Country singer Morgan Wade had never heard of Kyle Richards when the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star posted an Instagram Story listening to one of Wade’s songs two years ago.
“The only reality television I watched was 90 Day Fiancé and I had to stop watching because it put me in such a bad mood because I get so irritated at these people,” she tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “But I had never watched the Real Housewives at all.”
Be that as it may, a friend tipped her off that Richards was someone of note, so Wade, 28, messaged the star thanking her for the support — and before long, an unlikely friendship had blossomed.
Now, amid a swirl of rumors that perhaps their relationship has become something more in the wake of Richards’ recent separation from husband Mauricio Umansky, Wade insists that that’s not the case.
“We’re friends,” she says. “The Internet’s a dumb place.”
The pair recently poked fun at the dating rumors in the music video for Wade’s new single “Fall in Love with Me,” in which Richards, 54, plays her love interest. “The internet asked and @kylerichards18 and I delivered,” she wrote on Instagram of the clip, adding a winking face.
Though they come from different worlds (Richards from glamorous Los Angeles and Wade from the one-stoplight town of Floyd, Virginia), Wade says she learned quickly that the two actually had plenty in common.
Like Wade, who is six years sober, Richards doesn’t drink, and is also a fitness fanatic. They’ve connected on a deeper level, too. Richards’ mom Kathleen died in 2002 after being diagnosed with breast cancer, and Wade is currently preparing to undergo a double mastectomy after testing positive for the RAD51D gene, which puts her at a higher risk of breast cancer.
“She helped me connect with some really good surgeons,” says Wade. “We were talking about that and then she had the idea of us doing a documentary and following all this stuff, so we’ve been out and about. She’s just really been there for me with all that.”
“It’s just been such a great friendship,” she adds. “I know that if Kyle vouches for you, you’re a good person.”
The “80s Movie” singer says it’s also been helpful to have Richards as someone she can turn to as she learns to grow comfortable with life in the spotlight.
Morgan Wade/ YouTube
“She’s extremely smart when it comes to business and how to mentally ignore s—,” says Wade. “The thing about Kyle is people see her on reality television, but I’ve got to meet her outside of that, and I don’t watch the show so it’s not like I’m seeing this perspective of her. I’ve seen her in real life and she’s been such a great person to have in my corner to help me navigate stuff. I didn’t have anybody like that, and all this stuff was so new to me.”
As Wade has befriended Richards’ pals, like fellow reality star Teddi Mellencamp, the reality star has also grown close to Wade’s family. In February, the singer’s mom shared photos of Richards joining Wade and her four younger half-siblings on a family outing to Disney California Adventure.
For now, though, Wade is focused on the release of Psychopath, which is out on Aug. 25. The album follows her 2021 record Reckless, which featured hits like “Wilder Days.”
“With this record, I put a lot of pressure on myself. Was the first one just lucky? Did I just get lucky that it turned out great?” she muses. “[Country] has absolutely no idea what to do with me. But that’s a good thing, because you stick out. It’s worked, me staying true to what I want to do.”
For more on Morgan Wade, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands everywhere Friday.
Read more
