Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky attend the Elton John AIDS Foundation's 31st Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party on March 12, 2023 in West Hollywood, California© Getty Images

Dancing with the Stars' Mauricio Umansky breaks silence on Kyle Richards separation: 'not going to destroy my life'

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills stars have been married for 26 years and share three children

Justin Ravitz - New York
Editorial Director, U.S.New York
September 29, 2023

Mauricio Umansky is one of the most enduring Real Househusbands in Bravo history — and it looks like he could be sticking by wife Kyle Richards' side after all. The realtor and Dancing with the Stars contestant made headlines earlier this year when it was reported that he and Kyle had separated after 26 years of marriage. But the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills couple, who've starred on the show since its season one premiere in 2010, are trying to work things out, Mauricio said in a new interview.

"We were dealing with our own things, kind of, super quietly and internally, just our own issues," Mauricio, 53, said on a recent episode of The Agency's Red Mic podcast. "I mean, certainly, we're not separated. We're not divorced at this point. We are not any of that stuff. We're still dealing with our marriage."

Mauricio Umansky and Kyle Richards on vacation with their family in Italy© Instagram
Mauricio Umansky and Kyle Richards on vacation with their family in Italy
© Getty Images

As RHOBH fans know, Mauricio and the Halloween Ends actress, 54, share daughters Alexia, 27, Sophia, 23, and Portia, 15, as well Farrah, 34, Kyle's child from a previous marriage.  "It's been an amazing 26 years and it's been a difficult one year," said Mauricio, who made his DWTS debut this past Tuesday with his pro dancing partner Emma Slater. "Kyle and I are blessed, where we actually had 26 years that we did not have a bad year, and I know most marriages have bad months, bad weeks, bad years."

Back in July, the couple made a joint statement refuting reports of a divorce but acknowledging challenges. "Any claims regarding us divorcing are untrue," they said. "However, yes, we have had a rough year. The most challenging one of our marriage. But we both love and respect each other tremendously."

"There has been no wrongdoing on anyone's part," it then continued. "Although we are in the public eye, we ask to be able to work through parishes privately. While it might be entertaining to speculate, please do not create false stories to fit a further salacious narrative," it finished.


Mauricio, whose real estate firm The Agency is the focus of Netflix reality show Buying Bevelry Hills, also shot down any speculation that their marital strife was manufactured or planted for buzz or a juicy RHOBH plotline.  "I am not going to destroy my life to put a plant in the news so people can get more entertainment," he said. "If people actually think I'm that smart or that conniving."

Kyle was among those in the audience cheering her husband on when Mauricio and Emma performed their debut dance together on the season 32 premiere of DWTS.  The dancing pair landed in the bottom two after scoring 15 out of 30 total judges' points for their jive routine to One Republic's "I Ain't Worried." Ultimately, however, Veep star Matt Walsh and partner Koko Iwasaki were this season's first to be eliminated.

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