It’s hard to imagine Kyle Richards leaving the 90210 zip code, but that actually almost happened, she confessed on a past episode of Bravo’s Hot Mic podcast.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum sat with Hot Mic host and reality T.V. extraordinaire Alex Baskin — the executive producer behind many of our favorite Bravo shows — and got candid about life on and off the screen. Baskin asked Kyle if she ever seriously contemplated quitting the show, and she admitted she had.
“You would think after Season 1 with the limo,” said the Housewife, referring to the "insane" fight between Kyle and her sister Kim Richards.
But nope, it wasn’t that.
Keep reading to learn why Kyle almost quit The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, as told in the November 14, 2023 episode of Bravo’s Hot Mic, in its third season now.
Did Kyle Richards quit RHOBH?
Kyle and Baskin joked that many Housewives have generally cried wolf over the seasons, but there was one time when Kyle nearly walked off for good. Although both remember Kyle threatening to leave following the limo fiasco, both knew at the time that she “didn’t mean it.”
“The first time I genuinely meant it was Season 4,” said Kyle. “It was at Carlton [Gebbia]’s house, and I remember when [another Housewife] brought up the tabloids, and then Yolanda [Hadid] and Lisa [Vanderpump] were both like, ‘You mean there’s no smoke without fire?’ I was like, ‘OK. I see where this is going.’”
The drama unfolded throughout RHOBH Season 4 when tabloids published cheating accusations against Kyle’s husband, Mauricio Umansky. The publication found its way into one of the women's suitcase on a girls’ trip to Palm Springs and became a hot topic of conversation.
“I had a lump in my throat, and I had my phone… I texted under the table, and I said, ‘Bring my car around. I quit. I’m done with this f-cking show,’” Kyle confessed on Bravo’s Hot Mic podcast. “My anxiety was so bad. I just thought, ‘I can’t live like that.’”
She confirmed she sent the text to former Housewives producer Christopher Cullen. Of course Kyle did end up sticking around.
Kyle said she also debated an exit in Season 5 during their infamous girls’ trip to Amsterdam. Fans will remember the ladies’ explosive dinner in Season 5, Episode 16, which ended in broken glass and tears.
Kyle’s sister, Kim, was at the center of the drama. However, as Kyle explained to Baskin, she was “too afraid” back then to stand up for herself against her relatives.
“There’s often times that my hands were tied, and I literally felt like I had my hands tied behind my back and I was just getting pummeled from the audience,” Kyle explained. “And people who knew me well, family and whatever, knew that I was the kind of person that wouldn’t speak up, so they took advantage of that, and it got worse and worse and worse.”
Over time, Kyle found her voice and learned to defend herself.
“The new me, I would not do that again," she said.
How long will Kyle Richards be on RHOBH?
All in all, Kyle said the relationships both on- and off-camera keep her from ever wanting to leave the series, according to her Hot Mic interview.
“What does bring me back — because obviously I’m asked this question a lot — is the relationships, honestly. And after this many years, it’s such a part of your life,” said Kyle. “It’s literally woven into my life.”
She pointed to The Real Housewives of Orange County’s Tamra Judge upon Tamra’s (temporary) January 2020 departure after 12 years on the series.
“[She] said it was like a death when they left,” Kyle recalled. “I understand that. I mean, all of my relationships — and when I say ‘relationships,’ I’m not saying the cast that’s been changing throughout — but it’s the crew. It’s you guys. Especially someone who’s had so many issues with my family, like, you guys are my family.”
Catch up on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on Bravo and Peacock before the Season 14 premiere, coming soon.
Watch the video edition of Bravo's Hot Mic Podcast at BravoTV.com/podcast or listen for free wherever you get your podcasts.
