00:00There's so much more good that can come from being able to be friends
00:04and effectively co-parent our children. And I know they would benefit the most.
00:08So I really hope it'll remind him of the good because it feels like he's stuck in a place
00:13where he only thinks negative.
00:19Virtual Reality.
00:21Dureate Kemsley, Danny and I are so beyond obsessed with you. Thank you so much for taking
00:25the time out of your busy schedule. You are promoting your new book, Unburdened. Congratulations
00:30how are you feeling now that you are officially, officially an author?
00:33Oh my God. Honestly, it feels surreal. Truly. I mean, months in the making and then to arrive
00:41to this point and, you know, the pub date was yesterday and to have fans, readers connecting
00:47with the book. So I feel so emotional. I feel so grateful. I just want to like bask in this
00:53moment
00:54and soak it all in. Really.
00:55I mean, you have lines of people running out to see you to support this book. And I mean,
01:00especially after, you know, like Housewives and everything like that, where people were
01:05like poking at this to try to make it not a big deal. It's a huge deal. And you did
01:10it.
01:10Huge deal. I did it. I'm very, very proud of it.
01:13People are eating it up.
01:14Yes. It's the most honest I've ever been. And I really poured my heart and soul into
01:20it.
01:20I mean, I know it's only been out for like literally a day, but is there one particular
01:23chapter or story that you tell in this book that you feel like fans are really connecting
01:29with the most?
01:30You know, I feel like I've been on reality television for almost a decade, nine years.
01:35And reality television captures moments, but a life is so much bigger than moments.
01:41And so now I have a chance to tell the full story, you know, in the context. People would
01:48draw opinions without context, without anything around it. And just, you know, base opinions
01:54off of these moments. Now I have a chance to tell my story on my terms. And that's what
02:00feels so good. So I think that in and of itself, fans, readers will really understand, connect
02:06with.
02:06Must be nice too, to be able to tell your story without someone interrupting to give what
02:10they think your story is or to let them know, well, that's your story, but this is what
02:14I think of your story. And it's more so, this is my story and I want to share it. And
02:18you
02:18said, this is the most vulnerable you've gotten. That's exciting, but also them have to be very
02:22scary to do. How did you prepare to kind of open up this much?
02:27I don't think there's any preparation.
02:29However, I was already in the mindset. You know, I titled the book Unburdened for a very
02:35specific reason. And, you know, part of it, I really wanted to feel like all of the things
02:42that I'd been holding in for years, protecting and holding in, I wanted to release it. I needed
02:47peace and I just needed to feel unburdened and lighter. And the book, the process of writing
02:54the book, it really forced me to look beneath everything. So I was always someone who tried
03:01to be everything for everyone. And when I was writing the book, it helped me reflect in who I
03:06am, who I want to be. And I think that being forced to do that, let go of the pressure
03:13really
03:14is the definition of feeling unburdened.
03:17And you write so candidly about your marriage to PK in the book, the good and the bad. And so
03:22much has been said about your relationship, the end of your relationship. Was it healing in any way
03:28for you to, I mean, come to better terms with your split and separation divorce situation by writing
03:33this book?
03:34You know, when I decided to write the memoir, I knew one thing for sure. I needed to be completely
03:43vulnerable, honest, open and transparent. And when you're going through an acrimonious divorce,
03:49it's not easy to write about years that were really wonderful. I mean, aside from it being really
03:56hurtful and sad and just an emotional process, it's also just to think about what you're going
04:02through on a daily basis by this person that's not anyone close to who you married.
04:10So I really had to, the commitment I made to myself really helped me in the process where I
04:16thought there were so many great years. And the only way for me to truly tell the true story is
04:23for
04:23me to be honest and tell it exactly as it was. And that's what I did up until, you know,
04:29where we
04:29currently are.
04:30I wished that we had sort of had an ending to this by the time I finished the book. However,
04:39there's always unburdened too.
04:41That's true.
04:41There you go.
04:43Has, did he express interest in any sense, like reaching out to you or when you guys have had to
04:49communicate about wanting to read the chapters about him or reading the book in general or no?
04:53No, no.
04:54He hasn't even said congratulations?
