Inside the Moment Kyle Richards Found Out Her Separation News Broke: I Saw 'Her Face Shift,' Says Daughter
Kyle Richards' daughter Alexia reveals exactly where and when her mom realized her separation from Mauricio Umansky was public
THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR SEASON 2 OF BUYING BEVERLY HILLS.
News of Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky's separation made waves when it broke last July. Now, fans are getting an inside look at the moment Richards learned the couple's relationship status was public.
On season two of Mauricio's Netflix show, Buying Beverly Hills, the couple's daughter, Alexia Umansky, reveals that she witnessed the moment her mom first saw the news on People.com.
In episode 7 of the new season, which dropped Friday, Alexia shares that she and her mom were paddle boarding during a family trip to their vacation home in Colorado.
"I first found out about the article, we were paddle boarding with my family in Aspen," Alexia recalls in a confessional-style, on-camera interview. "And I see my mom look at her phone, and I see her face shift. And I see my dad come out, and he just had, phone call, text message, phone call, text message."
While it appears cameras weren't rolling at that moment, the aftermath is captured on the show. The scene cuts to the couple's three oldest daughters, Alexia, Sophia, and Farrah, discussing the news at the Aspen house.
"They're not separated. Or, as far as I know, they're not separated," Sophia says.
But Farrah is quick to amend that, "What makes this time different is there is actually some truth to what's being said." She adds, "We don't really discuss difficult things."
Richards and Mauricio's communication with the girls — or perceived lack thereof — regarding the separation is a point of tension throughout the season.
"Before the news broke, we had really not talked about the issues with the family. We had kind of kept it secret. Not secret, but away from the kids," Mauricio says in a taped confessional. "I can't imagine the moment where you think your parents are divorcing, are separating, and you hear it from somebody else."
Richards admits to Mauricio that she had already told their girls "some stuff" going on between them, adding, "Not only that, but people can feel when energy is off. Our girls are smart. And it's our bad that we haven't said anything before that properly. Because then it makes them feel like we're hiding something, maybe."
A source close to the pair confirmed to PEOPLE last summer, "Kyle and Mauricio have been separated for a while now but are still living under the same roof. They remain amicable as they figure out what's next for them and their family."
Mauricio has since publicly confirmed the news, and the new season of Buying Beverly Hills documents the shifts in the couple's relationship over six months, with both parties ultimately accepting that they would explore what life looked like without the other.
At an emotional dinner with the girls that seemingly took place at the very end of filming for season two, Mauricio tells them, "You know, your mom came, and she talked to me, and she said I think I need space. She said to me, listen, the rules are that you go out, you date, you do whatever it is that you want to do. I'm not gonna be asking you what you're doing. I don't want you to be asking me what I'm doing. Like, we are separated."
He continues, adding that despite having not had "any conversations" with Richards "in the last two months," he's meeting with her after the dinner to hash things out.
"My intention is to let her know where my head is at. Today, where I stand is… I want space," he says. "I don't know where she's at today. Where she was at six weeks ago is where I'm at today."
Season 2 of Buying Beverly Hills is now streaming on Netflix.
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Read the original article on People.