Crystal Kung Minkoff Found Out She Was Joining ‘RHOBH’ While In Line At The In-N-Out Drive Thru

Crystal Kung Minkoff is unlike any other cast member we’ve ever seen on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Not only is she the first Asian American woman to join this cast, but she’s a descendant of freakin’ Confucius! It’s clear from the first episode what an excellent addition she will prove to be, from her very LA connections (her husband Rob Minkoff directed The Lion King) to her incredibly down-to-earth demeanor (please allow her to rattle off her In-N-Out order).

We caught up with Crystal over Zoom to hear more about the celebs that (rightfully) made her super starstruck, what it was like going to the Finding Nemo premiere on her first date with her husband, and why she stands by those infamous leather pants from the trailer.

Decider: I knew you were a girl after my own heart in the first episode of this season when your main concern about Dorit’s party is what the snack situation will be. Were they ok, did you leave hungry?

Crystal Minkoff: I generally leave every party hungry, so that’s not Dorit’s fault. That’s just a function of me liking to eat a lot of food. I tend to go to In-N-Out after parties, that’s sort of a thing that I do. But yeah, the food was great. I’m just constantly in starvation mode.

What’s your In-N-Out order?

So it depends on how I’m feeling. I mean, it’s annoying if I do protein, whatever. But if I’m gonna go for it, I used to do double double, and I’m trying to cut back. So I’ll do a cheeseburger animal, both kinds of onions, extra ketchup, extra pickles. And then I’ll do extra crispy fries with cheese. I don’t mess around. I remember when I got the call for the show and they asked me [to join], I was in line at In-N-Out with the family. They’re like, ‘We want you to do it,’ and right when we pulled up to order, I was like…protein style? That was not the original plan a minute prior.

On the food topic as well, your Bravo bio says that you like cooking and throwing extravagant parties. Do we get to see you doing those things on the show this season?

Of course. Even in COVID, you figure out how to do it. Parties, cooking for my friends, it’s all one in the same to me. Before COVID, I would always have something cooking for friends. Just a rotating door of like, they just come in to eat. They wouldn’t even need to stay. There’s always food, whether I had a pot of chili on or I did a roast chicken, there’s always food. When you add a gorgeous party, you level up, it’s so great. But it’s really the same to me. It’s just bringing people together. I love hosting and my friends wanting to come and hang out with me.

From the first episode, you’re already teaching these other women about your Asian heritage. Did you feel like it was an opportunity for you? Did you feel a responsibility?

I thought about it in so many different ways and I would say in the beginning, I felt actually more pressure, like a weight on my shoulder about it. And through self reflecting while we were shooting up until now, it’s just grown with me. It actually made me even so much prouder to be Asian and share that. I have to say this group of women and pretty much [all my friends] growing up have been so receptive. I think this was the first Chinese New Year party most had ever been to, which for me, it’s an annual holiday for me. So for me to share that with them as their first experience and they were like, every time they had Chinese food said, ‘I think I want more. Where’s this from?’ That was really great. It’s been a really positive experience for me.

Are there any traditions that you were super excited to introduce to this group?

We were filming during Chinese New Year, so that was really exciting and I always host a big one every year. I didn’t know what it would be like with COVID. So we just did with the girls and their spouses or whoever they wanted to bring and it was magical. It was really beautiful, to see them so excited about things that I almost take for granted. It’s just a part of my daily life, not even just the celebration part but little traditional art forms of it that I always grew up with. For them to see it in almost a childlike new lens was really special. You’ll see a lot of that and I bring my culture into it. This is part of me, it’s just who I am. I grew up in a very Chinese household and so to share that part of my life was really important.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Crystal Kung Minkoff 孔令华 (@crystalkungminkoff)

Your bio also says that you are a descendant of Confucius. Now is this something you learn on ancestry.com?

I’m sure it’s on ancestry.com by now, but I always grew up knowing that because it was passed down, generation to generation. So I’m the 76th generational descendant of Confucius, passed down from my father, who was the 75th. During New Year, during holidays, we would light incense and pay our respects to all our ancestors. But actually, my dad was born and raised in the same village, which is called Qufu, which is where Confucius was from. It’s a tiny village. And because we’re a more modern family, we were the first to be born outside of the village in our family line. So yeah, we always knew about it. And again, it’s one of those things where you sort of take for granted because you just know, it’s part of your life, and it doesn’t seem like a big deal. Then people find out and they’re like, wow. I guess it is cool. I get a lot of like, ‘Say something smart,’ and then I’m like, I don’t know what to say, and then I feel so dumb. It’s definitely a very special thing. My dad passed away a few years ago but we brought his ashes and we buried him at the family cemetery, where Confucius is buried.

