*This* Is Beyoncé’s First Social Media Post Since Giving Birth to the Twins

Since its debut on February 14, Love Is Blind Season 6 has taken viewers across the globe (yes, the globe—my London-based sister is a devoted watchee) on a journey. We’ve gathered for the proposals, the dismissals, the guffaws, and the cringes alike, collectively sitting on the edge of ours eats wondering: will they or won’t they? And, while there are indeed a myriad of hot takes to unpack from the final three episodes of Season 6, I’ve found my brain clouded by another query: why is Love Is Blind is so damn watchable in the first place?

Reality TV is often dismissed by the masses as a collective evil. A vapid, low-brow, mindless behemoth of capitalistic exploitation with little to offer in the way of social and cultural enrichment. A waste of time; a media outlet designed only for the lowest common denominator of viewership. In fact, reality TV opponents are so vocal that naysayers have even lobbied against the industry as a whole, claiming the long term effects of watching this form of unscripted entertainment are very real and, more importantly, very detrimental.

According to a 2023 Rolling Stones article, “Not only have studies proven [reality TV] affects our mental health, research has also shown a correlation between watching certain programs and an increase in aggression, manipulation, and narcissism in viewers.” Yikes.

Admittedly, it was not long ago that I, too, was in the camp of people who steadfastly maintained a pretentious judgment for all things reality. I just appreciate shows with a bit more... substance, I’d pompously assert at dinner parties to anyone trying to convince me otherwise.

When my dad suffered a life-altering stroke in 2018, however, somehow this catastrophic personal event coincided perfectly with the airing of Arie Luyendyk’s season of The Bachelor. Try as I might to look elsewhere, allowing the darkness of my personal life to slip away during these weekly two-hour reality show ventures was the perfectly mindless antidote to all of the stress I was experiencing in my waking hours.

Similarly, that same year, when my husband’s mother was diagnosed with Cancer, my sister-in-law and I began ceremoniously ending each night of caregiving by sitting on the couch with Ramona, LuAnn, Sonja, Dorinda, and Bethenny, soothing ourselves to sleep with the dulcet sounds of The Real Housewives of New York arguing over bottle number eight of Veuve whilst on girls’ weekend in the“Bezerkshires.”

I can say with confidence: I truly do not think I would have made it through my personal year of hell without the vacuous outlet provided to me by all things reality TV. Since then, I’ve been hooked. After all, nothing like the zeal of a convert.

In 2022, BBC Radio 4 released the podcast Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV. Now, for anyone living under a rock, it’s pertinent to note that the BBC is a British media conglomerate that is generally considered to be highly reputable. Thus, their content is, of course, consistently credible. Throughout Unreal, a 10-part investigative radio series, the BBC critically examines the irreplaceable role reality TV plays in defining, mirroring, and preserving the social and cultural zeitgeist of a given era. The program presents reality television history chronologically, episodically unpacking the most highly-watched reality TV shows across the last, now, fifty-some years, beginning with 1973’s An American Family—the prolific reality vanguard, widely considered to be the bellwether for this era of media consumption.

Besides being a must-listen, Unreal makes the case that reality television should not be written off simply as fluff. On the contrary, journalists (and hosts) Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kales suggest that reality TV provides, arguably, one of the most astute reflections of a society at a given time. I don’t necessarily disagree. Which brings me back to Love Is Blind—and, more acutely, the fact that almost every single person I know (collectively spanning a myriad of genders, sexualities, races, and ages) has dutifully tuned in to each and every episode of Season 6. Surely there is something more prescient to be gleaned from a show with this much cross-cultural buy-in. A show whose viewership spans, quite literally, all identities.

