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Kyle Richards is visibly shaken and on the brink of a breakdown in the latest Real Housewives of Beverly Hills episode, as she is confronted over her ongoing communication with Dorit Kemsley’s estranged husband, Paul “PK” Kemsley. The drama unfolds during a heated spa day, where Kyle is forced to defend her actions and clarify the nature of her relationship with PK, all while trying to maintain her composure.
In the Jan. 21 episode, the 56-year-old reality star tears up as she addresses her longtime friend Dorit, who has raised concerns about the texts Kyle Richards sent to PK. “I love you and PK and your kids,” Kyle tearfully tells Dorit. “And you know that, I know that you know that. I’ve been made to feel like I did something wrong, you know, sending a text to PK, so I said, I’m gonna read this once, and that is it.”
Kyle’s emotional outburst comes after the group’s ongoing suspicion regarding her relationship with PK, fueled by comments from Bozoma “Boz” Saint John, who made a remark about Kyle’s intentions. Kyle repeatedly insists she has “nothing to hide” and, in a bid for transparency, offers to read the text message aloud to the entire group. “He makes a joke in April. The next text is not till the day you guys got separated,” Kyle explains before reading the message from her phone. “I said, ‘I know you have a lot of friends, I’m also one. If you need me, I’ve never repeated anything you’ve shared with me and wouldn’t.’”
Despite her attempt to clear the air, the situation only intensifies. As Kyle Richards continues to defend herself, tears streaming down her face, she declares, “I want to say something then I’m leaving, I don’t know how this all went so wrong.” Dorit, visibly upset, urges Kyle to sit down, but Kyle resists. “I don’t want to [sit down], I really don’t. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t do this anymore. I really can’t.”
In a moment of clarity, Kyle Richards explains that her reference to “not repeating anything” was not meant to imply secrecy from Dorit, but rather a commitment to not sharing private details with production while filming. The cameras, which are always present during RHOBH filming, play a significant role in Kyle’s discomfort, as she emphasizes, “I wouldn’t share what we talked about with production.”
However, her explanation doesn’t fully satisfy her fellow Housewives, with Garcelle Beauvais expressing skepticism during a confessional. “I don’t get what her talking to PK has to do with production,” Garcelle says. “So if you’re having a private conversation with someone and you want to say, ‘I will never share what we talked about with production,’ you would write ‘with production’ — and she didn’t do that.” Garcelle’s remark suggests that Kyle’s claim may not hold up under scrutiny, especially given the vague nature of her message to PK.
Kyle Richards tearful defense comes on the heels of earlier tension between the Housewives, which had already been building. In the previous episode, Kyle had accused Dorit of being “way too touchy-feely” with her estranged husband, Mauricio Umansky, during a conversation about text messages and rumors circulating online. “There was a whole rumor about how Dorit has a thing for Mo, and it was all over the internet,” Kyle remarks, referring to the speculation. “She had to go and defend it and this and that. So don’t even get me freaking started about sending stupid memes, okay?”
In another emotional moment, Kyle Richards insists that Dorit’s insinuations about her actions are unwarranted. “The fact that she’s trying to make it seem like I’m [doing] anything inappropriate is gross. And I’m not going to get to a point in my life where I am having to pull out my phone and s—, because I’m an adult, and that’s a f—ing joke.”
Despite Kyle’s attempt to clarify the nature of her relationship with PK, her co-stars remain unconvinced. After Kyle reads the text messages aloud, Sutton Stracke and Garcelle are quick to point out that the messages seemed to suggest more than just “memes and jokes.” “Wait a minute, this is not just about memes and jokes,” Sutton observes, while Garcelle adds, “So they have shared things about Dorit or [their] relationship… So it’s not all true.”
As the episode unfolds, it becomes clear that Kyle’s friendship with PK, and the texts she has exchanged with him, have caused a rift in her relationships with the other Housewives. With emotions running high and suspicions lingering, it remains to be seen how Kyle will navigate the fallout from this drama in the upcoming episodes of RHOBH.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.