Mauricio Umansky admits DWTS is escape from 'rough year' with wife Kyle Richards
Mauricio Umansky admitted Dancing With The Stars was a welcome escape from the ups and downs he's been experiencing in his marriage to estranged wife Kyle Richards over the past year.
The California property mogul, who stars alongside his wife on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, wasn't afraid to address the ongoing speculation about trouble in his marriage and their apparent split.
Speaking to the camera about he and wife Kyle, 54, who he has been married to for 27 years, Maurico, 53, said: "We've been going through a rough year and I really hope Dancing With The Stars will get my mind off it and help me have fun."
Some viewers were shocked by Maurico's candour when it came to his marriage. Taking to Twitter, one viewer said: "Oh …. Not Mauricio mentioning marital problems with Kyle right off the bat."
While another continued: "She looked annoyed," seemingly referring to Kyle, who was sat in the audience with her daughters. On Monday, Kyle spoke about how she was excited to support Mauricio on his dancing journey.
Strictly's Kai and Nadiya on how they kept their romance underwraps for monthsShe said: "I will be there cheering Mauricio on with my girls. I feel like he’s gonna do great," she said in response to a fan question on an Amazon Live.
"He’s very excited,” the reality TV star continued. "He’s really, really enjoying that, so I will be there cheering him on for sure." The couple seemingly called an end to their marriage in July this year after releasing an emotional statement.
The statement read: "We have had a rough year. The most challenging one of our marriage. But we both love and respect each other tremendously."
Kyle and Mauricio also shut down speculation that there was "wrongdoing on anyone's part". Despite seemingly calling time on their longtime marriage, the pair have remained amicable and have been spending time together as a family with their daughters.
Kyle, who travelled to Europe with Mauricio and her daughters over summer, admitted the situation has been "hard". "This has been very hard to do [because] it’s playing out with so many people having eyes on us and being in the public eye. Obviously, we care about each other a lot."