Real Housewives

Kyle Richards is an animal lover and a very forgiving woman ... which is why she does NOT want the pit bull put down that viciously attacked her daughter.

As TMZ first reported, Kyle's 18-year-old daughter suffered a slew of injuries -- requiring 2 surgeries -- courtesy of Kim's pit bull, Kingsley.

Kyle has made it CLEAR to friends and family ... destroying Kingsley is not an option. She knows the dog is extremely important to Kim, who is struggling with ongoing addiction problems and really has no one else.

That said ... we're told Kyle thinks it would be a good idea if Kim realized she can't really control the dog and it would be best to give it to someone who has better control over the animal.

Kingsley has been a problem -- he's bitten 4 people ... 3 at Kim's home. He's also aggressive toward other animals.

Kim Richards says her niece is to blame for the pit bull attack that left her hospitalized ... and she's not saying definitively she's getting rid of her dog that has attacked 4 people.

Kim claims she told Alexia to leave Kingsley alone in the bedroom ... but her niece Alexia entered anyway -- and that's when the pit bull went on the attack.

Richards says the dog has gotten very protective recently because very few people visit ... she's alone in the house most of the time. She says she gives everyone fair warning, "the dog should not be bothered."

Now get this ... Kim says, "The second I realized Alexia had been bitten on the finger leaving a puncture mark on her thumb, I immediately called my sister Kyle and took her to the nearest emergency room."

We're told the "puncture" is actually a bite right down to the bone, requiring 2 surgeries.

As for the fate of the dog -- who has now bitten 3 people in Kim's house and another on the set of "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," Kim says, "At this point I am looking at options to what the next step is for Kingsley. As many of you can relate, he is my best friend. This is a very difficult decision and time for all of us, but the safety of my family always comes first."

Kyle Richard's sister Kim is an unfit dog owner and her pit bull should be taken away from her immediately ... so says the guy who tried to train the dog and almost got a piece taken out of him.

David Utter says Kim ignored both his warnings and the warnings of Bravo producers from "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" ... warnings that the pit bull should be muzzled at all times.

David says Kim played with fire ... allowing Kingsley to run free around the house without any restraint ... putting guests in great peril.

The trainer is indignant that 3 people were bite victims ... all inside Kim's house. And David says the 3 strikes law should apply here.

He's not advocating that Kingsley be destroyed, but he thinks the dog should be immediately taken away from Kim. Thing is ... the Dept. of Animal Services will only get involved if Kyle's family complains about the most recent attack against her daughter ... and that's unlikely.

Kim Richards pit bull is vicious and dangerous, with a history of biting people -- and Animal Services KNOWS about it -- yet the most recent attack this weekend against Kyle Richard's daughter will not even be investigated unless the victim or a family member complains.

TMZ broke the story ... 18-year-old Alexia was in Kim's L.A. area home Saturday when the animal attacked without warning, biting her so badly she needed 2 surgeries.

Turns out the dog is no stranger to the L.A. Dept. of Animal Services ... the agency went to Kim's house after the dog attacked another person over the summer. Officials warned Kim to keep the dog under control but took no further action.

Well clearly the dog was not under control. But Animal Services tells us ... they will not take further action unless they get a complaint from the victim or her family. That's tricky, because that would mean Alexia, Kyle or other members of their brood would have to blow the whistle on Kim.

And get this ... we're told of a third attack that occurred in March. One of Kim's friend was sitting on Kim's bed and the dog bit through her arm to the bone. Paramedics were called to treat the victim.

To top it off we're told the dog has been extremely aggressive toward other animals.

IF someone comes forward and makes a formal complaint, Animal Services will hold a hearing to determine if the pit bull should stay under Kim's care, or if it should be destroyed.

Kyle Richards' daughter was the victim of a vicious pit bull attack ... a dog owned by Kyle's own sister Kim, and the damage was so severe it required multiple surgeries.

