Camille Grammer Says Co-Parenting with Ex Kelsey Grammer Has Been "Frustrating and Difficult"
The #RHOBH alum gets candid about her divorce and where things stand with her ex-husband today.
We welcomed back a familiar face to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills last week, when original RHOBH cast member Camille Grammer helped make a literal splash at Lisa Vanderpump's English garden party to celebrate Ken Todd's 70th birthday.
Camille has kept busy since we last saw her on RHOBH during the show's Season 5 finale. Lately, she's been getting ready to move out of the Malibu mansion she once shared with her ex-husband Kelsey Grammer, opened up about her divorce, and even revealed that she may be getting back in the dating game.
The Daily Dish recently caught up with Camille to talk all things new and exciting in her life, including her return to RHOBH, where things stand with her ex now, and if she's ready to love again.
As you prepare to move out of the Malibu mansion you once shared with your ex-husband Kelsey, you've been talking about a lot of your past memories with him, both good and bad, on Twitter. Why did you decide to open up about your relationship again now?
Camille Grammer: Well, first of all, it opens up those feelings as you’re going through this. It’s natural to feel that way. I’ve had people tweet to me that are going through the same thing. They feel it, so they relate. It’s relatable.
Also my ex-husband said a lot of things in different interviews that weren’t true. As I looked through the pictures it reminds me that I know he loved me. I know my ex-husband really loved me. And the things he said in that Oprah [Winfrey] interview that I cited on Twitter that [our marriage] was over before it began — I’m paraphrasing — and it was a sentence, a self-imposed sentence. I have so many photographs. I can’t even count them. I have boxes of photographs. I have a very happy Kelsey Grammer with me and with big smiles on both of us and a lot of laughs, a lot of fond memories and letters that are filled with love from him. There was one I posted, but there are several others and cards and there’s a whole 14 years we spent together. That’s a long time.
So when I watched that OWN interview with Oprah, it was really upsetting to me because I just thought, "He’s lying. These are lies." I mean, I don’t know what he’s thinking, why he would lie? But they’re lies because I know what we experienced together during those 14 years together. And he wants to paint a very different picture and a different story. Like I said, he’s rewriting history for himself or for his new wife, but I have a lot of proof to prove otherwise — notes and gifts and the photographs of smiling, laughing, hugging, kissing, and holding each other in a warm embrace — unless he was lying to me those 14 years. I can’t imagine he was acting for 14 years of his life that he loved me.
So just going through those pictures brings up those memories, and I just thought to set the record straight just for me for my own head and for my own growth, to move past that hurt when he said that. That was very hurtful. You’re married to somebody for 13 years, you’re with them for over 14, they say that it’s over before it began and that they never loved you. That’s very, very hurtful. I know the love we had together was very, very real, so it really hurts.
I also shared a part of my life that people didn’t get to see on the Housewives. You know, there’s a lot that they didn’t get to see with my kids the first year my kids were able to shoot. The fans that have watched, they want to know a little bit about your life. And we were supposed to film on the boat that he gave me. We were set to film on the boat, but I canceled last-minute because I was going through so much with him and he was leaving, and I wasn’t able to film. But there were things that were little missing pieces to the puzzle just to put out there. Honor my life, too. Honor my children and honor what I did have with my ex and the moments we shared instead of something that he created, this lie that he created for himself. And again, I don’t know why, in his head, I don’t know why he’s doing these things, why he decided to go there.
Where do things stand between you two now?
