“Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Kyle Richards has made it clear that she believes she is entitled to a significant chunk of estranged husband Mauricio Umansky’s real estate empire—telling her Bravo co-stars that she will fight to claim her half of the business that she says she helped to build should the couple end up filing for divorce.
Richards, 57, who separated from the 55-year-old real estate tycoon in July 2023, was questioned about why she and Umansky have yet to make their split legal during the second part of the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” Season 15 reunion, according to a sneak peek shared with E! News.
When asked by Andy Cohen whether she plans to file for divorce any time soon, the reality star, who shares daughters Farrah, 37, Alexia, 29, Sophia, 26, and Portia, 18, with The Agency founder, admitted that she is worried about how that might “change” their current dynamic, in which they are peacefully coexisting without any legal complications.
That’s not to say that Richards hasn’t thought about what demands she might make in the event that they do decide to go ahead with the divorce, emphasizing to Cohen and her co-stars that she considers The Agency to be a shared asset, noting that she and Umansky “built” their lives—and wealth—together.
When asked by Cohen: “Will you be asking for half of The Agency?” Richards was quick to respond: “Well it’s mine. Half of it is mine.”
Richards’ sister, Kathy Hilton, then chimed in to question whether Umansky is aware of his estranged wife’s feelings on the matter, asking: “Does he realize that?”
While Richards did not reveal whether she has discussed the matter with Umansky, she was quick to double down on her feelings about it, telling Hilton: “We built our lives together. He literally had two nickels when I married him.”
Her co-star Amanda Francis chimed in to back her up, noting that Richards’ reality TV fame had also helped to increase the prominence of The Agency, stating: “He also launched it on your show.”
Richards did note that any division of assets will have to be hashed out and agreed upon by herself and Umansky, who did not get a prenup before tying the knot in 1996, although she fired back at Sutton Stracke‘s warning that “money changes things, especially men.”
“It doesn’t change that half is mine,” she said. “Obviously, there’s no prenup. We didn’t have anything. We were in a two-bedroom apartment with three kids.”
Umansky founded The Agency alongside Billy Rose and Blair Chang in 2011, 15 years after he wed Richards—and by May 2022, the business had facilitated more than $57 billion worth of real estate sales, according to Forbes.
According to The Agency’s website, the company currently operates more than 145 offices that are spread across 14 countries, while Umansky’s bio notes that he has “achieved nearly $5 billion in real estate sales and holds the distinction of selling the most homes in the country priced above $20 million.”
“He has represented some of the world’s most noteworthy properties, including the Playboy Mansion—the first house in L.A. to sell above the $100 million mark—the Walt Disney Estate, and residences owned by Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan and Prince.”
Indeed, in the 15 years since it was founded, The Agency has built up a wealth of clients, working with the likes of Lady Gaga, LeBron James, and Ben Affleck.
While it’s unclear whether Richards would seek to be involved in the day-to-day running of the business that she hopes to claim a 50% share in, it’s likely that she could be in line for a hefty payout if Umansky wishes to keep The Agency to himself.
However, Richards noted that she isn’t quite ready to pull the plug on their marriage once and for all.
She told Cohen that there was a reason that she hadn’t filed for divorce just yet, admitting that she enjoys the relationship that they currently share, explaining that they are still very happily living together, despite ending their romance.
“I think it’s just not knowing what you want and I like the way it is,” she explained. “The way we can have dinner and he goes to his room, I go to my room. We wake up, have coffee in the morning, talk about what we’re gonna do, we go skiing.”
Richards previously denied speculation that she and Umansky were rekindling their romance, after reports began to surface at the start of the year that a reunion was blossoming between the two during one of those aforementioned ski trips.
Those rumors first started when Richards and Umansky were seen looking cozy during a family trip to Aspen, CO, over the holidays.
However, during an appearance on “Watch What Happens Live,” the “Real Housewives” star insisted that the outing was purely platonic—denying reports that the duo had been “canoodling” during the trip.
“It honestly was … someone just made that story up,” she said.
The reality TV star explained that she and Umansky did travel to Colorado on a trip “with the whole family,” noting that they stayed in a home owned by Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell—but said that was the extent of the time they spent together.
“I don’t know where that story came from, he was kind of doing his own thing,” she said.
Still, she admitted when asked by Cohen if she and Umansky were any “closer” to officially filing for divorce that they have no plans to do so in the near future, explaining that conversations about a legal split are still ongoing.
“We have had conversations that we had not had during this season since then. We still haven’t filed, but we’ve had conversations since then about what it’s going to look like and all of that,” Richards said.
Richards previously opened up about her relationship following her separation with Umansky.
“Since separating from Mau, I was in a relationship, I was in a very vulnerable place in my life and I fell hard for this person. All the speculation and the gossip and the talking is what ultimately ended it,” she said during an episode of “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” noting that she wanted to make the person public, however, her partner at the time did not.
Richards noted that she “could have weathered the storm, but this is not for everyone.”
At the time, she told co-star Erika Jayne that being in the spotlight made it difficult to find her forever person.
The couple announced that they were separating in July 2023, however, emphasized that they weren’t filing for divorce just yet.
“Any claims regarding us divorcing are untrue. However, yes, we have had a rough year, the most challenging one of our marriage. But we both love and respect each other tremendously. There has been no wrongdoing on anyone’s part,” the pair said in a joint statement.
They then asked fans to allow them to “work through our issues privately.
“While it may be entertaining to speculate, please do not create false stories to fit a further salacious narrative,” they added.
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