We're told 18-year-old Alexia Umansky spent the weekend at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, twice going under the knife.

The attack occurred early Saturday at Kim's L.A. area home. Kyle, Alexia and other members of their family had been inside the house for a while ... when the dog went into attack mode out of nowhere.

The dog bit Alexia numerous times, but the worst was on her right hand ... where it bit through her thumb right to the bone.

The pit bull has a history of biting. It attacked its trainer on an episode of "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" ... and it's also been very aggressive toward other dogs.

Kim is still keeping the animal at her home ... as the Dept. of Animal Control was never called. We're told they wanted to keep the incident "private."

We reached out to Kim and Kyle ... so far, no word back.

A legal war just erupted among the co-creators of "Real Housewives" ... with 2 of them saying the 3rd royally screwed them over and cut them out of the royalties.

Here's the backstory ... 3 guys in the O.C. got together in 2005 and came up with the idea for a show about the housewives who lived behind the gates of a fancy community. They knew something about it ... since 1 of them lived in the exclusive Coto de Caza gated community.

The original name for the show was "Behind the Gates" ... but it became "Real Housewives of Orange County" the following year.

According to 2 of the guys -- Patrick Moses and Kevin Kaufman -- they all agreed to split the profits. They had a deal with Bravo, but according to the lawsuit Moses and Kaufman filed, the 3rd guy -- Scott Dunlop -- made a secret side deal with Bravo which cut them out.

Moses and Kaufman say in 2009 they were offered a paltry $8,500 each to release their interests in the project ... and Kaufman actually agreed. But now both are claiming the release is bogus and they want full participation in the entire franchise.

The 2 guys want $5 mil minimum from Bravo and Dunlop.

"Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Cynthia Bailey is telling her Ebola critics to kick rocks -- if she wants to wear an Ebola mask ... that's her right.

Bailey took a lot of heat when she posted a photo of herself wearing the mask on a plane, with the caption, "Better safe than sorry."

Bailey was coy about her flight into LAX -- but we know she was in the Philippines -- and we're not sure if she's moonwalking ... but now she says the mask was to protect others from her.

NeNe Leakes had to make a choice, which was ultimately simple -- "Real Housewives" or her life.

Our NeNe sources tell us ... she just canceled a flight to the Philippines for a RHOA shoot because of her recurring problem with blood clots that form around her lungs ... the same condition that landed her in the hospital last November.

Flying long distances is potentially fatal for people with a propensity to develop blood clots ... and the 20-hour flight from Atlanta to the Philippines was just too risky.

The rest of the cast is already there. She's still part of the cast, but won't be on this particular episode.

Too bad ... the only other person in the Philippines with that kind of heat is Imelda Marcos ... and she's way old ... fact is, we thought she was dead.

Teresa Giudice will serve time in the prison that was the inspiration for "Orange is the New Black" ... but there will be no hookups AND she won't be as fashionable.

We got hold of the prison handbook for the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, CT -- where she'll serve her 15 months -- and the rules FORBID intimate relations between inmates -- a la Poussey and Taystee.

And she can forget prison chic -- the official uniform is grey, khaki, white, or pastel green.

Giudice will get family visits ... where kissing and touching IS allowed ... but her 4 daughters and Joe will max out at 12 visits a month.

She'll also have to work ... most likely in one of the prison factories -- those jobs generally go to inmates who have to pay off huge restitution debts, so she qualifies.

As for buying stuff ... inmates are limited to $320/mo. at the prison store. She's allowed to beautify herself at the prison barber shop.

Come to think of it ... it's a lot like Jersey.

Teresa Giudice's prison life is officially headed down a familiar path ... because a N.J. judge ordered the reality TV star to serve her time behind the bars made famous by "Orange Is The New Black."

After her request to spend 12 of her 15 months at a halfway house was denied ... Teresa got the news Wednesday that she'll be headed to the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, CT.

