Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky have addressed speculation that they are ending their 27-year marriage.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (RHOB) stars said the rumours of an imminent divorce were “untrue”, after a source claimed they “have been separated for a while now” in a report by People this week.
In a statement posted to her Instagram on Tuesday morning (4 July), Richards, 54, wrote: “In regards to the news that came out about us today… Any claims regarding us divorcing are untrue.”
She admitted that the couple “have had a rough year”, adding that it was “the most challenging one of our marriage”.
“But we both love and respect each other tremendously,” Richards continued. “There has been no wrongdoing on anyone’s part.
“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.”
She concluded the post by thanking fans for their “love and support”.
The socialite’s statement comes after a source told People on Monday (3 July): “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.”
Richards has been on the cast of Bravo’s RHOB since 2010, with Umansky, 53, making regular appearances over the last 13 years. Umansky is also the star of Netflix reality series Buying Beverly Hills, which features his real estate business with two of the couple’s daughters as agents.
In 2013, Umansky told People that what viewers see on RHOB is how his and Richards’ relationship really is. “We’re the same, with or without cameras. We’re just super real and we know each other and we’re real. We don’t have any secrets to hide. That’s one thing we talked about, the skeletons in our closet, and we can handle our worst skeletons.”
Earlier this year, the couple were hit with divorce rumours after Richards was photographed without her wedding ring. Umansky denied the speculation at the time.
Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky attend the Homeless Not Toothless Hollywood Gala at The Beverly Hilton on April 22, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Homeless Not Toothless)— (Getty Images for Homeless Not To)
In an appearance on the podcast Two T’s in a Pod, hosted by Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave and Tamra Judge, the real estate broker said: “We’re not getting divorced. I mean, it’s so dumb. That one stupid story that came out there and then the girls all, you know, decided to talk about it on the Housewives, and so now it’s a storyline.”
Richards and Umansky first met in 1994 and married in January 1996. They share three daughters, Alexia, 27, Sophia, 23, and Portia, 15.
Richards was previously married to Guraish Aldjufrie, with whom she shares 34-year-old daughter Farrah Brittany.
