Inside Kyle, Kim, And Kathy Hilton's Family Feud
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Kim Richards, Kyle Richards, and Kathy Hilton were all actors in their younger years, and as adults they've continually brought the drama to "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." And while many of the sisters' feuds have aired on reality TV for all the world to see, some of the family discord runs deeper and is more complex than audiences may realize. While Bravo fans surely have their faves and are known to choose sides, Kim, Kyle, and Kathy have constantly kept viewers on their toes, as each has taken a turn as villain, good guy, peacemaker, and instigator.
In June 2023, all three sisters were seen happily partying it up at Kim's daughter's wedding, but does that mean everything is now hunky dory? Keep reading to get the backstory on the siblings' infighting, and whether we think it's possible that there will one day be peace among the famously feuding sisters.
Kyle and Kathy's husbands stirred the pot
What viewers didn't see on the early seasons of "The Real housewives of Beverly Hills" was the drama unfolding between Kyle and eldest sister, Kathy Hilton. Kathy (mother of Paris and Nicky Hilton) and Kyle were not on speaking terms by the time "RHOBH" was on the air, and it was more than sibling rivalry that created the rift. In fact, the drama was caused by a falling-out between Kyle's husband, Mauricio Umansky, and Kathy's husband, Rick Hilton.
Umansky once worked at Hilton's real estate firm, Hilton & Hyland, but their working relationship eventually went sour. When Umansky struck out on his own to open The Agency, he was accused of stealing both clients and agents from Hilton. Umansky was also rumored to have gone behind Hilton's back when starting his business after Hilton had helped him get his footing in the real estate world. A source told E! News in 2015, "Rick did everything for Mauricio to get him started ... when Mauricio set up his own company, he did it covertly and informed Rick via email."
Umansky, who has become wildly successful in real estate and stars in his own reality show, "Buying Beverly Hills," claims everything he did to start his business was aboveboard. In his book, "The Dealmaker: How to Succeed in Business & Life Through Dedication, Determination & Disruption," Umansky wrote, "I never would have stolen a client from Rick, though maybe he didn't believe my motives were pure." Umansky also explained that Hilton cut ties with Umansky, and Hilton's wife, Kathy, did the same with Kyle.
Kim and Kyle's infamous limo fight
"The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" Season 1 featured both Kim and Kyle Richards and the sisters' complicated dynamic. But it was the Season 1 finale that brought to light some of the issues plaguing the Richards sisters' relationship. Family secrets were spilled and accusations were launched during Kim and Kyle's fight in the back of a limo outside castmate Taylor Armstrong's birthday party. The argument between the sisters got so heated, Kyle called Kim an alcoholic and told her she needed help, marking the first time Kim's drinking was brought up on-air. The limo fight was also when Kim uttered the now-famous line, "You stole my goddamn house," which puzzled viewers and infuriated Kyle.
When the dust settled and the women realized they'd aired some seriously dirty laundry, Kim and Kyle wanted the scene left on the cutting room floor. According to the 2021 tell-all book, "Not All Diamonds and Rosé," by Dave Quinn, the sisters appealed to both the production company and the network, to no avail. "The sisters were begging Evolution and Bravo to take the scene out of the show," executive producer Andy Cohen said. "It didn't happen."
It wasn't just Kim and Kyle who were shaken by the events of that season finale. Big sister Kathy Hilton revealed on the "Lunch with Bruce" podcast in 2021 that she was upset by the fight and particularly mad at Kyle. "I was so hurt at what happened that first season ... and I didn't speak to my sister for a long time," she said.
The truth behind Kim and Kyle's accusations
So, what did Kim Richards mean when she said her younger sister Kyle had stolen her house? It turns out the accusation came from some real estate drama surrounding the Palm Springs home that once belonged to Kim, Kyle, and Kathy's mother, Kathleen Richards. When Kathleen died of breast cancer in 2002, she left the Palm Springs home to her daughters. A source explained to Radar, "After their mother died, both Kathy and Kim asked Kyle to buy them out, which she did ... Kim has insisted over the years that Kyle handled it unprofessionally and cheated her." Apparently, despite Kim's claims, the real estate deal went down without any shady business. "[Kim and Kathy] got fair market value for their respective shares," the source told Radar.
