Kyle Richards Shares Emotional Message From Mauricio Umansky

Reality TV personality Kyle Richards has revealed how an emotional message from her estranged husband, Mauricio Umansky, left her heartbroken on their 30th wedding anniversary.

Richards, 57, who separated from the 56-year-old real estate mogul in July 2023 after nearly three decades of marriage, admitted that the reality of their split hit particularly hard as the former couple marked what would have been a major milestone.

“I’m just having a moment. Today’s my 30-year anniversary. It makes me sad,” Richards confessed to Vicki Gunvalson in a preview for one of the latest episodes of “Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th.”

Her emotions only intensified after Umansky reached out with a heartfelt message reflecting on the end of their marriage.

“He sent me a text and it just sent me off. He said today’s always such a hard day and I love you. He said I don’t know how we got here. I thought we were stronger than that. I really had thought that,” Richards, who shares daughters Alexia, 29, Sophia, 26, and Portia, 18, with The Agency founder, recalled.

Gunvalson was visibly moved by her friend’s admission, saying, “My heart is breaking for Kyle because they’ve got everything everyone is looking for and 30 years of marriage. All of a sudden, it’s dissolving.”

Richards went on to reveal that the public reaction to her separation has also weighed heavily on her, particularly comments from fans who had long viewed her marriage as proof that lasting love was possible.

“The thing that bothered me the most honestly was people saying that we gave them hope that true love existed, and now, that went out the window for them,” she told Gunvalson. “But I understand people thinking like that.”

But when Richards admitted that the breakdown of her marriage had left her feeling “ashamed,” Gunvalson was quick to step in, offering her friend some tough love.

“You should be. You let your family down. You let your kids down. You’re showing them it’s OK to bail out when things get tough. It’s not OK. For me, you guys were the epitome of staying together forever. You’re supposed to grow old together, you’re supposed to do life together,” the pal said.

Gunvalson later added, “I wish somebody would have come up to me when I decided to divorce Donn 16 years ago, to say, ‘Stop.’ I was caught in this being on a reality TV show and traveling, and nobody told me, ‘Shape up, Vicki. This TV life that you’re living is temporary.'”

Richards noted that she hopes she doesn’t regret the split, adding, “When I hear Vicki say that the pain still lives within her, it scares me. I want to be past this. I don’t want to be Vicki.”

In April, Richards made it clear that she believes she is entitled to a significant chunk of her estranged husband’s real estate empire—telling her Bravo co-stars that she will fight to claim her half of the business that she says she helped to build should the couple end up filing for divorce.

When asked by Bravo host Andy Cohen whether she plans to file for divorce any time soon, the reality star admitted that she is worried about how that might “change” their current dynamic, in which they are peacefully coexisting without any legal complications.

That’s not to say that Richards hasn’t thought about what demands she might make in the event that they do decide to go ahead with the divorce, emphasizing to Cohen and her co-stars that she considers The Agency to be a shared asset, noting that she and Umansky “built” their lives—and wealth—together.

When asked by Cohen: “Will you be asking for half of The Agency?” Richards was quick to respond: “Well it’s mine. Half of it is mine.”

Richards’ sister Kathy Hilton then chimed in to question whether Umansky is aware of his estranged wife’s feelings on the matter, asking: “Does he realize that?”

While Richards did not reveal whether she has discussed the matter with Umansky, she was quick to double down on her feelings about it, telling Hilton: “We built our lives together. He literally had two nickels when I married him.”

Her co-star Amanda Francis chimed in to back her up, noting that Richards’ reality TV fame had also helped to increase the prominence of The Agency, stating: “He also launched it on your show.”

Richards did note that any division of assets will have to be hashed out and agreed upon by herself and Umansky, who did not get a prenup before tying the knot in 1996. However, she fired back at Sutton Stracke‘s warning that “money changes things, especially men.”

“It doesn’t change that half is mine,” she said. “Obviously, there’s no prenup. We didn’t have anything. We were in a two-bedroom apartment with three kids.”

Umansky founded The Agency alongside Billy Rose and Blair Chang in 2011, 15 years after he wed Richards. By May 2022, the business had facilitated more than $57 billion in real estate sales, according to Forbes.

According to The Agency’s website, the company operates more than 145 offices in 14 countries, while Umansky’s bio notes that he has “achieved nearly $5 billion in real estate sales and holds the distinction of selling the most homes in the country priced above $20 million.”

“He has represented some of the world’s most noteworthy properties, including the Playboy Mansion—the first house in L.A. to sell above the $100 million mark—the Walt Disney Estate, and residences owned by Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan and Prince.”

Indeed, in the 15 years since it was founded, The Agency has built up a wealth of clients, working with the likes of Lady Gaga, LeBron James, and Ben Affleck.

While it’s unclear whether Richards would seek to be involved in the day-to-day running of the business that she hopes to claim a 50% share in, it’s likely that she could be in line for a hefty payout if Umansky wishes to keep The Agency to himself.

However, Richards noted that she isn’t quite ready to pull the plug on their marriage once and for all.

She told Cohen that there was a reason that she hadn’t filed for divorce just yet, admitting that she enjoys the relationship that they currently share. They are still living together happily, despite ending their romance, she said.

“It’s just not knowing what you want and I like the way it is,” she explained. “The way we can have dinner and he goes to his room, I go to my room. We wake up, have coffee in the morning, talk about what we’re gonna do, we go skiing.”

Richards previously denied speculation that she and Umansky were rekindling their romance, after reports began to surface at the start of the year that a reunion was blossoming between the two during a ski trip.

Still, she admitted when asked by Cohen if she and Umansky were any “closer” to officially filing for divorce that they have no plans to do so in the near future, explaining that conversations about a legal split are still ongoing.

“We have had conversations that we had not had during this season since then. We still haven’t filed, but we’ve had conversations since then about what it’s going to look like and all of that,” Richards said.