‘I Can Finally Say the Word Single’: Kyle Richards Unpacks Separation Truths, the ‘Superpower’ of Sobriety, and Why Dorit Drama is Now ‘Worse’ Than Ever
Kyle Richards is officially a reality television icon. As she enters an unprecedented 15th season, securing her title as the longest-running Real Housewife across all franchises, she has survived more on-screen conflict, public scrutiny, and personal upheaval than any of her peers. Yet, her latest revelation proves that even a veteran of the format can be blindsided by life. In a recent, profoundly honest interview, Richards peeled back the curtain on the most difficult period of her life—her separation from husband Mauricio Umansky—and emerged with a new, powerful status: “I can finally say the word single.”
Richards is no stranger to putting her private pain on public display, but the past year presented challenges that almost drove her to quit the show that made her a household name. She confessed that after years of navigating the often-toxic world of reality television, she hit a personal wall, a moment of such emotional distress that she broke her own long-standing rule of commitment to the job.
The Breaking Point: When the Cameras Had to Stop
The veteran Housewife has always prided herself on being reliable, recalling that throughout her entire 15-season run, she has never once called in sick, never canceled an interview, and never failed to show up for a shoot. That streak ended in a pivotal, painful moment last year.
She described the dramatic walk-off from Dorit Kemsley’s spa party as the moment she truly decided she was done. “That was really my moment of, ‘I’m not doing this anymore. I just can’t. I don’t have it in me’,” she admitted. It was an involuntary, desperate act that signaled the depth of her struggle to hold herself together amid the private chaos of her life unraveling. The production team, recognizing her desperation, granted her the rare reprieve, telling her to take the time and space she needed.
Reflecting on that dark period, Richards acknowledges the strength she discovered in the aftermath. “I feel a lot stronger than I did last year, and I feel good. You know, I’m a lot lighter than I was. So I’m ready to have some fun again.” The path to this newfound lightness, however, was fraught with emotional difficulty, especially in coming to terms with the profound change in her marital status.
Embracing ‘Single’: The Scariest Part is Over
For months, Richards and Umansky maintained an ambiguous status, separated but not divorced, creating a grey area that led to constant public questioning. Richards now offers the clearest definition of her status yet, definitively stating she can “finally say the word single.”
She is quick to clarify that this status does not translate to actively dating. Richards is not on any dating apps, nor is she aggressively seeking out romance. Her focus has been on finding her footing in this dramatically altered life. She transitioned from a full house—with her husband, four daughters, and numerous dogs—to a much quieter existence with just two daughters at home, as Mauricio and Alexia moved out. This sudden, immense change took a significant toll.
Her resilience, however, has shone through. She admits that what scared her most was the idea of being alone. “The scariest part was thinking what would it be like to be alone. Would it be scary? And I’m not afraid of that anymore,” she affirmed. Her current priority remains grounded in her family, her work, and navigating big events like her daughter Alexia’s beautiful wedding. Her emotional adjustment is evident; she’s reached a stage where she can now have a conversation about her separation “without crying,” something that was impossible just a year ago. She is now able to joke and tease Mauricio about their situation, a sign of true emotional progress.
The Unraveling: Why Divorce Isn’t Easy for the Umanskys
The public has consistently wondered why Richards and Umansky have not yet formalized their split with a divorce filing, given the duration of their separation. Richards provided a detailed explanation, stressing the logistical and emotional complexity of disentangling a life built over decades.
“We’ve been together so long and there’s so much that goes into this life that we created, and it’s just there’s a lot that would have to go into it to, you know, have it unravel too,” she explained. For now, the amicable arrangement works: they live separately but remain good friends, prioritizing their children and maintaining mutual care and respect. This civility is so strong that they plan to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas together as a family, continuing cherished traditions until there is a clear reason not to. While she assumes divorce will happen eventually, she is taking things “a day at a time.”
This unique, high-road separation provides a fascinating contrast to the situation of her castmate, Dorit Kemsley, a distinction Richards believes is contributing to her own renewed conflict with Dorit.
Worse Than Ever: The Dorit Kemsley Fallout
The biggest bombshell about the upcoming season centers on her once-close friendship with Dorit Kemsley. Richards expressed immense surprise and disappointment that, despite both women going through similar difficult separations, they failed to lean on each other. Last year, she remembers arguing, “We’re both going through this difficult separation, like we should be leaning on each other, not arguing.”
Richards had entered the new season with hope, noting that their relationship started out “much better” than she expected. However, the reconciliation was short-lived. In a shocking update, she confessed that the dynamic has now devolved into something far more toxic, declaring that her relationship with Dorit is currently “worse.”
She believes the key difference in their marital situations exacerbated the friction. Dorit has already filed for divorce from PK and is reportedly clashing with him. Richards and Mauricio, by contrast, are getting along well. She feels the difference in their respective “very different situations” made it difficult for the two women to move forward together.
The ‘Brad or Angelina’ Defense
Richards also finally addressed the line from the season trailer that instantly became a viral headline: her quip about potentially going “Brad or Angelina.” She confirmed the comment was less about genuine romantic exploration and more about a desperate attempt to fend off relentless questions.
The comment was made at a dating event hosted by Dorit. As people kept hounding her about what her “type” was, Richards realized she needed a dramatic exit strategy. “I gave them what I knew they wanted to hear and it made everybody laugh, and I thought, ‘Okay, good. I made them laugh and now hopefully they’ll just move on and just let me be now’,” she revealed. It was a successful tactical ploy to get the cameras and the cast to back off the intense scrutiny of her dating life, confirming that the high-profile joke was, in essence, a strategic distraction.
Regrets, Redemption, and a Sober “Superpower”
A 15-year career on a reality show inevitably comes with a list of regrets, and Richards did not shy away from naming her biggest one: the explosive limo argument with her sister, Kim Richards, during the show’s inaugural season.
She lamented that the argument played out without the audience understanding the deeper context of her sister’s struggles with alcoholism. Richards felt she handled the situation “all wrong” due to her own anger at the time. The lasting lesson from that painful public event was one of profound empathy. She realized that she and her family viewed themselves as “victims” of Kim’s alcoholism, but that she needed to shift her perspective to realize that Kim was a “victim herself” and unwell. It was a painful moment of public exposure that ultimately led to deep personal growth and a better understanding of addiction.
This path of personal development is also reflected in her sobriety. Richards revealed that choosing to be sober while filming in a frequently alcohol-soaked environment has given her an edge. She calls sobriety her “superpower,” noting that when she watches the women have a few too many cocktails, she has complete clarity. “I had a lot less anxiety,” she said, and the benefit of being able to state definitively how events went down the next day is a huge asset.
Richards also shared positive updates on her family, confirming that her relationships with her sisters, Kim and Kathy, are currently strong, which she says is a huge relief heading into the holiday season. The family unity, coupled with her personal clarity, shows a woman who has endured the storm and is finally in a better, lighter space. As she prepares to welcome new faces like Rachel Zoe and Amanda—the latter of whom had a rocky introduction to the cast—and navigate the continued awkwardness of run-ins with former friends Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd, Kyle Richards is entering her 15th season armed with a new sense of peace and the resilience of a woman who has survived her greatest fears.
