Former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Crystal Kung Minkoff spoke about leaving the Bravo series following its 13th season.
While recording the October 28 episode of her podcast, “Humble Brag with Crystal and Cynthia,” co-hosted by “Real Housewives of Atlanta” personality Cynthia Bailey, Minkoff said she is “done” with the series. She also said she and her former castmates were relatively certain she would be returning to film RHOBH season 14. According to Minkoff, she “had dates to start” filming the show’s 14th season.
“We were all in pre-production together. But again I wasn’t, like, 100 percent. Because until you get a contract, you don’t know. And I live in a world of contracts,” said Minkoff on her podcast.
Minkoff said she had a conversation with production, wherein she was asked to describe her plans for season 14.
“There was a lot of conversation about what that looked like — what’s going on in my life. And it felt like it was stretching the truth for me to make a story that didn’t really make sense,” said Minkoff to Bailey. “And I was like, ‘Okay, I guess I could do that. But then what I get worried … about then it becomes, like, your reality and the audience chimes in.’ And then I was like, ‘Well, then it’s going to start getting, like, really convoluted to where this is now my reality over here. But actually this was the reality. I was willing to go here, I don’t want to go here.'”
According to Minkoff, production wanted her to “embellish [her] life in a way that felt unnatural” for season 14 because she did not have much personal drama. Minkoff said she did not want to go forward with the proposed embellished storyline as it was “so inauthentic to [her].”
Minkoff also clarified that she did not want to share all the details of her conversation with production because she “feel[s] very grateful for the show.”
Crystal Kung Minkoff Discussed Her RHOBH Exit in June 2024
During an appearance on a June 2024 episode of Jeff Lewis’ radio show, “Jeff Lewis Live,” Minkoff spoke about her exit from RHOBH. She suggested that filming RHOBH season 14 would have negatively impacted her dynamic with her family.
“I think, for me, my family is the most important and more important than any job I could have. The show is tough. It reveals a lot. And you know, I just want to be protective of my family, my kids. And that’s all,” said Minkoff to Lewis.
She also clarified that she “didn’t quit” the Bravo series.
Crystal Kung Minkoff Spoke About Her Conversation With a Producer
While recording the October 28 “Humble Brag” episode, Minkoff shared how she was told she was not being asked back to film RHOBH season 14.
“One of the producers called me and just said like, ‘You were on yesterday, and then today it changed,'” said Minkoff.
Minkoff also theorized she would not fit the “vibe” of RHOBH season 14. She noted the entire cast of RHOBH season 14 “is single,” while she has been married to her husband, Rob Minkoff, for 17 years.
“I think I would be a black sheep on the show,” said Minkoff.
She also said she believed Bravo producers would like RHOBH to be similar to the earlier seasons of “Real Housewives of New York City.”
“Like all kind of older single women, like, kind of looking for men, partying, getting drunk. I don’t fit that,” said Minkoff on her podcast episode.
Sutton Stracke Shared Her Thoughts About Crystal Kung Minkoff Leaving RHOBH After Three Seasons
RHOBH star Sutton Stracke shared she was upset about Minkoff’s RHOBH departure in a May 2024 interview with TooFab. According to Stracke, she “called her immediately” after finding out that Minkoff would not be returning to RHOBH.
“I started crying. And she was like, ‘You can not cry Sutton. Because I’m good,'” said Stracke to the publication.
Stracke clarified that she believes Minkoff will be absolutely fine without the Bravo series.
“She gets to spend time with her family and do the things she wants to do,” said Stracke.