We still don’t talk. I mean, there’s no communication. It’s only through second and third parties. And it’s very frustrating and difficult to raise children when you have to go through assistants and bookkeepers or nannies to communicate what would be an easy email or text, especially about medical things or anything — schools, medical, homework assignments, everything. People do get divorced. OK, it does happen. The divorce rate is pretty high now. A lot of people I know that are divorced do communicate with their ex-spouses, and they’re able to co-parent. And it’s been very difficult to me knowing that somebody I was with for so long can’t, because I can. And when I heard him on Oprah saying it’s not possible, "She just can’t." No, it is possible. It’s very possible. My friends do it. I know people that do it. I know lots of people that do it. It’s very possible, maybe not on his end, but he shouldn’t say it’s me. So that’s all him, it’s not me, because I’m open. I forgive people. I’m a very forgiving person. I don’t hold onto grudges. Look what happened between Kyle and I the first season. I adore Kyle. Kyle and I have a good friendship. So, you know, you have to move past. If you hold onto the past, hold onto the anger, it’ll eat you up inside. I just wish he could find a way to move past whatever it is that’s holding him to his anger or whatever it is he’s holding onto, and he’s able to do the right thing for our children.
Yes, you hope for the best for them, of course.
Yeah, we’re all hoping. I’ve been hoping for years. Things were said in the beginning. Oh my God, when we first split, of course things were said from both ends. Oh my God. Did he call me a jerk and a bitch? Yes, I’m sure he did. Did I say he was an ***hole? I’m sure I did. I’m sure there were things said in the very beginning when it first happened that were very hurtful between both of us. But that’s five years ago, and that’s way in the beginning of a divorce. Are you devastated when somebody says they're leaving you? Yes. Do you call them an ass or a jerk or say some curse words? Absolutely. But, you move on from that and you grow.
And there weren’t any threats. I don’t know these threats he’s talking about. I watched that [interview with Oprah]. "There were threats." What threats?… Oooh, you know, "I’m not coming to the house threat." Or, "Oooh, I don’t want your new wife in my house threat," you know? I don’t really understand the threats he’s talking about. That was two years ago. I don’t remember such threats that he speaks of. So I can’t recall that threats that were so awful that he wouldn’t speak to me. I don’t remember any threats, as a matter of fact. I remember always trying to reach out the first few times I met [Kelsey's current wife] Kayte [Walsh] saying, "Hey, you know, we need to talk for the kids." She was always rude to me. So I tried, but she was rude to me. So, you kind of give up if somebody’s always rude to you.
What was it like for you to return to RHOBH and attend another event with the cast?
Well, it’s always fun starting off the season. For me, I really enjoyed being with the girls. And it was for Ken’s birthday, so, a great reason to celebrate, a beautiful and magnificent backdrop. I mean, Lisa’s house is gorgeous, and the views from her house are incredible. When we were there, it started raining, and we were all giggling going, "Oh God, is this foreshadowing for the future?" So all the girls got together again, and I felt like, uh oh, The Witches of Eastwick. We all get together and something happens. The clouds come in, and, you know, here we go.
It was such a beautiful event, and it ended on a fun note. We all ended up in the pool. And it just felt so good to be in the rain because it was really hot. It’s been super hot in California, so we needed the rain, there’s no question. It’s just unfortunate that it came at the exact day of Ken’s party.
I was happy to [attend]. I always enjoy being a part of it, especially when we’re not fighting. When we’re getting along, it’s great. When we’re fighting is when it’s dreadful and uncomfortable, but that was for a celebratory event.
There was less drama at this party than at past RHOBH events. Did it seem like there was a different vibe there?
Well, this was the first time I’ve seen many of the ladies for a while. I haven’t seen Taylor [Armstrong] in a while. It was good to see Taylor. You just don’t know what to expect when you show up for one of these events. I was just happy to be there and be there to celebrate Ken’s birthday and see all the ladies.
How did everyone end up in the pool?
Kyle [Richards] said that she felt like things were kind of boring. I mean, we were sitting there, and it was kind of stagnant for a while. Then the girls wanted to spice it up, and the pool was so inviting. I think Lisa Rinna goes in first with Eileen [Davidson], and they’re bopping around the pool. I look at Taylor and go, "That looks good. What do you think? Should we go in, too?" I think the both of us grabbed each other’s hands, like we held hands and we jumped in. I think I was the only one that dove into the water, OK? Everybody had their hair still intact. Not me. I took the full plunge. It was fun. Who wouldn’t take the chance to do that? It was fun, and we were all having a good time.
