Kyle Richards isn’t holding back when it comes to protecting her estranged husband Mauricio Umansky—even as they continue to navigate their separation. In the latest Real Housewives of Beverly Hills After Show, Kyle shared how uncomfortable she gets when friends or family try to make her feel better by tearing Mauricio down.

“I think Kathy thinks that’s ‘sticking up for me,’ but I don’t need anyone to put him down to make me feel better,” Kyle said of her sister Kathy Hilton, who commented on Mauricio’s aging appearance in an earlier episode. “I care about him, and I don’t like when people make jokes or comments like that. I get defensive.”
Even Erika Jayne tried to lighten the moment by saying, “She’s sticking up for her sister! Come on,” but Kyle made it clear that’s not her vibe. “People will say that […] and I’m like, ‘It’s OK.'”
Kyle explained she doesn’t believe Kathy has any bad intentions, saying that’s just “her logic” in trying to lift her spirits.
The After Show wasn’t the only time Kyle addressed the split. In the RHOBH Season 14 reunion, she spoke more candidly about the breakdown of her relationship. When Jennifer Tilly asked whether Mauricio wanted to get back together, Kyle replied, “I know he regrets things that have happened that got us to this place. I don’t know if he wants to get back together because he has never said that.”
While she hasn’t explicitly said she wants to reconcile, Kyle admitted, “I mean, I have regrets from allowing … for both of us allowing us to get to this place. I wish that we had communicated better when things started bubbling up.”
Kathy Hilton made her own wishes clear in a chat with Andy Cohen, saying she hopes the couple works things out because she doesn’t “like things to change.”

Despite the rumors and assumptions, Kyle made sure to shut down any speculation that RHOBH played a role in their marriage issues. “We were strong throughout the show,” she said. “He was always my biggest supporter.” Instead, she pointed to the outside world: “Money, traveling, fame, his business, The Agency… the attention he was getting” as the real contributors to their marital struggles.