Dancing with the Stars tried to recruit both Kyle Richards and her friend Morgan Wade to join Mauricio Umansky in the reality series’ 32nd season this fall.
Richards, 54, and Wade, 28, turned down the offer of the ABC ballroom match. TMZ reported Sunday — about two months after the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star and Umansky, 53, announced their divorce after 27 years of marriage.
Richards has since been romantically linked to Wade, 28, while Umansky has been announced as a celebrity contestant on the series, with Emma Slater as his professional partner.
Richards — who remains on good terms with Umansky, as they live in the same Southern California mansion — is currently working with Wade in Paris on a documentary about the singer’s life, the outlet reported.
On Saturday, Umansky was asked by TMZ when he got along with Wade, and he said, “I love her – yeah, she’s great.”
The Latest: Dancing with the Stars tried to recruit both Kyle Richards, 54, and her rumored girlfriend Morgan Wade, 28, to join Mauricio Umansky, 53, in the reality series’ 32nd season this fall
When asked if he would consider using any of Wade’s music for the period in the series, Umansky said he and his partner would “figure it out,” adding that Wade has “so many great” songs to pull from to elect.
Umansky was pictured heading to a workout on a cloudy Sunday in Los Angeles.
The Buying Beverly Hills personality wore a light gray cap with a dark gray long-sleeved top and black pants, completed with gray sneakers and a Louis Vuitton men’s bag.
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 July 3 denying they were divorced but not denying they were splitting up.
It read: ‘Regarding the news that came out about us today… All claims about our divorce are untrue. But yes, we have had a tough year. The most challenging of our marriage. But we both love and respect each other immensely. Nothing wrong was done by anyone.”
They continued, “Although we are in the public eye, we ask to be able to resolve our issues privately. While it may be entertaining to speculate, please do not concoct false stories to fit into an otherwise salacious narrative.”
They concluded by saying, “Thank you for the love and support,” as they signed the letter, Kyle and Mauricio.
Umansky was pictured heading to a workout on a cloudy Sunday in Los Angeles
The Buying Beverly Hills personality showed photographers a peace sign as he entered a practice facility
Umansky wore a light gray cap with a dark gray long-sleeved top and black pants, completed with gray sneakers and a Louis Vuitton men’s bag
The businessman seemed to be in good spirits before starting the ABC series
Bravo director Andy Cohen shared Page six in July that the upcoming season of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills will help explain the shocking split.
On his SiriusXM show Radio Andy, Cohen said the events surrounding the split would be featured on the long-running reality series.
“I want to say that this will somehow be included in the next season of Beverly Hills – that’s all I can say,” he said.
Insiders told Page Six last week that the Bravo crews had worked with the Richards family to portray the fallout from the split: “Producers know fans will want an inside look at how Kyle and Mauricio came to this decision.”
TMZ reported in July that Kyle was dating country singer Wade, 28, in the wake of their divorce, and that they “reportedly have matching heart tattoos.”
Dailymail.com has reached out to representatives for Richards, Umansky and Wade for comment on the story.
An Instagram account user under the handle @facereality16 had a theory about Richards and Wade’s budding relationship, noting that they had subtly acknowledged their romance by wearing matching silver bands.
Amid the speculation about Richards and Wade wearing rings, a separate wave of suspicion surrounded Richards and Umansky last spring after she was spotted without a wedding ring on an outing.
Umansky pictured with Richards and daughters Sophia, Farrah and Alexia
Umansky, who will appear on the podcast in April Two T’s in one pod with Teddi Mellencamp and Tamra Judge, said the couple was “not getting divorced.”
He insisted: “I mean, it’s so stupid. That one stupid story that came out, and then the girls all decided to talk about it on The Housewives, and now it’s a storyline.”
Kyle’s fame preceded her spot on the Bravo series, as she is Kathy Hilton’s sister and Paris Hilton’s aunt.
Richards and her family came into the spotlight in 2010 when she was one of the leads on Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
The cast also included her sister Kim Richards, Adrienne Maloof, Camille Grammer, Taylor Armstrong and Lisa Vanderpump.
A dozen seasons later, only Kyle can be seen on the popular reality series (while Vanderpump has had enormous success with its own spin-off Vanderpump Rules).
The series’ twelfth season revolved around Richard’s dealing with fragile family relationships – including with Kathy – as Umansky steadfastly supported her amid the tense times.
“I have always supported her 100 percent, whatever she does,” Umansky said E! News in November.
Richards and Umansky released a joint statement calling the divorce claims false but not directly denying the claims they are separating
Richards and Umansky married in January 1996, two years after they crossed paths at a club
The famous couple were pictured after their 1994 wedding to daughter Farrah Aldjufrie
The couple 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. Pictured in February 2020
The shocking split comes amid a TMZ report that Kyle is ‘dating country singer’ Wade in the wake of their divorce, and that they ‘reportedly have matching heart tattoos’
Wade and Richards were training together a few weeks ago
Kyle’s fame preceded her spot on the Bravo series, as she is Kathy Hilton’s sister and Paris Hilton’s aunt. They were pictured in February 2020
She added, “If she wants to reconcile, I’m all set. If she’s not ready to reconcile and has to hold out for a while, I support her 100 percent.”
The timing of the split comes about a year and a half after the duo celebrated a wedding milestone with their 25th wedding anniversary.
“It means so much, and it’s something we’re both incredibly proud of,” Richards said Bravo insider in November 2021. ‘And for me it is one of my greatest achievements. I mean, I think it’s refreshing that in this town, being married for 25 years is a really big deal. And we are very proud that we are a good role model for our daughters.’