The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star is sending a message to amid her separation from .
“She can lean on me and show up at my door anytime she wants, no matter what time of night it is,” Richards, 55, told People of Mellencamp, 43, in an interview published on Monday, November 11. “She’s watched me go through this and she knows. So, I think you can just, you just have to focus on your kids … You have to tune out the noise.”
Richards said she “obviously” speaks with Mellencamp “all the time,” adding that she knew her former RHOBH costar had been going through a “difficult” period.
“Obviously it’s sad no matter what,” Richards said. “And unfortunately I can give some advice for living through this in the public eye.”
Richards, who split from after 27 years of marriage in July 2023, also reflected on how separations impact the children involved. (Richards and Umansky, 54, share daughters Alexia, 28, Sophia, 24, and Portia, 16. Kyle is also mom to Farrah Aldjufrie, 36.)
“It doesn’t matter if the kids are little or they’re grown,” Richards said. “My girls struggled a lot with our separation even though they’re grown.”
Us Weekly confirmed that Mellencamp filed for divorce from Arroyave, 47, on November 1, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split. She listed their date of separation as October 20, nearly two weeks before her filing.
One day after filing for divorce, Mellencamp broke the news via her Instagram. “After a great deal of care and consideration, I have made the difficult decision to file for divorce,” Mellencamp wrote. “My priority is my children and ensuring that every care is taken with their privacy and wellbeing throughout this new chapter.”
Mellencamp and Arroyave, who tied the knot in 2011, share kids Slate, 12, Cruz, 10, and Dove, 4. (Arroyave is also dad to daughter Isabella from a previous relationship.)
“Making a public statement is not something I wanted to do, but in an effort to protect my family from undue speculation and rumors, I felt being open, honest and vulnerable was the best path forward,” she wrote.
Days later, Arroyave filed a response to Mellencamp and requested that the court enforce their prenup. He also listed their date of separation as November 1 and is seeking joint and legal physical custody of their children. (Mellencamp, for her part, is asking for primary custody.)
Mellencamp and Arroyave previously separated in 2017 during her first season on RHOBH, where she was a Housewife for seasons 8 through 10.
