Kyle Richards took a deep breath before opening up to Andy Cohen about the decision to separate from husband Mauricio Umansky.

“It originated from me,” she told the Watch What Happens Live host and Bravo boss, before turning talk to how her family handled the news breaking about the beloved Real Housewives of Beverly Hills pair, who have been married for 27 years and announced their separation to much surprise in July.

Of the social media response and subsequent rumors speculating about what caused the split, Richards said, “When the news first came out, it was really, really devastating. The whole family. Our phones were blowing up. My kids were just crying, and wouldn’t leave the house. It was really, really difficult.”

She added of her four daughters (Farrah Brittany Aldjufrie, Alexia Simone Umansky, Sophia Kylie Umansky and Portia Umansky), “But now they’re much better and they’re really strong.