The Transformation Of Kim Richards From Childhood To 57 Years Old
It appears that Kim Richards has had quite the glamorous life. Not only was she one of the original stars of the hit reality show, "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," but she began her career as an actor, specifically as the "it Disney kid" of the 1970s. Yet life in the spotlight has brought the Bravo star some hard times, too, over the years, which began for her at an early age. Kim had started working when she was practically an infant, starring in commercials first, then TV shows. Being on TV didn't seem to get easier for Kim as an adult since she was frequently involved in drama or embarrassing situations on "RHOBH."
While Kim eventually became a mother to four children with whom she seems to be very close, she's had a difficult personal life as well. The twice-divorced TV personality hasn't been lucky with love, with two of her romantic partners even dying, one from cancer and the other murdered. Fans know that Kim Richards has also battled addiction and mental health issues for the past several years, which has played out in the public eye.
Through it all, Kim persevered and seems to have really come into her own in her late fifties. However, it definitely took some time and overcoming a lot of obstacles. So let's take a look at not only Kim's physical transformation but how she's also evolved over the years from a child star to the woman she is today.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Kim Richards was a child star
It may be hard to believe but Kim Richards has been in front of the camera practically since birth. According to the book, "House of Hilton," Kim landed a Firth Carpet commercial at only a few months old. A few years later, when she was 6-years-old, Kim made her TV series debut in 1970's, "Nanny and the Professor." From there, Kim went on to land roles on different TV shows, like "Here We Go Again" and "Little House on the Prairie." Most notably, Kim was also one of the original Disney kids, starring in several of their movies like the famous, "Escape to Witch Mountain."
While that sounds like a dream life for most kids, things weren't what they seemed. Kim and her sisters were often pit against each other and pressured by their mom, who, per "House of Hilton," was obsessed with making them famous and "impossible to deal with as a stage mother." This took away from Kim ever having a real childhood and later she described that time as being "treated like a show pony" (via People).
However, Kim kept working through her teens, making appearances on TV shows like "CHiPS" and "Magnum, P.I." She does seem to remember some of that time fondly though, proudly sharing photos of her acting days from the 1970's and 1980's on her Instagram. One fan even commented, "You are my favorite actress from the 70s," proving Kim did have a memorable career while it lasted.
Kim Richards first got married at age 20
In 1985, when Kim Richards was only 20-years-old, she got married for the first time, to supermarket heir Monty Brinson. According to "House of Hilton," Kim had been set up on a blind date with him the year before and the two were "basically together everyday" from there on.
However, that doesn't mean Kim was faithful. Even while they lived together, Monty revealed that she still dated other guys because she was pressured by her mother to find a richer man. He dished, "Kim would say she had to go babysit Paris and Nicky and, really, she was being fixed up with John [Davis], and I found out about it." They eventually got married anyway after Kim became pregnant with their daughter, Brooke. Monty revealed, "We did the right thing. It was Kim's choice to have the baby."
While Kim and Monty ended up divorcing in 1988, they remained close for Brooke with Kim writing in an Instagram post, "you have been a Great Father to our Little Girl." She made it clear they kept a special relationship, in one post even writing, "We took our vows in 1985 ... and that is the way it will always be, I love you My Best Friend!!!! ... We will be together till the end of our days!!" According to People, Kim kept that promise by taking care of Monty when he was dying of cancer in 2016. These days, Kim posts about how much she misses him.
Age 24 brought Kim Richards more kids and another divorce
At age 24, Kim Richards got remarried, to the brother of the man she was accused of cheating on her first husband with. Monty Brinson revealed in "House of Hilton" that during their relationship, Kim's mom wanted her to date billionaire oil heir, John Davis, instead. He explained, "She was being pressured because of the billions of Davis dollars." However, it was John's brother Gregg, whom Monty claimed he later caught Kim cheating with, and after their divorce, Kim quickly married Gregg.
They went on to have two children right away, daughter, Whitney, in 1990, then son, Chad, that next year. At the time, it seems Kim was just focused solely on being a mother since she had basically quit acting after appearing in the 1990 film "Escape." She dished, "I thought I'd have my baby and go right back to work, but when I held her, I'm like, I'm not putting her down ... and then I had another one, and I had another one."
Kim and Gregg divorced in 1991. While not much is known about Gregg, he's still reportedly paying her $23k a month in alimony, according to Reality Tea. Kim later told People that it was when that relationship ended that she first started drinking. She explained, "The pressure with the divorce and the custody battle, it got to me." She added, "I started noticing I was drinking a lot. That's when my issue started."
Kim Richards' fiancé was murdered when she was 27
The year 1991 started out good for Kim Richards, since the then-27-year-old mom of two had welcomed baby number three, her only son Chad, that May. In an Instagram post, celebrating his 29th birthday, Kim recalled, "I gave birth to this amazing human." That year, Kim had also divorced her second husband, Gregg Davis, and immediately began dating salesman John Collett, who had been a fan of hers since her Disney days. Collett's sister revealed to People, "She loved him and he loved her and it was like a fairy tale."