What is it about LIB that has us all hooked? Yes, there are the scandals (Trevor was in love with someone else! JerAmey was engaged! Kwame and Chelsea are... still together?). Or maybe it’s the backdoor legal cover-ups (according to one knowledgeable TikTok user: the vetting process is nonsense, producers are suing contestants for breaching NDAs, and any engaged participant who fails to make it to the altar has to pay the studio an alleged $50K). Or, further still, perhaps it’s simply the fact that, due to social media, we can all now follow the contestants in real time, peering voyeuristically into their lives as they unabashedly, and simultaneously, air their dirty laundry on national television. The only thing I think we can all agree is not the culprit for committed viewership is Nick and Vanessa Lachey’s gormless double act.

Alternative theories aside, perhaps the real reasoning behind our collective addiction is far more simple. The Occam's razor of it all, if you will. Perhaps we are all hooked simply because we are sitting here, in partial disbelief, wondering: what the heck is love anyway? Are these people—or any people, for that matter—actually able to “fall in love” without knowing what someone looks like? Is it genuinely possible to commit to a lifelong partnership after a mere 38 days of knowing someone? And, if we are indeed to allow ourselves, as viewers, to believe in this process (or, more shrewdly, allow ourselves to suspend our disbelief), how does this potential “reality” inform our own view of love? After watching this season—and, with it, exploring these theories on my own—I venture to argue the show itself could be retitled: Love Is...?

It doesn’t help that Americans are facing an unprecedented era of isolation and solitude. Commonly referred to as the Loneliness Epidemic, studies over the last two years have shown that Americans—of all ages, races, genders, sexualities, and so on—are far more likely to experience feelings of solitude than ever before. Bearing this disturbing reality in mind, it’s hard to look at a show like Love Is Blind without a more critical eye attuned to unearthing what itch this program is scratching for so many viewers in search of love themselves. Is meeting someone blind the answer to our collective cries of loneliness? Hard to say, yes—but, also foolish to disregard completely at this point.

I do not know exactly why we all keep watching LIB, season in and season out. But, if Unreal’s assertion is to be believed, then one must accept that something about this show is indeed capturing the current cultural milieu. Maybe we all are, in fact, watching in search of a mindless outlet to serve as the salve for adulthood’s ever-increasing stressors. Or perhaps we keep tuning in to further inform our own subjective views of love, partnership, and marriage. Whatever the case, the [not so] cult following is real and, I would go so far as to say, deserved.

Lawsuits, scandals, and in-joke Tweets notwithstanding, you bet we will all be tuning for Season 7 when the time comes. But, in the meantime, onto Love Is Blind Sweden. Though the subtitles are a bit of a beast at first, once you get past that minor literary challenge, you’ll be hooked in no time.

Ready to take your creativity to the next level? Here are tips for building a dreamy creative life!

Schedule creative time. If you have a 9 to 5, schedule time in the morning, after work or on weekends to explore your craft or run your business. Marking your calendar and making time to be creative will help you make sure you don’t let the chance slip by – the more you do, the more you discover your talents and build your expertise.

Don’t try to do it all. “When you're running your own business, you're essentially forced to wear all the hats,” says Dani. Being a small business owner can look like a one-woman show. Don’t try to do it all yourself. Instead, focus on what you love and let experts do the rest. Whether TurboTax experts prepare your tax return or you do it yourself, they guarantee their calculations are always 100% accurate, or they’ll pay any penalties.

Collaborate with others. Host a regular creative hang with friends, tap into a local creative community, find people online who you relate to who might want to collaborate on a project or promotion. This is a great way to get the word out about your unique offerings. Dani has turned her fashion business into an interior design and print business, collaborating with brands on wallpaper, shoe design, and more.

Don’t let failure stop you. Mistakes often lead to breakthroughs. Experiment with new ideas and techniques, and view setbacks as opportunities to learn and grow. You’ve got this! Don’t feel like you have to reach perfection before making the next move. Small business life is a journey of doing and learning. “I learned not to limit myself in what I think I can and can't do,” says Dani. “I always wanted to pursue interiors and I thought when I was younger that I had to pick a lane. But all these years later and letting go of those self-limiting thoughts, I ended up doing interiors and that took on a whole life of its own.”

