The Case For Fully Embracing Side Character Energy

While we've heard plenty about Mo's alleged affairs in the past, what's new this time is an alleged ongoing relationship between Kyle and countrymusic singer Morgan Wade. Although Kyle adamantly denies any romantic relationship with Morgan, fans can’t help but speculate that may not be the case — especially after they were quite cozy in Morgan's latest music video.

That's right. After fans noticed that Kyle and Morgan had matching heart tattoos and matching silver rings, it was only a matter of time until Kyle and Morgan are took their highly-publicized (and highly-questioned) relationship to the next level: on set. In a music video for Morgan's song, "Fall In Love With Me," Kyle plays Morgan's love interest, and there isn't much space between them, that's for sure. Hmmm...Considering Kyle's commitment to not kissing anyone other than her husband, she certainly comes pretty close to kissing Morgan. Of course, this video has only added fuel to the rumor fire, but nevertheless it still has an important message.

Richards co-posted a social media message along with Wade promoting the new music video. “The official video for “Fall In Love With Me” is out now. It’s campy and fun — but also important and representative of all kinds of love, even in the country space, in any space.”

Their video came a few weeks after country star Tyler Childers released his music video for “In Your Love,” which also featured a gay love story. Both of these followed Jason Aldean's "Try That In A Small Town," which has been criticized as a "modern lynching song."

Wade signed off her message with “@kylerichards18 and I trusted the process of making a piece of art that stands boldly beside this music and I’m proud of that. Thanks for the support and love. Love is love is love.”

Apparently, Morgan purposefully cast Kyle in the music video to be provocative. “I’ve done several music videos. And every time there’s someone in it with me, [people] always assume we’re dating, or something’s going on,” she shared in the teaser clip.

She continued, “If you get on the internet, you see people who are obsessed with us being friends.” The music video was an attempt to “troll the trolls…The internet’s going to be poppin’ off about this one, I’m sure,” she added.

And to Morgan and Kyle’s credit, they were right. Commenters on Kyle’s post were immediately suspicious. “[Kyle’s] vibe seems kind of awkward,” one user wrote. “Like she’s got that ‘I’m crushing and can’t really be myself thing’ going on.” Other users defended the two, with one on Morgan’s post writing, “have these people never had friends they actually like before?”

At the time of filming, Mo didn't seemed bothered at all. On Buying Beverly Hills, we saw Kyle tell mo she was filming the music video with Morgan, to which he responded, “Of course.” Nothing seemed sus to him based on that simple reaction. When others asked him, he said flat out that he didn't think anything was going on between the two of them. It wasn't until later on in the season that Mo said he's not sure about the situation, that he'd never asked straight up, and that he does think Kyle and Morgan have “some sort of a connection together."

And though friends and fans are shocked by the Morgan Wade of it all, Mauricio has his own rumors to dodge. After a stint on ABC's Dancing With The Stars, Mauricio was spotted out and about, holding hands with his dance partner, Emma Slater. The two went on Instagram stories to say they're not dating in October, but the speculation continues.

A source told Life & Style exclusively that Kyle Richards is "still stewing" over the situation with Emma and Mauricio. The source continued by saying that "they both want to move on."

All of this comes after a joint Instagram statement by Kyle and Mauricio regarding their marriage — a statement that has only added to the rumors.

Still, between their daughters' tagging hiatus for their mom on social media (despite tagging everyone else at the time), Morgan increasingly appearing on Kyle’s IG while Mauricio fades away, Mauricio and Kyle both forgoing their rings on occasion, Morgan and Kyle's matching heart rings (Which is very reminiscent of Tom Sandoval’s and Raquel Leviss’s matching necklaces, mind you.) and constant traveling together – the rumor of their relationship isn’t completely unfounded.

Apparently, the Richards-Umansky daughters are “holding up” well amid the separation rumors, according to a statement from Kyle. “You know they’re really strong...they know that we all love each other and they’re old enough to understand that not everything is perfect all of the time and that’s okay and no matter what they’re loved,” she added. The family even posed for a family photo recently during an outing at The Grove in L.A. Regardless of the specifics, we definitely hope this family finds their own ways back to each other at the end of the day.