But according to "House of Hilton," Collet was under investigation for allegedly being involved in a huge scam that defrauded thousands of investors out of millions of dollars. Things got worse that October, when Collett was murdered by a hit man. He was said to have been on the phone with Kim when he was shot outside of a deli.
Collet's mother told Star Magazine, per Starcasm, "Poor Kim had to identify his body. It was a horrible nightmare for her." She added, "I've never recovered from the loss, and I don't think Kim has either." People reports that Marva DeCarlo Johnson was later charged with Colllet's murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Collett's mom claims, "Kim was always carrying around a lot of pain, subsequent to my son's death," which, if you look at her struggles later in life, proves to sadly be true.
By age 32, Kim Richards was a single mom of four
Kim Richards found herself as a single mother of four young children at just 32-years-old. In 1995, when Kim was 31, she had given birth to her youngest child, daughter Kimberly. In an Instagram post, Kim gushed, "I have enjoyed being your mommy so so much!" Despite being the youngest in the family, though, Kimberly dished on the 2016 reality series, "The Mother/Daughter Experiment," that when it comes to her mom, "I feel like I'm her caretaker because she's fragile physically and emotionally."
Kimberly's dad is John Jackson, who dated Kim between 1992 and 1996. He revealed in "House of Hilton," he had met Kim after buying her fiancé's motorcycle following his death. He recalled, "One night on a fluke I dialed her number, we met and then from about that day on we started dating." The two seemed happy for a while, with Jackson saying, "We were jet-setters and bounced all over ... And we were taking the kids with us most places. Kim was always very kid-oriented." However, they never married and split in 1996, with Jackson blaming Kim's mom for a lot of their problems.
Despite her trouble with love, Kim seemed very happy being a mother. She often posts old photos of times with just her and her four children, like when they'd carve pumpkins together or when she put them all in matching outfits. She captioned that photo, "My little darlings & me."
Kim Richards joined RHOBH at age 45
Kim Richards' life changed in a major way at age 45, when she joined the cast of Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" when it debuted in 2010. Kim was a full-time cast member for the first five seasons before appearing as a guest for Seasons 6 and 7. However, Kim's time on the show created more than enough drama, like her volatile fighting with her sister, Kyle Richards, after she accused Kim of being an alcoholic (per People).
Kim's issues with substance abuse were often featured on the show, and apparently, because of that, she checked into rehab by Season 2 in 2011. It wasn't the first time that Kim had done so. An unnamed source told Us Weekly, "Kim's alcohol addiction along with other substance abuse problems has been obvious for quite some time, but it's really good that she's finally getting help."
While it was probably hard for Kim to relive those moments as they aired on TV, it was because of the series that she received help. "RHOBH" producer, Andy Cohen, revealed in "Not All Diamonds and Rosé" (via Page Six), "When it was clear that it was a real problem, we wanted to be responsible and we didn't want to put her in a situation where anything could be exacerbated." He added, "Bravo paid for her rehab." Kim was finally able to admit that following year in an interview with Cohen that she was an alcoholic, but sadly, her problems would continue.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Kim Richards started dating her not-so-secret boyfriend at age 47
At age 47, Kim Richards began dating businessman Wynn Katz, but kept their romance a secret for six years. She later told ET, "We just managed to keep it kind of private." They decided to make it very public in 2018, appearing on WE TV's "Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars." Kim explained, "We were kind of stuck and stagnant, and I feel like doing 'Marriage Boot Camp' would push us along." Wynn wasn't initially a fan of the idea. He dished, "To be honest, I said, 'No.' Then the network called ... I was very touched by that."
For Kim, it seemed for a while she thought Wynn was the one, gushing, "I love Wynn and Wynn loves me. It wasn't something I was willing to give up on, so he was worth fighting for." Wynn apparently agreed, saying, "There are sides of her that the public doesn't really know ... she's very family, very warm, very loving, and funny."
Yet the two did have some major problems. For example, Kim revealed on the show, "I don't know if we can be intimate together." It didn't help that they weren't attracted to each other, with Wynn admitting (via People), "I want to go out with some hot babe ... She's not sexy enough for me." The two obviously broke up after that. It seemingly was for the best though since following their split, Kim told People, "Right now, I'm really at a peaceful place in my life."
Kim Richards got arrested twice at age 50
It appears that 2015 was a rough year for Kim Richards since the then 50-year-old was arrested twice and ended up back in rehab. It started that April, when she was arrested at the Beverly Hills Hotel and charged with public intoxication, resisting arrest, trespassing, and battery on a police officer. Kim later admitted on "Watch What Happens Live," (via The Daily Dish), that she had been drinking at her daughter's house before the incident. She recalled, "I thought, I need to go home. I can't be at my daughter's house like this," but ended up at the nearby hotel so she wouldn't drunk drive. However, after an employee wouldn't sit her, things apparently escalated. Kim recalled, "He said, 'If you don't leave we're calling the police,' and I really thought he was joking...And one thing led to another."
