The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Mauricio Umansky is speaking out about the persistent rumors surrounding his estranged wife, Kyle Richards, and country singer Morgan Wade. In an unexpected turn of events, Umansky expressed his admiration for Wade, dispelling any notions of animosity between them.
Earlier this week, TMZ cameras caught up with Umansky as he left a Dancing With the Stars rehearsal in Los Angeles. When asked about his relationship with Wade, Umansky didn’t hesitate to respond positively.
“I love Morgan,” he said.
On Wednesday, the reality star was announced as a cast member of Dancing With the Stars season 32, making him the first husband of a Bravo Housewife to join the competition show.
Umansky was pleasantly surprised to hear how he’s breaking the glass ceiling for Housewives‘ husbands. “Isn’t that great? I didn’t realize I was the first House[wives] husband until recently, and I think it’s awesome,” he told ET’s Rachel Smith. “I feel honored and I’m glad I could be the one to pave the path for other House[wives] husbands.”
The 53-year-old real estate broker is paired with dancing pro Emma Slater and will compete for the coveted mirrorball trophy alongside celebs such as Ariana Madix of Vanderpump Rules and Scandoval fame, former Bachelorette Charity Lawson, actress Jamie Lynn Spears, singer Jason Mraz and actress Mira Sorvino.
The competition is a different playing field than Umansky is used to, which he readily admitted when asked if he’s prepared for the challenge. “This is something completely different than I’ve ever done — it’s completely outside of my comfort zone,” he told ET. “There [are] certain moves… I mean, dancing [is] never something I’d do on national television. It’s something I’ve always wanted to learn, you know, I’m a Latino and I’ve got that blood in me already.”
The father of three shared that his daughters have been “super supportive,” and fans can look forward to seeing his girls in the audience when the show begins airing.
Umansky shares three daughters, Alexia, 27, Sophia, 23, and Portia, 15, with estranged wife Richards, including her 34-year-old daughter, Farrah Brittany, whom she had with her first husband, Guraish Aldjufrie. The couple recently made headlines for their marital woes, although the real estate broker said that won’t affect Richards’ presence during the competition series.
The Bravoverse was shocked when news broke on July 3 that Richards and Umansky decided to separate after 27 years of marriage.
A source close to the pair told People that the Buying Beverly Hills real estate agent and the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star “have been separated for a while now but are still living under the same roof. They remain amicable as they figure out what’s next for them and their family.”
The couple addressed the situation shortly thereafter, denying they were getting divorced, but admitting they’d had a “rough year” in their marriage.
Despite the difficulty of their situation, the couple has emphasized the amicable nature of their separation. Umansky told ET that fans will “100 percent” see the entire family supporting his DWTS journey.
“You know, we’re hanging in there, we’re working through all of our things, which everybody knows about, and we’re just taking it day by day,” Umansky said of his relationship with Richards. “We’re trying not to let the press influence us and all of the social media and all of the stuff that’s going on. So we’re trying to just ignore that and figure that ourselves.”
“I can tell you we are both happy,” he added.
As for the upcoming Dancing With the Stars season, Umansky said that he hopes audiences will enjoy what he and the rest of the cast bring to the competition. “I hope that they get invested in my journey and in our journey together, and the way we will approach the season and all of the dances, I’m very excited about it.”
He added, “I’ve been talking to Emma a lot about it, and she’s got some really great creative ideas. We’re just very excited about it.”
Season 32 of Dancing With the Stars will air its extended, live premiere Sept. 26 on ABC.
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