Taylor Armstrong Says She ‘Can’t Imagine’ Kyle Richards Leaving RHOBH

Kyle Richards has been on the fence about returning for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 14, but her friend and former costar Taylor Armstrong doesn’t see an exit in the cards.

“I can’t imagine her not being on the show,” Taylor, 52, exclusively told Us Weekly at the Thursday, April 25, grand opening of the Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center in West Hollywood. “I also think it might be good for her just to take a year and be happy and not feel the pressure of the show on top of everything that’s going on in a relationship.”

Taylor was an OG cast member on RHOBH — alongside Kyle, 55, — before she left the show in 2016. Taylor later traded her diamond for a Real Housewives of Orange County citrus during season 17. Kyle, meanwhile, has remained on RHOBH but has recently said a season 14 return would be a “last-minute” decision.

“It’s nice to step away and take a breather for a minute,” Taylor told Us about the chance Kyle could go on hiatus next season. “I don’t know if she would know how though. She’s been doing it for so long.”

Kyle has been through a lot in the last year, most of which was captured on RHOBH season 13. News broke in July 2023 that she had separated from husband Mauricio Umansky after two decades of marriage. They have yet to file for divorce and continue to coparent their four daughters.

“Kyle knows I’m always here at any time. She’s got a lot going on. It’s just a lot of people around her,” Taylor said. “She has a great support system, and I have to imagine she probably would just not have to talk about it so much. It’s hard to experience your emotions and your feelings and everything you’re going through when people are just constantly asking you about it. I just wish that she could have a break.”

While Taylor will always remain in Kyle’s corner, she was admittedly shocked by the Halloween actress’ separation from Mauricio, 53.

“I was very surprised,” Taylor said on Thursday. “[We used to] live right by each other and so [my daughter Kennedy and I] went to their house all the time. They have such a strong family unit, and I was sad to see that they might get a divorce. I love them both so much, and I just want them to be happy.”

As Taylor lets Kyle work out her personal life on and off camera, Taylor is prioritizing her own rest and relaxation and some self-care time at the Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center.

“For me, I write, and so a big part of self-care for me is being next to the ocean, which is my happy place,” Taylor told Us on Thursday. “So I try to go down to the water at least five times a week and I take my notepad and just write, and it seems to be a place for me to feel motivated to create. Also if you’re having a lot of problems in your life or something, you go there and you just feel super small in the grand scheme of things and you’re like, ‘OK, my problems are very small compared to this vast ocean.’ I think that’s important. For me, self-care is just trying to keep my mental health.”

With reporting by Andrea Simpson