moved out of the home he shared with and their daughters right before filming began on the upcoming 14th season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, but isn’t convinced the two are done for good.
Mellencamp, 43, has been part of the RHOBH world since season 8 and is a longtime friend of Richards. Speaking exclusively to Us at the Us Weekly + Pluto TV Reality Stars of the Year Party at the Dream Hotel on Thursday, October 10, Richards, 55, downplayed Mellencamp’s belief that she and Umansky could get back together.
“I think people don’t know what to say when they’re asked that question,” she said. “He’s been out of the house a long time now, and we get along well and we’re always going to be family and very good friends. I think that people don’t know what to say. It’s still new for even my friends.”
Richards and Umansky married in 1996 and share three daughters: Alexia, 28, Sophia, 24, and Portia, 16. (Richards also has a daughter, Farrah, 36, from a previous relationship). The couple split last year after 27 years together.
Asked if she thought a reconciliation was possible, Richards remained noncommittal.
“Right now, we’re just gonna leave it as is,” she said.
Their current dynamic has taken some getting used to, and fans will see it play out when the next season of RHOBH premieres later this year.
“Mo does shoot with me this season quite a bit,” Richards said. “And it was brand new as he had just actually moved out right before we started shooting. And then my daughter did also. So I was very emotional during that time. But, you know, you’ll see what we’re going through in a lot of conversations this season on camera.”
The drama in Richards’ life is nothing new, and letting it all play out on screen earned her the honor of Us Weekly’s Reality Star of the Year. It’s a title she knows she has earned, even if the circumstances were less than ideal.
“You sort of have mixed feelings because, obviously, I appreciate it, and on the other [hand], it’s like, ‘Things must be really wild and crazy for me to be on the cover,’” she said. “I don’t think you get named Reality Star of the Year without going through a lot of s—.”
A reality veteran, Richards does her best not to let the outside noise get to her. She admitted, however, that sometimes it’s tough.
“I’ve been called so many names. People weigh in on arguments on the show even though they don’t know the backstory,” she said. “People have speculated about my marriage and my sexuality. I let most of it go, but sometimes you’re like, ‘Come on. Give me a break.’”
With reporting by Amanda Williams
