It was hard for Kyle Richards to hide her struggles with Mauricio Umansky on season 13 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Us Weekly confirmed in July 2023 that Kyle and Mauricio had separated after 27 years of marriage. The Bravo stars, who got married in 1996, denied at the time that they were moving forward with a divorce, but shared a joint social media statement detailing their “rough year.”
“We both love and respect each other tremendously,” they wrote at the time “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.”
Their statement appeared to indirectly address rumors surrounding the nature of Kyle’s friendship with country star Morgan Wade. When the RHOBH season 13 trailer was released in October 2023, Morgan was briefly featured as Kyle tattooed her “K” initial on the singer’s arm, which raised some eyebrows for Dorit Kemsley. Both Kyle and Morgan have denied anything romantic was going on between them. As of November 2023, Kyle and Mauricio are officially separated and sleeping in separate rooms of their house.
Another question about Kyle and Mauricio’s relationship raised in the RHOBH trailer was ongoing infidelity rumors directed at Mauricio that have been swirling for years. Previously, Kyle and Mauricio denied that anyone stepped out on their relationship during the Bravo show’s fourth season.
Kyle and Mauricio’s marriage has been one of the focal points of season 13, which started airing in late October 2023.
Keep scrolling to read Kyle’s subtle hints to her and Mauricio’s separation during RHOBH season 13:
The Tattoo Argument
Tensions were high between Kyle and Mauricio in the final scene during the season 13 premiere, especially as they discussed her two new tattoos — totaling five.
“Seriously? I only knew of three,” Mauricio told his wife. Kyle hit back, saying, “Well maybe you should be looking at my body closer.”
Mauricio noted that he “will not allow” Kyle to get any more tattoos. “You didn’t even know how many I had. … If I want one I’m going to get one. It’s my body,” she hit back.
Calling The Agency ‘The Other Woman’
When the second RHOBH season 13 episode aired in November 2023, Kyle referred to Mauricio’s real estate company, The Agency, as “the other woman” in their relationship.
“I think that he’s poured his heart and soul into The Agency,” she said. “We’ve always been on the same page and in sync, and right now it does not feel like we are in sync. It feels like lately he is consumed with The Agency and his work.”
What Mauricio’s Mom Said
The second episode of season 13 also showcased Kyle and Mauricio’s youngest daughter, Portia, celebrating her 15th birthday. During the party, Mauricio’s mom, Estella Sneider, cornered Kyle and asked for a marriage update.
“Everything is OK with you and Mauricio, right?” she asked. “Every time I open Google, there was something about you guys separating, divorcing. It got to a point in which I called Mauricio. … It’s too much. Who started this?”
Kyle noted she was “taken aback” by the question, noting that speculation first arose after she was photographed without her wedding ring in February 2023.
“Yes, Mau and I have been having a hard time, but the picture of me without my ring has nothing to do with that,” Kyle said. “I’ve still been wearing a wedding band, so why are people saying that because of one time when I was lifting weights before that.”
Things got tense about tattoos again when Kyle told Estella that Mauricio had a tattoo his mother didn’t know about.
A Conversations With Dorit
Kyle confided in her close friend Dorit about her marriage struggles during the fourth RHOBH episode.
“I expected more from him with what I was going through,” she explained, referring to a fight with sister Kathy Hilton. Another part of Kyle’s frustration is that Mauricio still attends various social outings for work purposes. Now that she doesn’t drink, she doesn’t want to go with him.
“I think with the way my relationship is right now, I’m not happy,” she admitted in her confessional. “I’m, sort of, now working on myself inside and I feel like he’s very focused on his work. So, I feel like in that aspect we’re kind of growing in different directions.”
She continued, “I don’t want to wake up a few years down the road and be like, ‘Who are you? What are we supposed to talk about now?’”
Answering Questions About Infidelity
When the fourth episode of RHOBH season 13 aired, the ladies found themselves on a trip to Las Vegas. Garcelle Beauvais asked the group what they would do upon finding out about infidelity in their relationship. Kyle appeared to look rather uncomfortable.
“We have dealt with so many rumors for so many years,” Kyle said in her confessional. “Do I look like the kind of person that would be like, ‘Ah, just don’t let me find out about it.’ No, I’m not.”
