Kyle Richards Reveals How ‘The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills’ Saved Her Sister Kim’s Life

Kyle Richards says The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills saved her sister Kim Richards’ life. In an interview on The Jenny McCarthy Show, available via YouTube, the Bravo star weighed in on rumors that her older sister is in talks to return to her role on the hit reality show for its upcoming 10th season, and then explained how the show actually saved her when she hit rock bottom.

Kyle admitted that she would “love” to see Kim return to the Real Housewives franchise, and she credited the Beverly Hills-set reality show with saving her life and helping her to maintain her sobriety. Richards noted that the RHOBH audience “loves Kim,” and then noted she has “a lot” going on in her life now with two young grandchildren.

When McCarthy expressed concern that a return to RHOBH might be “too much” for Kim as she focuses on her sobriety, Kyle said the reality show actually helped her troubled sister.

“If anything, being on the show made her accountable and she says that as well. She says that it saved her life because you know, there’s nowhere to hide and everyone knows — now anywhere she goes, people know who she is. She can’t get away with anything! So it actually helped her!”

Back in 2011, the first season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills ended with the surprising revelation that Kim Richards was an alcoholic. After Kyle called out her sister on camera, awkward family drama ensued as Kim’s struggles became a major storyline on the Bravo show.

The former child star hit rock bottom when she was arrested during Season 5 after a drunken altercation with a police officer at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Kim was sentenced to perform 450 community service hours, attend 55 AA meetings, and was placed on three-year probation, which was lifted last September, according to Us Weekly.

Kim Richards left her full-time spot on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills at the end of the show’s fifth season in 2015 but returned to the Bravo franchise as a guest star in the show’s sixth, seventh, and ninth seasons.

Kyle Richards previously told E! News she feels like Kim would be interested in returning to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills full time. The former Little House on the Prairie star said there’s “a lot of rumors going around right now” about both of her sisters—Kim Richards and also Kathy Hilton— signing on to RHOBH’s landmark season.

“All I can say is never say never,” Kyle teased.

Kyle Richards said her wealthy sister Kathy is a hilarious practical joker who would make an “amazing” Housewives star. But earlier this week, the mom of Paris Hilton seemingly shut down speculation that she’s headed to the Real Housewives franchise when she joked that it “would interfere with my real job of cutting hair.”

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Mondays on Bravo.