Kim Richards was forced to check into rehab by television executives who want to avert another tragedy, it is reported.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star was made to face her addiction issues by Bravo who had to deal with another heartbreak earlier this year when cast member Russell Armstrong committed suicide.

RadarOnline claims that the 47-year-old former actress faced no alternative but to seek help for her problems after she was told she would be dropped from the hit television show if she did not.

"Kim was told by the people at Bravo that she had to get help and that help meant going into rehab immediately," a source told the site.

"The network people were worried about her and wanted her to try and fix her problems."

The socialite crowd of Beverly Hills was stunned when cast member Taylor Armstrong's husband hanged himself in September, apparently due to stress from money issues and having his personal life exposed on the show.

"After Russell Armstrong's suicide, Bravo is trying to make sure that nothing bad happens to the people on their shows," the source added. "They don't want any more tragedies on their hands."

"The pressures the women face being on the show are enormous. Kim was basically told that if she wanted to stay on the show then she had to get help, so she did.

"Kim doesn't have any other significant source of income and she needs to keep her job on the show.

"It was a strong move for Kim to go ahead and take control of the situation and get help for herself. Everyone is really proud of her."

The mother-of-four, who is Paris Hilton's aunt, is a former Disney actress, starring in several films in the 70s and 80s but faded into obscurity until her role in the reality show.