'RHONY' fans furious as Scientologist Rebecca Minkoff who once socialized with Danny Masterson joins show
NEW YORK, NEW YORK: Rebecca Minkoff may be the most controversial cast member of the ‘RHONY’ show until now. The 43-year-old has joined ‘The Real Housewives of New York City’ Season 15, which shocked many Bravo fans.
This comes at a time when the network has fired a slew of high-profile stars, including Ramona Singer, Eboni K Williams, and Leah McSweeney. All of this was done to protect the network from scandal, and bringing in Rebecca is a hard pill to swallow for reality show pundits.
Minkoffs and the Church of Scientology
The Minkoff family is a staunch supporter and follower of The Church of Scientology, which includes Rebecca, her entrepreneur brother Uri, their father Dr David Minkoff, and their mother Sue.
As per The Underground Bunker, a Scientology blog, the Minkoff clan has donated massive money to the church and was even awarded 'Diamond Meritorious' status for $ 5 million in total. The ‘Dharma and Gress’ star was also friends with actor Danny Masterson, who is presently serving a 30-year prison sentence for rape.
Minkoff hasn’t taken off picture with the disgraced actor from her Facebook, where she posed with him at an event back in 2015, the Daily Mail reports.
Rebecca’s father Dr David Minkoff is also a controversial figure who had to pay $100,000 as part of a wrongful death lawsuit of Scientologist Lisa McPherson. She died in 1995 at age 36, and her cause of death was initially declared to be pulmonary embolism brought on by "bed rest and severe dehydration."
Rebecca Minkoff opened up about her beliefs with NYT in 2021. "I'm totally open, but it's not my job to proselytize," she said. "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 added.
"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."
Internet furious over Rebecca Minkoff joining ‘RHONY’ cast
The internet was not happy about Rebecca Minkoff joining 'RHONY' cast.
One person commented, "Won't be watching."
"I’ve bought her handbags, but I did not know she’s a Scientologist. Never again," the second said about the designer.
"Sure are some very odd human beings on the planet," one shared.
One disappointed viewer wrote about Scientology, "Stop calling it a church! It’s a cult."
Rebecca lost another potential customer, "Was just looking at one of her bags to buy!! Not Now!!"
A viewer hoped, "I bet she pulls out before they start filming."
One curious online user questioned, "Do they actually pray to something or to someone, or why is it called a church or a place of worship?"
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
