Kyle Richards Gave Advice to Former RHOBH Co-Star Amid Split

Heavy/Getty Kyle Richards.

Kyle Richards is offering Teddi Mellencamp advice days after she publicly announced she was filing for divorce.

In an interview with People magazine in November 2024, the “Real Housewives of  Beverly Hills” star said she has been there for Mellencamp amid her split from Edwin Arroyave after 13 years of marriage.

Richards, who separated from husband Mauricio Umansky in July 2023,  told the outlet she speaks to Mellencamp “all the time” and had known things were difficult in her marriage.

“Obviously it’s sad no matter what,” Richards said. “And unfortunately, I can give some advice for living through this in the public eye. She can lean on me and show up at my door anytime she wants, no matter what time of night it is. She’s watched me go through this and she knows. So, I think you can just, you just have to focus on your kids … You have to tune out the noise.”

Richards told E! News she “obviously” wasn’t surprised by Mellencamp’s announcement because they talk very day.

“I’m sad,” she said. “I see two people that I know once really loved each other very much—and I’m sure still do—and have this beautiful family and you see them go through something like this. I feel like we’re just getting way too comfortable seeing this now in our group.”

Teddi Mellencamp’s Marital Issues Go Back Years

GettyEdwin Arroyave and Teddi Mellencamp.

Richards and Mellencamp became close friends when they co-starred together on RHOBH for three seasons from 2017 to 2020. In November 2024, a source told The U.S. Sun that Richards was a “huge support” to Mellencamp ss she made the decision to file for divorce from Arroyave. The decision was reportedly a long time coming, dating back to Mellencamp’s very first season on “The Real Housewives.”

“The first year she was on [‘Real Housewives’], she was secretly fighting a lot of trauma no one except maybe Kyle knew about. But again, wanted to keep her family together so they worked through it privately,” the insider shared.

“She kept her secrets and didn’t expose it for the cameras,” the source added. “Teddi really confided in Kyle, and they built that sister-like trust. Once Kyle left Mauricio and got that empowered independence, it helped Teddi see the light of being like ‘oh, I can make these decisions no matter my age, even if I have kids, and it will still be okay.’ So really, Kyle was the catalyst of Teddi finding the power to leave a situation that no longer suited her. And Kyle has been a rock for Teddi throughout this and is helping her navigate this new life.”

On November 1, Mellencamp took to Instagram to announce, “After a great deal of care and consideration, I have made the difficult decision to file for divorce.”

The former RHOBH star added that her priority was her three children’s “privacy and wellbeing throughout this new chapter.” Mellencamp and Arroyave share three children, Slate, 12, Cruz, 10, and Dove, 4.

Teddi Mellencamp Spoke Out About Kyle’s Separation

KyleKyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky.

Mellencamp was also supportive of Richards when her marriage ended. In October she told People  that Richards and Umansky “get along and still communicate.” She also expressed hope for a possible reconciliation for the longtime couple.

“I think that shows the love that’s there [is] throughout their family and their life and the kind of people that they are because that’s not common,” Mellencamp said. “And, you know, no one knows what the future holds.”

“When you look at the history of other people that are going through ups and downs, I think they’re doing pretty great,” the Bravo star continued.

Richards told Us Weekly she understood why Mellencamp made the hopeful comment. “I think people don’t know what to say when they’re asked that question,” she explained. “[Mauricio’s] been out of the house a long time now, and we get along well and we’re always going to be family and very good friends. I think that people don’t know what to say. It’s still new for even my friends.”