Diversify your revenue streams. “A big part of being an entrepreneur is getting used to the ups and downs of running a small business, and the slow times,” says Dani. She soon learned to diversify streams of income and pursue other creative ventures, such as licensing her designs and renting out her spaces for photo shoots. “I would say really think about how you can capitalize on all the different things you're doing and get creative with that,” she adds.

Travel and explore. Have you ever traveled and not felt inspired? Not possible! See new perspectives and get out of your comfort zone and you’re sure to feel creative and inspired in the process. Travel means learning new things about yourself and what you want out of life. Tight on budget? Visit a new place in your area, have coffee with someone in your field, do something out of the norm to gain inspiration and try something new.

When you’re ready, make that big move. Dani spent six years doing apparel graphics for a corporation, until she gathered the courage to start her own clothing line. “That was probably my first really big move and I built that up on social media,” she says. She used social media to get the word out. “I used a lot of my spaces for photo shoots for my brand, so I would design really cool funky spaces and then people started to ask me if I did interiors,” she recalls.

Share your story. That brings us to having the confidence to share your work and your process. “When Instagram stories came out, I started to share my behind the scenes process,” says Dani. “And that was when people actually started to really connect with the brand. I realized that my superpower wasn't to make a fancy-looking brand and seem like it was already established. It was to embrace that I was this solopreneur at the time.”

Photos: Courtesy of Dani Dazey.

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While we've heard plenty about Mo's alleged affairs in the past, what's new this time is an alleged ongoing relationship between Kyle and countrymusic singer Morgan Wade. Although Kyle adamantly denies any romantic relationship with Morgan, fans can’t help but speculate that may not be the case — especially after they were quite cozy in Morgan's latest music video.

That's right. After fans noticed that Kyle and Morgan had matching heart tattoos and matching silver rings, it was only a matter of time until Kyle and Morgan are took their highly-publicized (and highly-questioned) relationship to the next level: on set. In a music video for Morgan's song, "Fall In Love With Me," Kyle plays Morgan's love interest, and there isn't much space between them, that's for sure. Hmmm...Considering Kyle's commitment to not kissing anyone other than her husband, she certainly comes pretty close to kissing Morgan. Of course, this video has only added fuel to the rumor fire, but nevertheless it still has an important message.

Richards co-posted a social media message along with Wade promoting the new music video. “The official video for “Fall In Love With Me” is out now. It’s campy and fun — but also important and representative of all kinds of love, even in the country space, in any space.”

Their video came a few weeks after country star Tyler Childers released his music video for “In Your Love,” which also featured a gay love story. Both of these followed Jason Aldean's "Try That In A Small Town," which has been criticized as a "modern lynching song."

Wade signed off her message with “@kylerichards18 and I trusted the process of making a piece of art that stands boldly beside this music and I’m proud of that. Thanks for the support and love. Love is love is love.”

Apparently, Morgan purposefully cast Kyle in the music video to be provocative. “I’ve done several music videos. And every time there’s someone in it with me, [people] always assume we’re dating, or something’s going on,” she shared in the teaser clip.

She continued, “If you get on the internet, you see people who are obsessed with us being friends.” The music video was an attempt to “troll the trolls…The internet’s going to be poppin’ off about this one, I’m sure,” she added.

And to Morgan and Kyle’s credit, they were right. Commenters on Kyle’s post were immediately suspicious. “[Kyle’s] vibe seems kind of awkward,” one user wrote. “Like she’s got that ‘I’m crushing and can’t really be myself thing’ going on.” Other users defended the two, with one on Morgan’s post writing, “have these people never had friends they actually like before?”

At the time of filming, Mo didn't seemed bothered at all. On Buying Beverly Hills, we saw Kyle tell mo she was filming the music video with Morgan, to which he responded, “Of course.” Nothing seemed sus to him based on that simple reaction. When others asked him, he said flat out that he didn't think anything was going on between the two of them. It wasn't until later on in the season that Mo said he's not sure about the situation, that he'd never asked straight up, and that he does think Kyle and Morgan have “some sort of a connection together."

