How Kathy Hilton's 'Gold-Digging' Stage Mom Was Determined For Daughters To Marry Rich
Sept. 29 2022, Published 8:00 p.m. ET
Kathy Hilton's future was already set in stone before she walked down the aisle with Rick Hilton at the tender age of 20. Her mother, Kathy Dugan, was determined to have her daughters marry rich, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Sources tell this outlet that Dugan — whose daughters include Kathy, 63, Kim Richards, 58, and Kyle Richards Umansky, 53 — was a relentless "stage mom" who was obsessed with money and men. From an early age, she groomed her girls to grab the male gaze and taught them to expect the finer things in life, including wealthy male suitors.
RadarOnline.com has learned that Dugan was fixated on "marrying off" Kathy, Kim, and Kyle, to affluent men — an obsession that proved damaging to each of her daughters.
All of the girls were thrust into the limelight at an early age, beginning with Kathy, who started working as a child actor in 1968. She was on several noteworthy shows, including Bewitched, Nanny and the Professor, and Happy Days. Kathy also starred in films like The Dark and On the Air Live with Captain Midnight.
Kim and Kyle would follow in their older sister's footsteps.
Kathy — like her sisters — spent her childhood in front of the cameras, earning her keep and living to please Dugan. When discussing their young life, one of Kim's old boyfriends spoke at great lengths about Dugan's obsession with the opposite sex and stardom.
"Her mom would have men over all the time... and she'd make Kim perform for them," he spilled to RadarOnline.com, adding her performances often included "little skits and dance."
The pressure on Kathy, Kim, and Kyle increased as they got older, with their "gold-digging" mom insistent on making sure she had a say in who each of them married. Of course, Kathy went on to wed Hilton, whose grandfather founded the famous hotel chain.
Hilton built his own fortune, co-founding the successful real estate brokerage firm Hilton & Hyland. The Hilton family fortune is estimated to be $4.5 billion.
Their mom passed away in 2002, and her death left Kathy, Kim, and Kyle's relationship in turmoil. Kim experienced several failed marriages and substance abuse issues that played out on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Kyle put a wedge between herself and Kathy when she produced American Woman, a show based on their mother's obsession and struggle for the high life. The series only lasted one season.
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While Kim departed the franchise to work on her recovery, Kathy ended up joining Kyle on RHOBH in 2020. While they've mended their once estranged relationship, the latest episode proved the sisters have a long way to go to heal the wounds from their past, most likely stemming from the trauma their mother caused.
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