The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills newbie Crystal Kung Minkoff has been such an asset to the show, it’s hard to believe she almost turned it down.
Crystal recently sat down with the podcast Andy’s Girls to discuss why she almost said ‘no’ to RHOBH. She explained,
“Probably the biggest reason that I didn’t want to do the show was being ridiculed about my looks, which literally makes me cry.”
She continued,
“It’s like a minute to minute pain for me. Just sitting here in my physical body, I’m always uncomfortable. I was just always constantly scared of it.”
credit: Crystal Kung Minkoff / Instagram
It turns out that being on the show, and watching it back, has actually been really productive for her self-love journey. It’s helped her realize that she doesn’t need that outside validation to be happy with herself.
Crystal said,
“[The show] has allowed me to really work on myself and realize that is something that I am in constant process and working on. And it’s for me. Walking and fearing what other people thought is something I’ve lived my life [doing] and I don’t want to live like that anymore. I want to be OK with myself.”
credit: Nicole Weingart / Bravo
The new housewife has long been open about her struggles with self-confidence and body love. She even previously told her castmates that she’s recovering from bulimia, which she first developed when she was only 11 years old.
She told her fellow housewives,
“My body shame is so deeply rooted in my childhood. I had always felt like the chubby one — wanting to be blonde, blue-eyed, and skinny. I totally wanted to be American, and what that meant to me as a child was white.”
She added,
“I always felt like the ugly kid. And then I grew into an age of wanting to be so pretty.”
credit: Nicole Weingart / Bravo
Although Crystal currently has her eating disorder under control, she still considers herself to be in recovery since she “doesn’t know what it’s like to be any other thing.”
Crystal has been a great addition to what has truly been an excellent season of RHOBH. Although she (unfairly) garnered a bit of backlash for her use of the word “violate” in a fight with Sutton Stracke, she has mostly gotten along with the other cast members.
She’s also been a breath of fresh air and has brought a great energy to the show. Unlike some of the other housewives (ahem, Dorit Kemsley), Crystal stands her ground and stands by what she believes in. She’s also refreshingly direct in her approach to conversations around race, which we desperately needed on the show. Hopefully, Crystal won’t be a one-season wonder.
You can watch Crystal and the other housewives on RHOBH on Bravo on Wednesdays at 8 pm EST.
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