TW: This article contains discussions of suicide.
In honor of World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10), Kyle Richards opened up about a tragic loss she once suffered. Kyle’s loss is her childhood friend, Lorene Shea, who died by suicide in 2022, forever leaving a Lorena-sized hole in Kyle’s heart. We grieve with Kyle, and we stand with all who feel heavy amidst the swirling tides of this wildly broken world – your life matters, and we are glad you are here. And thank you, Kyle, for hosting this much-needed conversation for your Real Housewives of Beverly Hills followers.
Kyle Richards opens up, touching on how suicide claimed her childhood best friend’s life
Frederick Buechner said it best, writing, “Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid.” Kyle and Sutton Stacke likely feel this quote with their whole chests, seeing as how both have lost a loved one to suicide. For Kyle, she lost Lorena, and for Sutton, she lost her father.
Kyle and Sutton are ambassadors for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Therefore, on World Suicide Prevention Day, they took to Instagram Live, touching on their losses.
Kyle met her best friend Lorene when they were only seven, so “she was like my other half. She knew more about me and my life and the ins and outs of my life than anyone,” Kyle began.
Kyle and Lorene were so close that Kyle revealed, “She was in my will. She was in charge of my money. If something happened to me, she was in charge of my kids — that’s how together she was.” But then, before Lorene died, “something shifted and changed in her.”
“Even she didn’t understand it,” Kyle said, but sadly, “It kind of just went downhill from there, progressively getting worse. You feel so helpless,” Kyle emotionally stressed. During RHOBH Season 13, Kyle and Sutton turned their helplessness into helpful dialogues, further helping to break the stigma around mental health conversations. For that, we once again say thank you, ladies.
If you or someone you know needs help for a mental health concern, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264). For confidential treatment referrals, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website or call the National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). If it is an emergency, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or call 911.
