'RHOB' star Lisa Rinna's husband Harry Hamlin says he had his divorce lawyer on 'speed dial' before she joined the show
In a candid confession, Harry Hamlin expressed his concerns about his wife, Lisa Rinna, joining 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills', saying it would damage their marriage. The Emmy-nominated actor, known for his roles in 'Clash of the Titans', 'L.A. Law' and 'Mad Men', told The Daily Beast how he said to his wife five years ago, “I have my divorce lawyer on speed dial.”
Rinna is Hamlin's third wife. He was previously in a long-term relationship with actress Ursula Andress and was earlier married to Laura Johnson and Nicollette Sheridan. Talking about his separation with his ex-wives, he added, “I have had three opportunities to use him; once with Ursula, and two of my ex-wives.” Hamlin then said, “It’s the same guy every time. We send Christmas cards to each other every year.”
Saying that it is a "horrible thing" to do the show, he said, “I said to Lisa, ‘You can’t do this. Everybody who does that show gets divorced. It’s a horrible, horrible thing, to do that show.’” Finally, he was convinced to let Rinna be a part of the show after Bethenny Frankel, a former star of 'The Real Housewives of New York City' changed his mind.
“Bethenny convinced me from a branding point of view it would be a good thing to do," Hamlin said, hinting upon the clothing line he owns with Rinna. “Then I was open to doing it on my own terms.”
Five seasons of 'Real Housewives' have passed and the couple is still going strong even after 22 years of marriage. The secret to the partnership is "listening." "We listen to each other. Really listen to each other," the actor added. "The thing about listening is that it’s not something that comes innately to human beings. Normally we have a tape playing in our heads all the time. It can be hard to allow what other people are saying actually in. That’s what Lisa and I do — we listen."
Showering words of praise for his wife, he said, “I have seen her over the last 26 or 27 years get involved in any number of projects — soap operas, TV movies, clothing stores, clothing lines. Whatever it is, she figures out how to do it perfectly, rises to the top, and makes the best of every situation," adding, "And she’s smart, she’s the smartest person I have ever met. She’s smart as a whip. Our favorite thing is to hang out."