Lisa Vanderpump Talks Kim Richards’ Recent Arrest, Return To ‘Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills’

Lisa Vanderpump says Kim Richards’ recent legal troubles are not really all that surprising, since the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ star recently admitted she is struggling with her sobriety.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight on Saturday, Lisa Vanderpump also admits she found the comments Kim Richards’ made during a July interview with ET upsetting. During the interview, the former child actress accused her ex-cast mate of being a “phony.”

“She [Lisa] is witty, she’s fun, she has a big heart for people she loves, but I think Lisa is… she’s phony. Sometimes I felt like she was my friend, and you know, I believed her, but in a heartbeat she changes.”

Lisa tells ET she has no idea where Kim’s comments are coming from because she has always been supportive of her former cast mate.

“That kind of really stung because I feel that I have never involved myself too much in questioning her sobriety. Even last season, I said very much I don’t want to get involved because I didn’t feel like I was that close to her. That really hurt because I thought, ‘Hold on a second, I’ve always supported you and always wanted the best for you.’ “

Vanderpump says even though she suspected Kim had relapsed, she never revealed her suspicions. Although Richards’ accusations stung, Vanderpump still wishes Kim the best.

When asked whether Kim Richards should return to the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Lisa Vanderpump says although some fans may think she has the say-so of whether her RHOBH cast mates will return for another season, she simply does not have that kind of power.

“Whenever somebody is on the show, they’re on the show for a reason, and sometime the dynamic changes, not everybody is happy with certain choices. But there’s been a lot being said about me having the power to eliminate cast members. We don’t get that power.”

Whether Lisa Vanderpump thinks her former cast member should return to the show is a moot point. As the Inquisitr previously reported, Kim Richards was fired from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills following her April 16 arrest for public intoxication, resisting arrest, and battery. Although producers were rumored to have offered to let her come back if she entered rehab, Kim’s arrest for shoplifting on August 2 following a stint in rehab has likely ruined any chances the reality star had of rejoining the show.

[Image by Valerie Macon / Getty Images]