Dorit Kemsley’s marriage is still as chic as ever.
During an appearance on Pvnew’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” podcast, the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star, 47, unpacked the “problems” that led to marital strife with her husband, Paul “PK” Kemsley — and how they overcame them.
“The last couple of years, post-home invasion, have been very difficult for me,” Dorit said, reflecting on the armed robbery she and her two young children survived two years ago.
“There’s no area of your life that it doesn’t touch,” she continued. “And my husband, who travels for work and he was traveling the most that year … was the year that I needed him the most.”
The Beverly Beach founder said that the time apart from PK, 56, only exacerbated her bouts of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To make matters worse, Dorit experienced a second robbery roughly a year later in December 2022.
As seen in a “RHOBH” preview, she claims to castmate Erika Jayne that three men followed her before aggressively stealing $10,000 in cash, which she had taken out for Christmas gifts.
“It definitely took a toll and we had our challenges,” Dorit said of how the incidents impacted her 13-year union with PK.
“It’s the reality that I faced and we faced — and it’s not just in my marriage,” she elaborated. “It was in a lot of areas in my life and PTSD really grabbed hold of me. And with the second robbery, it threw me back in tenfold.”
The couple — who shares son Jagger, 9, and daughter Phoenix, 7 — made a concerted effort to discuss their ups and downs as cameras rolled for “Beverly Hills” Season 13, airing now.
“It’s not like we’re heading to divorce court, but we were disconnected. PK and I, we really are very co-dependent and connected. So it’s the first time in the 13 years we’ve been together that we felt this disconnect,” she said.
“When we came into this season, it was really important for me to be open and honest and talk about it because it’s the reality.”
Not real, however, were rumors that she and PK were living apart. The pair shut down speculation of a separation in a joint statement released Oct. 25.
“This was one of those times where I just knew — especially because we were open and very vulnerable when talking about it in the season — even if we weren’t going to address it, then it could take on a life of its own,” she said of her and PK’s swift reaction to debunking the gossip.
“So we immediately put out a statement.”
Dorit emphasized that she and PK never split despite any friction faced in their relationship.
“Not having my partner there [after the home invasion] made life very difficult and it obviously caused some problems,” she admitted.
“But we ultimately — thank goodness — never separated. We had our challenges and we continued to work through them and get better and better and stronger and that’s not always something that happens overnight.”
Part of their rebuilding process includes Dorit extending more grace to PK regarding his decision to dive into work and travel after thieves broke into their Los Angeles house in October 2021.
PK was in the U.K. for work at the time of the terrifying incident, during which Dorit begged her assailants not to physically harm her or their children before they took off with about $1 million in high-end goods.
“I think it’s really important that you do open yourself up to be compassionate to the other person,” she explained.
“Listen, PK wasn’t here the night of the home invasion and I’m sure that there is some guilt and some feelings that he … needs to process and it’s easier, I suppose, when you’re burying yourself in work, you’re running and you’re not really faced with it.”
“The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
