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From Homeless to Millions: How RHONY Newbie Rebecca Minkoff Turned Her Life Around

As one Minkoff leaves the Real Housewives franchise, another steps up. Crystal Minkoff waved goodbye to the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills this year. Now, Rebecca Minkoff has been announced as a newbie to RHONY. The show rebooted with an all-new cast last year. Season 14 welcomed Ubah Hassan, Sai De Silva, Jenna Lyons, Erin Lichy, Jessel Taank, and Brynn Whitfield. Now, there’s a new addition to the cast for fans to get to know.

The Real Housewives of New York City is synonymous with legends of the franchise including Ramona Singer, Sonja Morgan, and LuAnn de Lesseps. The golden days of the OGs appearing on-screen are over. But, now, a new group of Housewives is breathing new life into the Bravo show.

Photo by JP Yim/Getty Images for Bloomingdale’s

Rebecca Minkoff joins RHONY

New York and fashionistas go hand in hand, so it makes perfect sense for a designer to join the Real Housewives of New York cast this year.



Rebecca Minkoff will be added to the season 15 cast, confirms People. Season 14 kicked off in July, so fans can expect to see the ladies take The Big Apple once again in late summer of this year.

Rebecca is a fashion designer who co-founded a brand, Rebecca Minkoff, alongside her brother, Uri Minkoff.

The company, formed in 2005, creates handbags, clothing, accessories, fragrance, and homeware.

When it comes to the RHONY newbie’s style, her brand website states: “Rebecca Minkoff’s playful and subtly edgy designs integrate the elements of bohemian femininity with a little bit of rock ‘n’ roll.”

Rebecca is also a podcast host of Superwomen with Rebecca Minkoff and shares how she’s all about female empowerment on her Instagram page.

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Rebecca and Crystal Minkoff

As Crystal Minkoff leaves RHOBH, fans may be curious to know if there’s a link between her and the RHONY newcomer.



Rebecca isn’t related to Crystal or her husband, Rob Minkoff, despite sharing the same surname.

The two Bravo stars share a surname, and they’re both mothers, but that’s where their links more or less end.

She’s joining the show as a “friend of” the cast, joining her fashion-forward co-stars including fellow designer Jenna Lyons.

RHONY newbie was ‘essentially homeless’

While Rebecca is a high flyer in the fashion world and a newbie to Real Housewives, she explains she hasn’t had an easy route to success.

Rebecca told of how she was once “essentially homeless” early in her career in a 2019 interview with MSNBC.

She said of her business journey:

“I think you have to be willing to put everything on the line.”

Her parents reportedly suggested she move back to Florida. But she decided to “stick it out.”



Speaking to Tori Dunlap, the host of the Financial Feminist podcast, this April, Rebecca explained how she moved to New York at 18 years old for an internship.

She went on to launch her bag brand and created an item called The Morning After Bag. Rebecca ended up making hundreds of millions in revenue but said her brother “didn’t pay himself for the first five years” and she paid herself “enough to pay her rent and live barely” so that they could “invest in the business.”