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Fans of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills need no time to get introduced to Crystal Kung Minkoff. A refreshing breath of diversity for one of the least diverse properties in the franchise, Kung Minkoff provides the exact type of drama that fans of Bravo’s universe have grown to love and expect. However, Kung Minkoff isn’t the first star in her family. Her brother, Jeffrey, is an up-and-coming pop star in Hong Kong. 

'RHOBH' season 11 newbie Cyrstal Kung Minkoff on 'WWHL' on May 19, 2021
Crystal Kung Minkoff | Bravo/Getty Images

Is Jeffrey Kung, Crystal Kung Minkoff’s brother, really a pop star?

While Crystal is a California girl, Popnable notes that Jeffrey was born in Hong Kong. There, he developed an interest in music from an early age. While Real Housewives fans might best know him as the unofficial nanny for his sister’s kids, Hong Kong music fans know him for his music. While far from a chart-topper, Jeffrey’s music has appeared sporadically on Hong Kong’s music charts. 

As of now, however, his music hasn’t hit in the States. His recent single, “Real Life,” has just over 350,000 streams on Spotify. However, Kung is still working hard behind the scenes with his sister on other endeavors. He’s heavily involved with her food brand and spends a lot of time with her, not only helping with the kids but basking in her newfound glory. 

Who is Crystal Kung Minkoff?

According to Life & Style, Kung’ Kickoffs’ entrance into the Real Housewives universe adds some much-needed diversity to a franchise that has long been accused of lacking any. The 35-year-old businesswoman entered Real Housewives of Beverly Hills as the first Asian-American on the series. However, just like every other housewife on the brand, this transition did not go smoothly. 

Kung Minkoff’s husband, Rob, directed classic children’s movies like Lion King and Stuart Little. The pair met in 2003 at a movie premiere and married four years later in 2007. Now, the couple has two children named Max and Zoe. With Crystal entering the Real Housewives universe, however, the spotlight is now brighter than ever. 

Crystal has dabbled in acting, but her best success came with Real Coco, a food and drink company that sells a wide array of products from coconut milk to chips. The 76th-generation descendant of philosopher Confucius turned heads right away upon her entrance to the Housewives brand.

With People noting the immediate tensions with castmates like Denise Richards and Sutton Stracke, Crystal wasted no time showing why she became a part of the ever-growing brand. However, despite her rising stature, Crystal enjoys being a part of a bigger movement than her. 

Breaking barriers

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Crystal takes her role as the first Asian American cast member very seriously. While proud to be the first on a personal level, her greatest joy comes from the fact that she can play a small part in an increasingly growing movement to put more AAPI faces onto television, film, music, and other entertainment. She told Life & Style:

“It’s a real honor … it’s a big responsibility that I’m so excited to take on and represent the AAPI community. We’re so underrepresented on TV, and I’m just one person. I hope there will be many more after me, and it’s just such an honor. We have major contributions to society, and we’re just whole people, and I’m excited to share my story.”

In doing so, she’s not just giving herself a boost. She’s also giving her younger brother, Jeffrey, a chance to reach a broader audience. 

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