While Kim's accusations were not necessarily accurate, Kyle's assessment that Kim needed help with her substance issues turned out to be true. The limo fight episode of "RHOBH" aired in January 2011, and in December 2011, Kim entered rehab. By that point it seemed as though the sisters had squashed their beef, as Kyle was vocally supportive of her sister's choice to get help. "We're all really proud of her. [Having] our relationship being played out on TV is difficult; people dissecting it and thinking they know us is very difficult at times," she told HuffPost at the time, adding, "I'm happy to say we're in a much better place right now."
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Kim's dog bit Kyle's daughter
In October 2014 on Halloween, Kim Richards' dog bit Kyle Richards' daughter Alexia who was 18 years old at the time. In a statement following the incident, Kim seemed to minimize the severity of Alexia's injuries, saying in part, "The second I realized Alexia had been bitten on the finger leaving a puncture mark on her thumb, I immediately called my sister, Kyle, and took her to the nearest emergency room." The bite from Kim's pit bull Kingsley turned out to be much more serious than a mere puncture, requiring Alexia to have multiple surgeries.
Kyle posted pics on Instagram of Alexia in the hospital, though she didn't say it was Kim's dog that was responsible for the injury. Nevertheless, when the subject was broached at the "RHOBH" Season 5 reunion, tempers flared. Kim accused Kyle of using the incident to get attention on social media. "She decided to Instagram it and make a public display of it," Kim yelled, telling Kyle, "You're horrible!" This caused Kyle to shout, "My daughter almost lost her hand!"
In her Bravo blog following the reunion episode, Kyle reiterated, "I NEVER said her dog bit Alexia. Never mentioned her OR her dog. TMZ ended up finding out that it was Kim's dog, and she blamed me, because I posted the pictures from the hospital." She ended the post by expressing hope that time would heal the rift between her and Kim, but the incident had clearly caused more damage than the dog bite alone.
Kyle's TV series angered Kathy Hilton
In 2015, it was announced that Kyle Richards would develop and executive produce a TV series "American Woman," loosely based on the life of her mother, Kathleen Richards. The show, which starred Alicia Silverstone as a single mom in the '70s, aired for one season in 2018, but it was enough to cause major conflict between Kyle and big sister Kathy Hilton.
Kyle revealed at the "RHOBH" Season 8 reunion that she and Kathy hadn't spoken in months due to Kathy's concerns over the series. "I told her all the time ... 'I'm not sharing your stories or Kim's — these are my own stories.' And not only that, it's a fictionalized version of our life, and our mom being a single mom in the '70s is the jumping-off point," Kyle said. Ahead of the premiere of "American Woman," Kyle told People she had high hopes that Kathy would feel better after actually watching the show. "I love my sisters and I would never do anything to disrespect or embarrass them. I'm looking forward to the show coming out so Kathy can see it and realize," Kyle shared.
In 2021, during the "RHOBH" Season 11 reunion, Kathy admitted that she had a difficult time with "American Woman" because it was based on her mother. "Just the fact that she's not here anymore, it's just very hard for me," Kathy revealed.
Kathy uninvited Kyle to Nicky Hilton's wedding
In 2015, Kathy Hilton's daughter Nicky Hilton married British banking heir James Rothschild. The lavish ceremony took place at the posh Kensington Palace in London, with friends and family in attendance — but not the entire family. In fact, Kyle Richards, despite her oldest daughter Farrah Aldjufrie being one of Nicky's bridesmaids, initially was not invited to the event.
Or rather, she was uninvited and apparently it had everything to do with "American Woman." "Kyle was initially uninvited to Nicky's wedding because of Kathy. There was a lot of tension over the TV pilot Kyle has in development," a source told E! News. Kyle kept it vague while explaining the situation to castmate Lisa Vanderpump on an episode of "RHOBH." "I was told it'd be better if I didn't come to the wedding, so I'm not going," Kyle revealed.
