Kim Richards built one of the most recognizable careers of any 1970s child star, then reinvented herself decades later as one of the original cast members of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Yet her current net worth of $400,000 surprises many fans who assume a long Hollywood résumé and reality TV fame automatically add up to millions.
Here’s a quick snapshot before we dig into the full story.
Kim Richards: Quick Facts
| Net Worth | $400,000 |
| Salary | $100,000 per season (RHOBH) |
| Born | September 19, 1964, in Mineola, New York |
| Age | 62 |
| Height | 5 ft 1 in (1.55 m) |
| Profession | Actress, television presenter |
| Nationality | American |
Who Is Kim Richards?
Kim Richards didn’t arrive on Bravo as an unknown. By the time she joined The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in 2010, she had already spent decades in Hollywood as a working child actress.
She’s best known for two very different chapters of her career:
- The 1970s, when she starred in Disney’s Escape to Witch Mountain and became a familiar face on network TV
- The 2010s, when she reintroduced herself to audiences through reality television and her complicated relationship with her younger sister, Kyle Richards
Between those two eras came family tragedy, public struggles with addiction, and a level of personal scrutiny most former child stars never have to face. Her story is layered — and her net worth reflects a career that has been anything but a straight line to wealth.
Early Life
Kim Erica Richards was born on September 19, 1964, in Mineola, New York. Her parents were Kathleen Mary Dugan and Kenneth Edwin Richards.
She grew up in a family deeply connected to entertainment. Her younger sister, Kyle Richards, followed her into child acting and later into reality TV stardom. Her older half-sister is Kathy Hilton, mother of Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton Rothschild — placing Kim at the center of one of the most famous extended families in modern celebrity culture.
Richards started working in commercials before she was even old enough for school. That early start gave her professional experience most adults never gain, but it also exposed her to industry pressure at a very young age.
Kim Richards’ Child Acting Career
Richards became one of the busiest young actresses of the 1970s almost as soon as her career began.
Her first major break came as Prudence Everett on the sitcom Nanny and the Professor, a role that introduced her natural confidence and screen presence to national audiences.
From there, her résumé grew quickly. Throughout the decade, she appeared on:
- Little House on the Prairie
- The Streets of San Francisco
- Medical Center
- Emergency!
- Police Woman
- Alice
- James at 15
- Diff’rent Strokes
- CHiPs
- Magnum, P.I.
This mix of guest spots, family programming, and Disney projects was the classic career path for a successful child actor in that era.
Escape to Witch Mountain
Richards’ most famous role arrived in 1975, when she was cast as Tia Malone in Disney’s Escape to Witch Mountain. The film, about two orphaned siblings with supernatural powers, became one of Disney’s most beloved live-action fantasy movies of the decade.
She reprised the role in the 1978 sequel, Return from Witch Mountain, and also appeared in Disney’s No Deposit, No Return — cementing her reputation as one of the studio’s standout young stars.
Later Acting Work
As Richards moved into her twenties, she stepped back from the packed schedule that had defined her childhood. She still took on notable roles, including the 1984 TV movie The Return of the Salem’s Lot and the 1985 film Tuff Turf, where she shared the screen with James Spader and Robert Downey Jr.
After that, Richards largely shifted her focus away from acting. Like many former child stars, the transition into adulthood brought new personal and professional challenges. Rather than chase a full-time adult acting career, she prioritized marriage and motherhood — though she would return to the spotlight in a very different way years later.
Kim Richards’ Personal Life
Richards has four children from three relationships.
She married Monty Brinson in 1985, and the couple had a daughter, Brooke, before divorcing. She later married Gregg Davis, son of oil billionaire Marvin Davis and philanthropist Barbara Davis. Kim and Gregg had two children, Whitney and Chad, before that marriage also ended.
She has a fourth child, daughter Kimberly, from her relationship with John Jackson.
Richards’ personal life has often intersected with wealthy Los Angeles social circles — partly through her own acting career, and partly through her family’s connections to the Hilton and Davis families.
One of the most painful chapters of her life came in 1991, when her fiancé, John Collett, was murdered outside a deli in the San Fernando Valley. Richards has spoken openly over the years about how deeply that loss affected her.
Kim Richards on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
In 2010, Richards returned to television as one of the original cast members of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She joined the show alongside her sister Kyle, along with Lisa Vanderpump, Camille Grammer, Adrienne Maloof, and Taylor Armstrong.
For longtime fans who remembered her as a Disney child star, RHOBH offered a starkly different, far more personal portrait of her life.
The Relationship With Kyle Richards
Kim’s relationship with Kyle quickly became one of the show’s defining storylines. Their history — loyalty mixed with old resentments and shared family trauma — gave the series some of its rawest, most emotional moments.
The show also addressed Kim’s struggles with alcohol in ways that were often uncomfortable to watch. Her efforts toward sobriety, combined with ongoing family tension, became a central part of her public identity both during and after her time on Bravo.
Richards was a full-time cast member for the show’s first five seasons. After stepping back from the main cast, she continued to appear occasionally as a guest, usually in scenes connected to Kyle or Kathy Hilton. Viewers stayed invested in the dynamic between the three sisters long after Kim left the main cast.
Legal Troubles
Richards’ battle with alcoholism, which she spoke about candidly on RHOBH, also led to legal trouble off-screen.
On April 15, 2015, she was arrested at the Beverly Hills Hotel and charged with public intoxication, trespassing, resisting arrest, and battery of a police officer. She spent one night in jail before being released the next day on $20,000 bail.
Four months later, she was arrested again — this time for shoplifting at a Target store. She was booked and released the following day after posting $5,000 bail.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Kim Richards earn on RHOBH?
She reportedly earned around $100,000 per season during her time on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
What was Kim Richards’ most famous role?
Her best-known role is Tia Malone in Disney’s Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) and its 1978 sequel, Return from Witch Mountain.
Is Kim Richards related to Paris Hilton?
Yes. Kim’s older half-sister is Kathy Hilton, making Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton Rothschild her nieces.
How many children does Kim Richards have?
Kim Richards has four children: Brooke, Whitney, Chad, and Kimberly.
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