Strangely enough ... Piper Kerman, the author whose memoir inspired "OITNB" was similarly sentenced to 15 months at Danbury ... for money laundering.

Teresa's been begging the judge for weeks not to send her to Danbury ... which the show depicts as being one of the worst prisons in the U.S.

Don't drop the soap, Teresa!

Teresa Giudice wants to go only half way when it comes to serving her prison sentence ... but prosecutors are now saying over their dead bodies.

Giudice is asking the judge for mercy -- to allow her to serve most of her sentence in a half way house. But we just obtained a letter prosecutors sent to the judge ... vehemently objecting ... claiming the judge made it clear she needed prison punishment, and nothing less.

Teresa had sent a letter to the judge -- which we also obtained -- in which she seems to say she has a right under a law called The Second Chance Act to spend 12 out of the 15 months in the half way house.

You can call Joe Giudice a wise guy -- already looking at 41 months in prison for a federal fraud conviction ... he wisely copped a plea Wednesday in a different fraud case, after prosecutors made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

Giudice agreed to plead guilty to charges of driver's license fraud. He was busted in 2011 for impersonating his brother to get a license ... because his own was suspended due to a DUI.

Prosecutors threatened him with a 10-year prison sentence -- which would be tacked onto his federal sentence -- and raised the possibility of immediate deportation.

Instead, he accepted a plea deal for an 18-month sentence ... but he will be allowed to serve it at the same time as his federal sentence. In other words -- he won't serve any additional time.

Despite the deal ... "The Real Housewives of NJ" star was in a sour mood on the way into court -- telling photogs, "I'll kick every one of yous in the head."

Kenya Moore has a message for NeNe Leakes ... I'm rich enough to make an eyeball-popping donation to charity ... so now it's your turn to pony up, bitch.

Kenya tells TMZ ... she made good on the challenge NeNe made on the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" reunion show ... by cutting a $20,000 check to the Detroit Public Schools Foundation.

NeNe had said Kenya was all smoke and mirrors and didn't have that kind of loot ... but now that Kenya has stepped up, she's calling NeNe out on her own words -- that she'd match the $20K.

We reached out to NeNe to see if she'll make good. So far, no response.

As for Kenya ... she says she chose to give to Detroit because she grew up there, and the city means a lot to her. According to the deal, NeNe has to earmark her $20K for the same charity.

Go Motown!

Teresa Giudice has paid approximately half of the restitution she owes as a result of her criminal conviction ... and it seems more than coincidental that she came up with the loot on the heels of a post-conviction, exclusive interview with Bravo.

TMZ has confirmed ... Teresa paid $200,000 that will go toward the $414,588 restitution ordered by the court. Although there are reports Teresa paid the money Tuesday, we've learned it was paid before then.

What's interesting ... just a week ago Teresa and Joe sat down with Andy Cohen for a 2-hour interview ... and our sources say Bravo lined their pockets handsomely.

Translation ... crime doesn't pay ... but it can definitely help you get back in the black.

"Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Phaedra Parks has been quiet about her husband's criminal activities, and what she knew about them -- but now she's being forced to open up in an upcoming deposition.

Phaedra will be grilled by attorneys for author Angela Stanton -- who Phaedra sued for defamation. Stanton wrote a book suggesting Parks knew all about Apollo Nida's illegal activities. Phaedra was already deposed once in the case, but stonewalled attorneys when it came to Apollo.

Teresa Giudice and hubby Joe Giudice are each criminals, but together they are diabolically criminal ... so says the sentencing judge who ordered each of them to put a wall between the other's finances.

According to court docs ... the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" stars were ordered to keep their personal and business accounts completely separate.

They've each been ordered to pay more than $400K in restitution. It appears at the very least the judge does not want Teresa to pay Joe's debt and vice versa. Fact is ... it's unclear what Joe really does for work, so he's the one who apparently is screwed by the order.

Another point in the docs ... the judge said she did not consider "anonymous letters and phone calls from the public in regards to sentencing."