Kyle Richards addresses Morgan Wade dating rumours as RHOBH returns for season 13

As The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (RHOBH) returns to screens, main series star Kyle Richards clarifies her dating status with Morgan Wade amidst separation from her husband.

RHOBH season 13 arrived on Bravo with a bang on Wednesday (25 October). The latest season delves into the dramatic lives of long-running star Kyle Richards as well as Erika Jayne, Dorit Kemsley, Garcelle Beauvais, Crystal Kung Minkoff, Sutton Stracke and Annemarie Wiley.

Earlier this year Richards, 54, announced she had separated from her husband of 27 years, Mauricio Umansky.

Around the same time, fans started speculating about the friendship between Richards and 28-year-old country singer Morgan Wade, who were frequently spotted together after meeting over Instagram.

The dating rumour mill soon hit fever point when they got matching tattoos, leading to Wades and Richards starring in a sapphic music video playing up to the speculation. Wade said they hoped to “bring light to same-sex relationships in country music”.

As Richards’ marriage looks set to become a central plot point in RHOBH season 13, the reality star appeared on Watch What Happens Live! with Andy Cohen, where she addressed the rumours on air.

When asked abut her relationship status with the music artist, Richards said: “I can tell you that she is absolutely one of my best, best friends in the world,” she began, before comparing their relationship to that she shares with former co-star and fellow WWHL guest Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave, who was sat next to her.

“We started a group chat,” Richards said about herself, Wade and Arroyave. “We would speak every morning because we all wake up really early… so that was the first text of every day and we all became very, very close.”

Alluding to speculation about Wade’s sexuality, Richards continued: “Honestly when I see these things [dating rumours] I’m like, if she didn’t have those tattoos people would not say that. I’m with my friends all the time and they don’t pay attention.”

Richards added that people had also previously speculated about the nature of her relationship with Mellencamp Arroyave.

Richards previously shut down romance claims when she insisted to Page Six in July that she was just “very good friends” Wade after they were spotted leaving a restaurant together in West Hollywood.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 13 airs every Wednesday at 8pm ET on Bravo and is available to watch the next day on Prime Video and Apple TV.