Kyle Richards Says She Was the Driving Force Behind Separation from Husband Mauricio Umansky

Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky’s divorce after 27 years of marriage was her idea, she said on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.

In his first interview since PEOPLE exclusively broke the news of their conflict in July, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills The 54-year-old star admitted to Andy Cohen that she was the driving force behind the change in their marital status.

“It came from me, I will say,” said Richards, who appeared in the episode with his best friend and ex RHOBH star Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave.

Richards and Umansky, 53, have been married since January 1996. The couple, who first met in a nightclub in 1994, have daughters Alexia, 27, Sophia, 23, and Portia, 15, as well as Farrah Brittany (née Aldjufrie ), 34 , from Kyle’s first marriage to ex Guraisha Aldjufrie.

A source close to the estranged couple told PEOPLE in July that the pair “have been separated for some time, but they still live under the same roof. They remain friendly while they figure out what’s next for them and their family.” At the time, Richards and Umansky denied rumors they were divorcing, but admitted they had a “tough year” in a joint statement posted on Instagram.

RHOBH: Mauricio calls out Kyle’s ‘rebellion’ phase as she becomes ‘irritated’ and ‘disconnected’ from marriage

Fans saw part of that difficult year unfold RHOBHSeason 13 premieres Wednesday, including a tense conversation in which Richards admits he feels “disconnected” in their marriage. “I mean, sometimes you’re married and they can’t do anything wrong. Other times, they’re breathing and you want to hit them,” she explained in the confessional. “I’m irritated right now.”

Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky.

Jesse Grant/Getty

On WWHL, Richards revealed more about the state of their relationship, explaining how the two currently live on different floors of their California mansion. “I let him stay in the master bedroom because it’s very masculine and the upstairs is glamorous and has a bed,” she said. “And I was like, ‘What am I going to do? Put it in a room with flowers, pink and velvet? No.’

She also spoke about how her children reacted to the news, saying it was “really, really devastating” for their “whole family” at first.

“Our phones were blowing up, our kids were crying and wouldn’t leave the house. It was really, really hard,” Richards said. “But now they’re so much better and they’re really strong. They’re just so together and so smart and they’ve been my best, best, best friends. I couldn’t be more proud of them. They’re just amazing human beings. Thank God I got through them this.”

Asked what the biggest misconception about divorce is, Richards said that “the thing that I hear the most and that bothers me the most is that we’re doing this just for the ratings.”

“What human being would do that to their children? To their family?” asked Richards. “I mean, it’s just… Obviously these people are very ignorant, but it’s so embarrassing. I mean, I love you people [at Bravo] and a show, but not so much.”

Later in the show, Halloween the star pointed out that her sisters, Kathy Hilton and Kim Richards, were especially supportive. “[They’ve just told me] that we love you and we’re here for you,” she said. “Kathy’s like, you know, ‘I’m always here for you and I know you have anxiety and I love you.’ ”

Kyle Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky are coming to the 2019 E! People’s Choice Awards.

Todd Williamson/E! Entertainment/NBCU photos via Getty Images

In the trailer for the new season RHOBH, which briefly resumed filming after the split made headlines, Kyle’s friends said they were shocked to hear about her and Umansky. – I had no idea! Dorit Kemsley gave a shout-out to her husband, Paul “PK” Kemsley, who recalled having dinner with Umansky and that the realtor “never said they were separated.”

Sutton Stracke admitted that she believes Kyle is “lying” about the details and even told Garcelle Beauvais that she believes he is “in denial” about the status of his marriage.

The trailer also raised questions about Kyle’s friendship with country singer Morgan Wade, Stracke pointed out that “Kyle doesn’t wear a wedding ring,” and Kemsley asked Wade why she had the first letter of Kyle’s name tattooed on her body.

Cohen also asked about Wade on Wednesday Watch what’s happening liveKyle calls Wade “absolutely one of my best, best friends in the world.”

“We’re all very close,” Kyle said, explaining how she and Mellencamp Arroyave, 42, met Wade at the same time and communicate every morning on a group chat with their other friend, Jen. “We all wake up very early – Teddi, Jen, Morgan, me, we’re up around 4am, it’s funny, working out. That’s what we have in common. That was the first message every day. And we’ve all become very, very close.”

As for the rumors that the two were dating, Kyle said that she just thought that speculation spread because of Wade’s appearance. “If it wasn’t for all those tattoos, people wouldn’t say that. I mean, I’m with my friends all the time, they don’t pay attention,” Kyle said, before joking that she and Mellencamp Arroyave had also heard similar rumors about their friendship. “Even though that’s what they said about us. And we were accused of that. But anyway…”

Kyle Richards, Morgan Wade.

Presley Ann/Getty, Ella Hovsepian/Getty

RHOBH Trailer: Kyle Richards sobs and Morgan Wade takes the stage as news of the split rocks the group

Earlier this month, Umansky opened up to PEOPLE about overcoming difficult times in the couple’s long marriage. “We were married for 27 years,” he said Dancing with the stars said the competitor. “We have a bit of a difficult situation.”

He added that “life throws you different things sometimes” and “you have to get over it.” His marriage to Richards – the first 26 years of which were “amazing” – is no different.

“She and I are separated right now, but we’re not throwing in the towel,” he said. “We’re not saying it just to say it. We’re not actually throwing in the towel yet.”

As for what he wants fans and the public to know about the situation, Umansky said, “It’s very difficult to be in the public eye and have so much inquisition when you’re going through something difficult.”

He continued: “My wife is just being watched so intensely and it’s really not fair. She’s just a person. She’s an amazing person, she’s my best friend and she doesn’t deserve to be judged so much for everything she does.”

Mauricio Umansky and Kyle Richards at Bravo’s ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Season 9 Premiere Party on February 12, 2019.

Jean Baptiste Lacroix/WireImage

Mauricio Umansky professes his ‘love’ to Morgan Wade after wife Kyle Richards spilled the love news

Umansky has since been spotted getting comfortable with his DWTS partner, Emma Slater.

“I was taken aback,” Kyle continued WWHL about the photos of the two holding hands. “Yes, that was very hard to see. Yes, it was, I mean, yes, it hurt my feelings… I love him very much and we’re friendly, but it really hurt me.”

However, she could not confirm whether the two were in a romantic relationship. “Well, here’s the thing: I don’t know if anything else has happened, but obviously there’s something there,” the actress said. “I mean, holding hands like that?… I just don’t think you hold hands like that.”

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The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Wednesdays (8 p.m. ET) on Bravo. Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen airs Sunday through Thursday evenings (check local listings).

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Source: HIS Education