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Credit: Faye Sadou/Media Punch/Alamy
Paul “PK” Kemsley is concerned about what his estranged wife, Dorit Kemsley, said about him and their marriage amid production on the currently airing season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
As he set the record straight about Dorit’s claim that he’s a “full-blown alcoholic” on Bravo’s podcast on Tuesday, PK, 57, who shares two young children with Dorit, 48, also spoke of how Dorit changed after joining the show, addressed her drama with Kyle Richards, 55, and revealed if he regretted joining the series while also sharing his thoughts on his and Dorit’s future and more.
“I’ve got no idea at all what Dorit said on the show, so for us, we’re gonna be watching this, no idea what she said, for the first time,” PK explained on the December 24 episode of Bravo’s Hot Mic podcast. “And as much as I’m upset to watch it, that’s not going to define the outcome of Dorit and me.”
According to PK, he’s always struggled with the idea of watching his past play out on camera.
“It takes you back very, very viscerally. It becomes very tangible,” he shared. “And also, in this particular instance, Dorit was merging 20 years of my life’s history, focusing on all the bad elements. So to sit and just listen and to relive that, I’m gonna say, ‘That’s not what happened.’ … I didn’t support her during the burglary? What are you talking about? And you see it and you think, not only is it not true, but then you read about and then my mom calls me, ‘Why’s she saying that?’”
While PK wished he wasn’t bothered by the on-screen drama, he admitted it “troubles” him sometimes.
“When people highlight your inefficiencies in life, your troubles, nobody’s gonna sit there and go, ‘Well, this is so much fun.’ It’s just not f*cking fun,” he stated.
Looking back at their time on the show, PK said he believes the series changed Dorit.
“Seeing Dorit change so dramatically from who she was before she went on the show to who she is now … somewhere along the line, the entire narrative and the entire reality of who we were, who did what, completely changed, and suddenly I’m watching my wife be someone who is a different person to the person that I met and married and fell in love with,” he revealed. “I believe that I’ve stayed fairly grounded and most of my friends and family would say, ‘He’s not changed the slightest bit.’ Dorit’s changed.”
“Now I’m not saying it’s all for the bad. She’s gotten more beautiful as far as I’m concerned. She’s an unbelievable mother. But the dynamics in our relationship, and her perspective and her narrative of what’s gone, are very different to mine,” he continued.
One recent change in Dorit’s life, aside from her separation from PK, is the demise of her friendship with Kyle. But PK doesn’t intervene all that much.
“[Mauricio Umansky and I have] had a conversation and we’re both like, ‘Leave them to it,’” he shared.
Amid their marital challenges, PK said he and Dorit considered leaving the show.
“We did talk about it and one of the issues is when it started to get bad, particularly in more recent seasons, and I actually said to Dorit before she signed up for [season 14], I said, ‘If we don’t make it, if we’re not together, would you still do the show?’ Because there was a point that she was gonna walk from the show. But I didn’t want her to walk knowing that our marriage was in jeopardy and then her say, ‘You made me lose my job,’” he explained.
When PK was then asked if he regretted joining RHOBH to begin with, he confirmed he did.
“Of course I do. I’m not with the love of my life,” he reasoned.
PK also admitted that if he could go back in time, he’d likely reconsider.
“[It] could be a lesson. I didn’t put it in the business box. I put it in the social box. I thought this would be fun,” he shared.
Several months into their separation, PK isn’t sure if a reconciliation is possible.
“At the moment, I’m very clear on what my priorities are. It’s my sobriety and my kids, and those are the two things that are going to drive me. They’re always gonna come first, and we’re gonna do our absolute best to avoid falling out,” he revealed. “We are in a place where we are trying to work things out and to co-parent. We’re not divorced. And I don’t think any of us particularly want this to happen.”
As they navigate their split, PK said he and Dorit intend to stay friendly and co-parent their two kids, Jagger, 10, and Phoenix, 8.
“Where we stand at the moment, we’re not focusing on trying to get back. We’re focusing on trying to find a new way of living and make sure the kids are as least affected as possible,” he noted.
That said, PK acknowledged that the more time goes by, the less chances they’ll have at getting back together.
“There’s always the risk that Dorit will meet someone, I’ll meet someone … There are a lot of challenges and a lot of scenarios that can get in the way of healing the relationship,” he said.
Regarding what they need to work on in the meantime, PK said he needs to get better at communicating and not avoiding things, and Dorit needs to get better at things that are troubling him.
As for Dorit’s business, Beverly Beach, PK said things nearly took off before COVID.
“She was about to get a huge order … and then COVID hit,” he shared. “Life got in the way, but Dorit, she’s a budding entrepreneur and wants to build something and do something as the result of the show, but the reality is, the brand is Dorit.”
Also on the podcast, after joking, “When has she ever not,” when asked if Dorit has told him to keep his mouth shut on the show, PK admitted to feeling “silenced.”
“It’s been eight years, eight seasons. It’s been going on for a while,” he noted.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 14 airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Bravo.
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