In the first episode, we see that Lisa Rinna says that you would get along well with Kyle, did that prove to be true?

Yeah, Kyle is a lot of fun. Kyle and I, of anyone, had the most mutual friends, like really close mutual friends. So Lisa was not wrong. I find a lot of similarities with Kyle. She’s just really into her family and she loves to cook, she and I are the cooks of the group. She really sees the fun in everything. She doesn’t take things too seriously and I appreciate that. I love people with depth, and she has a lot of depth too. But it’s like, sometimes it’s just nice that things are not a big deal, and it’s nice to have fun with people and smile. And she brings that out in everyone.

That’s good to know. Because obviously there’s a lot going on this season, people are going through certain things, how are you guys able to still have fun and make things light and easy and enjoyable?

Yeah, obviously, there’s a lot of heavy stuff that you don’t even need the trailer to know. But this group encourages each other despite these things. They don’t want to bring the group down, and this is also time to celebrate that we can be together during this very extreme, difficult time. Sometimes it’s hard to celebrate knowing that someone’s suffering. But I know that that’s what I would want, so when they give you that blessing, you’re like, yeah, let’s have fun, and this group is fun.

I trust that Sutton does know more about fashion than I do, but I liked your leather pants!

They’re amazing leather pants, you know? When you’re in it, you don’t really remember things. It’s such a ridiculous comment. But then I think, you know what? I just pat myself on the back because if that’s all she had, then that’s all she had. I love these pants and I wear them every day. They’re hot. I think they sold out after the trailer. So I think that’s a testament to the pants. They’re ALC.

Were you guys able to have a friendship? Was that something you were able to build together?

I mean, that’s one of the points of the show, right? It’s really about the dynamics of friendships and when you bring in a bunch of very strong-minded women with different vulnerabilities, you’re gonna have some clashes and that’s just sort of what it is. Some I got along with right away, some were more challenging, and being the newbie, I’ve never really had problems with people. So it was new for me. That helps me grow as a person, and sort of self-reflect on like, what am I bringing to the table? So her and I, our journey together, you’ll see it through the show, but every one of these girls, we have very strong personalities, you’re bound to have conflict and hopefully resolve.

Did hanging out with this group change your fashion at all?

That’s a good question because I had a stylist help me. She’s been a really good friend for a long time and she’s amazing. When I come back from a dinner I’m like, they’re wearing this, I need to wear this. She’s like, stop, be yourself, it’s okay. You’re good and be yourself. That in itself is almost like a learning lesson, right? To not always have to conform. But I was so super inspired by the girls’ fashions. They all have their own unique style, and everyone is very complimentary of each other. I remember someone asking, do you feel competitive with them? That was never for me. I don’t feel competitive with people in general, but there’s no competition between the girls about that, everyone has their own unique look. So I just really stayed in my lane, covered up and very kind of conservative, until that one scene in the trailer when I’m wearing a short dress. It was my first time wearing a short dress. So that’s why they were so over the moon because I showed a piece of my skin, you know? I stayed in my lane and yeah, I’m back to wearing pajamas all day long. So no, I don’t think it’s changed me at all. It just made me appreciate my sweatpants. I have a whole sweatpants collection now that I love.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Crystal Kung Minkoff 孔令华 (@crystalkungminkoff)

Tell me a little bit about your family adjusting to this. Were they excited? How was the integration of the cameras around? How was that process for them?

Reality TV is totally foreign to us, but cameras are not foreign to our family. Rob’s a film director and so when the crew would come, Rob’s like, oh, what crane are you using? Rob, let them work. It’s not about you. But yeah, it was harder for the kids in the very beginning, I think it would have been easier if it was normal time, but because of COVID, they had half a year of not seeing anybody and then suddenly, there’s a camera crew. So it was an adjustment, but you adjust quickly, they’re super great. It wasn’t that big of a deal and it was kind of nice, it felt like an escape from this lockdown that we were going through.