Still, Kyle told Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hagar on TODAY that her daughters didn't even know about the separation before filming started for RHOBH. This timeline appears true, as it seems audiences watched the girls find out in real time on the latest season of Buying Beverly Hills. Throughout the season, we watched as the only daughter who seemed to be remotely in-the-know was Farrah, and even she seemed to think there were just surface level problems. The show later depicted the Umansky family in Aspen together, discussing the bombshell news over family dinner after the People exclusive unexpectedly dropped. After that, we watched as the relationship frayed more and more, with the couple seeing each other less over time. Mauricio eventually explained to their daughters that Kyle gave them rules to see whoever they want — just to not talk about it with one another.

Kyle elaborated on the current state of the relationship saying on TODAY , "We do love each other very much and have a lot of respect for each other." While the family still lives together — and apparently even dines together at times — Kyle's uncertain about what's next. She said, “I really don’t know what my future holds right now, to be honest.”

Now, the pair has announced that they're taking a break from couples' therapy — something they still actively pursued post-separation. It doesn't seem clear exactly what that means, but Kyle did just say that she has men and women reaching out to her romantically in her DMs right now. Plus, Mo recently reunited with his own suspected love interest, Emma Slater, where the two seemed pretty happy together.

When it comes to Kyle's friends, it's clear that some people are more supportive than others. Throughout The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 13, Kyle's noted her strained relationship to the group, saying that she's "struggling." While Sutton Stracke called Kyle out at dinner about what's going on in her personal life, Erika Jayne stood by her at the end of the night to console her.

Dorit Kemsley's typically been Kyle's go-to girl, being there for each other through thick and thin — especially after they both suffered from recent robberies over the years. However, Dorit told Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens LiveWatch What Happens Live that she feels pushed aside since Morgan entered the picture. She, of course, said that she loves Kyle even through all that — but she felt compelled to share her truth in the matter.

Teddi Mellencamp is honestly just confused by it all, though. The former RHOBH cast mate said that she doesn't understand why the women aren't asking Kyle more questions throughout this season. She told E! News, "I'm so confused as to why some of the women — when she said in episode one 'I'm struggling' — why no one asked any questions. Why nobody said 'Is there anything I can do?' Why nobody was an actual friend in that moment."

Despite controversy, Kyle hasn't ended her friendship with Morgan, though. In fact, her relationship with the country singer is only getting deeper as Kyle prepares to take their friendship to new, professional levels. According to TMZ, the longtime Bravolebrity is working on a documentary about Morgan after the duo were spotted filming at Belly Up in Aspen, Colorado Sunday night.

Apparently, audience members at Morgan's concert were asked to sign releases allowing the footage to be used in a production, according to the outlet. In addition to appearing on camera, Kyle is reportedly an executive producer on the project that will tell the story of Morgan's rise to fame and her struggles with sobriety, in addition to various other health issues.

In May, Morgan told Page Six that she is undergoing a double mastectomy in November after discovering she has the BRCA gene, which indicates a high risk for breast and ovarian cancers. The following month, she shared via Instagram that she had been diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes sudden tics.

“Keeping this short and sweet — if you see me shaking my head a lot I have Tourette’s,” she wrote. “Some folks genuinely ask — others like to troll me, is what it is. I make weird faces and noises sometimes and my head shakes. So just think before you judge.”

Fast forward to the many, many recent rumors that Kyle and Morgan had a falling out, the two were just spotted super close and cozy at Watch What Happens Live! this week. Morgan was seen caressing Kyle's hip as they posed for photos, and it seemed a little more the friendly, TBH. On top of all that, a recent submission Deux Moi (a blind item source on social media) intimates that a "country music singer" plans to debut their new relationship with a magazine cover shoot — and a lot of people think it could be about Morgan and Kyle.

Buying Beverly Hills: Season 2 | Official Clip | Netflix

After all that's come out, though, Kyle maintains that the separation has nothing to do with anyone else. In the RHOBH season 13 finale, she told Erika Jayne, "This is literally just about Mo and me." When Hoda and Jenna asked more about why the longtime couple finally split, Kyle explained that she'd just come to a sort of "breaking point" and that there wasn't "one big thing.”

