Lesbian RHOC alum Braunwyn Windham-Burke weighs in on Kyle Richards rumours

Former Real Housewives of Orange County star Braunwyn Windham-Burke shocked fans in 2020 when she got sober and came out as a lesbian before divorcing her longtime husband Sean the following year.

And now the 45-year-old is giving advice to Kyle Richards, who is going through a eerily similar situation.

Kyle, 54, came out as sober in February, before announcing on Monday that she had separated from her husband of 27, Mauricio Umansky, 53.

Moreover, Richards has also sparked rumors that she may be in a romance with country singer Morgan Wade, who is 26 years her junior.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Braunwyn said: “I think the most important thing I’ve learned from breaking up myself is that breaking up doesn’t always equate to divorce.”

She continued, “It doesn’t always equate to sadness, either. We have to learn to normalize the evolution of women, their families and how people change, especially after they stop drinking.’

The RHOC alum declined to comment on reports claiming Kyle and Morgan may be more than just friends, stating she didn’t want to “out” anyone.

However, she offered some sage advice on sobriety to the newly sober Halloween Ends star.

“When I stopped drinking, I felt an evolution and a change in myself, while it seemed like everyone around me remained the same,” Braunwyn shared.

“Sometimes these things just happen, and when it happened to me, all I would have wanted was support and understanding,” she continued.

The mother of seven and her current girlfriend Jennifer Spinner are now offering “sober trips” with travel company Trova tripwith which they will go to Italy with fans in April.

“I have a sober journey for people with stories like mine, and possibly other public figures too! You can check it out and sign up by clicking the link in my Instagram bio,” she shared.

In 2021, Braunwyn and husband Sean announced they were separating after 26 years of marriage.

She then enjoyed a handful of lesbian romances, including one with Brazilian fitness trainer Fernanda Rocha and another fling with a tattooed tomboy named Kris.

Braunwyn then dated socialite and dancer Victoria Brito, who she famously had sex with “10 times a day.”

The outspoken activist now has a steady relationship with girlfriend Jennifer Spinner, with whom she lives in Tennessee.

Braunwyn’s journey bears many similarities to what Kyle is currently going through.

In February, Kyle announced she was seven months sober, and on Monday, news broke that she and husband Mauricio had split after 27 years of marriage.

Now country singer Morgan Wade has been linked to Kyle – not only as a close friend, but also as her supposed female lover.

Richards and Wade “reportedly have matching heart tattoos,” TMZ reported Monday.

An Instagram user going by the name @facereality16 had a theory about the budding relationship between the two women, pointing out that they had subtly acknowledged their romance by wearing matching silver bands.

The user also noted how ink with the letter K appeared on Wade’s arm for the past six months.

The Instagram user also shared other little clues on social media through stories that things weren’t going well between the old couple.

One of them pointed out that Richards had not responded in any way to Umansky’s birthday message to her in January.

A source told People Monday that Richards and Umansky have “been separated for a while but still live under the same roof” and are “remaining amicable as they figure out what’s next for them and their family.”

Richards and Umansky married in January 1996 and share daughters Alexia, 27, and Sophia, 23, and Portia, 15. Mauricio is also stepfather to Kyle’s daughter Farrah Aldjufrie, 34, from her first marriage to Guraish Aldjufrie.

Richards and Umansky released a statement on Instagram on Monday night that read, “With regard to the news that has come out about us today…All the claims about us separating are untrue.

‘But yes, we’ve had a tough year. The most challenging of our marriage. But we both love and respect each other very much. Nobody did anything wrong.’

They continued, “While we are in the public eye, we ask to be able to resolve our issues privately. While it may be entertaining to speculate, please don’t create false stories to fit another dirty story.”

They ended by saying, “Thank you for the love and support,” as they signed the letter, Kyle & Mauricio.

The pair have since been seen together putting up a united front with family in Aspen over the July 4th weekend.