Kim Richards' Ex-Husband Monty Brinson Speaks Out After Her Shoplifting Arrest; Thanks Fans For Sticking By Her During 'Rough Time'

Monty Brinson is speaking out in defense of ex-wife Kim Richards following her series of legal woes and a serious struggle with sobriety. The former star of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" was arrested Aug. 4 after allegedly attempting to steal around $600 worth of merchandise from a San Fernando Valley, California, Target. Brinson addressed the arrest once prior, but it seems he's finally had enough of people bad-mouthing the former child star.

According to Us Weekly, Brinson shared an old photo of him and his former wife on Instagram Monday. Accompanying the photo was a long caption praising Richards, 51, for having "a great heart" and being eternally grateful for all her fans. Brinson told followers he had not seen Richards since the arrest, but speaks to her regularly. He added he had gotten all the details on the unfortunate incident and assured fans they had been fed only bits and pieces of what happened. Brinson ended his message by promising fans Richards would be back and better than ever in the near future.

"I'm excited for her. And personally I would like to thank everyone who stood by her through this rough time. Remember everyone in life goes through a rough time one way or another. I always say know the facts before being judgmental," he wrote.

Shortly after news of Richards' arrest broke, Brinson spoke with Entertainment Tonight. He told the entertainment news site he "couldn't imagine Kim stealing or shoplifting" because of her giving nature. At the time he was certain there must have been some mistake or misunderstanding. He also told the site there was no way the theft was at all "alcohol- or drug-related."

As we previously reported, in the days that followed the arrest, TMZ was able to obtain information surrounding the theft. The site claimed Richards walked into the store where she grabbed two carts and several reusable shopping bags. She then reportedly headed to the dollar section where she began filling the bags and loading them into her cart. She walked about three feet outside the store before being stopped by security and taken to a booking room for questioning. According to the security guard, she could not recall whether she had paid for the items before leaving the store. From there, she was taken to a police station where she stayed until she was able to post bond.

It was believed that, at the time of her arrest, Richards was living in her car. She is said to have been homeless after leaving rehab July 14. Richards reportedly stayed with several friends before wearing out her welcome and being left with nowhere to go but her car. She is said to have been "self-medicating" though it remains unclear what she was taking.