Alcoholism In The Family: Kyle, Kim, And Kathy's Mother

Kyle Richards, Kim Richards, and Kathy Hilton are three sisters with a complicated dynamic, as depicted on *The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills* (RHOBH). The sisters' mother, Kathleen Richards, also known as Big Kathy, was a single mother in the '70s and had a colourful life, including numerous marriages and a rumoured past as a Hollywood Madame. Kathleen Richards passed away in 2002. Kim Richards has struggled with alcohol addiction, which has been a source of strife among the sisters. During the season 1 finale of RHOBH, Kyle and Kim got into a heated argument in the back of a limo, where Kyle called Kim an alcoholic and told her to get help. This incident caused a rift between the sisters and also hurt Kathy, who watched the scene with her daughter, Paris Hilton.

Kyle Richards outed Kim Richards as an alcoholic during season 1 of RHOBH

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills stars Kyle Richards and Kim Richards are sisters. During the season 1 finale, which aired in 2011, the siblings got into a heated argument in the back of a limousine. This altercation would go on to become one of the most memorable moments in the show's history. In the scene, Kyle calls Kim an "alcoholic" and urges her to "get help". This was the first time either of them had publicly acknowledged Kim's struggles with alcohol.

The incident caused a rift in the sisters' relationship, with Kim stating in a post-fight interview, "I don't know if I'll ever be able to talk to her again". However, the pair have since reconciled, and Kim acknowledged their bond, saying, "We're sisters. We've been through everything together".

Kyle and Kim's half-sister, Kathy Hilton, was deeply affected by the scene, describing it as "so hurtful". She watched the episode with her daughter, Paris Hilton, and the pair were left shaken and in tears. Kathy and Kyle's relationship also suffered as a result, and the sisters did not speak for a long time.

Kim's struggles with substance abuse have been well-documented, with the reality star checking into rehab multiple times and facing legal issues related to public intoxication. She has also been placed on a psychiatric hold after acting incoherent at a Hilton hotel.

While some sources claim that Kyle "outed" Kim's alcoholism, others argue that Kim's issues were already known, and that Kyle was simply addressing them on the show. One source describes the dynamic between the sisters as "complicated", with Kyle acknowledging that their relationship can be "much more complex" than that of friends.

Kim Richards' alcoholism was a source of strife between the sisters

Kyle Richards, Kim Richards, and Kathy Hilton are three sisters with a complicated history. The sisters' mother, Kathleen Richards, or Big Kathy, was a single mother in the '70s and was known for her "spunkiness". She grew up in Manhasset, Long Island, and dreamed of becoming an actress. While she did not achieve her dream, her daughters would go on to have impressive careers in the acting and business worlds.

Kim Richards has struggled with alcohol addiction, and this has been a source of conflict between her and her sisters, especially Kyle. During the first season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (RHOBH), in which Kim and Kyle were both cast members, the sisters got into a heated argument in the back of a limo. During the fight, which would be remembered for years to come, Kyle called Kim an "alcoholic" and told her to get help. This was the first time that Kim's struggles with drinking had been publicly mentioned by either of the sisters.

Kathy was "so hurt" by the scene that she didn't watch the first season of RHOBH. She revealed that she and her daughter, Paris Hilton, broke down while watching the scene, and that it made her feel "helpless and alone". Kathy and Kyle's relationship was already rocky at the time, and they did not speak for a long time after the incident.

Kim's sobriety continued to be a source of strife between the sisters. In an episode from the fifth season of RHOBH, Kim got into an argument with cast members Eileen Davidson and Lisa Rinna, who questioned her sobriety. Kim accused Kyle of not defending her and supporting her during the fight, and brought up Kathy, saying, "Kathy would not ever act like this. Kathy would have my back like a real sister."

In 2015, Kim was arrested twice: first on charges of public intoxication, resisting arrest, and battery of a cop, and then for allegedly trying to steal $600 worth of merchandise from Target. She checked into rehab again and was sentenced to probation, community service, and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. During the second part of the RHOBH season 14 reunion, Kyle and Kathy provided an update on Kim's sobriety, with Kathy saying that Kim was "spending time" in Florida and "doing better".

