Mauricio Umansky Says He and Kyle Richards Are ‘Not Throwing in the Towel’ Despite ‘Rough Patch’ (Exclusive)

Mauricio Umansky and Kyle Richards are experiencing a breakdown in their 27-year marriage.

After narrowly securing his spot in week three Dancing with the stars On Tuesday, the realtor opened up about his relationship with his wife amid their separation.

“We’ve been married 27 years,” Umansky, 53, tells PEOPLE. “We have a bit of a difficult situation.”

He says that “life sometimes brings you different things” and “you have to get over it”. His marriage to Richards, 54 – 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 says. “We’re not saying it just to say it. We’re not actually throwing in the towel yet.”

Mauricio Umansky says he’s ‘taking it one day at a time’ with Kyle Richards — but ‘we’re both happy’

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

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

He continues: “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.”

He calls the interest in their marriage “too much” and asks fans to “give us time” to work things out.

“We promise to keep you posted,” he adds. “We are not hiding anything from you.”

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

Kyle Richards, Mauricio Umansky and their daughters.

Mauricio Umansky/Instagram

Umansky’s comments come a week after he confirmed to The Agency Red Mic podcast that he and Richards struggle to stay together during performances.

“We’ve been going about our business, kind of, super quietly and internally, just our problems,” he said in the episode. “I mean, certainly, we are not separated. We are not divorced at this time. We are none of those things.”

He added that he and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star are “still dealing with our marriage.”

“We’ve been married for 27 years together, and it’s been an amazing 27 years,” Buying Beverly Hills the star said before qualifying that “it’s been an amazing 26 years — and it’s been a tough year.”

Umansky continued, “You know, Kyle and I are blessed because we’ve actually had 26 years where we haven’t had a bad year and I know most marriages have bad months, bad weeks, bad years.”

Kyle Richards says her split from Mauricio Umansky was ‘too hard to deal with’ in ‘Public Eye’

Kyle Richards, Mauricio Umansky and their daughters.

Kyle Richards/Instagram

In July, a source close to the couple told PEOPLE that they are “still living under the same roof” despite “being apart for a while.”

“They have remained amicable as they figure out what’s next for them and their family,” the source added.

Umansky and Richards met in 1994 after the Bravo star’s divorce from her first husband Guraish Aldjufrie.

They share three daughters: Alexia, 27, Sophia, 23, and Portia, 15. Richards is also mother to Farrah Brittany (née Aldjufrie), 34, from a previous marriage.

Kyle Richards visited DWTS Ballroom will be cheering for husband Maurici Umansky’s debut amid their split

Following PEOPLE’s report of their split, the reality stars released a joint statement saying that “all claims regarding the divorce are false.” However, they admitted that they’ve had a “tough year.”

“Most challenging in our marriage. But we both love and respect each other immensely,” they continued. “No one was wrong. Even though we’re in the public eye, we’re looking to work through our issues in private. While it may be fun to speculate, please don’t make up fake stories to fit into a further villain narrative. Thank you for your love and support, Kyle & Mauricio.”

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Dancing with the stars airs Tuesdays at 8pm ET/5pm PT on ABC and Disney+.

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