Returning ‘Real Housewives’ Star Offers Relationship Advice for Kyle Richards

Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky

Getty Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky

“The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Kyle Richards has been at the center of a lot of relationship speculation after reports came out in early July 2023 that she and her husband of 27 years, Mauricio Umansky, were splitting. Richards and Umansky shared a statement on their Instagram pages on July 4, clarifying that the couple was not divorcing, but that they’ve had a “rough year”, which has caused many fans of the show to wonder what the future holds for their relationship.

Now, while attending a Saturday, July 29 luncheon hosted by former “New York” Housewife Jill Zarin, Richards’ friend and former “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Cynthia Bailey spoke to E! News, sharing her thoughts on the situation and offering advice to her “Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip” season one co-star.

“I just think, at the end of the day, if it doesn’t bring you peace and happiness, then you guys should really have that real conversation and go from there,” Bailey said.


Cynthia Bailey Has Been Through 2 Divorces

Bailey went on to clarify that she is not opposed to Richards and Umansky staying together, adding, “I adore Kyle. I adore Mauricio. I think that they have, from what I can tell, an amazing relationship, a beautiful family. I always root for people to work it out. But I feel like at the end of the day, whatever’s going to make them both happy is what I support.”

Bailey is speaking from experience, having been through two divorces. Bailey’s first marriage was to restaurateur Peter Thomas, whom she married in 2010. The two divorced in 2017 after having the ups and downs of their relationship play out on RHOA. According to RadarOnline, in 2020, Bailey filed (and later dropped) a lawsuit against Thomas, for repayment of a $170,000 loan.

Bailey’s second marriage also took place in 2020, to Mike Hill, whom she first began dating in 2018, a year after her split from Thomas. While their televised wedding was a major storyline of RHOA season 13 (Bailey’s last as a regular cast member), the years that followed proved to not be as much of a fairy tale, as Bailey and Hill began divorce proceedings two years later in 2022, with Bailey saying “I felt like we weren’t friends anymore.”

Has Bailey spoken with Richards lately? Yes, the RHOA alumna said, but not about her relationship struggles.

“I’m the kind of person, when people are going through things, I kind of try to respect their space. And when I see her it’s like, ‘Hey, I’m here for you, whenever you need me,'” Bailey said, ending her answer by saying, “I think [Kyle’s] going to be fine.”


Cynthia Bailey is Returning to ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’

Season 15 of RHOA is currently airing on Bravo and the Sunday, July 30 episode ended by teasing Bailey’s return to the franchise after departing two seasons prior. Bailey will only be featured in a guest capacity, however her return could have a big impact on the season, as one current storyline involves the ladies getting to the bottom of whether cast members Drew Sidora and LaToya Ali kissed at Bailey’s season 13 bachelorette party.

Bailey spoke with Access Hollywood about her return to the show in a June 20 interview, saying, “I’m popping in and I’m popping out […] I do like to check on the girls.” In the same interview, Bailey was asked about whether she would join Richards and her castmates on RHOBH, and she said, “I’ve been hanging out with the diamonds a little bit. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I dip my big toe in Atlanta and my pinky toe in Beverly Hills.”

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