The loss of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards’ long-term friend Lorene might’ve indirectly affected her relationship. Kyle, a famous face on the show since making her debut on RHOBH, has been through some difficult periods in past years, most notably in her personal life, which is also documented in RHOBH season 13. Besides her separation from her husband, Mauricio Umansky, Kyle also lost her friend Lorene.
Unlike Kyle’s friendship with her RHOBH co-stars, which is often spiteful, drama-filled, and public, Kyle and Lorene’s friendship was more intentional and personal. Fans got to see a glimpse of Kyle and Lorene’s friendship when Lorene appeared briefly on RHOBH in 2015. However, that was the last time fans saw the two together on the screen.
Lorene Passed Away After Battle With Mental Illness
On May 7, 2022, Kyle took to her Instagram page to grieve the loss of her best friend Lorene. According to Kyle’s post, her long-term friend Lorene had suddenly started suffering from debilitating depression even though she had always been a happy person. However, despite everything Kyle and Lorene’s family did to get her help, the RHOBH star explained that the system made it impossible for them to get her help. Sadly, Lorene died by suicide on May 1, 2022. Still, Kyle vowed in the post to do whatever it takes to ensure laws are implemented to help people like her friend Lorene.
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Kyle & Lorene Had Been Best Friends Since Childhood
Before her death, Lorene was Kyle’s best friend; the pair had known each other since childhood. Kyle and Lorene met when they were both 7-year-old second-graders and, from then on, became almost inseparable. In her Instagram post, Kyle noted that she and Lorene did everything together, “from losing our baby teeth to having babies & everything in between & everything that followed.” The RHOBH star confessed that she and Lorene spoke daily about what was going on in their lives. Kyle also admitted that Lorene was the most important person to her outside her family and that her late friend knew more about her than anybody else.
Was Lorene’s Death The Catalyst For Kyle’s Marriage Ending?
Kyle was in a difficult phase of life when she lost her friend Lorene. At the time, Kyle and her elder sister, Kathy Hilton, were feuding, and Kyle’s relationship with her husband, Mauricio, was also not ideal. Lorene was an ever-present entity in Kyle’s life, and losing her at that moment and what she was going through meant Kyle had no support system to help her deal with the loss (via People).
Nonetheless, Kyle spoke of her attempts to surround herself with people who give her love and support, which didn’t include Mauricio at the time. Unsurprisingly, just some months later, Mauricio was in the news for allegedly cheating on Kyle with RHOBH co-star Dorit Kemsley. Although that rumor was dispelled and Kyle and Mauricio remained together, their marriage was never quite the same until their eventual separation.