Kary Brittingham is opening up about her decision to call it quits with husband Eduardo Brittingham after 12 years of marriage.
After admitting at the Real Housewives of Dallas reunion that she acted out during season five because she was “trying to mask” what she was going through, Kary revealed when she and Eduardo decided to get divorced and what led up to the heartbreaking decision.
“As I watched that I realized how much in pain I was. My marriage was falling apart and I didn’t want to admit it,” Kary told PEOPLE of her behavior on May 5. “After the show finished, me and Eduardo had a real heart-to-heart talk and we decided we needed to go our separate ways. We just told our kids right before coming to the reunion.”
Although Kary didn’t tell her children, including Isabella, who she shares with Eduardo, about her split until the reunion, which was filmed in New York City early last month, the two of them actually made the decision to end their marriage in January after a neighbor offered to purchase their home.
“I had a talk with Eduardo the next day after we got the offer. I said, ‘Listen, we need to talk about everything. Because if we sell the house this is a time to sell it and not move to the same place,'” she recalled. “I knew that I hadn’t been happy.”
Looking back at the past “couple years” she has spent with Eduardo, who was barely seen on RHOD season five, Kary admitted the two of them had “not been in the best place.”
“The past year, it was more of a roommate situation than a marriage,” Kary explained. “And I’m very Latin, I’m very passionate. I need love. I need to feel loved and hugs. And I was not getting that anymore. And I just started feeling really empty.”
“At the end of the day, I just had to be honest with myself and I was just not happy. He was not happy and we just needed to face that,” she continued.
As for the future, Kary said that while she is “very scared” about starting fresh at 50, she’s determined to make it work and show her kids that she can “figure it out and make it” and “keep thriving.”
“I’m definitely very scared,” she said. “It’s a very scary time. I didn’t want to fail at anything. And I’m scared. I mean, I am so lucky that I have my jewelry. And I had so much support from that.”
The conclusion of the Real Housewives of Dallas season five reunion airs Tuesday, May 11, at 10/9c on Bravo.
Photos Credit: Randy Shropshire/USA Network, Instagram