RHOBH’s Crystal Kung Minkoff Weighs In on Mom Group Drama

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Crystal Kung Minkoff is cosigning Ashley Tisdale’s perspective on difficult mom group dynamics. 

Following the widespread attention on a personal essay by a former Disney Channel star about leaving a difficult mom group, a former member of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills came forward with her own similar experience.

Crystal explained on her podcast, Humble Brag, that she’s known most of the moms in her group since preschool. She estimates she’s known about 70 percent of them for that long, as they all grew up together.

Crystal acknowledged finding Ashley’s essay, published in The Cut on January 1st, quite thought-provoking, especially since she’d experienced something comparable, describing it as very representative of 2021.

I don’t want to share too many details because it’s a private matter for them,” the mother of two explained. “I’ve dealt with this situation before.”

Crystal claims she was pushed out of the Real Housewives show after being a cast member from 2021 to 2024.

Crystal remembered that Ashley said she left the group, while Crystal herself stayed. She explained that she completed the show, and, as she detailed in a previous episode, the others turned against her and removed her from the project.

Although she understood what Ashley was going through, the 42-year-old, who has two children – 13-year-old Max and 10-year-old Zoe – with her husband, Rob Minkoff, said she wasn’t shocked that the former High School Musical star was facing criticism.

Crystal wondered what the woman had been expecting, especially considering how much the other women in the group are admired and cared for.

She also clarified that she didn’t know Ashley, who had previously posted pictures with celebrity mothers like Mandy Moore, Hilary Duff, and Meghan Trainor, and insisted she wasn’t trying to cause trouble for the women still involved. She explained that she’s known Hilary Duff for ten years and finds her to be kind, making it hard to believe she’d be involved in any negativity. She feels bad for Ashley given the situation and the group’s dynamics.

Ashley’s essay has caused quite a stir since it was published. Notably, Hilary Duff’s husband, Matthew Koma, publicly criticized it online, even making fun of the essay’s title.

Matthew shared that when a parent is overly self-absorbed and insensitive, other parents usually redirect their attention to their own children. He described this observation as ‘A Mom Group Tell All Through A Father’s Eyes’.

Ashley isn’t the only celebrity who’s said something surprising. Here are some other shocking confessions from famous people…

In June 2024, NFL player Jason Kelce jokingly tweeted about someone commenting that he “looks like he doesn’t wash his legs or feet.” He responded with a playful, “What kind of weirdo washes their feet…”

The retired Philadelphia Eagles player later doubled down on his comments.

On his podcast, New Heights with his brother Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes jokingly asked, “What kind of person washes someone else’s feet?” He then added that he’d only scrub them if they were visibly dirty.

More than ten years after telling a story about witnessing a clown’s death in a car accident at the circus when he was a child, the actor known for Twilight has confessed that the story was made up.

Robert remembered telling The New York Times Style Magazine in December 2024 that he reacted with complete surprise, saying, “What on earth? Are you possessed?”

As for what he said during the 2011 Today interview promoting his film Water for Elephants?

He explained that one of the clowns had died in an accident. Their small car exploded while they were performing, and it was a truly frightening experience. Everyone immediately rushed out.

Grandma knows best.

In an October 2022 episode of The Kardashians, Kim Kardashian shared a personal story about how her grandmother, Mary Jo “MJ” Campbell, unexpectedly played a role in a private moment with her then-boyfriend, Pete Davidson.

Oh my god, you guys will NOT believe what Kim told MJ, Kris, and Khloe! Apparently, she and Pete were at the Beverly Hills Hotel, just chilling by the fireplace, and they were talking for ages. Then, get this, Kim said her grandma always told her that really living life meant, like, having sex in front of a fireplace! So, naturally, she and Pete… well, they did it, right there, as a tribute to her grandma! I mean, can you even?! It’s so them, so iconic! I’m obsessed with everything about this story. It’s pure magic!

Grandma’s reaction? A nod of approval.

Kim found it unsettling to think about her grandmother before being intimate, and MJ responded by saying she understood, but she had been younger once herself.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve always admired families who truly connect, and Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher’s is one of them. They’ve created such a warm and loving environment for their kids, Wyatt and Dimitri, that it’s clear their bond goes beyond just being a family – they’re genuinely close and supportive of each other.

So much so, that the Black Swan actress revealed they keep an open-door policy at home.

She told TopMob News in September 2022 that this extends to the bathroom, explaining that her family has simply accepted all normal bodily functions as a regular part of life, for better or worse.

Mila explained that she finally gave in after her family repeatedly asked to come inside. She said she just decided to leave the door open rather than continue trying to keep them out.