In a preview clip for Buying Beverly Hills season 2, Mauricio confirmed to Farrah, Alexia, and Sophia that the separation was their mom's idea because she needed space. According to him, Kyle laid down "rules" that said he could do what he needed — be it date or otherwise — and that the two just shouldn't ask each other about their whereabouts during the separation. Throughout the actual season, it was more of the same, with very little information coming out. So in the case of what came first, the extramarital dating or the separation, it seems like we might never get our answers...

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 14 is finally giving us a peak behind the controversial curtain when it comes to Kyle Richards’ sexuality. The star opened up on the Page Sixpodcast Virtual Reali-Tea, explaining what it was like to finally talk about her romantic life more vulnerably with her daughters.

After the many, many swirling rumors surrounding Kyle’s friendship with Morgan Wade, she decided to address the elephant in the room. She said,

“It was the most difficult conversation I’ve ever had with my children, and I was terrified to have that conversation.”

Kyle explained that she “wanted to be as honest as possible” with her daughters. She said, “There were stories out there about me…and this did make me wonder and question myself.”

“Suddenly” Kyle said that she was “thinking like that” — AKA considering what a relationship with a woman might actually look like, given all the rumors she already was. Luckily, she noted that her daughters were great about it all, even leaning in so far as to making jokes with her at the end of the day.

And as for her friendship with Morgan Wade? Kyle said they had to take a break from each other because the reality TV life isn’t for everyone. Throughout this season, Kyle said she was careful to speak for herself, and not Morgan. She’s happy to be an open book, but clearly wanted to be respectful of Morgan’s privacy.

Still, Kyle tells E! News she and Mauricio "haven't felt the rush" to file for divorce finally. What does it all mean for their relationship? Honestly, who knows at this point...

Here's a complete timeline of the rise and fall of their relationship, in case you wanna walk down memory lane!

1994: Kyle meets Mauricio and they get engaged

The couple met at a Los Angeles nightclub when she was 23 and he was 24 and were engaged by the end of the year. At the time, Richards was divorced from her first husband, with whom she shares a daughter, Farrah.

1996: Kyle and Mauricio get married and welcome their first child

Although the couple planned on a spring wedding, news of Kyle’s pregnancy moved the date up to January. By June, the newly married couple welcomed their first daughter together, Alexia.

2000: The couple welcome their second daughter together

Kyle gave birth to their second daughter together (third including Farrah), Sophia.

2008: Kyle and Mauricio welcome their third daughter

Richards and Umansky's youngest daughter, Portia, was born two years before the premiere of RHOBH, rounding out the family of six.

2010: “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” premieres on Bravo

The Bravo gods blessed us with this one. 2010 marked the advent of one of Bravo’s greatest shows to date, featuring none other than Kyle and her family.

2011: Mauricio launches The Agency

Mauricio co-founded The Agency, a boutique luxury real estate agency in 2011, which has since sold over $41 billion in total sales volume. They employ more than 800 agents and have more than 60 offices in eight countries and counting, with even further plans for expansion. Mauricio and his firm have represented some of the world’s most noteworthy properties, like the Playboy Mansion in 2016, boast several listings well above $100 million and have completed record-breaking transactions. The firm is the subject of Netflix series Buying Beverly Hills, and features Mauricio and daughters(-slash-real-estate-agents) Alexia and Farrah.

March 2013: Mauricio says his marriage has no secrets

"We're the same, with or without cameras. We're just super real and we know each other,” Mauricio told PEOPLE at Cirque Du Soleil's One Night For One Drop benefit show in Las Vegas in March 2013.

2015: Kyle and Mo are BFFs

Before romance comes friendship – at least for these two. "We're a really good match," Kyle told PEOPLE in December 2015. "We get along really well, actually better than you see on television!"

"We're best friends," added Mauricio. "We actually enjoy each other. She's funny, she makes me laugh. I don't have big guys nights out; Kyle is the person I want to spend most of my time with."

