Kyle Richards and Lisa Vanderpump's Messy and Enduring Feud, Explained

It may be hard to believe now, but there was a time when Real Housewives of Beverly Hills stars Kyle Richards and Lisa Vanderpump were friends. Besties, even, long before appearing on the series together. Like most of the RHOBH cast, they were often seen spending time together and enjoying one another's company, so we even have proof.

Yet somewhere along the way, something went wrong. The two fell out in a major way, leading to an enduring years-long feud that doesn't seem to have an end in sight. But what could possibly tear these two friends apart? This is the Kyle and Lisa feud, explained.

If you just listen to Kyle and Lisa talk about each other nowadays, you can be forgiven for forgetting they were once friends. They are not kind when they speak about each other, and it doesn't seem like either is primed to bury the hatchet. Back in 2010 when RHOBH first launched, the duo seemed inseparable. But things quickly turned one-sided and imploded spectacularly.

The first test of their friendship came during the Season 2 finale. Kyle called Lisa "calculated," and likened speaking to her to "playing chess with Bobby Fischer." A hurt Lisa slowly distanced herself from Kyle over the following season as cracks began to show. They tried to patch things up a little after that, but Season 4 of RHOBH brought new fuel to the fire of their feud and ignited the issue all over again, only 10 times worse.

During the Season 4 cast trip to Puerto Rico, fellow castmate Brandi Glanville claimed that Lisa had planned to bring stories to tabloids concerning cheating rumors about Kyle's then-husband, Mauricio Umansky. Kyle was hurt that Lisa was talking about the rumors, and Lisa claimed she never wanted to bring the topic up to the tabloids. There were more snipes back and forth, but it wasn't until a Season 9 incident infamously dubbed "Puppygate" that the death knell sounded for their friendship.

Puppygate began when Dorit Kemsley adopted a dog from Vanderpump Dogs. Rumors quickly followed that Dorit had surrendered the dog to a kill shelter. It would seem that Lisa planned to trash Dorit's name in response, with the help of Teddi Mellencamp. The story exploded in the tabloids, and cast mates suspected Lisa of leaking information to the press.

After the press got wind of Puppygate, Kyle confronted Lisa in what became the beginning of the end. There was a nasty back-and-forth between Kyle and Lisa at the latter's home. Ultimately, Lisa's husband Ken Todd kicked Kyle out. That was the last time cameras would catch Lisa and Kyle together, as they have refused to film together ever since.

And despite the fact that Puppygate occurred in 2019, the feud never did fizzle out.

In mid-2024, Lisa addressed the moment when Kyle was kicked out of her house and showed zero regret for the decision. While speaking on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Lisa shared her feelings on the subject. Andy asked if she regretted kicking Kyle out and Lisa responded quickly, "Oh no, no. Hold on a second. Not only do I not regret it, I loved it."

In November 2024, Kyle gave an update that shows some hope, however. On WWHL with Andy Cohen, Kyle was asked about a recent rumored run-in with Lisa. She responded, "She was friendly-ish. Ken was friendlier. He gave me a hug. She doesn't really hug now." Kyle added, "at least she said 'hi' this time."

So although the feud seems well-poised to last for another few years, there's some hope on the horizon that they can at least appear on screen together, if not patch up their friendship.