Kim Richards

For Kim Richards, owner of Allied Artists Records, see Allied Artists International

Kimberly "Kim" Richards (born September 19, 1964) is an American actress. She is a former child actress, and currently a television personality on the TV series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.^[1]

Early life

Kim Richards was born in Mineola, New York on September 19, 1964. Her father was Kenneth E. Richards (1935–1998) and her mother, Sharon Kathleen Dugan (1938–2002).^[2][3] They separated in 1972 and her mother later remarried. Her sisters are the actresses Kathy Hilton (born 1959) and Kyle Richards (born 1969).^[2] She graduated from Imperial High School in Imperial, California in 1983. Socialites Nicky and Paris Hilton are her nieces, daughters of her half-sister, Kathy. She is of Welsh and Irish ancestry.^[4][5]

Career

Richards promoting Nanny and the Professor, January 1971

Her career began during her childhood in the early 1970s. From 1970–1971, she starred as Prudence Everett in the television series Nanny and the Professor, with costars Juliet Mills, Richard Long, David Doremus and Trent Lehman. She also starred in several Disney films, including Escape to Witch Mountain, No Deposit, No Return and Return from Witch Mountain.^[6][7] She starred in an episode of Little House on the Prairie as Olga Nordstrom, Laura Ingalls' friend with one leg shorter than the other, whom her Pa fitted with a handmade wooden heel on her shoe that allowed her to run and play normally with the other children.

In 1974 and 1976, she appeared in Disney's Whiz Kid Capers series (The Whiz Kid and the Mystery at Riverton and The Whiz Kid and the Carnival Caper) two television movies which aired as part of The Wonderful World of Disney anthology series. In 1977, she and her sister Kyle both appeared as the daughters of James Brolin in The Car. By 1978, she teamed up once again with Witch Mountain co-star Ike Eisenmann for the made-for-television movie Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell. In the John Carpenter film Assault on Precinct 13, she played a young girl who was brutally murdered when a gang member fired a round into her chest. She later starred in the short-lived series Hello, Larry and appeared as a guest on numerous episodes of popular American television shows including Diff'rent Strokes, Alice, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, CHiPs, Magnum, P.I., James at 16, The Dukes of Hazzard and The Rockford Files.^[8][9][10] As a young adult, she appeared in the films Meatballs Part II, Tuff Turf and Escape. In addition, she also co-produced Escape along with then-husband G. Monty Brinson.^[11] After 1990, she went into semi-retirement.

In 2006, she appeared in a supporting role as Christina Ricci's estranged mother in Black Snake Moan. She made a cameo appearance in 2009's Race to Witch Mountain, playing a waitress named "Tina," a minor variation from the character "Tia" she played in the 1975 and 1978 films.^[6][7][12] Since October 2010, she has starred as a full cast member of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alongside her sister Kyle.

Personal life

In July 1985, she married supermarket-franchise heir G. Monty Brinson, who is now a professional poker player.^[2] They had one daughter:

• Brooke Brinson (born February 1986).

They divorced in 1988, and they shared custody of Brooke.^[2]

Her second husband was oil heir Gregg Davis, son of oil tycoon and Dynasty inspiration Marvin Davis and philanthropist Barbara Davis.^[2][13] They had two children together:

• Whitney Davis.^[13]
• Chad Davis.^[13]

They divorced in 1991.^[2]

She dated commodities salesman John J. Collett. He was a central figure in a large scam, involving eight thousand elderly investors and nearly $150 million in losses. On October 28, 1991, he was murdered by a hit man outside of Brent’s Deli, located in the San Fernando Valley community of Northridge. The two were speaking on the phone whilst the shooting occurred.^[14] The ordeal had a deep impact on Richards, who has opened up and spoken about Collett's murder on an episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.^[15] Additionally, Janis Collett, John's mother, later said: "John’s murder was a devastating tragedy, and Kim was just torn apart. Poor Kim had to identify his body. It was a horrible nightmare for her. I’ve never recovered from the loss, and I don’t think Kim has either."^[14]

Later, she was in a longterm relationship with aircraft-parts supplier John Jackson. They had a daughter:

• Kimberly Richards (born 1995).^[13]

She has struggled with alcoholism.^[2] In December 2011, she entered rehab, and left in early January 2012.^[16][17][18] Shortly after, she admitted to being an alcoholic.^[17][19] She admitted she had been to rehab twice before.^[20]

She currently resides in Los Angeles.

Filmography

References

External links

• Kim Richards at the Internet Movie Database