Kyle Richards has no doubt Crystal Kung Minkoff will enjoy her time out of the spotlight.
Richards appeared on Amazon Live on Wednesday and took questions from fans — one of which asked how she felt about Minkoff’s decision to leave The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
“It made me sad, of course… [but] I have kind of mixed feelings,” Richards said. “Not because of her, just because… life is great without reality television, too.”
“So it’s not like, ‘Oh my god, poor Crystal!’ She has a great family, and there’s a lot of say for not doing [reality TV],” Richards added. “She’s gonna be great.”
After three seasons on the show, Minkoff announced on Tuesday that she would not be returning for season 14.
“I just wanted to share the news that I will not be coming back to film season 14 of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. It’s very bittersweet,” Minkoff shared in a video posted to Instagram. “Never did I think I would’ve been asked to do this show in a million years — let alone film it for three seasons.”
Minkoff joined the show in season 11, which aired in 2021, making RHOBH history as the first Asian American cast member. She quickly became known for her memorable interactions and conflicts with her castmates, including a noted feud with Sutton Stracke.
As for her own future with RHOBH, Richards stressed that nothing has been officially decided one way or the other.
“I haven’t said anything yet,” Richards shared. “I know there’s reports online that I’m not coming back, or that I am coming back. That conversation is TBD.”
Earlier this month, Richards spoke with ET at a fundraiser gala in Beverly Hills, and she addressed another high-profile departure — that of castmember Annemarie Wiley.
“I always feel bad when a Housewife comes into the show and doesn’t have the best experience, and unfortunately, you know, this happens sometimes,” Richards said. “But she’s a great girl and she’s got a great family, and I wish her the best.”
Wiley took to social media in March to announce she would not be coming back to the show as she had not been asked.
“I’m disappointed is an understatement,” Wiley said of not returning to the reality show after season 13. “I never auditioned for this show. The show found me and asked me to be on it out of the blue 6 weeks after the cast had already started filming. I was thrown into filming two weeks later, mid-season.”
Despite her excitement about the opportunity, Wiley regrets not being able to showcase her true self and life story on the show.
“What I am is a woman, a proud Black woman, who is truly blessed with a wonderful strong Black man as my husband [Marcellus Wiley] who lifts me and our four wonderful children up with so much love and positivity on a daily basis,” she declared. “It was an important mission of mine for the next season to show a solid Black family unit and that ‘true Black love’ exists, even in Beverly Hills.”
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