Pre-kids, she might not have imagined she’d flush that particular boundary away.

She said she never imagined she’d be comfortable enough to use the restroom with the door open.

Ghouls just want to have fun.

During an October 2022 episode of The View, the conversation turned to a woman claiming to be haunted by “sexual ghosts.” Sara Haines then posed a surprising question to her co-hosts: “Is it possible to get pregnant from a ghost?”

Luckily, Joy Behar, her co-host, chimed in with a humorous response: “I’ve had encounters with ghosts and never gotten pregnant.”

“I’m going to leave that statement as is,” Whoopi Goldberg responded. “I’m not sure everyone heard what Joy said, but I’m not going to comment on it further.”

Jenna Bush Hager and Hoda Kotb are very close friends, but Hoda recently learned something surprising about her “Today” co-host. While preparing for an episode of “Today with Hoda and Jenna,” Hoda found out that Jenna never wears underwear.

Hoda Kotb recalled a funny moment from a November 2022 episode of Today with Hoda and Jenna. She explained that they both needed to quickly change outfits and had to return to the dressing room. While there, Hoda realized Jenna Bush Hager doesn’t wear underwear.

Jenna’s rationale? Well, no underwear might just be more convenient to her.

She explained that the outfit creates a nicer shape and is also easier to pack, adding that there are many other benefits too.

Looks like someone hasn’t been keeping up.

Britney Spears related to a line from Keke Palmer’s viral video – “He could be walking down the street and I wouldn’t know a thing” – and confessed she wasn’t familiar with Pete Davidson or Scott Disick.

Britney shared a funny video from March of Pete Davidson (who was dating Kim Kardashian at the time) and Kourtney Kardashian’s ex, Scott Disick, having a night out together, saying it made her laugh a lot.

Britney apologized for sharing the post, explaining she didn’t know the people in the video, but it had made her laugh a lot.

Before Chris Evans became famous as Captain America and was named People’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2022, Jana Kramer dated him and thought he was a handsome and charming guy.

The singer shared on her podcast, Whine Down with Jana Kramer, that this happened over ten years ago. While she doesn’t remember exactly how many times they went out, she does clearly remember the last time they were together.

Jana, who was around 26 at the time, said Chris asked her to come over when he had some friends visiting from Boston.

Jana recalled that the last thing she remembered was her partner going to the bathroom right after she’d eaten asparagus, which sometimes changes the smell of urine. They didn’t spend the night together. He stayed up late with friends, and the next morning, Jana left his house feeling embarrassed – what she jokingly called the ‘asparagus walk of shame’.

She added, “I never heard from him again.”

Not all of these confessions are amusing.

In December, television writer Elisabeth Finch confessed that she had fabricated a story about having a rare form of bone cancer. She originally shared this false diagnosis with ELLE magazine eight years prior, and it even became the basis for a plotline on Grey’s Anatomy.

Okay, so I need to tell you guys something, and it’s been eating me alive for years. When I was 34, I… I just told a lie. And it wasn’t a little white lie, it was a huge mistake, honestly the biggest of my life. It just spiraled, you know? It got bigger and more tangled, and I just kept burying it deeper and deeper inside. It’s just… it’s finally time to say it. I’ve never had cancer. I just… I needed to get that off my chest. It’s been so hard carrying that around all this time.

Finch, who was temporarily removed from his role on the ABC medical show before ultimately quitting, admitted, “I messed up, and it was completely unacceptable. I own that.”

Beauty is pain, but Kim Kardashian might be able to stomach it.

The reality star told The New York Times she’d consider almost any procedure to look younger.

She admitted in June that she’d even consider something drastic – like eating something truly unpleasant every day – if it meant looking younger. She emphasized she was seriously considering it.

Kim told Allure in July 2022 that she was mostly kidding when she made the comment, but admitted it wasn’t a completely awful idea.

Kim continued, saying she’d likely do almost anything for youth, even something disgusting. ‘If someone told me eating a bowl of poop daily would make me look younger, I’d probably do it,’ she admitted.

She wondered how much she could possibly eat. “Perhaps just a small bite,” she said. “I definitely couldn’t manage a whole bowl.”

Jelly Roll could’ve used some saving from himself.

During an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show in April 2025, the singer behind “Save Me” shared a particularly embarrassing story, and he didn’t hesitate to tell all the details.

“I pooped myself one time,” he admitted. “I did, I’m sorry.”

To be honest, Jelly Roll (whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord) didn’t intend to cause such serious harm.

He firmly believed it was just a harmless prank. “I really messed up,” he said. “I saw the crowd turn from supportive to completely against me.”

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2026-01-12 23:18