Kyle Richards has extended her support to Teddi Mellencamp during this challenging time in her personal life. In a candid conversation with PEOPLE, Richards, a key figure on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, reflected on her former co-star’s recent divorce from Edwin Arroyave and shared advice from her own experience with public separations.
Richards, 55, expressed how she regularly communicates with Mellencamp, 43, and was aware of the struggles her friend has been facing. “It’s always sad, no matter the circumstances,” Richards explained. “I’ve been through it, and I can offer some guidance for handling this while in the public eye.”
Kyle Richards reassures Mellencamp that she can lean on her during this tough time
For Richards, the most painful aspect of a separation is the impact on the children. “It doesn’t matter whether they’re young or adults,” she shared, drawing from her own experience of separating from husband Mauricio Umansky. “Even though my girls are grown, they really struggled with our separation.”
Richards emphasized that Mellencamp could rely on her for support. “She knows she can lean on me anytime,” she said. “She’s seen me go through this, and I think she knows the importance of focusing on the children and tuning out the noise.”
Looking back on her own separation from Umansky, Richards mentioned how the media spread “mistruths” about her situation. She encouraged Mellencamp to block out any rumors and focus on her family’s well-being.
On July 3, PEOPLE confirmed that Richards and Umansky, after 27 years of marriage, had decided to separate. Despite this, they were still cohabiting while figuring out their next steps for their family. Richards and Umansky have four daughters: Alexia, Sophia, Portia, and Farrah, whom Richards had from a previous marriage.
Mellencamp’s divorce filing came shortly after, with her requesting primary custody of their three children, Slate (12), Cruz (10), and Dove (4), and also seeking spousal support. She cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for their split and listed their separation date as October 20.
One week after Mellencamp’s filing, Arroyave responded, requesting joint custody and objecting to her spousal support request while seeking the same for himself. He also referenced the couple’s prenup in his response.
On November 2, Mellencamp shared the news of their separation on Instagram, expressing the difficulty of making the public statement. “My priority is my children,” she wrote, emphasizing the importance of protecting their privacy during the transition. She further explained, “Being open and honest felt like the best approach to avoid rumors and speculation about our family.”
