The Tragedy Of Former Child Star Kim Richards Is So Sad

The following article includes mentions of addiction.

Life as a Beverly Hills Housewife may seem sweet, but not everything is as diamond-coated and seamless as it may appear on television. "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Kim Richards knows it all too well, as she's had countless personal dramas play out during her years on Bravo. From her fallouts with her family to her battles with addiction, the California native has overcome countless struggles in the limelight over the years.

But living her life in the spotlight was something she adapted to from a very young age, after being born into a wealthy family and becoming a child star. She gained notoriety for taking on the role of Prudence in the sitcom, "Nanny and the Professor," in the early 70s, and she went on to star in several shows and films on the Disney Channel. Eventually, reality television came calling, and she joined the cast of the "RHOBH" in 2010. However, Richards' problems only seemed to grow when she opened her personal life up to the world, and she became famous for her outbursts and beef with other cast mates — including her sister, Kyle Richards.

The "Escape to Witch Mountain" star's obstacles are much more than just a Housewives storyline. She's battled several demons over the last few decades, and not just ones fans have seen on screen. Here's a look at the tragic life of former child star Kim Richards.

Kim Richards has faced numerous tragedies in her life, including losing her fiancé in a devastating murder-for-hire gone wrong. The actor was once engaged to salesman John J. Collett, a fellow Californian who she was planning to marry in the early 90s. Unfortunately for the ill-fated pair, their engagement was cut short when Collett was tragically killed.

In October 1991, Collett was shot by a hitman outside of a deli in the San Fernando Valley, while Richards was reportedly on the phone with him. The businessman was previously involved with a firm that had been accused of defrauding investors of millions of dollars. While prosecutors could prove that the hitman was paid to kill him, they couldn't figure out who was behind it. "It just tore her apart emotionally, and she was not in good shape for a long time," John's mother, Jan Collett, shared with People in 2010. "She really loved John. They were a good match."

Jan expressed her belief that her son may have been a victim of a hit on wealthy investors after he invested $250,000 in a separate business deal. Instead of getting his return on his investment, according to her theory, he was gunned down in a criminal plot. "Kim was always carrying around a lot of pain, subsequent to my son's death," Jan explained. "I really cared for Kim. I thought she was a really good person with a good heart."

Kim Richards has had plenty of her dirty laundry aired out for the world to see — whether she likes it or not. During the finale episode of Season 1 of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," Kim and her sister, Kyle Richards, got into a heated argument in the back of a limousine, with the latter calling her out for substance use for the first time on camera. "Mom had to die worrying about you and stressing about you and leave this s*** on my shoulders," Kyle quipped, referring to their late mother, Kathleen, who died of breast cancer in 2002.

After Kim accused Kyle of stealing her house, her sister took their beef to another level, telling her, "You are a liar and sick and an alcoholic ... that's right. I said it, and now everybody knows." The fight escalated to the point where passengers tried to get in between the two sisters, with Kyle calling her "demented" and refusing to help her in the future. While the pair eventually made up down the road, the back-of-the-limo altercation went down as one of the most infamous moments of Housewives history.

Kim eventually owned up to her problems with alcohol during the three-part reunion special for Season 2 of "RHOBH" (via Daily Mail). Getting candid with host Andy Cohen, she told him, "I'm an alcoholic," in one of the most shocking moments from the season. Shortly after, the mother of four sought help at a rehab facility and has continued to battle with relapses in her drinking throughout the years.

Kim and Kyle Richards' limousine fight led to a serious rift between the two women. In a blog post written by Kyle after the scene aired, she mentioned that she and Kim were estranged for a considerable amount of time following the ordeal.

"My heart was broken and I suffered an incredible amount of anxiety and panic attacks," she acknowledged. "Next to losing my mother, this was the most difficult time of my life." But all hope wasn't lost for the siblings following the dramatic conclusion of Season 1 of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." Instead, Kim and Kyle continued to work on their relationship in the years that followed. "[It's] a day-by-day thing that we work on [because] what happened was extremely painful," Kim explained to People in 2011 (via Bravo). "It's not going to cure itself overnight, and hopefully we will grow past all that happened and move forward and get stronger and stronger."

Kim and Kyle found their way back to a good place eventually. Kim admitted that after seeking treatment in rehab for alcohol abuse in 2011 she was able to become a better version of herself. By the end of 2013, she told People that she had turned over a new leaf with her sister, and the two were moving in the right direction. "[We] have these bonding moments," she affirmed, adding, "Kyle and I really were able to put it together during this Christmas."

Kim Richards unfortunately made headlines in the spring of 2015 when tabloids caught wind of one of her children receiving psychiatric care. The Beverly Hills native has four children from her two husbands and a previous relationship; daughters Whitney, Kimberly, and Brooke, and a son named Chad. According to Radar Online, one of them — who the publication declined to name — was admitted to a psychiatric facility in the South Bay neighborhood of LA.

"This wasn't an involuntary psychiatric hold, but it came very close," a source claimed. "The individual has battled with depression for years and it's unclear at this point how long they'll have to remain in the hospital. This is obviously very, very hard for Kim." The news came at a difficult time for the reality star, who was battling an on-again-off-again relationship with her sister and a recent stint of her own in rehab after admitting she had a drinking problem.

Kim Richards has a history of being arrested, with her first incident in 2015. That April, the actor was apprehended by police officers for drunk and disorderly conduct at the Beverly Hills Hotel. She ultimately pleaded no contest to resisting arrest, leaving her with a three-year probation sentence and an embarrassing story to tell. In addition to her probation, a judge ordered her to attend Alcoholics Anonymous sessions for one year and complete about a month of community service. Due to the incident, she wasn't allowed near the hotel for the foreseeable future.

