Dorit and PK Kemsley’s separation was a shock to some, but The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fans saw the same signs Erika Girardi did.
While taking the stage at BravoCon in October 2022, Girardi was asked which Bravo couple would be the next to split — and she named Dorit and PK as the audience howled. While it caused a rift between the two women for a while (Erika later said she was “very sorry” about the comment), it seemed the Pretty Mess author wasn’t too far off.
Married for 9 years with kids Jagger, 9, and Phoenix, 7, Dorit and PK announced their separation in a joint statement posted via social media on May 9, 2024.
“We as a couple have been subject to a lot of speculation about our marriage. We have had our struggles over the last few years and continue to work through them as two people who love each other and share two amazing children together,” they wrote. “To safeguard our deep friendship and maintain a harmonious environment for our children we have made the mutual and difficult decision to take some time apart and reevaluate our relationship while we prioritize our children.”
Not long after Dorit Kemsley met real estate developer Paul “PK” Kemsley in 2011, romance flourished — but their journey has had its obstacles over the years. “Well, we met and we didn’t really have our first official date for a couple of months,” the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star recalled during a September […]
Keep scrolling for all the clues leading up to Dorit and PK’s separation:
Erika Jayne’s Major BravoCon Shade
In October 2022, the seed was planted when Erika took the BravoCon stage and dubbed them the next Bravo to split.
Dorit was quick to hit back at Erika’s shade, causing some discord between them. However, Erika eventually apologized for what she said.
“I didn’t know they were having problems,” Erika said on the “Two Ts in a Pod” podcast in August 2023. “I was being in the moment and if you look back, you hear me say, ‘I don’t want to answer his question.’ … I knew she took it bad, and I texted her and there was no response.”
Dorit also got her revenge with a pretty spot-on impression of Erika’s BravoCon appearance during a RHOBH season 13 confessional.
Sutton Stracke’ Spreads Rumors About PK’s DUI
Sutton repeated a rumor she heard about PK — and a possible other woman — during the RHOBH season 13 premiere in October 2023.
“The only thing that I’ve ever heard about PK and Dorit was the night PK got pulled over for a DUI,” she said. “He may have or may not have had a woman in the car with him. That’s the only rumor I’ve ever heard.”
Us Weekly confirmed in December 2021 that PK had been arrested for suspicion of DUI the month prior. The case was eventually rejected in August 2022, after “insufficiency of the evidence.”
Those Rumors About PK Living in a Hotel — That Dorit Eventually Confirmed
Dorit and PK were quick to shut down split rumors in October 2023, claiming they had faced “some challenging years” but “remain committed to working through these issues.”
Previously, In Touch reported that the couple were “living separate lives.” The publication also published a photo of PK leaving a Beverly Hills hotel without his wedding ring.
It was reported that PK was living in that same hotel, something that was confirmed months later during the RHOBH season 13 reunion in March 2024.
While some Real Housewives of Beverly Hills stars have been a part of the Bravo hit since season 1 — looking at you, Kyle Richards — others have proved that diamonds aren’t forever. The sixth installment in the Real Housewives franchise was announced in March 2010 and aired its first season seven months later. At the […]
When filming came to an end in 2023, Dorit admitted that her relationship with PK was at “an all-time bad” and “things got progressively worse.” She still denied the “separate lives” comment but offered insight into what actually went down.
“We weren’t living separate lives. Living in a separate place, you have all your belongings,” she said. “We were struggling, and we were working through things was what we were doing.”
Dorit added: “[Boy] George was in town for two weeks in L.A. He was staying with George in the hotel.” (PK was the longtime manager for Culture Club frontman Boy George, and the Britsh ’80s icon even lived with the family at their Beverly Hills home as seen on earlier seasons of the show.)
PK’s Comments About Dorit’s PTSD
Dorit has been vocal about her PTSD struggles since her and PK’s Beverly Hills home was burglarized in 2021. (With their children sleeping in their rooms nearby, Dorit was robbed at gunpoint while PK was away on business and the criminals have never been caught.)
During a couples therapy session filmed for RHOBH season 13, PK admitted there were “elements” of his wife’s PTSD that were “obnoxious” to him.
“There are elements that I understand, there are also elements that I don’t consider are PTSD. I don’t,” he told the therapist in the episode, which aired in January 2024. “The reality is, when does high maintenance blend with PTSD?”
PK Skips Out on Mother’s Day 2023
PK had some choice words for Dorit when skipping Mother’s Day during an episode of RHOBH season 13 that aired in February 2024.
“It’s Mother’s Day this weekend, when do you think you’re coming back?” Dorit asked her husband on a phone call. Bravo noted in an onscreen graphic that PK had been in London on business for 12 days. (Dorit and PK share two kids, Jagger and Phoenix.)
“I’m going to be back as soon as I can. In this particular deal, I have to be here. Truth be told, baby. Mother’s Day, it was never really a big thing in England,” he said. “You’re not my mother.”
Dorit hit back, saying, “No, I’m your children’s mother. I would like you to make a concerted effort, from now on, to be together on Mother’s Day because it is important to me.”
PK’s Long-Term London Trip
During the RHOBH season 13 finale in February 14, the length of PK’s London trip — which he kept extending — was up to 39 days.
PK’s ‘Pretty Woman’ Stunt Falls Flat
As seen on season 13, PK surprised Dorit for their wedding anniversary with an over-the-top gesture: a Pretty Woman-themed date, complete with a $5 million diamond necklace (on loan), a private performance from “Take My Breath Away” band Berlin, and a replica of Julia Roberts‘ dress from the film.
Ultimately, Dorit was underwhelmed. “Right now, I don’t need a big gesture,” she later said. “I need help from PK with the kids, with the house, with work, schedules. I need him to step up and say, ‘I’m gonna take care of this. That’s not his personality, so I’m gonna have to work on him being able to help me — which is gonna take more out of me. And I’m not sure I’ll ever get there.”
