I mean, if someone hears something, and they tell a friend who tells a friend."
Cohen continued to probe, asking Richards if her and Mauricio's relationship had inspired others. "In the past, did Kyle and Mauricio make you believe in love?" he questioned.
Richards' response was reflective, acknowledging the impact on herself and her estranged husband and their children. She revealed the emotional toll of negative messages they received, juxtaposed against an outpouring of support, saying, "I think that it’s not just that. Obviously, it’s my children, myself, but when you see these messages, and I have an unbelievable amount of support, incredible messages from people, but you do get those messages that make you feel bad."
She further expressed sadness over the insinuation that their relationship might have been a facade, remarking, "I see them, and it does make me sad, and some people thought we were faking it for all of those years. Who would hang in there for decades?"
Wednesday’s RHOBH finale was filled with relationship drama between Richards and Umanksy.
The episode centered around the couple's annual white party, which Kyle told the cameras she'd "much rather put my energy and focus" into than "all the stuff I'm dealing with in my personal life."
The real drama, however, happened one month after the big bash when news broke of Kyle and Mauricio's separation. The news rocked the group, given that Kyle had downplayed her marital problems throughout the season.
Dorit Kemsley told her husband that "Kyle never, ever gave an indication that they were separating," which PK called "pretty f**ked up." Annemarie Wiley wondered if "the People magazine exclusive came from Kyle as a way to get ahead of what everyone else is saying about her." Crystal Kung Minkoff's husband, Rob, speculated that Morgan Wade leaked the story, while Sutton Stracke told Garcelle Beauvais, "I think that Kyle was lying to us this whole time. To me, this is sus. The whole thing."
A day after the initial news, Kyle and Mauricio released a statement acknowledging their rocky year, but denying that they were getting divorced.
"When the People magazine article came out, I was with Mau and the girls and all of our phones just started blowing up," Kyle told the cameras after the fact. "Mau was really focused on who gave the story, and I was more focused on how it's affecting all of us. I saw Alexia start to cry."
Through tears, Kyle continued, "We got in the car all of us and it was this weird [thing]. Nobody knew what to do or say. It just felt like my whole life was over in that moment, the life as I knew it."
On The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills: After Show, Kyle expanded on that moment calling it "a day I'll never forget."
"We hadn't fully discussed it with our kids, which I'm embarrassed to say now, because I just wasn't ready and Mau wasn't ready either," Kyle explained. "... When this article came out, we were all literally loading up the car to go paddle boarding down the river in Aspen... My whole body went numb... We talked about it, driving up to the river. And then we said, 'You guys, we just really want to enjoy our day. Let's really just put this aside and enjoy our day.' We were able to."
"But then when we got back, the girls... they couldn't stop crying. They said they feel like somebody died," she continued. "... My phone was blowing up and it was so anxiety provoking. That forced us to sort of have to face [things]."
Making matters worse, Kyle explained, "By chance, the next day, Mau and the girls, their show was filming in Aspen at our house. So it was like, great, now I've got all these cameras here."
Back on the RHOBH finale, Erika Jayne came over to speak to Kyle, who broke down about the state of her relationship.
"I think the hardest part about what we're going through is there isn't one big, huge thing. That's the hardest part for me," Kyle told her friend. "There's things that I've been needing and wanting more from my marriage that I just can't get. Since that article came out, I'm seeing, 'Oh, obviously it's because Mau cheated' or now 'Kyle has cheated.' There's literally nothing to do with anybody else. It's really just about Mau and me. It's not about our family. It's not about external family. It's not about another person on his side or my side. This is just about Mau and me."
Kyle went on to reflect about initially being "complete opposites" with Mauricio, something that changed as they grew.
"We've been together since our early 20s. It is very admirable, and it's always been something I'm very proud of. I'm not proud right now, because it's a letdown for me, for him, for the kids, for people who don't even know us," she said. "Complete strangers are like, 'We looked up to you guys. You made us believe in true love.'"
A week later, Kyle and Mauricio decided to gather their daughters for a heart-to-heart. The couple are parents to Alexia, 27, Sophia, 24, and Portia, 16. Kyle is also mom to Farrah, 35, from a previous relationship.
"I feel like my kids have basically lived a fairy tale, but then I thought the article coming out, they felt like the rug had been pulled out from underneath them because things are worse than we let on to be," Kyle said in a confessional. "I just felt so bad to let them down, because we really did have an amazing marriage for a long time."
In front of their girls, Mauricio explained, "We haven't told you guys everything because we try to protect you. And then all of a sudden you kind of get blindsided by this public news and then you don't know about it and it's probably difficult."
While Kyle noted that her family is no stranger to rumors, Sophia pointed out, "All of those other times they were just rumors that came out of nowhere, and this time we all know that you guys aren't having the best year, so it kind of hit a little different. And then everyone reaching out made it that much more overwhelming."
As for what they plan to do in their romance, Kyle said, "The fact that we are so busy and working, it's like we can take this time and have a little space while working through our stuff."
That prompted the kids to wonder if their parents needed more space from each other. Though Mauricio was quick to say "not necessarily, no." Kyle disagreed.
"We are trying to figure out what we want and trying to work through this. I don't want to leave and I don't want Dad to leave, so we're doing this while we're under the same roof, so that's been the plan," she said. "And if we feel that's not working, not effective, then we will go to the next step, which I don't know. Or if it is working, then great."
As the girls broke down in tears, Kyle assured them, "We're not broken, just bent. We're a very strong family and we always will be. Always will be."
In her final confessional of the season, Kyle seemed to suggest that there may have been one big reason that she and Mauricio separated.
"I've come to realize that there's a big chance that we're not going to end up together," she said. "There were things that happened that made me lose my trust that I wasn't able to recover from. I just want to be at peace wherever I'm at 'cause I haven't really had that."
According to an onscreen update, "Kyle and Mauricio continue to live their lives... separately." That text was punctuated by headlines of Kyle spending time with Morgan, and Mauricio being photographed with Anitta and Lele Pons.
Then, in a preview for the upcoming season 13 reunion, Cohen asks Kyle about infidelity rumors in her marriage and questions, "Could you see yourself with Morgan?" The preview doesn't show a tearful Kyle's response, so fans will have to wait until it airs to see how she responded.
Then, on the RHOBH: After Show, Kyle, through tears, addressed where she and Mauricio go from here.
"It's so hard to keep seeing the stories over and over and over about our life, our marriage, my life, and him, just constantly seeing it online, being scrutinized, [seeing] lies, it's so maddening," she said. "It can make you crazy... It just makes me sad and frustrated with things that aren't true."
"We get along and we're under the same roof. It's not always easy every day," Kyle continued. "... I always thought that I knew what my future looked like and now not, it feels scary. But I know I at least have my girls. [They] make me feel supported and grateful."
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Wednesdays on Bravo.
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