Kyle Richards

NEW YORK — Kyle Richards is getting candid about her relationship status.

The "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star opens up to USA TODAY about her separation, dating rumors and questions about her love life.

The Bravo star, who now holds the title as the longest-running consecutive cast member in "Real Housewives" franchise history, has been laid bare on the reality show as her split from her husband of 23 years, Mauricio Umansky, has unfolded in front of the cameras over the past two years.

She's also made headlines for her relationship with country singer Morgan Wade, with fans and her "RHOBH" costars questioning whether their close friendship was something more, though Richards has previously shot down dating speculation.

"People are always going to be curious and talk in this world, and I know that," she says now.

Richards sent fans into a tizzy with a moment in the "RHOBH" Season 15 trailer, saying "I could go Brad; I could go Angelina" (the show returned Dec. 4 on Bravo, where it airs Thursdays. Steaming next day on Peacock). She says there were "a number of things" behind that moment. "A: I am going to say something to make them laugh. B: I'm going to shut them up hopefully. And C: you know I am open-minded," she says. "I mean, of course it's in the trailer and the girls did laugh and they did back off."

But would Richards let cameras into another romantic relationship in the future? "I don't know actually," she says. "A lot of the women on the show, they date and we don't see that. Sutton (Stracke) has showed some of that, but usually they don't, unless it's something that makes sense."

For now, she says she's more open to what's next if it comes to her the old-fashioned way. "I'm not on apps," she says. "I'm too busy with shopping apps. I can't add another app to my phone. I mean, between rescue animals and shopping, I don't have time for dating apps."

Richards is also attempting to get out more, detailing a recent night on the town with costar Stracke.

"We're like, 'We're going to go out on the town,' and I think we hit four different places," Richards says. "I disliked all of them. We did a few drive-bys thinking those places may be better, didn't like those places either. We're like, 'This is a total bust.' I felt like I was in the ninth grade trying to find a good place to get into. Not good."

She continues, "If this is what I'm missing, I don't need to do this ever again," but she's not losing hope entirely. "We're going to make another effort and pick different places on a different night of the week. We decided maybe that was the problem," she adds with a laugh.

Kyle Richards remains 'confused' about Garcelle Beauvais' abrupt 'Real Housewives' exit

Richards also opened up about her relationship with recently departed costar Garcelle Beauvais, who walked off the set at the end of the Season 14 reunion and announced she would be exiting the show after five seasons.

"I'm still confused, honestly," Richards says. "I really thought we were getting closer, and I was happy about that. And then when she left, she didn't respond to my text messages and then unfollowed all of us and I thought, 'Well…' I was buying into that. I believed that we were becoming better friends, so that was disappointing."

Richards adds "it's hard because I've gone through so many difficult times over these 15 years that I was thinking ... she didn't even have to struggle. She didn't go through a very difficult time. So I was confused by that. I mean, I may be a little jaded after what I've gone through in 15 years, but I thought, 'Wow, it could be so much worse.'"

Beauvais has said she "felt like I no longer belonged" on the show and told Variety "walking away has given me my power back."

But in her confusion about Beauvais' exit, Richards has a level of empathy toward the difficulties of filming the show. "Then again, I have had conversations with her too where we were both like, 'This is a lot. It's so hard.' I was in tears. She was in tears. And this is talking just privately, just like it's hard. … And I don't think people realize exactly how difficult it is."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'RHOBH' star Kyle Richards weighs in on dating rumors

Reporting by Anika Reed, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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