Inside Crystal Kung Minkoff's Struggle With Her Eating Disorder

Crystal Kung Minkoff first burst onto the reality television scene in 2021 on Season 11 of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." And while much of the season's storyline centered around Erika Girardi's legal and financial woes following her husband's embezzlement scandal, viewers were still able to learn quite a bit about the often-times quiet and reserved newcomer. But make no mistake — when push came to shove, Crystal was no shrinking wallflower. Lest we forget the infamous moment when fellow cast member Sutton Stracke bellowed out at Crystal across Lisa Rinna's impeccably manicured lawn, "JEALOUS OF WHAT? YOUR UGLY LEATHER PANTS?" Shots fired. We repeat, SHOTS FIRED.

All ugly leather pants jokes aside, however, the show took on a more serious tone when Crystal opened up to the other ladies about her eating disorder. As reported by People, during a revealing episode, Crystal admitted that she was a "recovering bulimic," carefully explaining why she still uses the word "recovering." 

"I say 'recovering' because I don't know what it's like to be any other thing," she lamented. Keep reading to learn what else Crystal had to say about the struggles she's faced with her eating disorder.

As reported by People, Crystal Kung Minkoff explained to the fellow Housewives on "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" that she believed her struggles with bulimia derived from her deep longing to fit in with her peers. "My body shame is so deeply rooted in my childhood," she confessed. "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."

Fortunately, Crystal told the ladies her eating disorder is "under control" and she is no longer "suffering on the daily." When asked why she chose to share something so personal with the other Housewives, Crystal explained that she simply wanted the other ladies to know how "hyperaware" she was of her weight and the "struggles" that come with that territory.

As a rule, however, she makes it a priority to speak only positively about her body in front of her young daughter, Zoe. "She'll say to me, 'Mommy, your legs are skinny.' And I'll say, 'Mommy works out, they're healthy,'" Crystal explained during the revelatory episode. "It's so much work to, like, get her to not use those terms," she lamented.

Crystal Kung Minkoff's decision to speak on-camera about her bulimia has helped many others — including fellow "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" cast member, Lisa Rinna.

Per People, during a conversation with Crystal and her big-time Hollywood director husband, Rob Minkoff, Lisa thanked Crystal for sharing her personal struggles. "Our daughter suffered from an eating disorder so when she shared that I was like, 'Wow, she's very brave to share that,'" Lisa said.

As fans may recall, Lisa's daughter Amelia Gray Hamlin first announced her struggles via her Instagram account before eventually discussing it with her mother on camera. During an interview with Glamour, Amelia opened up about her mother's initial negative reaction to her sharing something so private on social media. "I get why she was concerned. I was still at an extremely vulnerable time in my life when I came out about my eating disorder," Amelia explained. 

Kudos to both Crystal and Amelia for using their platforms for good and ultimately allowing others the opportunity to feel both seen and heard!

If you are struggling with an eating disorder, or know someone who is, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).