Kyle Richards, the longest-running housewife in the Real Housewives franchise, opened up on Friday about her tumultuous journey on *The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills* (RHOBH). At 56, she reflected on her 15-year stint, admitting she’s thought about quitting countless times, while also dishing on her strained relationship with co-star Dorit Kemsley, 49, and her ex Mauricio Umansky, 55. But the real shocker? Her candid revelations about divorce talks—or the lack thereof—and her ongoing sobriety battle, which have fans buzzing about the “scariest” parts of her life.
“I never thought I’d be here 15 years for sure,” Kyle told USA TODAY on December 5. “If I’m going to have a title, I guess that’s a good one to have.” Despite her record-breaking run, Kyle confessed she’s mentally quit the show “so many times.” Now, she takes it day by day: “I just roll with it and see what happens.”
The idea of leaving hit hardest after season 14, amid the fallout from her separation from Mauricio. Kyle revealed she was tempted to walk away but held back due to fear of change. “When this has been such a big part of your life for 15 years, and you’re close with not only the cast … but the crew, the producers who become family, and just your everyday in and out. It would’ve been a very big change and another loss,” she explained. “I felt like I had already gone through loss in the last few years, so I was nervous about that.”
She added that the fun moments on the show often get lost amid the drama: “[Plus], we [have] a lot of fun. I think you do see that, but sometimes when there’s so much drama, I feel like that gets overshadowed.”
Looking back, Kyle admitted she underestimated the show’s intensity when she joined. “That can’t be too difficult,” she recalled thinking. After watching other franchises, she figured, “Well, that’s them. I’m not going to be arguing with anybody.” But that illusion shattered quickly.
One early low point was the season one trip to New York, where the cast nearly bailed. “None of us were used to this,” Kyle said. “That was the difference between being with that cast and now. We were all on this together as season one people, so we were learning as we went along, and when it got really intense – and it really did, and it was all very authentic – we were just like, ‘I can’t do this.'”
Season one also featured a explosive argument with her sister, Kim Richards, 61. Kyle called family conflicts the hardest part of the series: “Arguments with my sisters over these 15 years, that’s absolutely the most difficult thing I’ve gone through. [It’s] hard to have personal family stuff play out in front of the cameras and then have millions of people watching, weighing in, taking sides, thinking they know things they don’t know or all of it.”
Another infamous moment? The season five Amsterdam trip, culminating in a fight between Kim and Lisa Rinna, 62. “Amsterdam was one of those moments where we all said we all want to go home,” Kyle shared. “After that infamous dinner, we all sat around, for those of us that were speaking to each other, and said, ‘We just want to go home. It’s too much.'”
As for season 15, Kyle teased a “disappointing” cast trip where things blew up with Dorit. “It set us way back. So unfortunately, we’re going to have to work through that once again, which we had made progress and now we’re worse off than ever,” she admitted. “So it was upsetting because we’re the ones that have been there the longest and the closest, and I really did not want or expect anything like that to ever happen.”
While she believes “there’s always a way back” to their friendship, it’s all about “timing.” In a separate chat with Us Weekly on December 4, Kyle elaborated on her frustration with Dorit, who questioned her sobriety after seeing her with what looked like champagne (but was non-alcoholic). “I still have not had any alcohol now for three years and five months,” Kyle affirmed. She described Dorit as “not open-minded to listening,” adding, “And when she has something in her head, that’s it. It’s really frustrating to try to have a conversation with her.”
Their attempts to mend things? “We tried to fix things, and it was like two steps forward, three steps back. I would love to say we’re in a better place now, but it got worse [amid season 15], and things came to blows in Italy when Erika was part of that, too. That part’s been hard.”
But the scariest revelations came about her personal life. On her dynamic with Mauricio, Kyle said they “get along very well” and co-parent smoothly. “We always have [gotten along]. Fighting was not an issue in our marriage. It probably would’ve been better if we did fight sometimes, to be honest,” she noted. “We like each other and we respect each other. We want the best for each other. We’re doing great with coparenting. I don’t know how we’re able to do this, but I’m very grateful.”
Shockingly, divorce hasn’t even been discussed. “[Divorce] literally has not come up. We separated and we’re living our lives separately. I’m not just saying that – we literally have not had that (divorce) conversation, which is very confusing to a lot of people, but I think it’s because we’re navigating through this really well,” she continued. “And we’re like, OK – and obviously you’ve been with someone that many years and we have businesses and properties and we’re getting along – well there’s been nothing to push either one of us to do that, so who knows.”
Kyle’s story of holding on to RHOBH despite the chaos, her deteriorating bond with Dorit, and the eerie limbo in her marriage—coupled with her steadfast sobriety—paint a picture of resilience amid uncertainty. Fans are left wondering: What’s next for the queen of Beverly Hills?