Kyle Richards, 51, is spilling the tea on the Denise Richards drama that was front-and-center on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills premiere — and why the show decided to break the fourth wall for the first time ever. “All I know is that [Denise] stopped, you know, basically showing up. She didn’t want to face anything or deal with anything, so she either would bring her husband or disappear,” Kyle said to SiriusXM host Jenny McCarthy, 47, on April 22. “I’m not exactly sure how long [she will be gone],” the longtime RHOBH cast member added.
“Don’t you feel like that’s not fair when Housewives do that?” Jenny then probed. “That was something I really took issue with because I’ve been on the show for ten years,” Kyle responded, opening up about some of the hardships she’s experienced on the series. “There have been so many things have come up that were really, really painful over these ten years — stuff about my sister [Kim Richards]. Taylor [Armstrong],” she continued, referencing Kim’s emotional battle with alcoholism. “When you think about the things that people went through on this show, like, I never knew it was an option not to show up! For me, when someone signs up to do something like this — you think I want to be around all these people sometimes after some of the mean things have been done and said? No, but I always show up,” she continued.
Housewives fan Jenny then brought up Lisa Vanderpump‘s dramatic exit from the series last season, noting that she hoped the Vanderpump Rules star “didn’t set a pattern for people to think that they can storm off.” Kyle agreed, explaining that “was exactly why we broke the fourth wall. I mean, ultimately, that’s why [producers] ended up having to. Because if I say ‘blah, blah, blah’ about [it] — [producers] are like, ‘well, we aren’t going to use this then.’ Well, no, now we’re breaking the fourth wall.”
Jenny’s husband Donnie Wahlberg interjected with his own take on the drama. “I think there’s something to be said… the people who are walking off, you broke the fourth fall, it is exciting…but there is something to be said about your trajectory on the show: you’ve always shown up,” the New Kids On The Block singer added.
“[Walking off] is the worst thing you can honestly do because you leave it open for everyone to talk about that instead of you taking control of the narrative,” Kyle continued, adding “You’re just making it a way bigger deal. It’s a rookie move!”
The season 10 premiere opened up with a bomb, noting on a text screen that Denise, 49, had “stopped shooting” with the group in Dec. 2019. Shortly after a dramatic series of confrontations between the ladies and Denise, a producer could be heard saying to Lisa Rinna, “for any cast member that comes on the show, you’re told that all you have to do is tell the truth.” Denise can then be seen walking away from camera crews and the cast with her husband Aaron Phypers, telling him, “We’re on camera — don’t say a f—— word.” The April 15 premiere came after months of rumors about Denise having a sexy hookup with Brandi Glanville, 47. Denise has already denied that she has an “open marriage” via Instagram comments, once again saying in the premiere that she is a “very married woman.”