Mauricio Umansky Says Wife Kyle Richards Is Excited for His 'DWTS' Run as She Tours Paris with Pal Morgan Wade

The 'Buying Beverly Hills' star is joining season 32 of 'Dancing with the Stars' alongside other heavy hitters like Alyson Hannigan, Jason Mraz, Mira Sorvino and Tyson Beckford

Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky attend the Elton John AIDS Foundation's 31st Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party on March 12, 2023
Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky attend the Elton John AIDS Foundation's 31st Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party on March 12, 2023. Photo:

Michael Kovac/Getty

Mauricio Umansky's family couldn't be more thrilled about the next step he's taking — into the ballroom!  

The Buying Beverly Hills star stopped by Good Morning America on Wednesday alongside his season 32 castmates from Dancing with the Stars. While confirming that he told Kyle Richards and their daughters about his casting before the big news broke, Umansky referred to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member as his "wife" amid their separation.

"They were so excited," Umansky, 53, said of telling his family. "My girls, my wife, everybody is gonna be there [to see me dance]. And we're gonna have a ton of fun."

It was revealed on GMA Wednesday that Umansky will be teaming up with pro dancer Emma Slater for the ABC competition show's upcoming season. He joins a stacked cast of all-stars that includes actress Alyson Hannigan, singer Jason Mraz, actress Mira Sorvino, supermodel Tyson Beckford and former Bachelorette star Charity Lawson.

News of Umansky's casting, however, comes two months after PEOPLE confirmed his separation from the 54-year-old Halloween Ends actress, who shared a video to her Instagram Story of herself in Paris with pal Morgan Wade — Richards' once-rumored fling — at the time of the GMA segment before eventually posting tributes to Umansky.

Mauricio Umansky Says Wife Kyle Richards Is Excited for His 'DWTS' Run as She Tours Paris with Pal Morgan Wade
Kyle Richards is pictured in Paris.

Kyle Richards/Instagram

Back in July, a source close to Richards and Umansky told PEOPLE the spouses had been "separated for a while now but are still living under the same roof." The insider added that the pair "remain amicable as they figure out what's next for them and their family."

Later addressing the relationship shakeup, Umansky and Richards — who have been married since 1996 — confirmed that they "have had a rough year" but said that "any claims regarding divorcing are untrue."

"There has been no wrongdoing on anyone's part," their joint statement continued. "Although we are in the public eye, we ask to be able to work through our issues privately. While it may be entertaining to speculate, please do not create false stories to fit a further salacious narrative."

Portia Umansky, Mauricio Umansky, Kyle Richards, Farrah Aldjufrie, Alexia Umansky and Sophia Umansky attend the grand opening of Kyle Richards new boutique 'Kyle By Alene Too'
Portia Umansky, Mauricio Umansky, Kyle Richards, Farrah Aldjufrie, Alexia Umansky and Sophia Umansky attend the grand opening of Kyle Richards new boutique 'Kyle By Alene Too'.

JB Lacroix/WireImage

Richards has since said it's been "very hard" to navigate her separation because "it's playing out with so many people having eyes on us." She added that it was "just too much to deal with right now."

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Season 32 of Dancing with the Stars premieres Sept. 26 on ABC and will stream on Disney+ and Hulu.

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