The Real Housewives franchise has been shaking things up recently. Bravo execs have been attempting to diversify their programming in recent months, perhaps coming to the realization that most of the series in The Real Housewives franchise are really lacking women of color. Now, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills has added a new cast member for Season 11, and it will mark the first time that an Asian American woman will be joining the franchise.
Crystal Kung Minkoff is joining the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 11, per Variety. Kung Minkoff founded the coconut product company Real Coco and is also the wife of Lion King, Mr. Peabody and Sherman, and Stuart Little director Rob Minkoff. The pair have two children together, both of which might probably appear on the show considering that cameras have followed the Housewives’ personal lives since the franchise’s inception.
I think Crystal Kung Minkoff’s casting is a huge deal because it obviously marks a franchise first. Diversifying the franchise is long overdue, but it’s nice to finally see Bravo execs taking a huge step forward with regards to casting. Still, I’m sure that The Real Housewives franchise still has a long way to go — The Real Housewives branches of Orange County, Dallas, and New Jersey have yet to include any Black, Indigenous, and other women of color in their respective shows.
In Season 10, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills added Garcelle Beauvais, the first Black woman to be on the series. Meanwhile, journalist Eboni K. Williams joined The Real Housewives of New York City as the first Black woman on that show. Meanwhile, Crystal Kung Minkoff’s addition to RHOBH marks the first time in in its eleven seasons there will be two women of color on the show at the same time. It’s about damn time!
While Crystal Kung Minkoff’s casting is exciting and will surely add a new dynamic to the reality series, former Housewives Denise Richards and Teddi Mellencamp will not be returning for Season 11. Richards’ run on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills ended with quite a bit of drama, with Brandi Glanville going so far as to accuse Richards of blatantly lying about the allegations that Glanville slept with anyone on the show.
Meanwhile, Bravo is about to debut The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City as the next new series in the franchise. The show will premiere in November, and the good news is that the cast already has some diversity right out of the gate, which is refreshing to see, in my opinion.
While waiting for Season 11 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, be sure to check out our 2020 fall TV premiere guide for more on what to watch.
