“Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Kim Richards says she was completely overwhelmed by her life when she checked into rehab for alcohol abuse earlier this year.
“I love sobriety,” Richards told “Entertainment Tonight” on Wednesday. “I’ve always loved sobriety and relapsing was very hard for me. I really wanted to go to treatment because I needed a break from what I was going through at home.”
The reality star sought help after her arrest in April following an allegedly drunken rampage at the Beverly Hills Hotel. At the time, she was dealing personally with a terminally ill ex-husband, an ongoing feud with her sister/“RHOBH” castmate Kyle Richards, the loss of her pit bull after the dog attacked her 19-year-old niece last year and issues with her son.
“My arrest was my a-ha [moment],” said the 50-year-old. “[I thought] I get to go away now and rest and take a break from all of this.”
Regardless of her past behavior, it appears Richards’ stint in rehab has allowed her to confront her demons and no longer be distracted by negative comments.
“I’m an alcoholic,” she admitted during Wednesday’s “ET” interview. “So they’re going to say what they want.”
Despite appearing regularly on “RHOBH” for nearly five years, rumor had it that Paris and Nicky Hilton’s aunt was not asked to appear on the upcoming season of the long-running Bravo show. However, producers may have changed their tune.
“I’ve been focusing on my treatment but my representative did speak to [Bravo] and they did ask me to come back,” explained Richards.