Kyle Richards Explains Morgan Wade Dating 'Narrative,' What's Really Going On

As she and Mauricio Umansky are dealing with struggles in their marriage, Richards has been seen spending a lot of time with Wade both on the show and in the public eye. It's been enough that the cast has started asking the same questions the public is speculating about.

According to a new chat on Jeff Lewis Live, though, this is largely a "narrative" brought on by how the media has been covering her amid her marital troubles. In particular, Richards says that photographers have been pushing this focus on her and Morgan, even when there are other people around.

"She has a group of friends that I lean on," Richards told Lewis of the country singer. "In the media, they only show Morgan. But she's part of a group of friends."

She said that there are four people she considers her "first text messages of the day" friends, including Morgan. "My first text messages of the day are four different people but, you know, if I'm walking down the street, having lunch with them, they're usually cut out of a photo."

Not so Morgan, who Richards says the media is keeping in shots. "Usually they cut my friends out unless it's Morgan," she said of media photographers.

"It's so funny, you know, I was in Paris and my friend Tina, that I've grown up with since I'm 10 years old," Richards added, "she's cut out of every photo because they don't know who Tina is, you know?"

The reality star also offered a bit of clarification on one photo that made the rounds featuring her and Morgan. "We were saying goodbye at the Glen Centre, and it looks like we're-- the photo literally looks like we're kissing each other, which has happened to me before in the past, but I'm like, 'Of course they want to use that photo,'" she told Lewis.

According to Richards, though, this is just her leaning on her friends amid a lot of personal turmoil in her life. As seen on the show, she's not been on speaking terms with sister Kathy Hilton and is mourning the loss of best friend Lorene Shea, all amid her separation from Umansky.

"Yeah, so that's the narrative they want, so that's been the focus and, you know, of course when you're going through a hard time, I lean on my closest friends," Richards explained, saying she tends to talk to close friends instead of therapists.

At the same time, Richards has been leaning into the rumors and speculation this past year, even going so far as to star as Morgan's love interest in her music video for "Fall in Love with Me" this past August.

"If they're gonna talk, might as well give them something to talk about," she said at the time.

Richards promised that she'll have a lot more to say about Morgan and Umansky and her whole situation when they start rolling cameras on the RHOBH Season 13 reunion. She told TMZ earlier this week she was ready to answer any questions about all of it -- and there are sure to be plenty.

For now, fans can watch her relationships unfold with new episodes of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills every Wednesday at 8pm ET on Bravo.