Kyle Richards Thanks Estranged Friend Lisa Vanderpump For Her ‘Kind Words’ Amid Her Separation From Her Husband

Kyle Richards, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, reacted to her previous best friend Lisa Vanderpump’s supportive comment amid separation from Mauricio Umansky.

At BravoCon, Vanderpump told Page Six it “saddens” her to see Richards and Umansky on the rocks.

“I know there was a lot of love between them,” she said. “There really was, and there probably still is… I hope they can kind of get through this and facilitate some kind of [solution], you know.”

On Saturday, Richards said in response, “I really appreciated her words. That was very, very kind of her.”

Richards said, “I still consider Mauricio’s and my marriage a successful marriage. And even the way we’re handling it now, I feel like we’re doing it the right way as best as we possibly can.”

Vanderpump and Richards were fast friends through the inaugural season of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in 2010, but their friendship dramatically ruptured in 2018.

When the puppy their costar Dorit Kemsley adopted from Vanderpump Dogs, a dog rescue center founded by Vanderpump, ended up in a high-risk shelter, accusations arose that Vanderpump had instructed her employees to discuss the matter and exploit it as a plot line on the show.

When Richards questioned Vanderpump about the situation after the story leaked to the press, Vanderpump got upset.

The two ended up in a heated argument, and Vanderpump’s husband, Ken Todd, kicked Richards out of the house. Vanderpump ceased communication with her costars and left the show halfway through season nine.

After the fallout, Richards had said she had reached out to Vanderpump with no success.

Richards, 54, and Umanksy, 53, were married in January 1997, and share three daughters: Alexia, 27, Sophia, 23, and Portia, 15.

In July, the couple separated after 27 years of marriage.

Shortly after, Richards and Umansky shared a joint statement via Instagram that noted they had a “rough year,” but were without plans for a divorce. They wrote, “While it may be entertaining to speculate, please do not create false stories to fit a further salacious narrative.”

On September 28, Umansky denied the separation during an appearance on the Red Mic podcast.

On September 29, Umansky confirmed their separation, and a few days later clarified that they were still “struggling,” but were not “throwing in the towel yet.”

In February, Richards told uInterview exclusively that she had given up drinking.

“Every day after I drop my daughter off at school, I get right into the gym. I do a lot of cardio, a lot of weights and I make sure that everything I’m eating is healthy,” she said. “And you know, I gave up alcohol almost seven months ago just as a health choice, and I’ve never felt better. I can see a difference in my eyes and my skin and my body – everything,” she said.