Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Garcelle Beauvais, Kathy Hilton and Kim Richards attend The Abbey's 16th annual Toy Drive for Children's Hospital LA at The Abbey Food & Bar on September 21, 2021 in West Hollywood, California.
The anticipated memoir by former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Kim Richards may never see the light of day and a lawsuit filed by her ghostwriter is one of the reasons. Writer Alison Kingsley Baker took Richards to court back in 2019 amid a contentious relationship between the two that eventually led to Richards’ tell-all book being shelved, possibly permanently.
Court records obtained by Heavy from Los Angeles County small claims court show that Kinglsey Baker accused the ex-“RHOBH” star of failing to give her the portion of her $300,000 advance, despite the writer completing the work she was tasked with doing in their contract. The case was eventually settled, with Kinglsey Baker agreeing to take less than half of what she said she was owed in order to end the ordeal.
Now, three years later, the book has still not been published by HarperCollins and there are no signs that will change soon. A shell of an Amazon page advertising the book, “The Whole Truth: The Reality of It All,” remains up, but with no details about a release date and with a placeholder cover.
Richards has not talked about the status of the book and her publisher has also not commented about the delays and reports the book will never be published. A 2021 publication date has come and gone without any update. The Amazon page no longer allows customers to pre-order the book.
Kim Richards Paid Alison Kingsley Baker $5,075 to Settle the Lawsuit, Records Obtained by Heavy Show
Los Angeles Superior CourtKim Richards settled a lawsuit over her book in 2019.
In the civil suit brought by Alison Kingsley Baker in Los Angeles Superior Court, which can be read here, Kingsley Baker said Kim Richards owed her $10,000, according to the contract they signed. She wrote that she would settle for less, the court documents show.
Kinglsey Baker wrote in the court document, “My client refuses to pay me despite our signed contract and a job well done.” According to her website, Allie Kingsley Baker, “is a screenwriter and novelist with over a decade of experience working side-by-side with legends in the entertainment industries. Her self-titled novels, co-authored celebrity books, and online musings address hot topics in pop culture and lifestyle.”
Kingsley Baker has written alongside several celebrities, including Jenna Dewan, Nicky Hilton, Julianne Hough and she says on her website, “Allie also creates and executive produces a variety of on-screen projects including feature and television treatments and television pilot scripts.”
The lawsuit was settled in September 2019, according to court records. Judge Richard Walmark said in his ruling that if Richards paid Kingsley Baker $5,000 plus court costs of $75, the “entire case will be dismissed.” He added, “If defendant does not pay plaintiff, judgement will be entered in favor of plaintiff in the amount stated,” meaning $10,000. According to court records, Richards paid Kingsley Baker by October 4, 2019, and the case was dismissed by the judge.
Richards Will Likely Be Able to Keep the Rest of Her $300,000 Advance, Even if the Memoir Is Never Published, According to Reports
GettyKim Richards and Kyle Richards.
According to The Daily Mail, the book was set to be published by Dey Street Books, a division of HarperCollins, but it has been scrapped. A source told the publication, “They killed it. And they’re letting Kim keep the $300,000 book advance.” The source told The Daily Mail that HarperCollins “didn’t think they would be abl eto recoup the money so they’re taking it as a loss.”
The source added, “This book was cursed from the beginning, with a lawsuit and delay after delay. No one should be surprised it was finally given the ax.”
Kyle Richards, Kim’s sister and fellow “Real Housewives” star, told People in 2020, “I didn’t really know about the book. I mean, she started saying she was working on, you know, something and I didn’t really – I don’t really know a lot about it. All I know is we’re in a good place, so hopefully we’re going to stay there.” Kyle Richards added that their other sister, “RHOBH” co-star Kathy Hilton, was “a little taken aback” by the book, according to People.
HarperCollins wrote in its promotion of the unpublished book, “One of reality television’s most well-known and most unpredictable personalities—the former child actress and star of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills—speaks her mind and tells her truth in this blazingly honest memoir. … There have been many Hollywood tell-alls, but none like The Whole Truth. Kim Richards is a force of nature, a star who barreled into America’s pop culture psyche with her larger-than-life presence on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. But there is so much more to the Kim people know from television. The Whole Truth is the harrowing, all-too-real, and ultimately empowering story of a woman who has been through hell and back, endured, grew strong, and learned to become her own fiercest advocate.”
According to the promo materials, “The soul-baring confession of a woman revealing what it was like to be treated like a show pony as a child star, as a disposable object as a wife, a whipping post as a sister, and as a tabloid commodity as a celebrity. But above all else, it is a triumphant tale of a determined woman who refused to be broken—a fierce, loving, and relatable human who is strong, flawed, and real.” The book was said to be “Illustrated with 25-35 photos, The Whole Truth is Kim Richards’s truth as only she can tell it—unvarnished, painful, and authentic.”
Richards said in a quote from HarperCollins, “I’ve come to learn that holding onto secrets is like holding your breath. Finally, I feel strong enough to speak my truth. I am unafraid and unapologetic. I am ready.”