The former ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ star was involved in a dispute with sister Kyle earlier this week amid her ongoing struggles with substance abuse
Kim Richards’ family is at a loss when it comes to the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star’s ongoing struggles with substance abuse.
Earlier this week, Kim, 60, and her sister Kyle Richards were reportedly involved in a dispute amid Kim’s relapse into her alcohol addiction.
A source now tells PEOPLE that the former reality star’s “reliance on alcohol has been an ongoing source of conflict between her and her sisters” with the issue being especially difficult for Kyle, 55.
“It particularly weighs heavily on Kyle, who has always been the worrier of the family,” the insider shares. “She does her best to take care of Kim — and essentially bankrolls Kim’s life, with Kathy [Hilton] — but never knows where the line goes between helping and enabling.”
While noting that Kim is currently in “a really bad place,” the source says the family is trying to remain tight-lipped about her struggles.
“The family are very private about details, but from the little they’ve said, it’s clear they’ve reached another breaking point with her,” the source says, emphasizing how “this has happened before.”
“It’s the same cycle: chaos until there’s some incident that gets Kim back on track, then brief steadiness as they repair their relationship, then the drinking starts again, Kim makes excuses, Kyle pleads she gets help, etc. etc.,” the source continues.
Over the years, the reality star has been open about her struggles with alcohol addiction, with her sobriety journey even being documented on RHOBH.
In 2010, Kyle famously outed Kim to be an alcoholic in the first season of the longtime Bravo show. A year later, the actress entered rehab and then again in April 2015 following her arrest in connection with public intoxication. She left a Malibu treatment facility for her daughter’s nuptials in May 2015, but checked herself back in two weeks later.
The source tells PEOPLE that Kyle is “torn apart by it all” as they continue to navigate the substance abuse issues as a family.
“She has the biggest heart,” the insider says of Kyle. “She loves her sister so much, and always will, but she doesn’t know what else to do.”
According to TMZ, Kim and Kyle had a dispute earlier this week over the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star’s relapse into her alcohol addiction.
