Lisa Vanderpump Reacts to Kim Richards' Arrest: She Told Us She's Struggling

Lisa Vanderpump opened up to ET about what she really thinks of the recent drama surrounding her former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills co-star, Kim Richards.

In an exclusive interview with ET in July, Richards didn't hold back saying what she really thought of Vanderpump.

"She's witty, she's fun, she has a big heart for people she loves, but I think Lisa is ... she's phony," Richards, 50, said. "Sometimes I felt like she was my friend, and you know, I believed her, but in a heartbeat she changes."

Vanderpump saw our interview with Richards, and said she found her statements upsetting.

"That kind of really stung and hurt because I feel that I have never involved myself too much in questioning her sobriety," Vanderpump said while at Bella Magazine's New York Annual White Party in the Hamptons on Saturday. "Even last season, I said very much I don't want to get involved because I didn't feel like I was that close to her. There were other people who were much closer to her."

WATCH: EXCLUSIVE! Kim Richards Opens Up About Her Arrest and Struggles With Alcohol

She added, "That really hurt because I thought, 'Hold on a second, I've always supported you and always wanted the best for you.' Even if I had my suspicions, I never really kind of revealed anything."

WATCH: Kim Richards Charged With Petty Theft -- Inside Her Target Shoplifting Arrest

That being said, Vanderpump still says she wants the best for Richards. "I see what's been going on since then," she said of her Housewives' co-star's recent woes. "She told us she's struggling."

As for whether she thinks Richards should return to the Bravo show, Vanderpump says that is not up to her.

"Whenever somebody is on the show, they're on the show for a reason, and sometime the dynamic changes, not everybody is happy with certain choices," she explained. "But there's been a lot being said about me having the power to eliminate cast members. We don't get that power."

WATCH: Kim Richards on New Determination to Stay Sober -- 'Relapsing Was Very Hard For Me'

Vanderpump recalled her rough patch on the series. "I've done 170 episodes of reality television with Vanderpump Rules and Housewives. I've had a couple of really horrible, sh*ty experiences that I've never experienced in my life," she said. "The other 160 something have been amazing."

The 54-year-old reality star tells ET that she has not spoken to Richards, but says "she probably has a lot of support from her family."

NEWS: Kim Richards' Latest Arrest -- What Is a 5150 Hold?

Last week, it was reported that Richards' family was considering placing her under an involuntary psychiatric hold, called a 5150, after she was arrested for allegedly shoplifting more than $600 worth of toys from a Target in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley. However, ET confirmed this weekend that Richards is not currently "locked up."

"Kim is clearly in crisis," psychotherapist Dr. Robi Ludwig told ET. "She's probably trying to self-medicate a depression."


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