Kyle Richards, longtime star of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, recently made
headlines for flipping off the paparazzi during an outing in Beverly Hills — an emotional reaction that came shortly after her estranged husband, Mauricio Umansky, was spotted engaging in an intimate moment with an unidentified brunette.
Richards, 56, was seen walking solo through Beverly Hills on Wednesday, clutching a coffee
cup and wearing a visibly frustrated expression. Though it remains unclear whether a photographer said something to provoke her, she was captured in a now-viral image giving a bold middle-finger salute — a clear display of her emotions in a moment that felt anything but staged.
Her representatives have yet to issue a comment regarding the incident, but her body language spoke volumes. Dressed comfortably for her solo outing, Richards wore a loose taupe top paired with black leggings tucked into matching rain boots. She accessorized the look with a black fedora, oversized sunglasses dangling from her neckline, and a tan Birkin bag — a signature nod to her well-known, effortlessly chic style.
The timing of her public display of frustration is hard to ignore, coming just after reports emerged about Umansky’s latest romantic entanglement. According to eyewitnesses, the 54-year-old luxury real estate mogul was spotted at the iconic Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood on Saturday night, mingling with two women. While socializing at a small, candle-lit table, onlookers noted that he appeared particularly focused on one of the women.
An observer who spoke with The US Sun described the scene in detail, claiming that Umansky seemed more engaged with one of the women, who was seated closely beside him. The second woman, positioned across from the pair, eventually left — and that’s when things took a more intimate turn. Umansky and his companion reportedly began kissing, continuing for a significant period, even as the bar emptied out and the lights came on for closing.
The eyewitness described the moment as lingering but casual, stating, “Mau and the girl were kissing for a long while, all the way through the bar emptying and the lights coming up.” They noted that while the woman seemed engaged in the moment, the interaction appeared more like a carefree, late-night rendezvous than a serious romantic connection.
Neither Umansky nor his representatives have responded to requests for comment on the situation, but this isn’t the first time his public behavior has made waves. On the current season of RHOBH, viewers have watched Richards grapple with the fallout from a previous incident involving her estranged husband. In July 2024, photos surfaced of Umansky kissing actress Nikita Kahn at an airport in Mykonos — a moment that quickly went viral and sent shockwaves through both fans and Richards herself.
In the aftermath of that incident, Richards quietly removed the word “wife” from her Instagram bio, signaling a shift in her public identity and relationship status. On the show, she opened up about how difficult it was to see the images, despite acknowledging that she and Umansky were separated at the time.
“You know that I would never want to do anything on purpose that would hurt you or the kids,” Umansky was seen telling Richards during an emotional exchange on the show. The pair share three daughters — Alexia, 27, Sophia, 24, and Portia, 16 — along with Richards’ adult stepdaughter, Farrah Brittany, from her previous marriage.
“I really am sorry for hurting you. I would never want to hurt you on purpose,” Umansky insisted, his tone filled with regret.
Richards, tearful but composed, admitted that the viral photo had been painful to see. However, she also acknowledged that their separation meant they were both technically free to explore their own lives and relationships, even if the reality of it was tough to accept. “We are separated,” she said. “We’re allowed to do what we want in this time.”
The couple’s separation, which began around July 2023, has been anything but quiet — and each new headline seems to deepen the emotional toll on Richards. While she’s maintained a level of grace and poise throughout the ordeal, her recent gesture toward the paparazzi hints at the very human frustration simmering beneath the surface.
For fans who’ve watched Richards navigate her life on camera for over a decade, this moment feels like a raw, unfiltered glimpse into the emotional turbulence she’s facing. From navigating public heartbreak to juggling her responsibilities as a mother and reality TV star, Richards’ middle finger may have been less about the paparazzi and more about a symbolic rejection of the relentless scrutiny she continues to endure.
Whether this is a turning point in her relationship with Umansky or simply another chapter in their increasingly public separation, one thing is clear — Richards isn’t holding back her feelings anymore. And for someone who’s spent so much of her life balancing personal struggles with public perception, maybe this moment of defiant honesty was exactly what she needed.
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