04:56He hasn't said congratulations yet.
04:58Okay.
05:00No, he hasn't said congratulations yet. But in fairness, I've been really busy the last
05:06couple of days. I'm not going to actually, you know, give him an out. No, he hasn't said
05:10congratulations.
05:10Yeah, I was going to say, you've been busy. He hasn't.
05:13I know. Exactly. Exactly. So, yeah, he hasn't said congratulations yet. I'm sure there was a
05:19part of him that was a little nervous. However, you know, we'll see. We'll see.
05:25If PK does read the book, I'm sure he will.
05:28I'm sure he will.
05:29What do you hope his main takeaway from the book would be as you figure out this divorce?
05:34Honestly, I really hope that it's going to help remind him really who him and I were,
05:42who we are, the love that we shared, the bond. We have two beautiful children. And really,
05:49the way for us to co-parent effectively would be for us to put aside all of our differences,
05:56let go of the resentments, the anger, the hurt. Really, at the end of the day, none of it matters.
06:02Mm-hmm. And there's so much more good that can come from being able to be friends and effectively
06:08co-parent our children. And I know they would benefit the most. So I really hope it'll remind
06:13him of the good because it feels like he's stuck in a place where he only thinks negative.
06:19Yeah.
06:20You know?
06:20And that's hard because you can't grow from that.
06:22Exactly. Exactly.
06:23And speaking of growing and moving through hard times, a major part of your life that you put in
06:30the book, or an important part is when you had the home invasion and you wrote about how you kind
06:35of were back to normal and filming and everything, but you weren't really yourself. And it's because,
06:41of course, watching you on the show, we could tell you were hurt, but I don't think we knew
06:45the severity that you were.
06:48Yes.
06:48And so, I mean, we hate that we didn't know the full scope of that then, but how was the
06:53having
06:54going to relive that to tell it?
06:56Yes. Well, I mean, this is the thrice time, you know, is thrice. If I use that word correctly
07:03just now, I mean, that is, but yeah, it's the third time because, listen, I, this happened
07:10the day, first day I filmed that night, it happened. So I white knuckled it through the season
07:18and I made a conscious choice not to, not to leave, like to stay and to continue to film.
07:25Obviously, when you're doing that, you're putting one foot in front of the other. My children
07:30were none the wiser, thank God. So I was putting on, you know, business as usual and normal. What
07:37was happening inside obviously was very different. The, the season that I actually, you know, made
07:46it through just after the home invasion, when it aired, I had to relive it. And this is six
07:51months later. So you get like a tidal wave of all of those feelings, remembering like
07:57immediately after opinions on it and people's opinions on it, which is like adding insult
08:02to injury goodness. And all the theories about it being set up, et cetera. I mean, obviously
08:07I'm sure that was very, I mean, after reading the book, I know that that very much impacted
08:11you and affected you, but when it was brought up on the show by some of your castmates, et cetera,
08:15I don't think I understood how deeply that hurt you. Cause I mean, that's like an insane
08:21accusation.
08:22Insane. It's already an insane accusation, but when you are so affected, not even just
08:29emotionally, physically, my entire life had changed. I couldn't even go grocery shopping.
08:34I didn't leave the house without somebody with me for 14 months. And then when I did, I was
08:41actually followed and my handbag was stolen. And that was the first time I felt, okay, I'm
08:48starting to feel stronger. So you really feel like a walking target. And as you can see in
08:54the book, I really talk about how I was able to start to come out of that. But that was
08:59two and a half years later, which I think it took a real toll on my marriage as well.
09:05Yeah. And how do you feel today? Like, how does Dorique Hemsley feel today? Do you feel
09:08strong? Do you feel confident? Do you feel happy? Like you've been through a lot this
09:12past year plus.
09:13Yes, I have. And I can tell you right now I am literally basking and soaking up this
09:21beautiful, incredible, surreal moment. But I feel stronger, better, more optimistic. I
09:28know that the future is very bright. Very bright.
09:31We feel that.
09:32We love that.
09:32We see that too.
09:33Yes, we see that too. And that is why we always love seeing you. Dorique, congratulations
09:37again on Unburden.
09:38This is so incredible.
09:39Thank you so much.
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