Is RHONY Newbie Rebecca Minkoff Related to RHOBH Alum Rob Minkoff?

When Rebecca Minkoff joined the cast of Real Housewives of New York as a “friend,” some viewers wondered why her last name sounded so familiar.

As a matter of fact, the fashion designer just discovered that she is related to Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Crystal Kung Minkoff’s husband Rob Minkoff. “I did 23andMe, and they told me,” she shared. “That’s about as far as I got.”

“I know someone reported that we are not related, but I am related [to] Rob Minkoff, the director,” Rebecca explained, admitting that she reached out to Crystal ahead of her RHONY debut.

Rebecca Minkoff already has some friends in the Housewives Universe

In addition to Crystal and her RHONY castmates, the fashion designer is already acquainted with a few other Housewives. “I’m friends with [RHOBH’s] Bozoma [Saint John],” she told Bravo’s Daily Dish. “But I’ve been friends with her forever. And then, I met Lisa Barlow during Fashion Week, and I was like, ‘Tell me everything, you’re a legend.'”

“She was just like, ‘You know what, stay strong, this can be an incredible platform for change and positivity and don’t forget that,'” Rebecca shared.

Rebecca is best known for the luxury fashion brand she founded with her brother Uri Minkoff in 2005. She’s also a best-selling author and the co-founder of the Female Founder Collective.

She’s been married to actor and director Gavin Bellour since 2009. The couple has four children together: Luca, Bowie, Nico, and Leonardo.

Will Rebecca be a force for good or evil when RHONY premieres on October 1? The official press release for the show certainly sounds ominous: “Things can change in a New York minute when rumors start spreading amongst the ladies. Only time will tell if longstanding loyalties are strong enough to weather the storm as secrets change things up.”