2017: The Umanskys move, and get robbed

After seeing one of Mo’s listings, Kyle immediately fell in love and the family packed up their Bel Air mansion for life in the Valley.

"It's not like anything you would see in Los Angeles normally, and I just fell in love and my husband did too," Kyle shared.

Unfortunately, the couple fell victim to a major burglary later that year. Over $1 million in jewelry and handbags were stolen from the couple's new Encino home as the family vacationed in Aspen, CO over the New Year.

"Everything was taken," Richards told PEOPLE in January 2018. "Everything my mother, who passed away, had ever collected and saved to give to me — that I had always envisioned of passing on to my four daughters — was gone. Even my children's baby bracelets. Obviously those are the things that hurt the most, things that I can't replace. They're completely invaluable."

2019: The couple become philanthropists

Kyle and Mauricio were still going strong, even beginning to host annual fundraisers for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. These parties have become a staple on RHOBH, each year growing in extravagance and raising over six figures.

"When Mauricio was born, he had a blood disease called neutropenia," Kyle revealed in a RHOBH episode. "He spent a good part of his life in Children's Hospital. So when we think about where we want to put our energy and our appreciation into, it's Children's Hospital Los Angeles."

2021: Kyle and Mauricio celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary

It takes a lot to get to 25 years of marriage — and they did it (seemingly happily)!

2022: We’re talking about MONEY, honey! (And a potential new lover.)

2022 was a huge year for the Richards-Umansky clan. The family sells their Bel Air mansion following a few years on the market, along with listing their Aspen vacation home. Netflix announces (and premieres) Buying Beverly Hills, and Mauricio’s book, The Real Deal, is released. Despite all of this, the family welcomes their sixth dog, a puppy named Smokey, into the mix.

January 2023: Kyle turns 54

Kyle’s birthday was celebrated with plenty of love in the air — at least on Mauricio’s end. "Happy Birthday to my Queen the love of my life," he captioned a carousel of images on Insta. "You bring life, love, happiness to all our lives and to everyone around you. Thank you for all our years and all our future years. You get better and better. I Love you ❤️ I couldn't do it without you. XOXO."

April 2023: Mauricio shuts down rumors that he's divorcing Kyle

Kyle was spotted sans wedding ring, leading fans to speculate on the status of her marriage. The real estate mogul shut down those rumors on Bravolebs Teddi Mellencamp and Tamra Judge's Two T's In a Pod podcast, sharing "we're not getting divorced…I mean it's so dumb. That one stupid story that came out there, and then the girls all, you know, decided to talk about it on the Housewives, and so now it's a storyline." Apparently, we can expect to see more of him and Kyle Umansky directly addressing the rumors in the upcoming season of RHOBH.

July 2023: News of Kyle and Mo’s separation hits the press

After months of divorce rumors, an insider told PEOPLE that "Kyle and Mauricio have been separated for a while now but are still living under the same roof." The source added, "They remain amicable as they figure out what’s next for them and their family."

Their joint statement regarding divorce rumors was released the same day, opening insight into their marriage. "In regards to the news that came out about us today... Any claims regarding divorcing are untrue," they said. "However, yes, we have had a rough year. The most challenging one of our marriage. But we both love and respect each other tremendously."

Shortly after the news of their separation, Bravo patriarch Andy Cohen confirmed that "this will be included next season of Beverly Hills in some way, shape or form, that’s all I’ll say.”

The Kyle/Mauricio/Morgan storyline does seem very similar to that of Vanderpump Rules’s Scandoval, with Bravo cameras reportedly picking up to catch the fallout of the rumors and separation for the end of Season 13 – so it’s hard to tell the legitimacy of the scenario.

Is there a season 6 of Handmaid's Tale release date?

We don't have an exact release date for The Handmaid's Tale season 6 yet, but we do know it'll premiere in the spring of 2025, according to Disney+'s first look in their Coming In 2025 teaser video. That ideally means we could see it anywhere from March to May!

