The Transformation Of Kyle Richards From 10 To 52 Years Old

At this point, fans of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" may know Kyle Richards almost too well, as she has been on the show since its inception and is the only remaining member of the original cast. Kyle got her start as a child actor, earning roles in "Little House on the Prairie," "The Car," "The Watcher in the Woods" (pictured above), "E.R.," and the original "Halloween," according to her bio on Bravo's website. Since marrying real estate broker Mauricio Umansky and creating a new name for herself on the show, she's launched boutiques and fashion collaborations, like the Kyle x Shahida loungewear collection. She has also gotten involved in philanthropic work fundraising for Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

We've all seen Kyle live the life of a fabulous, upper-class, middle-aged woman, leaving fans curious about the life she lived before. Thanks to social media, we're able to see Kyle's incredible transformation from 24 to 52.

In July 2020, Kyle Richards shared a throwback photo of herself and her then-boyfriend Mauricio Umansky on Instagram. The picture shows the then-new couple presumably at a party, with Mauricio wearing an oversized button-down shirt tucked into khakis, while Kyle is wearing a nude turtleneck and holding a Miller Lite. "This may be the last time I had a beer," she wrote in the post. "Or perhaps I was holding [Mauricio's] because it looks like he may have had one too many #24yearsold." 

Kyle being 24 places the photo somewhere in 1993, when Kyle was freshly divorced from her first husband Guraish Aldjufrie, whom she married in 1988 when she was just 19, per The List. Kyle gave birth to their daughter Farrah later that year, but the couple split in 1992. "I struggled with the being married part," Kyle said. "Now I've got the wife part down, but that's hard to be a wife at that age."

Although Bethenny Frankel made a name for herself on "The Real Housewives of New York City," she and Kyle Richards have actually been close friends for decades despite the distance between coasts. According to Bravo's "The Daily Dish," the future Housewives met in LA in the '90s. "When I first met Bethenny she was working at La Scala Boutique, a restaurant in Beverly Hills," Kyle said. "She came up to my table and was like, 'Hi. I'm dating your ex-boyfriend.'" An introduction like that usually starts a fight, but this time it started a long and fruitful friendship. Bethenny also worked as a personal assistant for Kathy Hilton, Kyle's sister, and babysat Kyle's nieces Paris and Nicky Hilton. 

The two friends will often post throwback pics together on social media. "Found this pic of [Bethenny] that I took 23 years ago while we were on a hike," Kyle tweeted in 2015. "Where did we get the camera from?" Bethenny posted a photo of the two of them straight from the 90s on Instagram in 2014. In the photo — captioned, "Who doesn't love a good #tbt?! I know [Kyle] does!!!" — an unrecognizable Kyle is sporting parted bangs past her eyebrows.

Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky tied the knot on January 20, 1996. On their 24th anniversary in 2020, Kyle shared a small album of wedding photos on Instagram. "How fortunate are we that we have been able to grow together, side by side and not apart," she wrote. "When I look at our family, so full of love, I am grateful for this life we have built. Our children are a true testament of our love. I love you more. Here's to having more fun, making more memories and loving eachother [sic] for the rest of our lives." Later that year, she told Andy Cohen on "Watch What Happens Live," "... there is that supposed jinx with marriages and Housewives, but we're going strong. Almost 25 years married."

The couple has had three daughters together: Alexia, Sophia, and Portia, according to The List. Though Mauricio is known as a successful real estate broker, he actually first stepped into the business world with a clothing line, which he then sold for a large sum. He then joined the real estate firm Hilton and Hyland, co-owned by Kyle's brother, Rick Hilton. Now, he runs his own firm called The Agency, specializing in luxury real estate.

While they claim to be "Real Housewives," most stars of the franchise have one fake thing in common: cosmetic surgery. According to The Sun, Teresa Giudice of the New Jersey series has had two boob jobs and regularly gets Botox, while Bethenny Frankel of New York gets Botox in her jaw to "soften her facial appearance," per her plastic surgeon. Beverly Hills' Lisa Rinna got permanent lip injections until she had them removed in 2010, while fellow Beverly Hills Housewife Yolanda Hadid famously got rid of all her implants and fillers. "Your health is your wealth so please make educated decisions, research the partial information you're given by our broken system before putting anything foreign in your body," she said on Instagram.

As for Kyle Richards (pictured here at age 40), she prides herself on having had a minimal amount of work done. "I've had my nose done. No secret and I get Botox. That's it. No fillers," she wrote on Instagram in 2018 (per The Sun). "My mom had amazing skin and I take very good care of myself and am good at makeup. Period," she continued. "Surgery requires downtime. I don't have any downtime and I don't feel like I need it yet."

Now? After turning 52 in January 2021, Kyle Richards is living her best life — which apparently includes getting into a fight with her former co-star Lisa Vanderpump. TMZ reported in May 2021 that Lisa, who was dining at the same restaurant as Kyle and a "Real Housewives" producer, jokingly sent her $132 dinner tab to their table. Kyle and the producer didn't find it as funny, though, and refused to pick up the tab.

Then, Bravo superfan account Christian Gray Snow posted on Instagram, "If Lisa Vanderpump is going to sell stories to TMZ she should include the full details, like the part when she left the restaurant and scribbled all over her former co-stars' faces after a fan approached and asked her to sign his #RHOBH print." Yikes! The post included a photo of the aforementioned defaced print, on which several of the scribbled-out stars weighed in. Kyle wrote, "Bitter Spice," while Teddi Mellencamp wrote, "I must be really special. I got 3 X X X."

In spite of whatever obstacles life throws at her, Kyle manages to maintain her composure and her sheer fabulosity.