Lisa Whelchel Reveals 'Real Housewife' Lisa Kelly Helped Her Through Difficult Time
Actress Lisa Whelchel gave thanks for "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" Kim Richards during an episode of "Watch What Happens Live." Whelchel told host Andy Cohen that Richards had helped her during a period in her life when she was down and out.
"We actually have a little bit of history," Whelchel told Richards. "You were very pivotal in my life. I had lost all the money from 'The Facts of Life' and had three kids in diapers and I lost my house and was wanting to rent a home… your husband owned a house and because you knew me, he let me rent the house."
Richards looked surprised at the story, and it was finally made clear when Whelchel gave her a description of the man who allowed her to rent the house. It turned out that the man was not Richards' husband but boyfriend at the time.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Whelchel, a born-again Christian, has rebuilt her life and worked hard to raise her children in the faith. She home-schooled her children, who are now grown. Whelchel and husband of 24 years, Steve Cauble, divorced in 2012 but chose not to make the public announcement until right before her appearance on "Survivor: Philippines."
"Going out to 'Survivor' was helpful for me, to divert my attention and not just dwell on the loss. I just never thought it would happen to me. It was painful to realize that it wasn't going to work out," she told People at the time. "We will always be friends and we will always be family, too."
"I personally have much more understanding and empathy now," she later added. "You don't know what people are facing in their lives, so it's important to love and not judge them. That's the whole Christian message: that we fail and forgiveness can happen. It's a sad commentary of many Christians that we shoot our wounded. So I've learned how important it is to be more encouraging and understanding, no matter what people are going through."
