Mauricio Umansky and daughter Alexia Umansky had their hands full on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test — but it was estranged-wife Kyle Richards’ reaction to the challenges that may have kept him up at night.
“We definitely knew that she was freaking out,” Mauricio, 56, exclusively told Us of Richards’ fears about the show while promoting season 5 of the Fox series. “I had that in the back of my mind every single day.”
Mauricio, who brought his and Richards’ 30-year-old daughter along for the ride, explained that there was one challenge in which Alexia was “doing something before me” that really made him weary of Richards’ possible wrath. (The exes also share daughters Sophia, 26, and Portia, 18. Richards, 57, is also the mother of daughter Farrah, 37, whom she shares with ex Guraish Aldjufrie.)
“I was down and away and I was literally the entire time thinking to myself, ‘Oh, my God, Kyle is going to kill me. Alexia is going to die. She doesn’t even know Alexia is going to die,’” he quipped. “Like, ‘What am I going to do when I go back home and tell her I took our daughter into something so dangerous?’”
Mauricio confessed it was “crazy” to navigate his own fears while worrying about how The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star would react.
“I was freaking out completely on that situation,” he said, noting that “Kyle and Alexia’s husband, Jake [Zingerman], were constantly calling and checking in on us.”
Mauricio clarified that Richards and Zingerman weren’t actually calling him and Alexia — as they are not allowed contact while in the jungle — but the pair were in constant communication with the producers.
“When finally left, they’re like, ‘Your husband and your mom have been calling every single day, texting every single day,’” Alexia exclusively told Us, adding that she was not surprised by that information, because “of course they were.”
Richards — who separated from Mauricio in July 2023 after 27 years of marriage — previously admitted she wanted to “kill” her ex after he wrangled their child into the scary competition.
“I was actually not happy at all. I was so worried about Alexia,” Richards told Page Six in August. “I knew that [Mauricio] would do well or whatever, but I was really worried about my daughter.”
The Housewife confessed, “I didn’t like that she got sucked into that. I kept texting the producers saying, ‘Please, I need updates. Is my daughter OK? Is Mauricio OK? Just give me something.’”
Alexia, for her part, told Us that she felt safe with her dad by her side even if her mom didn’t approve of their quest.
“He’s the most supportive, loving, emotional person I know — I mean, obviously my whole family is, but having him there with me was everything,” she shared. “And I wasn’t necessarily the strongest person there, and having my dad literally physically lifting me up, pushing me forward — it was just so amazing to have that experience together.”
Alexia called Mauricio her “protector,” noting that he’s “always been that way.”
Season 5 of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test premieres on Fox Thursday, September 24, at 9:00 p.m. ET.