Kyle ultimately did go to the wedding, but she went solo, as her husband Mauricio Umansky was not on the guest list. Bad blood left over from he and Rick Hilton's real estate fall out? Maybe. But one thing's for sure — the drama between Kyle and her sisters is deep and complex. "I don't think anyone can understand the dynamics between my sisters and me. I really don't want to talk about why I was dis-invited and then re-invited again — it's nobody's f***ing business," Kyle expressed during an episode of "RHOBH." Kyle's youngest daughter, Portia, served as a flower girl for the ceremony, but Kyle's other daughters were not invited.
The three sisters briefly buried the hatchet
In September 2018, there seemed to be a brief respite from the near-constant feuding, with Kyle and Kim Richards and Kathy Hilton on good terms with one another. According to an Instagram post on Kim's profile, the three sisters came together to celebrate Kim's birthday. The pic showed the ladies out to dinner, looking cute and happy to be together. Kim's caption, which was rife with heart, balloon, and star emojis, read, in part, "I can't tell you all how much this Birthday meant to ME ... Having both of my sisters ... right next me to meant the world @kathyhilton & @kylerichards18 I love you both so so much ... I know Mom & Dad were with us last night." Super sweet, and fans were thrilled to see it!
The following month, a source confirmed to People that Kathy and Kyle had worked things out and were getting along great after being estranged for some time. "Kyle is so much happier when there is peace in her relationships with her sisters," the source said. With all the tension and drama the family had been through, it was refreshing to see the sisters patching things up, even just for the time being.
Season 12 of RHOBH caused conflict between Kyle and Kathy
On a 2019 episode of "Watch What Happens Live," Kyle Richards addressed a caller who asked whether the rumors were true that Kathy Hilton would be joining the cast of "RHOBH." Kyle seemed into the idea, saying, "My sister Kathy is actually — people don't know this, but she's one the funniest people there is." Cut to 2021 when Kathy joined the cast as a "friend of" the Housewives for Season 1. She was, in fact, funny and quirky and fans warmed up to her quickly.
But it was during Season 12 of the show when things began to unravel, specifically during a girls trip to Aspen, Colorado. According to castmate and soap star Lisa Rinna, Kathy had a meltdown during a night out on the vacation, and began saying nasty things about Kyle. "She's screaming she 'made' Kyle. Kathy's responsible for Kyle and she said, 'I will destroy Kyle and her family if it's the last thing I ever do,'" Rinna said. Other housewives backed up Rinna's claims that Kathy was saying nasty things about Kyle, which caused a huge stir at the Season 12 reunion. Kyle felt she was once again being asked to choose between her friends and her family, and she became super emotional.
Kathy commented on a trailer for the reunion on Instagram, "Why is she upset and crying? I'm the one who [was] bullied and percacuted [sic] for 10 months. Just cruel and disgusting." Kyle replied to the comment, saying, "Why? You know exactly why." (via Us Weekly).
Can the sisters just get along?
In early June of 2023, it was confirmed that Kathy Hilton would not be participating in "RHOBH" Season 13. "No, I'm doing 'Paris in Love,'" she revealed to E! News, referring to daughter Paris Hilton's series on Peacock. Kathy added diplomatically, "But I know it's going to be great. It's always interesting and fun and lots of drama." Well, it might be a bit less dramatic without Kathy on board, at least for Kyle Richards. Still, the feuding sisters each hinted that another reconciliation could be in the works.
The sisters all attended Kim's daughter Whitney Davis' bridal shower in May 2023, and apparently Kyle and Kathy were civil toward one another. "Things are obviously not great, I think most people know that," Kyle shared with E! News. "But we're family, we're blood. We'll always come back together." For her part, Kathy sounded cautiously optimistic as she told E!, simply, "I felt it went well." We can't blame them for treading lightly given their complex history.
And yet, there's hope in sight! Kim, Kyle, and Kathy were all in attendance for Davis' wedding on June 24, 2023. If the Instagram posts are any indication, the girlies are getting along! Let's hope it lasts this time.