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Crystal Kung Minkoff is standing up for Gina Kirschenheiter amid her ongoing clash with Jeff Lewis. The reality star discussed her friendships with both Still Flipping Out figures and shared her hopes for how their strained relationship could evolve.
The dispute began on a previous episode of Watch What Happens Live, where Jeff said he would never take on a design project for Gina because he did not believe her budget would be a good fit. He also implied that she was “broke.” Gina later responded by criticizing his plastic surgery, prompting Jeff to label her a “white-trash grifter.”
During an appearance on Page Six’s Virtual Reali-Tea, Crystal—who knows both reality personalities—addressed the heated exchange.
“I would say this right to his face; I don’t agree with what he says about her,” Crystal said. “I like Gina. I think she’s super nice and I’m really impressed with what she’s done in her life.”
Crystal also explained that the timing of Gina’s appearance on her podcast, Humble Brag, was purely coincidental. “I hate it because I know how she’s feeling, because I actually had Gina on my show, on Humble Brag, the day he kind of came for her,” she said. “So people thought it was connected, but as you know, we filmed [the podcast episode] a week prior. So it just happened to be [coincidental].”
While Crystal acknowledged that Jeff is known for having strong “opinions”—part of the reason he has a platform on Bravo—she suggested the reaction might be different because he is a man.
“Because when you see women clapping back at each other, they cheer,” said Crystal, adding that “com[ing] for people out of nowhere” is not her “style.”
Despite the current tension, Crystal believes the two could eventually reconcile. “Maybe fast forward a year and [Gina will] be really close friends with him,” she said. “That would make me really happy because I really respect them both. I really like them both.”
Crystal went on to praise Jeff’s generosity, describing it as a quality that extends to his family, staff and guests on Jeff Lewis Live. “Jeff is incredibly generous. I mean, it’s rare to find someone like that,” she said. “He’s generous to his family, he’s generous to his team, and he’s generous to us as his guests and friends [on Jeff Lewis Live]. And he really, really wants to help other people succeed and really push that.” She added that Jeff regularly promotes her podcast during her appearances: “Every time I’m on [his show], he’s like, ‘OK, let’s talk about [my podcast] Humble Brag, what are you doing this week?’ … It’s like you’re not just there for him; he’s there for you as well.”
Crystal also pushed back against the idea that Jeff expects her to automatically support his views. “We appreciate each other’s frankness and honesty,” she said, emphasizing that their friendship has never been based on unconditional agreement.