Deciphering Denial: Kim Richards 'Withholding The Truth' In Dr. Phil Interview, Says Body Language Expert
May 1 2015, Updated 1:38 p.m. ET
It is not only Kim Richards' ex-boyfriend Ken Blumenfeld who believes that the 50-year-old troubled Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star is lying about her drinking. After watching clips of the actress on Dr. Phil earlier this week, a body language expert tells RadarOnline.com exclusively that the reality star appears to be "withholding the truth!"
Body language expert Patti Wood, MA, CSP, told Radar, "Kim Richards appeared to be withholding the truth from Dr. Phil during the interview."
"Following Dr. Phil asking Richards about her drinking in the past two and a half years, she looks to her right, which … is where she would look to create a statement rather than to her left where she would scan to remember things," said Wood. "This indicated to me that Kim is trying to think up and create an answer rather than relay what is actually the truth."
"Right after that, Kim freezes in place, which is a high stress cue," Wood said after examining the footage several times.
"This indicates that she fears being caught. Her head is down and forward slightly to protect herself. Her face is frozen in a moment of fear and sadness, but her forehead and brows are furrowed and her nose is clenched at the top. Her cheeks are lowered down."
"Look particularly at the mouth and jaw at this moment," said Wood, who is also a former substance abuse counselor and the author of Snap: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language, and Charisma.
"The jaw is clenched down to keep the tears and truth from coming out and the lips are out flat and only slightly open, showing symbolically that she would rather withhold the truth and keep the truth locked inside."
According to Wood, after Richards answered Dr. Phil by saying "That is not exactly true," "One side of her face goes up while the other stays down. This lack of symmetry of the face shows a disconnect between how she wants to answer and the truth."
"The science behind that is a disconnect in the neocortex of the limbic brain," Wood said. "Basically, you reveal your true feelings on the one side of the brain before the neocortex can stop it."
"After Kim answers Dr. Phil, we see her lip tremble in fear and sadness," Wood told Radar.
"The next shot that we see of Kim, she has changed body language positions. She is sitting with her hands folded closed on her lap. It is obvious that she has collected herself a bit and she answers with a teary and stressed voice about the times she had a drink."
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