Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky Open Up amid Separation About Their 'Most Challenging' Year of Marriage

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Following PEOPLE's confirmation Monday that 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' star and her husband had "been separated for a while now," Richards and Umansky issued a joint statement on Instagram

<p>Jesse Grant/Getty</p>

Jesse Grant/Getty

Hours after PEOPLE exclusively confirmed that Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky had separated, the Bravo couple broke their silence and acknowledged they had faced the "most challenging" year of their 27-year marriage.

Earlier on Monday, a source close to the couple told PEOPLE that The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills mainstay, 54, and her Buying Beverly Hills star husband, 53, were "still living under the same roof" as they tested out the waters of a life apart after nearly three decades together. But, the sourced noted, "They remain amicable as they figure out what’s next for them and their family."

Related: Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky Have &#39;Separated&#39; After 27 Years of Marriage (Exclusive)

Late Monday night in Los Angeles, Richards and Umansky each posted a joint statement to their social media accounts shedding light on the situation.

"In regards to the news that came out about us today... Any claims regarding divorcing are untrue," Richards shared on her Instagram. "However, yes, we have had a rough year. The most challenging one of our marriage. But we both love and respect each other tremendously."

The same statement, which Umansky also shared on his Instagram, continued: "There has been no wrongdoing on anyone's part. Although we are in the public eye, we ask to be able to work through our issues privately. While it may be entertaining to speculate, please do not create false stories to fit a further salacious narrative."

The statement concluded, "Thank you for the love and support, Kyle & Mauricio."

Related: &#39;RHOBH&#39; Fans Point Out an Eerie Prediction from 13 Years Ago About Kyle Richards&#39; Separation

JB Lacroix/WireImage
JB Lacroix/WireImage

Richards first met Umansky at a nightclub in 1994. After getting engaged later that year, the couple tied the knot in January 1996 and went on to welcome three daughters: Alexia, 27, Sophia, 23, and Portia, 15. (Richards also has a 34-year-old daughter Farrah Brittany, née Aldjufrie, with first husband Guraish Aldjufrie.)

The couple welcomed Bravo viewers into their home life when The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills premiered in 2010. Both then and now, they have affirmed that their relationship as seen on the show was authentic.

"We're the same, with or without cameras. We're just super real and we know each other and we're real," Umansky told PEOPLE in March 2013. “We don't have any secrets to hide. That's one thing we talked about, the skeletons in the closet, and we can handle our worst skeletons."

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No return date has been set for season 13 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, which just wrapped filming. Seasons 1–12 can be streamed in full on Peacock.

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