Was Kim Richards arrested? Reality star’s detainment claim debunked amid widespread concern

A viral claim suggests that the police recently arrested the reality TV personality, Kim Richards. 

The rumor appeared to stem from posts shared by various Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fan pages on Facebook. One such page cited a vlog that reported about Kim’s arrest following a dispute with her sister, Kyle Richards, over her alcohol addiction. The article also referred to TMZ as the source of the viral story about the RHOB star’s arrest. 

However, neither TMZ nor any other credible outlet has published a report about the rumored arrest of Kim Richards or her recent dispute with her sister. The viral story lacks evidence and is likely fabricated with a clickbait title. Additionally, multiple posts about the arrest also feature a 2015 picture of Kim Richards instead of a recent one. 

For those unaware, the actress and reality TV star got arrested in August 2015 for allegedly shoplifting at a Target outlet in Van Nuys, San Fernando Valley. According to E! Online and TMZ, a security guard stopped Kim Richards outside the Target after she reportedly didn’t pay for items worth $600. The security personnel held her at the store, according to TMZ. 

The outlet also obtained the pictures, including the one that recently resurfaced with the fake claim of Richards’ arrest in 2025. TMZ stated that the security personnel took photos of her and the item while she was held in a booking room. Eventually, the LAPD booked the Tuff Turf actress at the Van Nuys jail, where she spent a night before posting a $5,000 bail. 

Richards narrowly avoided jail time after she missed the deadline for 30 days of community service and 52 AA meetings. In August 2016, the judge allowed the actress to remain on probation after her lawyers provided proof that she had completed the community service, albeit belatedly. 

However, it was not the only legal trouble that the RHOBH star faced, as she got detained in April 2015 for a separate incident. 

Kim Richards got arrested four months before the alleged Target shoplifting

On April 15, 2015, local police officers arrived at the Beverly Hills Hotel at 1:30 am following a report against an individual identified as Kim Richards. According to ABC News, she allegedly caused a disturbance at the hotel restaurant and reportedly refused to leave, despite being asked to do so by the security. 

The Beverly Hills police department told ABC News that the security complained about Richards, who apparently locked herself inside a bathroom, after she was being escorted off the hotel. Then-representative of the police department, Lt. (later Captain) Lincoln Hoshino, told the outlet: 

“Richards was displaying symptoms of alcohol intoxication including slurred speech and belligerent insolent behavior. [She was] cursing at the officers and passively resisted arrest. After being transported to the station for booking, Richards kicked one of the officers in the leg; however the officer was not injured.” 

The police officers were able to take Kim Richards in custody at around 2:04 am, and she was booked at the Los Angeles County Jail. The TV star posted a $20,000 bail and was released. 

Later, during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live in 2016, she recounted her April arrest and mentioned being at her daughter’s house. She said on WWHL (via People): 

“I had a drink at her [Brook Brinson] house. I felt horribly guilty. I thought, ‘I need to go home. I can’t be at my daughter’s house like this. This is terrible.” 

She spoke about pulling up at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where the dispute happened after she was asked to leave. Richards shared: 

“He said, ‘If you don’t leave, we’re calling the police, and I really thought he was joking. And he called the police. And one thing led to another.” 

Richards was charged with trespassing, public intoxication, resisting an officer, and battery on a police officer. According to People, Kim received probation, while a judge ordered her to attend Alcoholics Anonymous, after she accepted a plea deal.