And though friends and fans are shocked by the Morgan Wade of it all, Mauricio has his own rumors to dodge. After a stint on ABC's Dancing With The Stars, Mauricio was spotted out and about, holding hands with his dance partner, Emma Slater. The two went on Instagram stories to say they're not dating in October, but the speculation continues.

A source told Life & Style exclusively that Kyle Richards is "still stewing" over the situation with Emma and Mauricio. The source continued by saying that "they both want to move on."

All of this comes after a joint Instagram statement by Kyle and Mauricio regarding their marriage — a statement that has only added to the rumors.

Still, between their daughters' tagging hiatus for their mom on social media (despite tagging everyone else at the time), Morgan increasingly appearing on Kyle’s IG while Mauricio fades away, Mauricio and Kyle both forgoing their rings on occasion, Morgan and Kyle's matching heart rings (Which is very reminiscent of Tom Sandoval’s and Raquel Leviss’s matching necklaces, mind you.) and constant traveling together – the rumor of their relationship isn’t completely unfounded.

Apparently, the Richards-Umansky daughters are “holding up” well amid the separation rumors, according to a statement from Kyle. “You know they’re really strong...they know that we all love each other and they’re old enough to understand that not everything is perfect all of the time and that’s okay and no matter what they’re loved,” she added. The family even posed for a family photo recently during an outing at The Grove in L.A. Regardless of the specifics, we definitely hope this family finds their own ways back to each other at the end of the day.

Still, Kyle told Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hagar on TODAY that her daughters didn't even know about the separation before filming started for RHOBH. This timeline appears true, as it seems audiences watched the girls find out in real time on the latest season of Buying Beverly Hills. Throughout the season, we watched as the only daughter who seemed to be remotely in-the-know was Farrah, and even she seemed to think there were just surface level problems. The show later depicted the Umansky family in Aspen together, discussing the bombshell news over family dinner after the People exclusive unexpectedly dropped. After that, we watched as the relationship frayed more and more, with the couple seeing each other less over time. Mauricio eventually explained to their daughters that Kyle gave them rules to see whoever they want — just to not talk about it with one another.

Kyle elaborated on the current state of the relationship saying on TODAY , "We do love each other very much and have a lot of respect for each other." While the family still lives together — and apparently even dines together at times — Kyle's uncertain about what's next. She said, “I really don’t know what my future holds right now, to be honest.”

Now, the pair has announced that they're taking a break from couples' therapy — something they still actively pursued post-separation. It doesn't seem clear exactly what that means, but Kyle did just say that she has men and women reaching out to her romantically in her DMs right now. Plus, Mo recently reunited with his own suspected love interest, Emma Slater, where the two seemed pretty happy together.

When it comes to Kyle's friends, it's clear that some people are more supportive than others. Throughout The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 13, Kyle's noted her strained relationship to the group, saying that she's "struggling." While Sutton Stracke called Kyle out at dinner about what's going on in her personal life, Erika Jayne stood by her at the end of the night to console her.

Dorit Kemsley's typically been Kyle's go-to girl, being there for each other through thick and thin — especially after they both suffered from recent robberies over the years. However, Dorit told Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens LiveWatch What Happens Live that she feels pushed aside since Morgan entered the picture. She, of course, said that she loves Kyle even through all that — but she felt compelled to share her truth in the matter.

Teddi Mellencamp is honestly just confused by it all, though. The former RHOBH cast mate said that she doesn't understand why the women aren't asking Kyle more questions throughout this season. She told E! News, "I'm so confused as to why some of the women — when she said in episode one 'I'm struggling' — why no one asked any questions. Why nobody said 'Is there anything I can do?' Why nobody was an actual friend in that moment."

Despite controversy, Kyle hasn't ended her friendship with Morgan, though. In fact, her relationship with the country singer is only getting deeper as Kyle prepares to take their friendship to new, professional levels. According to TMZ, the longtime Bravolebrity is working on a documentary about Morgan after the duo were spotted filming at Belly Up in Aspen, Colorado Sunday night.

