You probably know Paul "PK" Kemsley as the charismatic, occasionally polarizing husband of Dorit Kemsley on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Or maybe you know him as the guy who managed Boy George. But before the designer labels, the Beverly Hills mansion, and the Bravo cameras, there was a whole other chapter.
PK wasn't always the "hubby" we see on Tuesday nights. Long before he moved to America, he was a high-flying property mogul in the UK. And by his side during that meteoric rise—and the subsequent, highly publicized fall—was Paul Kemsley first wife, Loretta Gold.
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Honestly, she’s a bit of a mystery to the casual Bravo viewer. While Dorit is a maximalist who lives her life in the spotlight, Loretta has stayed remarkably under the radar. But if you want to understand the real PK, you have to look at the woman who was there when he was building his first empire.
Who is Loretta Gold?
Loretta Gold isn't just a footnote in a celebrity bio. She’s a British businesswoman and socialite who grew up in the UK. She and PK tied the knot back in 2001. This was the "Golden Era" for PK. He was worth hundreds of millions on paper. He was the Vice-Chairman of Tottenham Hotspur. He was a big deal in the London property scene.
Loretta wasn't just sitting at home, though. She had her own thing going on. She ran Loretta Gold Public Relations, a firm that dealt with high-end fashion and entertainment clients.
Basically, they were a London power couple.
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They lived in a massive spread in Radlett, Hertfordshire. If you aren't familiar with English geography, Radlett is where the "old money" and the "newly successful" go to build mansions with indoor pools. It’s posh. Very posh.
The Family They Built
During their marriage, PK and Loretta had three children:
- Daniel
- Atlanta
- Tatum
You don’t see them on RHOBH. They’ve stayed largely out of the reality TV circus, which, looking at how things usually go for "Housewife" kids, was probably a smart move. When the family eventually moved to America around 2007-2009, they initially tried to make it work in Florida.
The Financial Collapse and the Split
Then, everything hit the fan.
The 2008 financial crisis was brutal for property developers, and PK was hit harder than most. He went from being worth roughly £500 million to filing for bankruptcy. It was messy. We’re talking about "private jets being repossessed" messy.
This is where the story of Paul Kemsley first wife gets complicated. According to various reports and UK court documents, the family moved to the U.S. to try for a fresh start. But the pressure of the bankruptcy and the shifting lifestyle took a toll.
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By 2012, the marriage was effectively over. Loretta made a choice that defined the next decade of her life: she took the three kids and moved back to London.
Why did they really divorce?
Neither PK nor Loretta has ever sat down for a tell-all interview about the "why." However, the timeline speaks for itself. PK stayed in America to rebuild. Loretta returned to the safety of her family and her roots in the UK.
Some people speculate the stress of the bankruptcy was the primary cause. Others point to PK’s self-admitted "gambling" past during those lean years. Whatever the specific catalyst, by the time PK met Dorit in New York in 2011, he was already living a separate life from Loretta. Their divorce was finalized around 2014.
Life After PK: Where is Loretta Now?
Loretta Gold didn't just disappear, but she definitely opted out of the "fame" game. While her ex-husband was marrying a swimwear designer on a Great Gatsby-themed rooftop in New York, Loretta was focused on raising their three children in London.
She’s still active in the London social scene, but in a much more private way. You won't find her posting "outfit of the day" videos or picking fights with Kyle Richards.
Interestingly, there’s been some chatter over the years about how much interaction there is between the two families. PK has occasionally mentioned his older children on the show, and they have been seen in social media posts with their younger half-siblings, Jagger and Phoenix. It seems that, despite the chaotic end of the marriage, they’ve managed to maintain a functional co-parenting relationship across the Atlantic.
Comparing the Two "Mrs. Kemsleys"
It's impossible not to compare Loretta and Dorit. They represent two very different phases of PK's life.
- Loretta (The Business Partner): She was there for the "Rockstar" years of the London property boom. She shared the boardroom energy and the high-society British life.
- Dorit (The Rebirth): She met PK when he was basically at zero. She was there for the Hollywood comeback.
While Dorit is the face of the Kemsley brand now—especially as they navigate their own recent separation announced in 2024—Loretta remains the architect of his first life.
What This Means for You
If you're following the current drama between PK and Dorit, understanding his history with Loretta Gold provides some much-needed context. It shows a pattern: PK is a man of extremes. He builds big, loses big, and moves on quickly.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Researchers:
- Check the UK Companies House: If you're curious about the business side, you can still find records of their old UK business ventures. It’s all public record.
- Look at the Kids: The fact that Daniel, Atlanta, and Tatum are largely private is a testament to the boundaries Loretta set.
- Contextualize the "Broke" Narratives: When people on RHOBH bring up PK’s money, they’re usually talking about the fallout from the era he shared with Loretta.
The story of Paul Kemsley first wife isn't just tabloid gossip; it’s the foundational layer of the man we see on screen today. Loretta Gold chose a path of privacy and stability for her children, leaving the glitz and the cameras to the next generation.