Heavy/Getty Husbands from The Real Housewives franchise.
Fans think a husband from the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” may have joined the cast of “Dancing With the Stars.”
In September 2023, fans became convinced that Mauricio Umansky, the husband of RHOBH veteran Kyle Richards, has joined the ABC celebrity ballroom competition. The speculation was based on a comparison of photos of Umansky and a mystery DWTS contestant.
Umansky is a successful businessman and founder of The Agency real estate brokerage franchise. In addition to his cameos on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” he stars in the Netflix reality show “Buying Beverly Hills,” and in 2023 he released a book, “The Real Deal.” Umansky shares daughters Farrah, Alexia, Sophia, and Portia with Richards.
In July 2023, People reported that Umansky and Richards have been separated “for a while” but still live together. The longtime couple married in 1996.
Here’s what you need to know:
Sleuthing Fans Suspected Mauricio Umansky Was Cast on DWTS After They Saw a Photo of His Bracelets That Matched Those of a DWTS Celebrity
On September 6, 2023, the fan site @thebravobabe posted a paparazzi photo of a mystery man coming out of DWTS rehearsals wearing a visor and scarf to hide his face. The man was wearing several beaded bracelets and holding a greenish-gray cell phone case.
The fan site posted a side-by-side of Umansky from a workout mirror selfie he posted in July. In the photo, the real estate guru was wearing the exact type of bracelets as in the paparazzi photo and he held a similar-looking phone.
“I spy with my little eye…Mauricio entering the dancing with the stars rehearsal?” came the caption.
Fans reacted as rumors began to swirl about Umansky possibly being cast on DWTS.
“Excellent detective work!!” one fan wrote.
“If @mumansky18 is in it I’ll be watching,” another chimed in.
But while he has long been one of the most popular husbands on Bravo’s “Real Housewives” franchise, people who don’t watch Bravo TV may not be familiar with Umansky. On Reddit, fans debated the casting possibility, and some commenters were confused because they had no idea who Umansky was.
“Do I live under a rock? Who is this person?” one Redditor asked. “I understand there’s a strike happening, but…surely we can do better than this?! There’s a whole world of non-actors out there.”
“You do not live under a rock. Identifying the husband of a housewife requires a niche audience!” another replied.
“We’re getting a husband of a celeb? It’s rough out here. Is he at least charming?” another wanted to know.
According to Deadline, the ongoing Writers Guild Strike may have impacted casting for reality TV competitions such as DWTS as some SAG-AFTRA members have gone on strike in solidarity with the writers. That could mean fewer actors and more athletes and reality TV personalities for DWTS this fall.
If he is confirmed for the DWTS cast, Umansky, 53, will compete against “Vanderpump Rules” star Ariana Madix, “The Bachelorette” star Charity Lawson, and more for the season 32 mirrorball trophy. The full cast will be announced on September 13.
Kyle Richards Said She Has No Interest in Joining the ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Cast
BravoKyle Richards.
Several RHOBH stars have already competed on DWTS, including Lisa Rinna, Lisa Vanderpump, and Erika Jayne. When the photos of Umansky leaked online, one fan wondered, “Him dancing or Kyle?”
It is unclear if Richards was even asked to join DWTS season 32, but in the past, she has stated she would not be interested in doing the show. According to Reality Tea, in 2017, Richards told Heather McDonald’s “Juicy Scoop” podcast that she would say “no” to DWTS.
“I think it’s great when other people do it, but it’s not for me,” the RHOBH veteran said at the time. “I feel really overloaded right now.”
“The whole dancing thing, I really admire anyone who does it,” Richards added. “First of all, I can dance great at a party or at a club …but doing it with someone and having to follow moves, I’m very ADD and I would be very stressed and overwhelmed thinking I would have to do this live and on camera with people watching. The hours and taking that away from your family, I could not do it.”
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