‘RHOBH’: Who Is Crystal Kung Minkoff?

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills are back for Season 11, which premieres Wednesday night on Bravo at 8 p.m. ET. The show will feature returning cast members Kyle Richards, Dorit Kemsley, Garcelle Beauvais, Sutton Stracke, Erika Girardi, and Lisa Rinna alongside a new addition — Crystal Kung Minkoff. In advance of the show’s season premiere, what do you need to know about Minkoff?

It was previously announced back in October 2020 that Minkoff would be joining the cast of RHOBH. She will be the first Asian-American individual to join the cast of the Bravo series. The newest Housewife is married to filmmaker Rob Minkoff, with whom she shares two children, 8-year-old Max and 6-year-old Zoe. Minkoff has a background in the business industry, as she co-founded Real Coco, a coconut-based food and beverage company, with her brother, Jeffrey Kung, according to Bravo. The network noted that her brother is a famous pop singer in China.

Ahead of the RHOBH season premiere, Minkoff spoke with PEOPLE about joining the series. She explained that she ultimately decided to join the show after she heard from her good friend, Kathy Hilton, that she would be taking part in the filming. Hilton, who is the sister of longtime cast member Richards, will be joining RHOBH in a “friend of” capacity for Season 11. Minkoff explained to the publication, “It never occurred to me [to join the show]. But then Kathy [Hilton, Minkoff’s longtime friend and fellow new Housewife] called me and said she was thinking of joining and hoped I would think about it. It made me feel so much better to know that there was someone I could trust.”

Minkoff also spoke about being the first Asian-American cast member on RHOBH, and she said that it’s a responsibility that she won’t be taking lightly. She said, “It’s a huge honor and a huge responsibility I feel to represent not only Chinese Americans but all AAPI. And with the uprise of anti-Asian hate, it’s a collective problem.”

While filming Season 11, Minkoff tackled some difficult issues with her co-stars. But, she explained that those very conversations were beneficial in creating a greater “understanding” amongst everyone involved. The newest Bravo personality continued, “Sometimes the conversations were challenging. Everyone comes from different perspectives and from different backgrounds. But we have to move the needle. And the more conversations there are, the more understanding.”