Kim Richards Opens Up on Feelings of Guilt: ‘I Cried Because I Hurt My Kids’

“The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Kim Richards is opening up about life after her rehab stint and arrest last year.

Richards says she is staying sober for one big reason — her kids! The guilt she felt after her arrest for public intoxication played a significant role in her decision to turn over a new leaf. She told People, "I felt terrible for my children. That was the thing that bothered me most. I cried because I hurt my kids. Sometimes I put my arms around them and I say, 'I love you, I'm so sorry.' I know they worried about me.”

Kim is currently starring on Lifetime's “The Mother/Daughter Experiment: Celebrity Edition” with her daughter Kimberly Jackson, 20, who revealed, "My mom is my best friend. Watching her go through a hard time and not being able to rely on her, it was so scary for me.”

During the time of the arrest, Kim was struggling with pneumonia and caring for her ex-husband Monty Brinson, who died of lung cancer in January. Kimberly shared, "Things were so crazy last year. There were so many things going on at one time. Everything has come to a calm. Things have never felt better.”

Kim's oldest daughter Brooke, 30, added, "I'm glad [the arrest] happened when it did” because it made her mom stronger for her dad's passing. "Maybe if it hadn't happened, things would have gotten really bad. But she went through rehab and she got stronger than ever.”

The 51-year-old is working every day to improve herself. She said, "I've made mistakes, but I keep trying. I've never done anything intentionally to hurt my children. And I hope, for their sake and for the sake of one day my beautiful grandchildren who will come, that this is it.”