These Throwback Photos of Kim Richards Show Her and Her Family In Happy Times
A look inside The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum's life from child actress to mom of four kids.
Kim Richards has come a long way since being introduced as a Real Housewife in Season 1 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. At the time, Kim was as a former child actress known as the "Disney Girl" (thanks to her appearance in countless Disney movies in the 1970s), who has also appeared in a number of TV shows.
During her time on the show, she was honest about her struggles with her sobriety and in her relationships with her sisters, then-fellow Real Housewife Kyle Richards and big sister (and future Housewife), Kathy Hilton. In addition to this, she was busy raising her four children.
Kim appeared on RHOBH until Season 5 and has since focused a lot on being a grandma to her grandchildren.
Read on to see photos in Kim's life from before she was a housewife.
Kim Richards and Kyle Richards as Young Girls
Kim Richards was born on September 19, 1964, to her parents, Kenneth and Kathleen Richards. She has one older sister, Kathy Hilton (who is 5 years older than her), and a younger sister, Kyle Richards (who is five years younger than her), making her the true middle child.
This photo of Kim and Kyle, shows that the sisters were very close, even at a very early age.
Young Kim Richards
Kim became an actress at a very young age, appearing in her first role in the TV movie, The Strange Monster of Strawberry Cove, in 1971.
Young Kim Richards' Head Shot
Kim began her TV career at the age of six, appearing on shows like Nanny and the Professor and Here We Go Again. Kim graduated to regularly appearing on the big screen at 11 years old, starring in notable Disney films like Escape to Witch Mountain and No Deposit, No Return.
RELATED: Kim Richards' Best Movies: From Witch Mountain to Tuff Turf, She Made Her Mark Onscreen
She has over 50 credits to her name. This photo of her all made up in front of the camera shows that she can be super dynamic and versatile when it comes to appearing in front of the camera — whether she's acting as an orphan with psychic abilities or a brainy camper involved in an exciting romance.
Young Kim Richards in a Hawaiian-Inspired Shirt
Kim and her sisters had been used to the cameras on them, even long before all three of them became Housewives.
As Kyle Richards noted in an interview with Bravo Insider, "we've been doing this for a long time."
"Kim, since she's a baby, and Kathy started out in the world, too, modeling and stuff in New York City when she was a toddler," Kyle said. "My first regular TV series, I was 5 years old just to sort of put things in, in perspective...So we've been doing this our entire lives."
Kim Richards and Kyle Richards as Young Women
Although Kim and Kyle had their own respective careers, they did have some overlap when they starred in the 1977 film, The Car, where they played sisters whose dad, a small-town sheriff, had to battle an evil, homicidal automobile.
Kyle recalled a hilarious story about the audition process for this film in a 2019 post on Instagram. "It was the movie The Car and the director asked if we ever fight and if we did what was it like...we proceeded to bite, scratch, and almost kill each other," she wrote. "We have had good times and bad but in the end we are sisters and nothing can change that."
RELATED: Kyle and Kim Richards' Acting Audition for The Car Involved Biting and Scratching
This photo shows them together in the happier times, laughing while Kim holds a tube of lipstick to her younger sister's mouth.
Kim Richards with a Toddler
Kim Richards became a mom for the first time in 1986 when she gave birth to her first daughter, Brooke.
Brooke married her husband, Thayer Wiederhorn, in 2014, as seen in Season 5 of RHOBH, and they welcomed their third child together, Sawyer, in 2022.
Kim Richards with One of Her Daughters
Kim became a mom for the second time when she gave birth to her daughter, Whitney Davis, in 1990.
Whitney joined her uncle, Mauricio Umansky, as a broker at his real estate firm, The Agency, in February 2023, then got married to Luke White in June 2023.
Kim Richards and Her Four Kids
Kim gave birth to her third child and only son, Chad Davis, in 1991.
Kim took to Instagram in September 2020, where she wrote the sweetest message for Chad, singing his praises.
