Dorit Kemsley and Paul “PK” Kemsley take a deep dive into the factors that led to their split.
In the premiere episode of season 14 The Real Housewives of Beverly Hillsthat aired on November 19, news of Dorit and PK’s unexpected split rocked the group. But before the breakup hit the headlines, Dorit confided in Erika Jayne and admitted that their marriage had been on the rocks for some time.
Noting that all married couples have their problems, Dorit, 48, told Erika, 53, that she and PK allegedly decided to solve their problems by “pouring alcohol over them.”
“It became very, very, very toxic,” she continued, before declaring on camera that PK had “always” been a drunk. “It got worse over the years, and little fights would turn into shootings. After a fight, we’d be in the gutter, screaming at each other. I don’t want that toxic energy around little kids.”
PEOPLE has reached out to PK representatives for comment.
RHOBHDorit Kemsley and husband Paul ‘PK’ Kemsley have announced their separation after 9 years of marriage
(L) Paul “PK” Kemsley and Dorit Kemsley. Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
Eventually, Dorit said she gave him an ultimatum and asked him to “dry out” for a week, which turned into a “journey” of sobriety. Their relationship appeared to be on the mend, and Dorit recalled telling reunion host Andy Cohen at the time that the two of them were “better than ever.”
Erika asked what went wrong between then and now, and Dorit admitted that it wasn’t just “one thing.”
“[There] it was not a catastrophic event. Nobody was cheating on anybody,” she explained. “A week ago, there was a moment and there was nothing, and one thing led to another, and we sat down as two very mature adults who love and care for each other, and we’re together decided that it was best for us to take some space and separate ourselves.”
“We work one day at a time, but we are separated. There is no time for that, but there is work,” she added.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 14 Trailer: Kyle and Dorit fight as their marriages fall apart
Later in the episode, Dorit, still at loggerheads with Kyle Richards, decided to turn to Kyle’s sister, Kathy Hilton, for advice instead, while PK got vulnerable with Mauricio Umansky, Kyle’s estranged husband, over lunch.
While admitting she still “really” loves the English businessman, Dorit told Kathy that the couple needed to “work” to have a “healthy, happy, peaceful marriage” – although she wasn’t entirely sure if PK was willing to put in the effort.
When asked if the duo had told their children — Jagger, 8, and Phoenix, 8 — Dorit said they had no plans to share the news.
Dorit Kemsley and PK with son Jagger and daughter Phoenix.
Dorit Kemsley/ Instagram
“We can do things as a family, like we’re not in a toxic place. He has a sober coach that I’m not familiar with,” she continued, before asserting, “He’s a real alcoholic.”
According to PK, his sobriety allowed him to see that their relationship wasn’t working and he told Mauricio his point of view on why the two of them needed some time apart.
“I sobered up. I sobered up and I realized that we were biting each other the whole time,” he explained. “I had a lot to complain about. Dorit isn’t much of a listener, isn’t she.”
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Paul ‘PK’ Kemsley and Dorit Kemsley.
JC Olivera/Getty
He also claimed the couple had drifted apart over the years, recalling how the two were “like fucking Bonnie and Clyde” before “life got in the way” and they welcomed babies and “moved away”. PK also noted that Dorit had problems with him being away from work for an extended period of time.
“She could have said, ‘Well, you were away.’ And I could say, ‘Well, I’ve been working trying to maintain the lifestyle that Dorit and I live as well as maintaining her ambition,'” he added. “From my perspective, I wanted to know how much of our problem was me, how much was hers? And what can we change? What I realized is that I can’t recover from this. [So] we put some space between us.”
Speaking on camera, Dorit admitted that she “wouldn’t have chosen this path” and that she wanted to “work things out” before splitting up.
“I chose to be on PK’s side through a ton of public scrutiny, like bankruptcy, gambling debts, suspected DUI. But for PK, it’s, ‘Poof! Let’s just split up,'” she continued. “Isn’t there a way we can meet in the middle? Obviously, but not with someone like PK. It’s black, it’s white, it’s extreme.”
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The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Tuesdays at 8pm ET/PT on Bravo and may air the following day on Peacock.
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Source: HIS Education