Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky Reveal the Kind of Partner They Want for Their Daughters

The Season of Getting is upon us. Bravo fans will be gifted juicy first looks at upcoming episodes, all-new After Shows, exciting show announcements, and more. Stay tuned!

This year has been pretty huge for Kyle Richards.

She has starred in two movies (Halloween Kills and the upcoming Housewives of the North Pole, both of which can be found on Peacock), went on The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip (also streaming exclusively on Peacock now), opened a new boutique featuring her Kyle x Shahida designs, and, of course just wrapped a dramatic Season 11 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. It has also been full of memorable family moments, such as youngest daughter Portia Umansky's bat mitzvah in October.

But 2021 was always going to be momentous for Kyle as this was the year that she and husband Mauricio Umansky celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.

"It means so much, and it’s something that we’re both incredibly proud of," Kyle said of her and Mauricio's big anniversary, which they officially marked in January, during an exclusive joint interview with Bravo Insider earlier this month. "And for me, it’s one of my biggest accomplishments. I mean, I think it’s refreshing, in this town to be married 25 years is a really big deal [laughs]. And we’re really proud to be good role models to our daughters."

Mauricio echoed Kyle's sentiment during the same interview. "Yeah, I mean, this means a lot. You know, to be quite honest, it feels easy and doesn’t feel like it’s been that long. So it’s been great and beautiful," he shared. "And, you know, I definitely intend to spend the rest of my life with her. So hopefully it’ll be at least another 25 years, and maybe another 50."

But, of course, that still wouldn't be enough time for the RHOBH couple. "125, let’s just say," Kyle chimed in during the interview, to which Mauricio replied, "Hopefully. Hopefully 50 if we’re lucky [laughs]."

Kyle and Mauricio have been doing a lot of reflecting on their quarter-of-a-century-long relationship lately. The husband and wife appear on the cover of The Knot Magazine's 25th Anniversary Issue on newsstands now. 

Mauricio Umansky and Kyle Richards on the cover of The Knot Magazine's 25th Anniversary Issue. Photo: The Knot/Easton Schirra

And Kyle has come to the conclusion that "it's definitely not one thing" that has helped her and Mauricio reach this milestone in their marriage. "There are so many aspects to it. I think, you know, we’ve always enjoyed doing the same things and shared common goals. And a mutual respect of each other, choosing to kind of, like, pick and choose what you argue about. And, you know, trying not to sweat the small stuff," she explained. "So it’s not just an easy answer. There’s so much to it. But it's definitely not undoable, because if you want to have a successful marriage, you can do it. You just have to put in the work."

For Mauricio, some of the secrets to the success of his marriage with Kyle have been about just loving being around each other and also appreciating what you have. "I think the key is enjoying each other, respecting each other. You know, I think Kyle, she’s hilarious. She makes me laugh. I still laugh all the time with her. And I think that’s just a character trait that’s been fantastic," he said. "I know a lot of guys out there think that the grass is greener on the other side, and I can tell you those guys are idiots. It’s not greener. But I can tell you that if you’re having a s----y relationship, you know, life is not a dress rehearsal. But it’s just been an extraordinary time. You need to understand where you’re at, and it’s great."

In 25 years of marriage, Kyle and Mauricio have also had to learn how to work through their differences. "I’ve always wanted her to get a little bit more outside of her comfort zone and take more risks in, just, life," Mauricio said. "But I think that’s more of, like, helping each other than any, like, pet peeves."

Kyle admitted that she "can be a scaredy cat," especially when it comes to activities like flying, but Mauricio helps her cope with those fears. "I’ve always struggled with anxiety. I would say that really stands out to me, because he always handles it so well," she said. "I’ve talked to other people who have anxiety, and they’ll say to me, 'Oh, my husband gets so impatient,' or, 'He doesn’t understand, he gets so frustrated with me.' And my husband has always been so unbelievably supportive with that. And he knows what to say to me and to talk me through it and [is] incredibly patient. And so, that has been a very important part of my relationship with him. He’s helped me with that a lot."

When it comes to those in their inner circle, the spouses have also found it important to surround themselves "with other happy, solid couples," according to Kyle. Some of those people are personal friends of Kyle and Mauricio who aren't in the public eye, but others are very familiar to RHOBH fans, including Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin; Dorit and Paul "PK" Kemsley; Faye Resnick and Everett Jack Jr.; and Teddi and Edwin Arroyave.

"These are people that we spend time with, that we’re close with," Kyle noted. "And they are very happy, solid couples."

Kyle's sister Kathy Hilton and her husband of 42 years, Rick, have also been an inspiration. "I looked at Kathy and Rick, and they didn’t do girls’ night out or guys’ night out. We never did that. My husband and I never did that. I mean, maybe that works for certain people. But we just enjoy each other, and I thought that’s better," Kyle said. "Because, for me, it was like, trouble came with that, in my opinion. And when I would see the guys that were like, 'Come on, let’s go out with the guys,' I was like, those are always the ones that would get in trouble or, you know, have one eye open. So we always made a point to just surround ourselves with other couples that like to have fun and do the things that we like to do. And I think that that really makes for a strong foundation."

Kyle admitted that when she was growing up, she "didn't have good role models" to look up to when it came to long-lasting marriages since her mother, Kathleen Richards, and her father, Kenneth Richards, got divorced when she was young.

So, as Kyle and Mauricio's daughters (which includes Farrah Aldjufrie, 33, whom Kyle had with her first husband, Alexia Umansky, 25, Sophia Umansky, 21, and Portia, 13) grow up and start having relationships of their own, there are some things they hope to impress upon their children in their search for a partner. "My husband and I are very fortunate. And with our family we are very fortunate. We are a family that loves to be together, and we do everything together with our daughters. And we genuinely love hanging out together," Kyle shared. "So for me, I just hope that, you know, as they look for their partner, they find someone that they can love to spend time with and have a big family, 'cause I know they want that as well." 

But, of course, what matters most is that each of her daughters finds happiness with whomever they end up. "At the end of the day, I just want them to be happy. Whatever that is, I want my daughters to be happy and with someone that will support them and cherish them and respect them," Kyle said. "Because otherwise, they’re gonna have to deal with me, and they do not want to do that [laughs]."

Mauricio similarly shared how important it will be for all of his daughters' partners to have a good dynamic with the whole fam. "I just pray that we all get along with the boyfriends or the fiancés or the husbands, whatever, because we are a super tight family, and we love to all be together," he said. "And so, you know, I think that that’s kind of a critical, important piece for the longevity and the goodness of the family is for all of us to be able to get along."

"We’re a package deal," Kyle added, with which Mauricio agreed, sharing, "You’re not getting rid of us."

Seeing all the love between this couple over the past 11 seasons of RHOBH and on their social media can make it seem like they have the perfect relationship, but Kyle is not a fan of that label. "Well, we don’t want anyone to think it is perfect," she said. "But I will tell you we are really lucky. And we’re very aware of that. And we’re very grateful. When we are alone, we always acknowledge how fortunate we are, because we hear about people, you know, that are going through hard times and struggling, and we’re very aware that we are a unique situation. You know, honestly."

Having her marriage on display for the world to see doesn't put pressure on the couple, according to Kyle, but rather, she hopes others view her and her husband as relatable and aspirational. "But of course, we have our moments. You know, we have our arguments, and we work through them. But I also do feel proud, too, that if we can be an inspiration to people, that makes me feel good," Kyle shared. "I’m certainly not trying to act like, you know, that there’s never, ever a bad day. Because of course we have those days. But we have mostly good days, I will say that, and I’m forever grateful for that."