Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is known for its drama. Despite some life-altering storylines, a lot of that drama falls into the petty, everyday argument category. A few seasons ago, that changed with the arrival of Crystal Kung Minkoff.
While younger than the rest of her cast mates, Crystal brought some much-needed levity to the show. That included being vulnerable about the most serious matter in her life – her ongoing struggle with an eating disorder.
The RHOBH star recently spoke with USA Today about her experience with recovery while being in the reality TV spotlight.
Opening up on the show
Regarding her bulimia, Crystal explained, “It’s an up-and-down roller coaster. I consider myself in recovery. But I’ll be in recovery my whole life.”
On a franchise where reality seems less and less real, Crystal wasn’t even sure if she would share one of her most personal details. But a cast trip during her first season changed that.
“When I first started the show, I never thought I would ever talk about it. And when the drama of Sutton [Stracke] and I, in terms of coming to my room, it was all shrouded within that because it’s my body, it’s my privacy, it was all of it. And I felt like I had to say it to let the women know why it was so intense for me,” Crystal recalled.
Finding grace
Initially, Crystal’s castmates didn’t seem particularly supportive or understanding. A fact that Crystal has moved past. “I give grace that they will never really understand, and I will never understand what it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes. But to be a good person, you have to try. That’s all I ask, is give me a little bit of grace to try to understand that I might be suffering or struggling,” the coconut water mogul lamented.
Luckily, Crystal has received a lot of support from fans, who have shared their own journeys with her by reaching out on social media. Crystal concluded, “It’s not a club you want to belong to, but we have each other.”
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 13 reunion begins Wednesday, February 28, at 8/7c on Bravo.
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