'RHOBH' Star Kim Richards Is Still Sober — but What About Her Half-Sister, Kathy Hilton?

Although both Denise Richards and Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave announced that they would not be returning for Season 11 of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, showrunners revealed that a few familiar faces would be joining the cast in their absence. Along with Crystal Kung Minkoff, the first Asian-American housewife to join the franchise, and Sutton Stracke, who will be returning for a second season, Kathy Hilton also makes her debut in the most recent season of RHOBH.

In past seasons, audiences saw Kathy’s half-sister, Kim Richards, who won’t be featured on this season of RHOBH, on a rocky road to recovery after revealing her struggle with alcoholism. Now, viewers wonder if Kathy shares the same affliction. So, does Kathy Hilton drink? Or is she sober?

While many know Kathy as Paris and Nicky Hilton’s mom or Michael Jackson’s former best friend, on Season 11 of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Kathy is just one of the girls. Although Kathy isn’t a full-time cast member, viewers agree that her antics have already stolen the show. 

But after the June 2 episode of RHOBH, when Kathy pranked her castmates with fake vodka martinis on a trip to Lake Tahoe, fans are wondering if she’s sober. On Reddit, one fan likened her behavior to Sonja Morgan, who was also accused of alcoholism during her time on the show.

“Likely unpopular opinion," wrote the Redditor, "but is Kathy Hilton another alcoholic housewife storyline in the making? I’m not saying she is an alcoholic, and I admit we haven’t seen her on the show a whole ton yet either way.”

Another user refuted these claims and noted that Kathy hasn’t been seen with an alcoholic beverage since the show aired. They shared, “I don’t think I’ve actually seen her drink on the show. At Dorit’s barbeque, it appeared she had soda (at least on the sofa outside). And then water with her olives. I assumed she was either an abstainer or in recovery.”

While it is unclear if Kathy Hilton drinks off-camera, her half-sister still claims to be committed to her sobriety. Though Kim won’t be joining the cast of RHOBH this season, it appears that her life has changed significantly since we last saw her on the small screen.

Viewers were forced to watch Kim Richards’ downward spiral in earlier episodes of RHOBH, and she seemed to hit bottom in 2015 after she was arrested for shoplifting. Shortly after, Kim became a grandmother and after three years, she was taken off probation. 

Despite rumors on social media, it appears that Kim is still sober today. In a 2017 interview with E! Online, the former RHOBH star claimed that her volunteer work at Skydog Ranch helped her maintain her sobriety. She shared, “My recovery has been amazing and I love how I feel. This has been a huge part of it and has helped me a lot. The Sanctuary keeps me grounded and keeps me at peace and it's healthy for me.”

Watch new episodes of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Wednesdays at 9 p.m. EST on Bravo.