Following the incident, Kim entered rehab but quickly checked out to attend her daughter's wedding. She checked back in weeks later. A source told People, "Kim went to rehab finally because she got arrested, she humiliated her kids and she wants to avoid jail."
That following August, Kim was arrested again for shoplifting from Target after she tried to leave the store with two shopping carts full of stuff, per TMZ. Kim would only tell Andy Cohen (via The Daily Dish), "It's a legal issue, and I can't discuss that." According to People, by 2016, Kim claimed to be doing better, saying, "I'm just so grateful to be where I am today."
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
At 53, Kim Richards quit RHOBH
By age 53, Kim Richards was apparently ready to put "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" behind her. She had reportedly been fired as a full time cast member following her 2015 arrest but still appeared as a guest in a few seasons. However, by the end of Season 7 in 2017, she ended that, too.
Kim explained to People that leaving the reality series was "just so amazing for me." She added, "I like not having the negativity, being at peace, waking up in the morning and going to watch my grandson." Her sister, Kyle Richards, seemed to support that decision, revealing to ET, "She's got a lot of stuff going on in her personal life ... maybe it's a little too intense, so she's happy doing what she's doing right now." Kyle did admit though she missed having her on "RHOBH. "We started it together and even though we fought, we're sisters and I love her. There's nothing like having your sister there with you," she said.
Kim has mostly stayed away since, but told People in 2018 she'd never rule out returning for good. She dished, "I didn't say that I wouldn't, I'm just saying I don't miss the drama," adding, "But who's to say that we couldn't go on and stir up a little something."
Kim Richards' health scares at age 54
While things appeared to be looking up for Kim Richards for a while, at age 54 she hit more bumps in the road once again. In August 2019, "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star was admitted to the hospital. Us Weekly reported that it was her eldest daughter, Brooke, who was concerned after "watching her mom in a downward spiral for weeks." However, Kim apparently wasn't having it and fled the hospital "against medical advice." An unnamed source dished, "No one could find Kim for hours, [so] Brooke reached out to [more] family. All of Kim's kids are concerned." Another anonymous insider added, "She was incoherent, rambling."
Kim denied those claims through her manager, who insisted that she was not only "fine," but even "working on a big project right now." While the reality star remained mum on that incident, she did speak out about facing another "health scare" that November.
Kim revealed to People that doctors had "found something," when she got a mammogram. She explained, "I had a health scare with that and they had to do a biopsy." Luckily, the results of that biopsy clarified that Kim was going to be just fine and that it wasn't breast cancer as she had thought. She admitted, "It's just a tough scare. I think that changes people." And change her it did, or so she claimed. She asserted, "I'm going to do my best to stay the healthiest I can to be here."
Kim Richards spent age 55 in self-quarantine
Not surprisingly, 2020 was another hard year for a then 55-year-old Kim Richards due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her sister, Kyle Richards, revealed that April on "Watch What Happens Live" (via The Daily Dish) that Kim was self-quarantined at her home. Of course, that time alone came with its hardships, with Kyle mentioning one day in particular. She recalled, "She sent me a text and said, 'I'm freaking out. I don't feel well. Can you talk to me?' She went through all her symptoms and I said, 'By the way, everybody has those every day ... You're having a panic attack.'"
Kyle also inferred to Digital Spy that it was the pandemic that may have kept Kim from appearing on Season 11 of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." She dished, "We were filming during COVID and getting tested ... She was very nervous." Kyle continued to explain how hard that time was on Kim, adding, "She was one of those people that just didn't leave their home, they were so scared."
However, from the looks of her Instagram, it seems that Kim did spend some time with her grandchildren, something that had become very important to her. In July 2020, she shared a photo of herself holding her grandson, Hucksley, writing, "There is nothing in the WORLD that could compare to feeling in my heart when this little one looks into my eyes." In another photo with her grandson, Hunter, she wrote, "You light up my world. I am so grateful!!"
At 57, Kim Richards seems better than ever
As of 2021, 57-year-old Kim Richards appears to be doing better than ever, presumably by staying out of the spotlight more than usual. According to The U.S. Sun, Kim has been living in a smaller, two bedroom apartment instead of the large mansions of her past that may now be above her means. The former actor seems to be facing money troubles still though, reportedly owing over $90,000 in unpaid taxes. It can also be assumed that her legal bills from her arrests and her rehab stays couldn't have been cheap.
Yet, Kim appears to be happy. In November 2021, she posted a video on her Instagram telling fans that she missed them and that she was returning to Cameo Calls to interact with them again. She also posted photos attending her niece, Paris Hilton's wedding events. From the looks of her Instagram posts, it appears the mom of four is in a good place with her family too, having spent Thanksgiving together.
So with all that progress, will Kim ever return to "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" as a full-time housewife? Her sister Kyle Richards revealed (via People), "We can have fun together and laugh together. And I think there's a place and time when that will happen." It's clear that Kim has gone through a major transformation over her 57 years and if a return to Bravo is in her future, it's safe to say her next few years will be just as interesting.