Kyle Richards has new Western-inspired ink.
Tattoo artist Amanda Merkatz took to Instagram on Monday, March 4, to show off a cowboy hat she designed for Richards, 55. In the clip, Merkatz zoomed in on Richards’ arm, revealing the delicate design inked in black. Merkatz specializes in fine-line tattoos, a practice that focuses on hyper-small details and minimalist styles.
Richards’ latest ink joins her collection of body art, which became a focal point during season 13 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
During the show’s premiere in October 2023, the reality star and her now-estranged husband, Mauricio Umansky, got into an awkward argument after Richards shared that she had gotten two more tattoos — totaling to five at the time.
“Seriously? I only knew of three,” Umansky, 53, told his wife. Richards hit back, saying, “Well, maybe you should be looking at my body closer.” The Agency founder said that she has “enough” tattoos. Richards, however, revealed her plans to maybe “get another one.”
Elsewhere during the season, Richards and pal Morgan Wade went to a tattoo shop for Richards to get her sixth ink design — Saturn and four stars. That same day, the Bravo star made a mark on Wade, 29.
“You know what, no one else can say they’ve been tattooed by Kyle Richards,” Wade quipped upon seeing the cursive K inked on her arm. Wade showed off the “K” tattoo the following day when Richards FaceTimed her.
When news of Richards’ separation from Umansky broke in July 2023, speculation swirled that she and Wade were dating — and the chatter hasn’t died down.
Some fans think her most recent ink is a nod to Wade, who is a country music singer (though Richards has been known to rock cowboy hats — especially those from Kemo Sabe). The duo further sparked romance rumors last month when Wade wrapped her arm around Richards as they posed for photos on the set of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen. As cameras flashed, Wade rubbed Richards’ side, prompting a slew of reactions via social media.
“Uhhhh …. Morgan’s hand on Kyle’s hip says A LOOOOTTT 👀,” one Instagram user wrote in the comments section of a video of the moment. Someone else chimed in, “That hip rub looks emotionally fulfilling,” referencing a season 1 moment of RHOBH when medium Allison DuBois told Richards that Umansky would “never emotionally fulfill” her.
While Richards and Wade have both shut down the rumors, they poked fun at the public’s perception of their bond with the August 2023 music video for Wade’s song “Fall in Love With Me.” In the video, the women take a bath together and come close to kissing multiple times.
Richards recently debunked claims about their friendship while answering Amazon Live questions on Thursday, February 29. She was asked about a recent blind item that fans thought was about her. An anonymous submission to gossip account Deuxmoi last month claimed that a country star would take their relationship public with a magazine cover.
“The loved up pair shot a highly coveted magazine cover which will drop shortly and be a shock to many,” read the rumor.
Richards shut down speculation that she was the subject of the submission, saying on Thursday, “That is not true. That blind item was not about me And that’s not about … no. It’s gotta be about somebody else. So, I wonder who it is. Now you got me curious.”
