Kyle Richards' daughters on their parents' breakup becoming reality TV: 'We're used to this'

Q: Farrah, your road to engagement was heavily highlighted in the first season. This season, we learn the engagement and relationship with Alex Manos is over. And it feels like you've set boundaries on just how much you'll share about it for the cameras. How are you navigating how much of your personal versus professional life to share?

Farrah: It's such a major thing, naturally people are going to ask you no matter what in real life, whether cameras are around or not. There's a ring on my finger, what are the next steps? It's not really something you can avoid. But I tried to, obviously, maintain as much respect for my prior partner [as possible]. He's not a [cast] member of the show. So I try to have that balance of being open with my experience and speaking for myself and also being respectful toward him, but it's not an easy line to walk.

Q: Had you tried avoiding having the status of your relationship documented at all?

Farrah: The first season, for sure, because I truly was hoping to get engaged. And I thought that it being a storyline in real time was going to backfire. I was like, "Please stop talking about this because this is messing things up for me, potentially."

Q: Take me back to 2009-10. Were there family discussions before your mom signed onto "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" about what this might mean for you? What had been their concerns, what had been yours?

Alexia: I remember them sitting us down at our dining table. My mom and dad told us that they were thinking about joining "Housewives" and they spelled out what that means: cameras are going to be in our house, this is reality TV — that means this is real life, people are gonna know who you are; we are not characters. So we're essentially opening up our life to people to watch for entertainment. And it was just like, "Are you guys OK with that? Do you understand what that means?" All I remember is just being excited, back in the day. I don't ever remember being nervous or scared about it. [Turns to Sophia] Do you remember any of that?

Sophia: Not really. I was really young.

Farrah: I was already, I think, somewhat of a Bravo fan. I was just like, "Oh, this is so fun." At that point, there was no thought of what could be the potential not-so-glamorous side of it.

Q: Have you gotten used to the fact that complete strangers feel like they have this sort of immediate history with you from watching you for years?

Sophia: I have not gotten used to that. I still think it's so surreal when I see someone and they think they know me. When the cameras are there, I don't feel like they're there. So then, thinking back, these people [viewers] actually saw what happened — like, I'm not the only one watching this; it's not just me and my close friends watching. It's not anything I think I'll ever get used to, honestly.

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