Richards deeply regretted her actions, admitting on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" that she was over three years sober before the arrest at the hotel occurred. While driving home after having a drink at her daughter, Brooke's, residence, she stopped by the Beverly Hills Hotel so she wouldn't drink and drive. Unfortunately, she didn't take an employee seriously when told they were closing, and in her words — "one thing led to another."

But it seemed the former Housewife didn't learn her lesson the first time around. She was arrested yet again months later in August for stealing from Target. According to the incident report obtained by TMZ,  Richards attempted to take away two shopping carts stocked full of goods from the dollar section before she was caught. A security guard grabbed her before she could get too far into the parking lot, finding her $600 stash that included dozens of toys and beauty products. The "Tuff Turf" star pleaded guilty to petty theft and was sentenced to 36 hours of probation, 52 hours of Alcoholics Anonymous classes, and an additional 300 hours of community service.

Kim Richards appeared on "Dr. Phil" shortly after her first arrest in 2015, but it didn't exactly go as she might have predicted it would. The reality star recounted the events of her drunken incident at the Beverly Hills Hotel and later heard from some of her children about their desires for her to seek more outpatient treatment. But "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star wasn't up for a program that wasn't suited to her liking, which led to the interview going off the rails.

After three of her children acknowledged that they didn't want her mother to return home in her current state, Kim asked, "Is this an intervention?" Despite her kids trying to console her and reaffirm they have her best interests at heart, the mother of four wasn't having it. "I just want to stop now," she shared. "I'm done. I don't want to do anymore." When Dr. Phil admitted he had set up a treatment program not far from home for the star, as she requested, Kim still shot down his requests. "I have a lot of anxiety right now," she said as she stormed out of the sit-down. "I'm sorry I can't," she added.

Months after the episode aired, Kim admitted herself back into a rehab facility. She had originally checked into the treatment program after her initial arrest, but left for her daughter Brooke's wedding. She later remarked to Entertainment Tonight that she "[thinks]" she relapsed at the nuptials after finding a leftover margarita.

Kim Richards was faced with tragedy in 2016 after losing her ex-husband to cancer. The reality star married Monty Brinson in 1985 and was with him for three years before they split up, but the pair continued to remain on good terms and co-parent their daughter, Brooke, in the years that followed.

The former child star first addressed her ex-husband was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2014, recalling in a blog post that he had gone for a check-up and later received the news. "The words you never want to hear! And the thought of telling our daughter!" she recounted. "Over that week we decided to have a wedding with just our immediate family so that we could be sure that Monty would be able to walk Brooke down the aisle."

Richards remained by Brinson's side up until his death two years later, often posting photos with him to Instagram and expressing her gratitude for being able to spend time with him. "Having you here Monty is the best gift of all ... I love you so much @montybrinson," she wrote in one post. As for Brinson, he kept his positive attitude throughout his treatment, grateful for the amount of love and support he received by way of his ex-wife's life in the spotlight. "I've felt love from all over the world and it's made my heart stronger then [sic] ever before," Brinson captioned an Instagram post in 2015. "So I like to thank God for letting me experience this journey and hopefully it will help others through my experience to live life with love."

Kim Richards may have bitten off more than she could chew when she bought her male pitbull Kingsley. "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star adopted her furry friend in 2013, but he didn't exactly socialize well with others. The reality television personality was hit with a massive lawsuit in 2018 after her dog bit a woman named Kelly Crossley in 2015, leading her to have permanent scarring and nerve damage. Richards later settled the lawsuit and was ordered to pay out $266,000.

But unfortunately for Richards, it wasn't the first time Kingsley had acted out. She was sued by her previous employee Paige Sanderson over yet another dog bite, and they reached an unknown settlement in 2018 as well. According to court documents obtained by People, the incident left a nasty mark on Sanderson. "[Kingsley] lunged at her, bit and held on to her lower abdomen and crotch, tearing off her leggings and underwear and ripping out portions of flesh," read a portion of the complaint.

Before that, in 2014, the dog attacked Kyle Richards' daughter, Alexia, at Kim's Los Angeles home, ultimately sending Alexia to the hospital for two surgeries, according to TMZ. Viewers had grown accustomed to Kingsley's aggressive nature on the "RHOBH" after the dog was shown attacking a trainer hired by Kim.

Kim Richards was in the headlines again in the fall of 2024 after news broke that she had relapsed on her sobriety journey. According to TMZ, the California native was living at her sister Kyle's Los Angeles home before she was kicked out over her drinking. Insiders claim that those closest to her were attempting to cut off contact as a wake-up call, but she showed up at Kyle's residence and the cops were later called. Not much could be resolved, however, due to officials stating it was a civil matter, and Kim was able to remain in the residence.

But that wasn't where Kim's sobriety started to take a tumble. The reality star reached a breaking point earlier that month when she was at a Hilton hotel with Kyle and she got out of control. The mother of four was ultimately placed into a psychiatric hold after refusing cops' orders to leave and was taken to the hospital. An insider told People that Kim's battle with alcohol addiction had caused a serious rift between her and her sisters, Kyle and Kathy, admitting that those closest to her are at their "breaking point." The source explained, "It particularly weighs heavily on Kyle, who has always been the worrier of the family. She does her best to take care of Kim — and essentially bankrolls Kim's life, with Kathy [Hilton] — but never knows where the line goes between helping and enabling."

It's a cycle seen time and time again for Kim, who has gotten on and off the wagon for years in the public eye. The family remained mostly quiet about the ordeal, but Kathy did tell People, "We love her and we support her, and that's all I can say."

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).