Rebecca Minkoff says ‘No comment’ to Scientology questions in RHONY trailer

Bravo viewers got their first look at the upcoming Real Housewives of New York City season with a new trailer that appeared yesterday, and it confirms what was reported in the spring, that handbag designer Rebecca Minkoff will be a “friend” to the main cast in the series and presumably a substantial presence in the show.

The three-minute preview seemed like a typical one for the franchise, which portrays the rivalries and spats of wealthy women in totally not ginned-up controversies for the camera. Minkoff was briefly introduced and then promptly dinged by one cast member, Brynn Whitfield, who said her handbags were available at Nordstrom Rack. And the trailer also gave the impression that Minkoff, a married mother of four, had recently gotten knocked up in a one-night stand. People magazine seemed stunned by this and said it was reaching out to Minkoff’s reps for a statement (although they admitted they weren’t sure it was actually Minkoff that was being talked about at that point).

But what we were really looking for was some reference to Minkoff’s status as a Scientology celebrity, and it did come up. In a limousine, Whitfield said to Minkoff, “If people ask us about the Scientology stuff, what do you want us to say?”

“No comment?” Rebecca replied.

Sure, and that’s probably about as much as the show will get into about Minkoff’s dedication to the church, which has been surprisingly visible in recent years.

Here at the Bunker we’ve documented how Minkoff has helped a Scientology front group that infiltrates New York City schools to spread the good news about Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, and with the help of the clueless New York City Police Department. Minkoff’s work for this effort even included a very public stunt to open trading at NASDAQ.

We also showed that in 2019, Rebecca and her father David Minkoff were celebrated for making $5 million in donations to Scientology’s membership organization, the International Association of Scientologists, which leader David Miscavige uses as a slush fund to open his new “Ideal Org” projects, fund endless litigation, and carry out attacks on the church’s perceived enemies.

And it’s that connection with her father, a quack “physician” in Clearwater, Florida that is most troubling. David Minkoff lost his medical license for a year after he was implicated in the notorious 1995 death of Lisa McPherson. He had prescribed sedatives for her as she was being held in a cabana at the Fort Harrison Hotel, raving through a severe mental health crisis, and without his ever actually examining her in person. She died of dehydration after 17 days of the cruel and negligent treatment by Scientology handlers.

After that, we reported here at the Bunker that David Minkoff continued on with his pseudoscientific quackery, and now once again it’s gotten him in trouble as he was implicated again in the tragic death of a Scientologist. Before she ended her own life, Whitney Mills sought help from Minkoff with her severe depression, but he misdiagnosed her with things she didn’t have (ovarian cancer, for one), and told her to “handle” her problems with Scientology training routines.

Whitney’s mother, Leila Mills, is suing Scientology for negligence in a wrongful death lawsuit, and in May she put Minkoff on notice that she was planning on suing him as well. We expect her allegations against him to show up in a lawsuit any day now.

We think it would be worthwhile to hear from Rebecca Minkoff what she thinks about her quack father, the one she gave Scientology $5 million with, for being involved in another notorious Scientology death, or why she is helping to spread misinformation about drugs written by L. Ron Hubbard to New York City schoolkids, or how she justifies giving millions to David Miscavige to use to attack people like Leah Remini.

But it’s going to be a “no comment” on Bravo, apparently. Well, that show has more important spats to cover, we suppose.

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Another reason to fork over your cash, pilgrims!

We received another great Scientology fundraising letter that we knew you’d want to see…

Dear [redacted] —

This week marks the 57th Anniversary of the founding of the Sea Org. It’s a HUGE deal and I want to talk a little about what the SO means, in particular, to the creation of Ideal Orgs.

These selfless, courageous beings have kept the Bridge there from Day One. They’ve ceaselessly brought the Tech to millions worldwide and have taken full responsibility for Clearing the planet.

[Redacted], there would be no Ideal Orgs anywhere without those dedicated beings in the Int Landlord’s Office. They are our lifeline to the future — yes, for all of us! The ILO provides the expertise and strategy and guidance and encouragement that make the creation of Ideal Orgs even possible.

I’ve been fortunate to have worked with the Int Landlord’s Office for over two decades. And I’ve never witnessed a more dedicated, on-purpose, totally there team of individuals who are not only keeping the dream alive, but are making it happen on a daily basis — and doing so in the spirit of games at that!

Please take a moment, [redacted], out of your busy week to give a theta shout-out to the Int Landlord’s Office. Often unheralded, working mostly behind the scenes, these Giants are making it possible for literally hundreds of millions to access the Tech and create their own destiny for today and lifetimes to come.

In recognition of the masterful work the Int Landlord’s Office is doing, please make a flow to the Ideal Org of Puerto Rico — soon to be ILO’s latest triumph. As we await that final figure of what’s needed to complete this next Ideal Org, what an apt tribute it would be to honor our unsung heroes in the SO with your timely gift.

What do you say, [redacted]?

With much love and mucho gratitude,

David
Flag OTC Fundraising Team

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Source Code: Actual things founder L. Ron Hubbard said on this date in history

Avast, Ye Mateys: Snapshots from Scientology’s years at sea

Overheard in the Freezone: Indie Hubbardism, one thought at a time

Past is Prologue: From this week in history at alt.religion.scientology

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