This week’s episode of The Real Housewives of New York City ended with the conversation that fans have been dying to see since this season’s cast was announced.
Season 2 of the Bravo series reboot—and technically Season 15 of the show, in general—added fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff as what the franchise calls a “friend of” the full-time ensemble of women. Immediately, headlines flooded the internet heralding the news: She is the first Real Housewives cast member who is a Scientologist.
In Tuesday night’s episode, the RHONY cast had questions. Minkoff did not have answers.
Minkoff was raised both Jewish and in the Church of Scientology. According to The New York Post, she left Clearwater, Florida, where she grew up and where the Scientology headquarters is located, at age 19 for New York, where her fashion career took off.
“We’re at a time and place where we can be divided and lead with hate and bigotry or we can just be tolerant of people’s beliefs,” she recently told The Post. “[Scientology] has helped me personally. It’s helped me professionally. It’s helped me weather a lot of stress. That’s what I use it for. It’s a method I apply to help me with stress.”
Minkoff’s close ties to the church have been heavily scrutinized, even if, as she told The New York Times in 2021 that she sees Scientology as “more of a self-improvement philosophy.”
“I think there’s a lot of confusion when people hear the word ‘religion’—immediately you hear that I pray to L. Ron Hubbard,” she said. “I study it, I take classes, and that’s the extent of it, and it’s helped me stay centered. I don’t have all the answers. When I needed someone, it was a place for me to go get some answers.”
Still, The Daily Mail has reported that the Minkoffs are among the most powerful families in Scientology, that Minkoff herself has donated millions to the church, and that she was friends with disgraced star Danny Masterson. Her father was also implicated in a harrowing wrongful death lawsuit involving a former church member.
At the end of this week’s RHONY, Minkoff takes a helicopter with castmates Brynn Whitfield and Jessel Taank to the Hamptons. “If people ask us about the Scientology s—, what do you want us to say?” Whitfield asks her during the ride. After a dramatic pause, Minkoff advises them to respond, “No comment.”
The face Taank makes in reaction makes it clear that’s not a satisfactory reply for the Bravo stars, who know they’re going to be hounded with questions about Minkoff’s Scientology ties.
“And also, if you’re like, ‘I don’t know what to say, here’s what someone asked me,’ like, come to me,” Minkoff continued. She also tells them that she’d just recently been contacted by The Daily Mail about a story they were publishing about her Scientology roots. (Presumably the one referenced above.)
A no-comment policy “kind of doesn’t work,” Whitfield says. “I’m a publicist, too. So is she [Taank].” Minkoff shrugs, “I just tell people, ‘If you’re curious, read a book.’ That’s it.”
In a confessional, Minkoff explains, “I am not uncomfortable talking about it, but I want to talk about it when there’s a genuine interest and it’s not just like, ‘Tell me about the movie.’”
When, in the helicopter, Taank pushes Minkoff that there’s such a fascination about Scientology because of its celebrity ties, Minkoff responds, “We’re a world-recognized religion. There’s nothing secret. There’s nothing weird.”
In her confessional, Whitfield says, exasperated, “The response I’m getting is very, like, I’m talking to ChatGPT.” Other cast members are asked about their Scientology opinions in their confessionals. Ubah Hassan deflects the question. Erin Lichy starts to tell a story about John Travolta, before stopping herself: “Oh, I can’t say this on camera. Nevermind.” (What was she going to say?!)
Jenna Lyons says, “Every single religion or organized religion has an extreme version of it, and if you only look at that, that’s not really a fair assessment.”
Taank and Whitfield get the last words in their confessionals.
“Listen, the upside of it is at least Scientology has pretty-looking celebrities,” Taank says, grinning. “This is not the time or place for this conversation,” Whitfield concludes. “But I feel like I’m talking to a door-to-door salesman or something who’s trying to sell me snake oil.”
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