Heavy/Getty/ABC Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky.
Mauricio Umansky danced his way back to his early days with Kyle Richards.
On October 24, 2023, “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” husband appeared on “Dancing With the Stars,” where he danced a Most Memorable Year dance with pro partner Emma Slater. And while Umansky is currently separated from Richards, he chose the year they married as the theme for the special DWTS week.
For the Most Memorable Year dance, Umansky, 53, and Slater, 34, performed a Contemporary to “Rise Up” by Andra Day. Ahead of the dance, Umansky said the year he chose had a very special meaning to him.
“I picked a year that was very, very meaningful in my life,” Umansky told Parade. “From every perspective, it changed my life.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Mauricio Umansky’s Most Memorable Year Was 1996
Hours before the live show, Umansky shared details on his memorable year and why he chose it. In an Instagram post, Umansky posted several family photos. He tagged Richards as well as their daughters Farrah Aldjufrie, and Alexia, Sophia, and Portia Umansky. The Agency founder also shared photos of him rehearsing the emotional dance with Slater.
He captioned the post to explain that his dance would be “about life and how it’s not always perfect.”
“When you think it’s impossible to move mountains and you’re at your lowest moment and you think all doors are closed you need to rise up and rise unafraid and move mountains,” he added.
“My time was 1996 when Kyle and I got married and Alexia was born,” Umansky wrote. “We had Farrah and Alexia. I was 26 when I was fired from my job and broke. Kyle was my rock and together we rose up and we rose up 1000 x and we moved mountains a lot of them. It’s been an incredible journey. Tonight’s dance is dedicated to Kyle and my Family.”
In the comment section, some fans expressed hope that Umansky and Richards will work out their marital problems and stay together.
Following the live performance, Umansky’s dance scored him 24 out of 30 points from the DWTS judges. His daughter, Sophia, and other friends were in the audience, but Richards did not appear to be there.
Mauricio Umansky Previously Spoke Out Being ‘Broke’ Early in His Marriage
This wasn’t the first time Umansky spoke about those lean early years. On the “Family Dynasty” episode of his Netflix reality show, “Buying Beverly Hills,” Umansky previously opened up about losing his job in the clothing business when he was newly married.
“I was crying …and Kyle was an extraordinary wife,” he said. “She sat down with me and said ‘We’re gonna figure something out.’ And she said, ‘Let’s go get our real estate licenses together.’”
In a January 2023 interview on Dear Media’s “Trading Secrets With Jason Tartick” podcast, Umansky said that he and Richards had no money when they married in 1996.
“My wife was clipping coupons, you know, to go to the supermarket. Like we literally had to build everything,” he said. “She’s amazing.”
Umansky got into the real estate business with the help of his brother-in-law Rick Hilton. After starting his own brokerage firm, his net worth is estimated to be more than $100 million, per Celebrity Net Worth.
As Umansky looked back at his past, the dance reportedly bonded him and Slater in an unexpected way. “Sources with direct knowledge” told TMZ that Umansky and Slater went out to dinner where he opened up to her about why 1996 “was so pivotal for him.” The two were later spotted holding hands after having the “deep” conversation.
Following their Most Memorable Year dance, judge Carrie Ann Inaba said to Umansky and Slater, “There is something going on that is beautiful between you two. Thank you for letting us witness.”
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