Over the last few weeks, Kathy Hilton‘s return to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for Season 12 wasn’t a certainty. But now that Bravo has officially confirmed she’ll be back as a “friend”, viewers are now celebrating. And fortunately for them, we got in touch with Kathy directly to find out why she’s excited about reuniting with her half-sister Kyle Richards, as well as her other returning co-stars — Lisa Rinna, Erika Jayne, Dorit Kemsley, Garcelle Beauvais, Crystal Kung Minkoff, and Sutton Stracke — for more fun in front of the camera.
“I love all the girls. I love the crew. I miss them. We had a great time,” Kathy told HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY, while promoting her other reality TV venture, Paris In Love. Kathy didn’t reveal much more than that, but we could tell she’s looking forward to rejoining the series. E! News also revealed that Diana Jenkins and Will Smith‘s ex-wife Sheree Zampino will be joining the show — Diana will be full-time, while Sheree will take on a “friend” role.
Prior to the official announcement, it was reported by TMZ that Kathy demanded more money from Bravo to do another season of the show. Production actually went on without her for several weeks due to the holdup.
Whenever Kathy and Kyle were asked about Kathy’s return to the series, they remained coy, saying Kathy was busing prepping for her daughter Paris Hilton’s wedding, which took place on Nov. 11.
Then, just days after it was reported that a number of cast members tested positive for COVID-19 and production was halted, news of Kathy’s return was reported. But it wasn’t until Dec. 21 that the news became official.
The mom of four first joined the show in October 2020 as a “friend” for Season 11.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is still in the midst of filming Season 12, which is expected to premiere in 2022.