Apparently, audience members at Morgan's concert were asked to sign releases allowing the footage to be used in a production, according to the outlet. In addition to appearing on camera, Kyle is reportedly an executive producer on the project that will tell the story of Morgan's rise to fame and her struggles with sobriety, in addition to various other health issues.

In May, Morgan told Page Six that she is undergoing a double mastectomy in November after discovering she has the BRCA gene, which indicates a high risk for breast and ovarian cancers. The following month, she shared via Instagram that she had been diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes sudden tics.

“Keeping this short and sweet — if you see me shaking my head a lot I have Tourette’s,” she wrote. “Some folks genuinely ask — others like to troll me, is what it is. I make weird faces and noises sometimes and my head shakes. So just think before you judge.”

Fast forward to the many, many recent rumors that Kyle and Morgan had a falling out, the two were just spotted super close and cozy at Watch What Happens Live! this week. Morgan was seen caressing Kyle's hip as they posed for photos, and it seemed a little more the friendly, TBH. On top of all that, a recent submission Deux Moi (a blind item source on social media) intimates that a "country music singer" plans to debut their new relationship with a magazine cover shoot — and a lot of people think it could be about Morgan and Kyle.

Buying Beverly Hills: Season 2 | Official Clip | Netflix

After all that's come out, though, Kyle maintains that the separation has nothing to do with anyone else. In the RHOBH season 13 finale, she told Erika Jayne, "This is literally just about Mo and me." When Hoda and Jenna asked more about why the longtime couple finally split, Kyle explained that she'd just come to a sort of "breaking point" and that there wasn't "one big thing.”

In a preview clip for Buying Beverly Hills season 2, Mauricio confirmed to Farrah, Alexia, and Sophia that the separation was their mom's idea because she needed space. According to him, Kyle laid down "rules" that said he could do what he needed — be it date or otherwise — and that the two just shouldn't ask each other about their whereabouts during the separation. So in the case of what came first, the extramarital dating or the separation, it seems like we might get our answers very soon...

Despite these very clear (yet confusing) ups and downs between them, we can't help but hold out hope for Mauricio and Kyle. Keep reading for the full timeline of the couple's decades-long relationship.

1994: Kyle meets Mauricio and they get engaged

The couple met at a Los Angeles nightclub when she was 23 and he was 24 and were engaged by the end of the year. At the time, Richards was divorced from her first husband, with whom she shares a daughter, Farrah.

1996: Kyle and Mauricio get married and welcome their first child

Although the couple planned on a spring wedding, news of Kyle’s pregnancy moved the date up to January. By June, the newly married couple welcomed their first daughter together, Alexia.

2000: The couple welcome their second daughter together

Kyle gave birth to their second daughter together (third including Farrah), Sophia.

2008: Kyle and Mauricio welcome their third daughter

Richards and Umansky's youngest daughter, Portia, was born two years before the premiere of RHOBH, rounding out the family of six.

2010: “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” premieres on Bravo

The Bravo gods blessed us with this one. 2010 marked the advent of one of Bravo’s greatest shows to date, featuring none other than Kyle and her family.

2011: Mauricio launches The Agency

Mauricio co-founded The Agency, a boutique luxury real estate agency in 2011, which has since sold over $41 billion in total sales volume. They employ more than 800 agents and have more than 60 offices in eight countries and counting, with even further plans for expansion. Mauricio and his firm have represented some of the world’s most noteworthy properties, like the Playboy Mansion in 2016, boast several listings well above $100 million and have completed record-breaking transactions. The firm is the subject of Netflix series Buying Beverly Hills, and features Mauricio and daughters(-slash-real-estate-agents) Alexia and Farrah.

March 2013: Mauricio says his marriage has no secrets

"We're the same, with or without cameras. We're just super real and we know each other,” Mauricio told PEOPLE at Cirque Du Soleil's One Night For One Drop benefit show in Las Vegas in March 2013.