In the first episode we see you showing off all the Lion King memorabilia that you have. Do you have a favorite Lion King song?

Oh my god. Yes, I do actually. I love “I Just Can’t Wait to be King.” I mean, they’re all classics, obviously. But I also love “Hakuna Matata,” when he transitions from baby Simba to adult on the log. There are no words, just that part. I will just keep rewinding that 10-second part, I love that. I probably married Rob because I was a fan, which is psychotic, but no one really doesn’t like that movie, by the way. If they don’t, they’re like, ‘I’ve never seen it. I’m so sorry.’ We’re like, it’s okay. It’s not offensive, we just think it’s incredible. I had never seen Star Wars until five years ago, so I felt sort of special walking around like, I’ve never seen it.

Also, then you get the pleasure of the people that haven’t seen it, you can then show it to them and be like, amazing, right?

Yeah, I can brag about it. Rob can’t brag. [I’ll ask], do you ever see something you want to change? He’s like, all the time. What if it was different? Can you imagine? Every moment is gold, Rob.

Is it true that you saw Finding Nemo on your first date?

Yes, that was our first date. I was so nervous going to a premiere and I’m born and raised in LA. I had actors in my class, but unless you’re in it, you’re not in it, it’s just sort of surrounding you. We met and it was the following Saturday and he was directing a movie for Disney at the time. So he had to walk the carpet, but I didn’t walk with him because he’s like, I don’t even know you. But yeah, that was our first date and I remember they give you swag bags and stuffed animals. [I thought], this is amazing, free movie free popcorn, stuffed animals. This is the life. I was so into it.

That’s a great first date, by the way. You can’t beat that.

Oh, yeah. With a driver, the whole thing was like, seal the deal. I’ll marry you.

There’s a moment in the first episode where you say, everyone pretty much knows everyone in LA. Is there anyone that you don’t know yet that you want to be friends with In LA?

How much time do we have? I will say, the people that I met that I freaked out over were the Spice Girls. Rob became friendly with Mel B. They invited us to this show and it was the first time they were coming together at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show that was years ago. I’m like, the biggest fan. So we’re all backstage and they’re all together and I turn around, I bury my head in Rob’s shoulder and he’s like, what are you doing? I can’t even look at them. They’re 10 feet away from me and he’s like, turn around, enjoy this moment, this is your dream. I stood there and I started staring at them. He’s like, okay, don’t do that. That’s embarrassing. So, there’s a lot of people, but I would look terrible and stupid. I think Rob’s probably avoiding me meeting most people after that experience.

You’re friends with so many Bravolebrities. I love Josh Flagg as well, and also you have pictures with Teddi Mellencamp and Marissa from Ladies of London. It feels like you making your way to Bravo is kind of inevitable, has it felt that way to you?

I never put that together because the idea of me being asked to do this show… if I could have bet my entire life savings, I would have nothing left. It just never occurred to me honestly. I’ve known these people, but it never really came together. I know Marissa because she’s a mom and she has a food company and I have a coconut water company. So we had originally talked because of that. And Josh, we were in Mexico actually, and texting five minutes ago. We’re going to Disneyland together next week and we met through friends. Teddi I know through a mommy group. So it all organically happened, but when you’re in LA you end up meeting people who are in entertainment across the board. Now that I’m on Bravo, I know Josh is like, you’re one of us. I don’t even know how this happened. But yeah, I guess maybe it was inevitable?

Tell us a little bit about what you’re excited for everyone to learn about you and to see coming up this season.

This might sound really lame, but I’m just a kid from Northridge, from the valley. I have been really blessed and lucky that I met Rob, and he sort of brought me into this fun world, and we get to do a lot of fun experiences. Beverly Hills does have the glamour, but it’s also really down to earth. We all live normal lives too. So I think it’s fun to see, I think people want that relatable person that also is aspirational, in so many different ways. For me, it’s really about showing who I am, my culture, my family, and it’s important for representation for sure. But just that we’re just all normal people here living wacky lives.

And that some of us have leather pants and some of us don’t.

Yes, and the lucky ones have them.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Wednesday at 8 pm ET/PT on Bravo. 

Stream The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on Bravo Now