Kyle Richards' Loved Ones Celebrate Her 55th Birthday with Heartfelt Tributes: 'You Empower Everyone Around You'

Teddi Mellencamp wrote that her friendship with Richards was worth more than "all the diamonds in the world" as she noted how Richards "basically saved my life"

Kyle Richards
Kyle Richards. Photo:

Paul Archuleta/Getty

Kyle Richards' dearest friends and family are wishing her a happy 55th birthday!

On Thursday, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star was celebrated on her special day in various touching tributes shared to Instagram.

Her oldest sister Kathy Hilton kicked off the deluge of special posts with a special picture of the duo singing their hearts out. Richards could be seen throwing her head back in laughter while Hilton struck a sassy pose on the mic.

"Happy Birthday my love may this be the best year yet!!!! I love you.🙏🩷❤️🥰💕🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🎂🎊🎊🎊🥳🥳🥳🎉🎉🎉," she captioned the post.

In the comments, Richards let her sister know how much she appreciated the shout out. "Thank you 🙏 I love you 💕 and why are you awake so early? 😆😘," she quipped.

In a touching tribute of her own, RHOBH alum, Teddi Mellencamp made sure to tell her friend and former costar how much she valued her.

"Sometimes things just stick. Like a friendship. Or the nickname Keeks," Mellencamp began alongside a montage of videos and photos taken over the course of their relationship. "That’s what happened six years ago with me & @kylerichards18. And I’m glad it stuck, because there’s nobody who makes me laugh more, nobody who can imitate my walk better, and probably most importantly, nobody who has basically saved my life like Kyle."

Mellencamp's post included Richards strutting her stuff down a hallway, red carpet photos, shots of the duo dancing on tables and appearing on Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live.

"All the diamonds in the world aren’t worth what our friendship is," she gushed. "Love ya, Keeks. Wishing you the happiest birthday yet!"

Kyle's daughter Alexia, whom she shares with husband Mauricio Umansky, celebrated her mother in a series of pictures she shared to her Instagram Story.

Alexia Umasnky posts a photo with mom Kyle Richards
Alexia Umansky posts a tribute to her mom Kyle Richards on Instagram.

Alexia Umansky/ Instagram

The first panel featured the mother-daughter duo wearing black cowboy hats. Underneath, Alexia captioned the photo, "Happy birthday to my beautiful mom."

She continued over a picture smiling for the camera in puffer jackets and one of the pair seemingly walking around in Aspen, Colorado, "I love you soooo much! I love doing life with you. You make everything so fun and so exciting."

Kyle Richards’ Pals and Family Celebrate Her 55th Birthday
Alexia Umansky posts a tribute to her mom Kyle Richards on Instagram.

Alexia Umansky/ Instagram

"You empower everyone around you. Thank you for making us feel so loved and so strong," Alexia said over a photo of her and her sisters. She then posted a solo shot of Kyle that read, "My queen. 111."

"We are so lucky to have you," she concluded over a family photo.

Despite their separation, Umanksy still made sure to not let the day go by without sharing a sweet message on social media for Richards’ special day. 

“Wishing you a very Happy Birthday,” he wrote on his Instagram Story, tagging the reality star. The upload was a video of her jamming out to Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” at a concert and all-white party that Erika Jayne had in Los Angeles.

Mauricio Umansky wishes Kyle Richards Happy Birthday

Mauricio Umansky/ Instagram

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Friend Faye Resnick also paid tribute to Richards with a sweet post.

"Happiest Birthday beautiful @kylerichards18 ❣️," she captioned a carousel of photos. "Thank you for a lifetime of beautiful memories."

Alongside group photos, throwback selfies and solo shots of Richards, Resnick continued, "You have been such a shining light to everyone you love and brighten every room you enter 🎈🎂🎈🎂💃."

Mauricio Umansky, Kyle Richards, Farrah Brittany, Alexia Umansky and Sophia Umansky attend Wheelhouse's Spoke Studios and the Agency's "Buying Beverly Hills" premiere party
From left: Mauricio Umansky, Kyle Richards, Farrah Brittany, Alexia Umansky and Sophia Umansky at the "Buying Beverly Hills" premiere party in November 2022.

Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images

Richards' birthday comes after a challenging year in her personal life. In July 2022, PEOPLE confirmed that she and Umansky had separated after 27 years of marriage. Just a few hours later, the duo broke their silence on the matter.

"In regards to the news that came out about us today... Any claims regarding divorcing are untrue," Richards shared on her Instagram. "However, yes, we have had a rough year. The most challenging one of our marriage. But we both love and respect each other tremendously."

Despite their troubles, Umansky has insisted that he and Richards were working on their marriage. “We’ve been married for 27 years. We’re having a bit of a rough patch," he told PEOPLE in October 2023, adding that “sometimes life throws you different things” and “you’ve gotta work through it.”

As the couple took some time apart, rumors of Richards' romance with Morgan Wade have been swirling. The two first became friends after connecting on social media and since then, they've spent a lot of time together from joint workoutsvacations with other Housewives stars and even a tattoo session where Richards inked her first initial onto Wade. (The duo have consistently shut down any dating speculation.)

On Thursday, Wade was in attendance as Richards and her pals jetted off to a tropical destination to celebrate her birthday. Mellencamp gave a glimpse of their travels on her Instagram Story, which was later reposted by Richards.

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