2015: Kyle and Mo are BFFs

Before romance comes friendship – at least for these two. "We're a really good match," Kyle told PEOPLE in December 2015. "We get along really well, actually better than you see on television!"

"We're best friends," added Mauricio. "We actually enjoy each other. She's funny, she makes me laugh. I don't have big guys nights out; Kyle is the person I want to spend most of my time with."

2017: The Umanskys move, and get robbed

After seeing one of Mo’s listings, Kyle immediately fell in love and the family packed up their Bel Air mansion for life in the Valley.

"It's not like anything you would see in Los Angeles normally, and I just fell in love and my husband did too," Kyle shared.

Unfortunately, the couple fell victim to a major burglary later that year. Over $1 million in jewelry and handbags were stolen from the couple's new Encino home as the family vacationed in Aspen, CO over the New Year.

"Everything was taken," Richards told PEOPLE in January 2018. "Everything my mother, who passed away, had ever collected and saved to give to me — that I had always envisioned of passing on to my four daughters — was gone. Even my children's baby bracelets. Obviously those are the things that hurt the most, things that I can't replace. They're completely invaluable."

2019: The couple become philanthropists

Kyle and Mauricio were still going strong, even beginning to host annual fundraisers for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. These parties have become a staple on RHOBH, each year growing in extravagance and raising over six figures.

"When Mauricio was born, he had a blood disease called neutropenia," Kyle revealed in a RHOBH episode. "He spent a good part of his life in Children's Hospital. So when we think about where we want to put our energy and our appreciation into, it's Children's Hospital Los Angeles."

2021: Kyle and Mauricio celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary

It takes a lot to get to 25 years of marriage — and they did it (seemingly happily)!

2022: We’re talking about MONEY, honey! (And a potential new lover.)

2022 was a huge year for the Richards-Umansky clan. The family sells their Bel Air mansion following a few years on the market, along with listing their Aspen vacation home. Netflix announces (and premieres) Buying Beverly Hills, and Mauricio’s book, The Real Deal, is released. Despite all of this, the family welcomes their sixth dog, a puppy named Smokey, into the mix.

January 2023: Kyle turns 54

Kyle’s birthday was celebrated with plenty of love in the air — at least on Mauricio’s end. "Happy Birthday to my Queen the love of my life," he captioned a carousel of images on Insta. "You bring life, love, happiness to all our lives and to everyone around you. Thank you for all our years and all our future years. You get better and better. I Love you ❤️ I couldn't do it without you. XOXO."

April 2023: Mauricio shuts down rumors that he's divorcing Kyle

Kyle was spotted sans wedding ring, leading fans to speculate on the status of her marriage. The real estate mogul shut down those rumors on Bravolebs Teddi Mellencamp and Tamra Judge's Two T's In a Pod podcast, sharing "we're not getting divorced…I mean it's so dumb. That one stupid story that came out there, and then the girls all, you know, decided to talk about it on the Housewives, and so now it's a storyline." Apparently, we can expect to see more of him and Kyle Umansky directly addressing the rumors in the upcoming season of RHOBH.

July 2023: News of Kyle and Mo’s separation hits the press

After months of divorce rumors, an insider told PEOPLE that "Kyle and Mauricio have been separated for a while now but are still living under the same roof." The source added, "They remain amicable as they figure out what’s next for them and their family."

Their joint statement regarding divorce rumors was released the same day, opening insight into their marriage. "In regards to the news that came out about us today... Any claims regarding divorcing are untrue," they said. "However, yes, we have had a rough year. The most challenging one of our marriage. But we both love and respect each other tremendously."

Shortly after the news of their separation, Bravo patriarch Andy Cohen confirmed that "this will be included next season of Beverly Hills in some way, shape or form, that’s all I’ll say.”

The Kyle/Mauricio/Morgan storyline does seem very similar to that of Vanderpump Rules’s Scandoval, with Bravo cameras reportedly picking up to catch the fallout of the rumors and separation for the end of Season 13 – so it’s hard to tell the legitimacy of the scenario.