Denise Richards Claims Her Iconic 'Bravo, Bravo, Bravo' Line on 'RHOBH' Was Taken Out of Context

"It's shady, but it's okay," Denise Richards said of Bravo allegedly taking the line out of context

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Published on February 11, 2022 07:45 PM

Denise Richards is setting the record straight about aspects of her time on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

During an appearance on SiriusXM's Jeff Lewis Live Friday, the 50-year-old actress claimed that her iconic "Bravo, Bravo, f—ing Bravo" line was taken out of context.

She previously uttered the phrase in season 10 amid an intense argument with Kyle Richards, sparking shock amongst the rest of the cast. At the time, Richards said she's "done" and asked production to pull the plug on filming. The famous line was also said during a scene where Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave confronted her about rumors that she was physically intimate with Brandi Glanville, which Richards has repeatedly denied.

"When I sat down to that dinner, I was dealing with some stuff with my children," Richards told Jeff Lewis on Friday. "They started to go after me — this is before what I heard Teddi said about Brandi."

"Prior to that, they were going in on me," she explained. "I was like, 'Oh, my God. I can't believe, another f—ing dinner of dealing with this s—.' And so, I blurted out what I was dealing with and I said the 'Bravo, Bravo, f—ing Bravo,' because I was told to do that from Kyle and [Lisa] Rinna — whether they want to admit it or not, that's the truth. [They said] if you say something about your kids or say the name of a school, to do that and Bravo won't air it."

"The producers don't sit down and say, 'Here's the rules of what's going on with this show.' They just throw a mic on you and you go," she went on. "So at that dinner, I said something about my family."

THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS -- Season:10 -- Pictured: (l-r) Garcelle Beauvais, Denise Richards, Lisa Rinna, Kyle Richards, Erika Girardi, Dorit Kemsley, Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave — *The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills*. John Tsiavis/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

Continuing, Richards said "it's shady, but it's okay" that Bravo allegedly took the line out of context.

"It was a very difficult season from day one because I felt like I couldn't even be myself. I had surgery, I didn't feel good, I was in pain a lot," she explained. "But I still — I did show up, as much as I could when I wasn't working on other projects, just like a lot of the women."

"But during those dinners, if I would leave, it was after a certain point," she added. "I think that they wanted me to fight and I'm not going to fight about certain things."

During her SiriusXM chat, Richards also addressed rumors about her salary with the network, saying, "I don't know who started the rumor when I first joined the show that I got $4 million. No offense to Bravo but they don't pay a lot of money. So I did not get $4 million."

Nonetheless, Richards said wanted to be a part of the show because she "thought it would be fun."

"Lisa Rinna, who I was friends with, [was on]. I thought, 'This will be fun. She's a good time,'" she recalled. "You know what? My first season, I did enjoy it and I loved getting to know the women. That part was fun."

A rep for Bravo did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

RELATED VIDEO: Denise Richards Reveals Why She Left RHOBH and What Garcelle's Plans Are

In September 2020, a rep for Richards confirmed to PEOPLE that she was leaving RHOBH after two seasons. Franchise producer Andy Cohen later said on PeopleTV's Reality Check the network "couldn't reach an agreement" with Richards for season 11.

When Richards made an appearance on pal and former costar Garcelle Beauvais' show, The Real, she said "it was time" to leave and "focus on other projects."

"I've been a fan of the show and had a lot of fun doing my first season. Obviously, my second season was very challenging," Richards said shortly after her exit. "You know, I went back and forth with it and at the end of the day, I decided it was time for me to move on and focus on other projects that I have. I'm glad that I did it though."

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Beauvais, 55, has since said on Watch What Happens Live that she believes Richards "wants to come back" but "somebody's gotta go though," referencing her friend's feud with Rinna, 58.

RHOBH is currently in the midst of filming its 12th season.

Updated by

Dave Quinn