The only thing is I was concerned for Ken. It seemed that when he fell into the pool, I wasn’t sure if the look on his face was of sheer enjoyment or sheer pain because I looked at him and was like, "Uh oh. Is he OK?" Because he had this, like, glazed look in his eye like, "Oh, I’m having such a nice time, but I’m not sure if this is wonderful," or "Ow, I’m in so much pain that I can’t make a comment." I wasn’t sure, so when we were floating him around, I just kept looking down to make sure he was OK and then Lisa [V.] was very concerned because he had just had hip replacement surgery, so uh oh, is he OK? Again, I wasn’t quite sure. The expression on his face could’ve been either way. Like, "I’m really enjoying this" or "I’m terrified." I wasn’t sure if he was just covering up the pain that he had been in at the time. So I felt bad for Ken.
What was it like to look back on Season 1 of RHOBH for the Uncensored special that aired in November?
Well, I had a tough first season, there’s no question, with the divorce and everything I was going through emotionally, the emotional roller coaster I was on. It’s always bittersweet looking back on something like that, but I’ve grown so much from that, and I’ve come so far from that, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was. But when I was doing the interview, I got choked up a couple of times, definitely. But I thought it was also cathartic, in a way, that I could move past that. I just feel and see the growth from then when I look back on that first year, between then and now and how much I’ve grown emotionally and just the life lessons that I’ve been through in the last few years. There’s a lot of growth there, emotionally, spiritually, the knowledge that I’ve learned over the past few years.
How are things between you and Faye Resnick these days?
Oh, I enjoy Faye. Faye and I are fine. You know, I just saw her recently at the premiere party for [Season 6 of RHOBH]. We sat down and we laughed and talked. We had a good conversation. So yeah, Faye and I are fine. It was a rough start for Faye and I, definitely for Kyle and I that first season. It was very real, and we were very upset at one another. I’m glad that we were able to work it out. Like I said, I feel better in my heart when I can work something out in time because I don’t want to hold onto any grudges because that doesn’t make me feel good, doesn’t make my heart feel good.
Actress Connie Britton is playing Faye Resnick in the upcoming series American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson. What do you think of the show and the casting choice?
I wouldn’t even know what to say. I really don’t. It’ll be interesting, that’s what I have to say. It’ll be interesting how they portray Faye and the Faye I know now versus the Faye they’re gonna portray. I didn’t know her back then, so it’s interesting. I watched some of the stuff on the trial, one of the news channels or one of the history channels. They had gone back and interviewed everybody. Wow, what an interesting time in everybody’s life, right? So we’ll see. It’s definitely going to be interesting.
You also revealed earlier this month that you have a new man in your life. What can you tell us about him?
No, I’m just happy. I’m happy I have a lovely friend. I call him a friend. He’s just very supportive, and we’re working on this house together, we’re enjoying it. He likes design and real estate, and so do I. His dad was an architect. We’re enjoying this process, and it’s nice to have somebody you can laugh with and have something you share in common with. So we’re just very close friends, and he’s been there for me for a while. That’s nice. I mean, I’m not ready to take a plunge or anything right now, between the surgeries I had, two surgeries in the last, what, two years, chemo, radiation. I’m still healing from all of that and the move. But it’s nice to have somebody there to, you know, help you through it. And he’s good with the kids. But I’m not ready, again, to dive into anything really serious right now.
You definitely have a lot on your plate.
I do. It would be really unfair to get super serious with somebody when I just don't know if I could give all my attention to him. Men need attention. They like attention. I can’t. My children come first, which is great about having a male friend that you’re very close with, they understand that. He’s very understanding that I have to spend time with my children, and that’s it. And that’s what makes it good because sometimes people don’t understand that... The only thing that’s a little stressful now — not a little, very — is moving, but everything else is good.
Can't get enough of Camille? Relive another of her recent RHOBH appearances at Kyle's Season 5 White Party in the pics, below.
