What Kyle Richards Wishes She Knew Before Joining The Real Housewives

On "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," cast members often go from one extreme to the next in a matter of minutes. One moment, the housewives are smiling as if everything is peachy keen. The next, they're angrily confronting one another and jealously shedding tears. Actor Kyle Richards is no exception to this common pattern. An original cast member of the show, Richards joined "RHOBH" in 2010. Throughout her long run, she's had plenty of beef with her cast mates, including her sisters Kim Richards and Kathy Hilton.

Despite the drama, Richards has remained authentic and empathetic toward her friends. She supported Dorit Kemsley after her home invasion and expressed frustration when Sutton Stracke minimized the traumatic situation. In an "RHOBH" clip, Richards confessed, "Are you that wrapped up in yourself that you are not grasping what just happened to our friend?"

While Richards usually has her head on straight on "RHOBH," she has taken the heat for her interactions on a number of occasions. Being on a reality television show is not for the faint of heart, and there's a lot that Richards wishes she knew before joining the series.

For Kyle Richards, there was a learning curve in reality television. When she joined "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," she was blindsided by some of the logistical aspects of the series. In August, she told TheThings, "When I first started the show, they would interview me in the confessionals and I didn't know that I didn't have to answer certain things." She explained, "They would ask, 'how much did you spend on this party?' and I would find it a shocking question, because I was not raised to talk about money. But, I would never push back." However, Richards soon realized that she didn't have to share anything she wasn't comfortable with.

Hindsight is 20/20, as Richards does wish one major thing was different. In an October interview with Page Six, she admitted that bringing Kim Richards and Kathy Hilton along for the "RHOBH" ride has been tough. Season 12 was particularly damaging for her and Hilton's dynamic, especially as the season neared its end and the drama between the siblings heightened. Richards explained, "It was really bad for me. It was very emotionally draining," calling filming "painful." She elaborated on her difficulties with her sisters, adding, "The emotions that I was feeling were coming from: 'I've already been down this road with my family before.'"

Like many reality stars, Kylie Richards has regrets about the way she's acted on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." At BravoCon 2022, Richards revealed one part of Season 12 she wished hadn't made it on-air. She was embarrassed by how Garcelle Beauvais' birthday highlighted her messy behavior. "I regret that whole night," Richards said. As fans may recall, Richards sparked controversy by laughing when Erika Jayne cursed at Beauvais' son Jax, per Us Weekly. On the show, Richards confessed, "I mean, it's not funny, but it is funny."

This wasn't Richards' only regret during Season 12 of "RHOBH," though. Viewers ripped her apart over her reaction when Sutton Stracke revealed her miscarriages. On Instagram Stories (via People), Richards explained how her behavior was misconstrued. She claimed, "When Diana was sharing her story about having a miscarriage I was taken aback because I felt like Sutton wasn't letting Diana have her moment to share what she had just recently gone through." However, she wasn't pleased with herself, continuing, "I had obviously had a few drinks and didn't express myself clearly & I was disappointed in the way I handled myself altogether." Richards had second thoughts about how she addressed Stracke and called her to apologize. In the world of "RHOBH," fighting and making up has become quite normalized. And in Richards' world, that comes with plenty of regret.