The eligibility period for the Emmys ends in May, meaning the show will be eligible for 2025 Emmys consideration! The Handmaid's Tale season 6 was scheduled to film in 2023 but was delayed due to last summer's Hollywood strikes.

On September 7, actress Elisabeth Moss posted an image from set. "Guess who's back? Production on the final season has officially started," the caption reads. In addition to starring as June, Moss will direct the first episode of season 6.

Your First Look At Season 6

Of the clips shown in Disney+'s sneak peek of The Handmaid's Tale in their Coming In 2025 teaser video, the first shows Serena saying: "Something big is about to happen." 👀

The next clip shows a wide shot of June walking with a backpack down a long dirt road.

The final clip from the most recent season 6 sneak peek shows June with a look of stern determination on her face, saying: "Let's bring them home." Oh, we are so pumped.

What is The Handmaid's Tale season 6 about?

The Handmaid's Tale season 6 is sure to pick up right where season 5 left off: June and Nichole board a train for Vancouver (to later transfer to a boat bound for Hawaii), while Luke stays behind at the train station and is arrested for the death of a truck driver who attempted to assassinate June. On the train, June is reunited with Serena and Noah.

Who's in the cast of The Handmaid's Tale season 6?

The Handmaid's Tale stars Elisabeth Moss, Bradley Whitford, Yvonne Strahovski, Max Minghella, O-T Fagbenle, Samira Wiley, Ann Dowd, Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugel, and Sam Jaeger. Sydney Sweeney, Alexis Bledel, and McKenna Grace have also had roles on the show.

Alexis Bledel won the Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in 2018!

Is The Handmaid's Tale done?

The show is almost done! The Handmaid's Tale season 6 will be the last installment of the series.

Is The Testaments going to be a series?

Yes, Margaret Atwood's 2019 novel The Testamentswill be a Hulu TV show. The book revolves around Aunt Lydia from The Handmaid's Tale (played by Ann Dowd in both series), Agnes, who lives in Gilead, and Daisy, who lives in Canada. Bruce Miller, who was the showrunner for the first five seasons of The Handmaid's Tale, will be showrunner for The Testaments.

The JJ x Kiara moment you might have missed...

In the Outer Banks season 4 premiere, JJ and the rest of the Pogues create a whole new life for themselves after finding the gold. They start a business, build a home together, and in a scene that delighted OBX fans everywhere, JJ starts doing a crazy dance on the dock when he realizes they finally achieved their dream. When Sarah asks if he's okay, Kiara points out how he's never had a home, and that he's happy. Growing up with an abusive father figure like Luke could have erased all of JJ's joy, but knowing he has a soft place to land makes him more joyful than ever.

Jiara shares a super sweet moment as they relish in the fact they somehow managed to make their dreams come true. With their arms around each other, Kiara tells JJ she loves him before they share a kiss — but he doesn't say it back.

I immediately clocked this as a potential tragedy waiting to happen. After all, is there anything more upsetting than the "I never said it back" trope?! You know, where one person confesses their love but the other is too shy or afraid to say it back, then something horrible happens and they regret it for the rest of their life. Well, thankfully, JJ got to tell Kiara he loved her one last time before he DIED — Chandler Groff when I find you it's on sight!!

And the one that brought their characters full circle

While JJ and Kiara talk about what they'd wish from the Blue Crown (an artifact that, according to legend, grants wishes), JJ seems to look at Kiara's left hand before refusing to answer on the grounds that, if she knows the wish, it won't come true. Paired with the fact he stole a ring from the jewelry store during his episode 6 crash out, fans are convinced he was planning to propose.

But when Chandler stabs JJ and leaves him for dead, JJ tells Kiara he loves her, and that he doesn't need to wish on the crown because he already got everything he ever wanted. I CRIED. It's such a beautiful and heartbreaking moment that brings the character's arc full circle after he told John B. in season 1 he was convinced he'd never get another chance with Kie. Madelyn Cline was right — JJ was absolutely the heart of the show, and although he's the most rough-around-the-edges, seeing him wear his heart on his sleeve in his final moments was the perfect way to say goodbye. Even if his 7-minute memories made me cry even harder.