Kim Richards' sobriety was questioned by cast members of RHOBH

Kim Richards, Kathy Hilton, and Kyle Richards are three sisters with a complicated history. All three were child actors, with Kim and Kyle joining the original cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (RHOBH) in 2010. During the season 1 finale, which premiered in 2011, Kim and Kyle got into a heated argument in the back of a limousine, during which Kyle called Kim an "alcoholic" and told her to "get help". This was the first time either of them had publicly mentioned Kim's drinking problem.

In the fifth season of RHOBH, Kim got into an argument with cast members Eileen Davidson and Lisa Rinna during a cast trip to Amsterdam. Kim's sobriety was questioned by the women, and she accused her sister Kyle, who was also on the show, of not defending her. Kim also brought up their older sister, Kathy, during the fight, saying, "Kathy would not ever act like this. Kathy would have my back like a real sister."

After five seasons, Kim left the show as a full-time cast member due to legal issues and rehab stays. In 2015, she was arrested twice, once for public intoxication, and again for allegedly trying to steal from Target. Following these arrests, Bravo announced that Kim was leaving the show to focus on her personal struggles. Kim has been open about her sobriety journey, sharing that it's important for her health, as well as for the sake of her children and grandchildren.

In 2021, Kim's sobriety was again called into question after a 10-minute Cameo video she sent to a fan surfaced online. In the video, Kim appeared to be rambling, leading some fans to speculate that she was intoxicated. Kim has since been working on her sobriety and has returned to RHOBH as a guest star.

Kim Richards' alcohol addiction was a source of conflict with her sisters

Kyle Richards, Kim Richards, and Kathy Hilton are three sisters with a complicated dynamic. The siblings have a history of falling outs and reconciliations, both on and off-screen, with Kim's alcohol addiction being a source of conflict between her and her sisters.

Kim Richards has struggled with alcohol addiction, which has been a source of strife between her and her sisters, Kyle and Kathy. In the season 1 finale of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (RHOBH), which premiered in 2011, Kim and Kyle got into a heated argument in the back of a limousine. During the altercation, Kyle called Kim an "alcoholic" and told her to "get help." This incident marked the first time that Kim's struggles with alcohol were publicly addressed by her sisters and it left Kim unsure if she could ever speak to Kyle again.

Kim's addiction has been an ongoing issue within the family, with Kyle, in particular, feeling the weight of her sister's reliance on alcohol. As the self-proclaimed "worrier" of the family, Kyle has tried to support and help Kim, even financially, but has struggled to find the balance between assisting and enabling her sister.

In addition to creating tension between Kim and Kyle, Kim's addiction has also impacted her relationship with her older sister, Kathy. During a cast trip to Amsterdam in season 5 of RHOBH, Kim got into an argument with her castmates, Eileen Davidson and Lisa Rinna, who questioned her sobriety. Feeling unsupported by Kyle, Kim brought up Kathy during the fight, expressing her belief that Kathy would have defended her.

Kathy, who joined RHOBH in season 11, has also had a rocky relationship with her sisters. She was hurt by the limo scene in season 1, which she watched with her daughter, Paris Hilton, and as a result, she didn't speak to Kyle for a long time. The sisters' relationship was further strained when their husbands had a business falling out. Additionally, Kathy was against Kyle's scripted series, American Woman, which was loosely based on their childhood and mother, Kathleen Richards.

Kathleen Richards, the mother of Kyle, Kim, and Kathy, was known as Big Kathy

Kathleen Richards, also known as "Big Kathy", was the mother of Kyle, Kim, and Kathy. She grew up in Manhasset, Long Island and dreamed of becoming an actress, a dream that would later be realised by two of her daughters. Richards was a single mother in the '70s, and her daughters often speak fondly of her "spunkiness".

Big Kathy was married at least four times, and it is possible that she married the same man twice. Her numerous marriages resulted in her daughters, Kyle, Kim, and Kathy, all having different fathers. One of her marriages was to Bob, and she reportedly bragged about how she would not do anything for him. She also allegedly had an affair with Ken Richards, the father of Kyle and Kim, while he was still married to another woman. According to the book *House of Hilton,* Big Kathy instructed her daughters and granddaughters to follow in her footsteps by marrying rich men and having many children. She is quoted as bragging that her daughters "are married to men who have a total net worth of $13 billion".

Big Kathy's life and relationships have been a source of fascination for fans of the reality TV show *The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills*, on which her daughters Kyle and Kim Richards were original cast members. Kathy Hilton, Big Kathy's daughter with a different father, later joined the show in season 11. The show has provided insight into the extravagant world of the Richards sisters and their mother.

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