TV couple Dorit and Paul ‘PK’ Kemsley shock split: ‘Had struggles’

One of the Real Housewives franchise’s most popular couples have announced they are getting divorced, following months of speculation.

Dorit and Paul “PK” Kemsley have split. Picture: Instagram

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills stars Dorit and Paul “PK” Kemsley have announced their separation after nine years of marriage.

“We as a couple have been subject to a lot go 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,” the couple wrote in a joint statement released Thursday via social media.

“To safe guard 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 re-evaluate our relationship while we prioritise our children,” they added.

“We appreciate your love and support while we continue to do the work necessary throughout this journey.”

Dorit and “PK” Kemsley have split. Picture: Instagram

They wed in a lavish ceremony in 2015. Picture: Instagram

The Kemsleys’ marital strife was a hot topic on the most recent season of RHOBH, which premiered last year.

“It’s not like we’re heading to divorce court, but we were disconnected. PK and I, we really are very co-dependent and connected. So it’s the first time in the 13 years we’ve been together that we felt this disconnect,” Dorit told Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” podcast in November 2023.

“When we came into this season, it was really important for me to be open and honest and talk about it because it’s the reality.”

However, the Beverly Beach by Dorit designer — who wed PK in a stunning New York City ceremony at the famed Rainbow Room in March 2015 — shut down rumours that she and PK were living apart.

“This was one of those times where I just knew — especially because we were open and very vulnerable when talking about it in the season — even if we weren’t going to address it, then it could take on a life of its own,” she said of her and PK’s swift reaction to debunking the gossip in an October 2023 statement.

“So we immediately put out a statement.”

The couple shares two children. Picture: Instagram

Dorit noted that surviving two robberies in the span of two years caused friction in their relationship.

In 2021, she was home alone with the duo’s children — son Jagger, 10, and daughter Phoenix, 8 — when armed men broke into the family’s Encino, California, home to steal about US$1 million (A$1.5 million) in high-end goods.

She experienced a second robbery roughly a year later in December 2022, claiming that three men followed her before aggressively stealing $10,000 (A$15,000) in cash, which she had taken out for Christmas gifts.

“Not having my partner there [after the home invasion] made life very difficult and it obviously caused some problems,” she said of PK diving into work and travel after the first instance.

“But we ultimately — thank goodness — never separated. We had our challenges and we continued to work through them and get better and better and stronger and that’s not always something that happens overnight.”

This article originally is appeared in Page Six and was reproduced with permission.