Bravo/Getty Taylor Armstrong; Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky
Taylor Armstrong doesn’t want to get in the middle of Kyle Richards’ marital woes.
During a September 2023 appearance on “Watch What Happens Live,” the “Real Housewives of Orange County” star was asked for her reaction to the news that Richards and her husband Mauricio Umansky have separated after 27 years of marriage.
While speaking with host Andy Cohen on September 5, 2023, Armstrong, 52, issued a careful response.
“You know how much I love Kyle, and I want Kyle to be happy,” the RHOC star said of her former co-star. “I love them both so much and I know that they’re always going to love each other. I want everyone to be happy. I’m so neutral on that whole issue.”
Armstrong formed a friendship with Richards during the early seasons of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” before moving to the O.C. franchise in 2023.
Here’s what you need to know:
Kyle Richards Admitted It’s Been a Challenging Year for Her Marriage
Getty Mauricio Umansky and Kyle Richards in November 2022.
The Umanskys’ marital problems were first leaked in July 2023, when a source told People that the RHOBH couple “have been separated for a while now.”
Richards and Umansky were forced to issue a joint statement to confirm that they had hit a rocky patch in their marriage. “Yes, we have had a rough year. The most challenging one of our marriage. But we both love and respect each other tremendously,” the longtime couple said, adding that stories of them divorcing are “untrue.”
Richards also addressed the separation in an Amazon Live in July 2023. “We have had a hard year,” she said. “People leak stories, sometimes they’re true, sometimes they’re not true. We made a point to say divorce is not being discussed.”
But Richards sounded less convincing a few weeks later. In an August 10 Amazon Live, the Bravo star replied to a fan who asked how she and Umansky were doing.
“That’s a very loaded question,” Richards said. “You know, this has been very hard to do…it’s playing out with so many people having eyes on us and being in the public eye.”
“Obviously we care about each other a lot,” she added. Richards noted that she had just returned from a family vacation with her husband, then said she didn’t wish to share any more about the situation.
There have been rumors that Richards had an affair with country singer Morgan Wade. Both women have denied the accusations.
Other RHOBH Stars Have Weighed in on Kyle Richards & Mauricio Umansky’s Marriage
In addition to Armstrong, several of Richards’ RHOBH co-stars have weighed in on her separation from The Agency founder.
In an interview with Billboard in July, Erika Jayne said she would leave the explanation to Richards but noted, “They have had a very hard time. They’ve acknowledged that.”
Garcelle Beauvais also spoke out during an appearance on “Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen” that same month. “Sutton[Stracke] and I were suspicious,” Beauvais admitted. “I sent [Kyle] a text asking if she’s OK, and she said, ‘I’m hanging in there.’”
As for Stracke, she dodged the question when asked about it by Us Weekly. “I will just say I asked a lot of questions,” Stracke said. “Are they together? … We don’t know, do we?”
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