Kathy Hilton Accused of ‘Putting on an Act’

Getty Kathy Hilton

Kathy Hilton joined the cast of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” as a “friend of” this season, and she instantly became a fan favorite. Hilton won fans over with her sayings, innocent questions, realistic clothing questions, and of course, Hunky Dory.

But some fans are unsure about how they feel about the oldest Richards sister. “I don’t buy Kathy Hilton’s little ‘quirky’ act,” one Twitter user wrote. The popular Twitter account Real Housewives Polls asked, “Do you think some of
Kathy Hilton’s cluelessness is an act or do you think it’s completely genuine?” More than 3,500 people voted, and “Act” won with 50.9 percent compared to “Genuine” with 49.1 percent.

Earlier this month, a fan took to Reddit to create a full-on Hilton thread titled, “Kathy Hilton is putting on an act, but it’s an enjoyable act.” The user wrote, “I feel like people online are either really pro Kathy because they think she’s authentic in what she’s presenting…or really anti Kathy because they view her as inauthentic and to be putting on a show of being more aloof and less calculated than she actually is.”

The thread drew more than 170 comments with people debating which side they fell on. “She’s a total phony yet I’m enjoying her weird a** to the fullest,” one commented. Another added, “I know she’s fake as hell but it’s still funny to watch. Gotta take these shows for what they are.” One put it, “Kathy is 100% acting. While I don’t buy it for a second … I’m more entertained by questioning her and Kyle’s motives for adding her to the cast.”


Hilton Has Gotten Emotional on the Show

For the majority of the season, Hilton has provided comedic relief and entertainment in a mostly serious season. Hilton recently got real and began to cry in a confessional when speaking about her strained relationship with her sister Kyle Richards.

In 2015, Richards revealed that she had gotten a deal to produce “American Woman,” a tv series loosely based on her childhood with her two sisters and her mom. The series put a serious strain on Richards’ relationship with her two other sisters, who did not approve of the venture. The two gathered together to discuss the rift during the latest episode of RHOBH.

“When my mom passed away, the dynamic between Kathy, Kim and I changed, because my mom was always the mediator,” Richards said in a confessional. “If my mom was still alive, we would’ve still had the arguments that we had, 1,000 percent. But all the years of not spending time together, my mom would never have tolerated that and she would have brought us all together, always.”

Richards began to cry and said, “Now, we can just be together and have fun, and I don’t ever want to go back to that place.” Hilton also began to break down crying in a confessional when asked about her one “regret” during their 10-year strain. “[Not] being together,” she said and began to cry.


Hilton Shared That Richards ‘Convinced’ Her to Join RHOBH

The Richards sisters are no strangers to television, especially reality television. Kyle and Kim Richards both starred as original RHOBH cast members, and Hilton’s daughters Paris and Nicky Hilton have obviously had their fair share of reality tv success.

“I never would have thought I’d say yes to this,” Hilton confessed to People earlier this year in June. “I stopped watching it after the first season. My sister Kyle and I had our ups and downs so it was nothing that I wanted to watch. But Kyle convinced me to do it. And I was flattered. I thought it would be an opportunity for us to spend time together. I really missed her.”

She added that she hoped her journey with her sisters could inspire others with estranged relationships. “I think that by sharing these things I’ve experienced, it can help other people,” she said. “Let’s have fun with the show and be silly and girly but let’s also have more depth. Maybe someone will [see us] and pick up the phone to call their sister or their mother or their brother.”

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