RHOBH Season 13, Episode 8 Recap: Esopha-Gate

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On this week’s RHOBH, Kyle Richards seeks guidance from her life coach about her struggles with grief following the death of her best friend.

Kyle Richards is still reeling from the loss of her “very, very, very best friend,” Lorene Shea, who died by suicide in May 2022.

“Lorene was my other half. We always said we were separated at birth, only she was almost 6-feet tall and blonde,” Kyle revealed in her confessional on the Wednesday, December 13, episode of RHOBH. “I met Lorene in the second grade. We were seven years old, and we had been best friends ever since.”

The RHOBH OG explained that Lorene was “the most important person in my life outside of my family.” She noted that her best friend of 40-plus years knew more about her than “anybody,” including her now-estranged husband, Mauricio Umansky.

“Your best friend for all those years knows everything,” Kyle added.

“I can’t even say the word. She took her life on May 1st,” the RHOBH OG told her life coach during an emotional scene during Wednesday’s episode. “I don’t know what happened because she was so together. I mean, literally, in my will, she was in charge of my children, my money, my everything. She was so together, and then all of a sudden — I don’t know what happened. I don’t have answers. It’s so frustrating to me.”

Kyle later admitted that she “never imagined something like this could happen.” The 54-year-old also noted that since Lorene’s death, she’s doing “all the things” to feel safe.

“Just trying to surround myself around people that I love and love me, support me and only want the best for me and I only want the best for them. Taking care of my body,” she said. “I’m just trying to do all the things that are going to make me feel stronger. It’s been working.”

When Lorene passed in May 2022, Kyle shared a heartfelt tribute to her best friend on Instagram.

The RHOBH wrote:

“I never imagined I would be posting something like this …this is my best friend Lorene … my best friend since I was 7 years old—my other half. We did everything together… from losing our baby teeth to having babies & everything in between & everything that followed. She was kind, thoughtful, funny, smart, beautiful, sentimental… The most important thing in the world to her was being a good Mom, wife, daughter, sister, aunt & friend (dog Mom too). We spoke every day & shared everything that was happening in our lives. We would laugh until we cried, call each other out & be there for each other no matter what was going on in our lives. Not that long ago, she started to suffer from debilitating depression. She had always been a happy person. How did this happen? All who loved her rallied around her and did everything that could be done to get her help. But the system is broken. The system made it impossible to get her the help she needed. This past Sunday, we lost Lorene. The system failed her! The system failed her loved ones, who are now left in unbearable pain. I will do whatever it takes to try & help change the laws that are in place that prevent people from getting the help they need. I love you Lorene ? ? Rest In Peace Please keep her & her loved ones in your thoughts & prayers #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #mentalillness #mentalhealthadvocate #depression #mentalhealthawarenessmont“

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo. 

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