Kyle Richards is sharing how her daughters reacted to her opening up about her sexuality.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, 55, sat down with PEOPLE to discuss the upcoming season of the hit Bravo show following the season 13 reunion where she revealed she was questioning her sexuality. Thinking back on a discussion she had with her four daughters — Farrah Brittany, 36, Alexia, 27, Sophia, 24 and Portia, 16 — about the subject, Richards explains why she decided to address the speculation.
“The fact that there were so many rumors out there, I took that opportunity to have that conversation with my daughters to be able to say to them, ‘Listen, we know what’s being said, but this is where I stand and how I actually feel, and I’m sharing this with you because I’ve always led by example,’” she says. “For me as a mom, I want my kids to always be able to come to me with the hard conversations and know that they’re going to be loved and accepted no matter what — and they are my best friends.”
“I wanted to share that with them out of respect for them,” she adds.
Richards says she began to reflect on how she was “raised a certain way with certain beliefs,” which led her to reframe the way she thought about various topics.
“Regardless of whether it’s getting a tattoo at my age or my sexuality, whatever it is, I was like, you know, I have my own thoughts and my own beliefs on this,” she shares.
Although she was nervous for how her daughters would respond to the conversation, the Halloween Kills actress says they couldn’t have received it better.
“The reaction I was met with just blew me away with all four of my daughters, and I felt so loved and so supported,” she recalls. “Just honestly, it is one of my most proud moments as a mom to see their reaction and what they said to me. They just want me to be happy. They’re like, ‘We just want you to be happy and that’s all we care about.’”
She continues: “I said something to my daughter Alexia, I said, ‘Well, you know, I’m just trying to think what’s practical,’ and she said, ‘You don’t have to be practical anymore.’ And I was like, ‘Wait a minute, hold on a minute. I don’t have to be practical, okay.’ They still are my best friends and biggest supporters.”
Speculation about Richards’ relationship status with country singer Morgan Wade swirled during the past season of RHOBH when Richards and husband Mauricio Umansky separated after 27 years of marriage. Rumors grew even stronger after the two kissed in Wade’s music video in August 2023.
Noting that Wade is “not signed up to be on the show” and “doesn’t want to be part of the show,” Richards says opening up about her sexuality has to do with her own journey.
“I addressed it on the show this season because I am an open book and I want to be as honest as I can about myself,” Richards tells PEOPLE. “It’s not because it’s anyone’s business but because it actually is freeing to me to be honest and is sort of a therapy in a weird way doing the show and having to address these things.”
Still, she admits, “I thought it was important because of all the speculation that was out there.”
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The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills premieres Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo. Previous seasons ofThe Real Housewives of Beverly Hills can be streamed on Peacock.
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