"You make me so proud," Kim wrote. "You are strong, loyal, loving, kind, and always striving to grow. Don't ever under estimate your accomplishments they are huge! I love you so so so very much. Thank you for choosing me."
This photo, of all four of Kim's kids, shows proof of that pride. Just look at her sweet hand resting on Chad's shoulder.
Kim Richards holds up one of her daughters for the camera
Kim gave birth to her fourth and final child, a daughter named Kimberly Jackson, in 1995.
Kimberly might not exactly be her mom's twin, she does look out for her in many different ways. The mother-daughter duo appeared on Lifetime's The Mother/Daughter Experiment: Celebrity Edition in March 2016, where they worked on their personal relationship in front of cameras.
Kim Richards stands in front of horses with two of her daughters
Kim has had a longtime love of horses, as seen in this photo.
In 2017, Kim started working with horses at Skydog Ranch, which rescues and rehabilitates horses. "When I'm here, I'm in it," Kim told E! News in 2017. "I feel amazing. The horses make me feel so good."
RELATED: Kyle Richards Shares What it's Like to Bond with Kim Richards "In Her Element"
"I feel like I'm a part of something so huge and I know I'm making a difference. It's such a big picture of what's happening and the changes happening and how they (the animals here) make me feel. There are no words to describe how I feel with horses. When I leave here, it's like I'm in another world."
Kim Richards with Her Three Daughters
Kim absolutely loves her daughters, and she makes that very apparent. In a September 2020 Instagram post dedicated to her daughters, Kim wrote such a touching tribute to all three of them.
"I just Love You All with my entire heart," she wrote. "There are not enough words in the world to describe my love and joy I have for each of you. You each are so similar yet so different. I am happy they made a day for amazing like Daughters. I love and appreciate all three of you."
This throwback photo of Kim with all three of them is such a sweet look into the past.
Kim Richards and Her Four Kids
As good as they are at celebrating, they're also very good at coordinating — like in this photo where all four of Kim's kids — Whitney, Brooke, Chad, and Kimberly — wear red and white outfits and look incredible while doing so.
Kim Richards on a Boat
Although Kim and her sister, Kyle, have had their differences in the past, they are currently in a very good place. During BravoCon 2023 in Las Vegas in November, Kyle provided an update about where she stands with Kim today, noting that both her and Kathy have been behind her amid her separation with Mauricio Umansky.
"Both of them have been very, very supportive," Kyle said. "It's rare to get everybody good at the same time. So, I'm just enjoying this moment."
RELATED: Kyle Richards Shares an Update on Her Relationship with Sisters Kathy and Kim at BravoCon 2023
During another panel, Kyle shared her hopes for Kim returning to the show. "I think it would be interesting to see where [Kim] is at in her life right now, and it would be fun to have her back," Kyle admitted.
Kim Richards in a Bikini
Kim made a surprise appearance on RHOBH Season 13 when she showed up in Episode 7 (which first aired in December 2023) to comfort Kyle and provide wisdom amid her feud with their older sister, Kathy.
"Life is just too short to fight," Kim told Kyle. "It's just not worth it."
"Both of you could've done something a little different, but in the moment, you don't see that," she told her sister. "And so I don't think either one was wrong or not wrong. I don't wanna get into it too heavily, but we could all make different decisions. And everything is a lesson."
Kim Richards in the Snow
Kim, meanwhile, is doing well. During RHOBH Season 13, Episode 7, Kim shared that she has been busy tending to her grandchildren and living her life.
"That's really pretty much it," she shared. "I really haven't left the house since lockdown. Fortunately for me, I started using that time to really work more on myself and then I started coloring — on the walls."
Kyle offered more insight into her older sister's wellbeing. "Kim went through a really hard time during the pandemic," Kyle said. "She was one of those people who did not leave her home. So, for me to see her painting and out socializing with people, that makes me happy."
