Cynthia Bailey and Crystal Kung Minkoff are a match made in heaven. The two Bravolebrities have united for a brand new podcast, "Humble Brag With Crystal and Cynthia," where they break down hot topics, their personal lives and yes, a little bit of tea from never dull word of The Real Housewives. Parade got to talk to the The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and The Real Housewives of Atlanta alums about the genesis of "Humble Brag," the special bond they've formed with each other in the land of Bravo, and how their podcast has offered them some fresh perspective on their reality TV experiences.
While Cynthia, who spent 11 years on RHOA, and Crystal, who appeared on RHOBH for three, had known each other for years, this podcast marked the beginning of an exciting new step in their friendship. "I had been developing this podcast for two years, and every time I was ready to go I just was like, 'I don't know.' I wasn't quite ready yet," Minkoff explained to us. "I just thought, I really want the right partner, and one day it hit me ... it's Cynthia."
As for Cynthia, she also felt an immediate connection, calling Crystal "super cool." She explained, "I'm an energy person. I just loved her energy. I just felt like she really was super authentic. People assume just because we all work on a show together that we all connect with each other, and that's just not true. I felt a connection with Crystal."
From the beginning of their podcasting journey, one thing was very clear to both of them: "Humble Brag" would not be a Housewives recap podcast. While there certainly is an audience for those shows (see Tamra Judge and Teddi Mellencamp's "Two T's in a Pod"), Crystal and Cynthia were interested in a more grounded, relaxed approach, a space that feels like you're hanging out with them, rather than recapping other people's lives.
"We don't want to recap Housewives," Bailey explained, while still teasing that naturally, Housewives will come up. "We have our housewife history, so when it naturally comes up for us to talk about things, we talk about it. We're both still friends with a bunch of Housewives, but it's not like we're like breaking down the episodes."
While the podcast only has a few episodes out, it's already drumming up fans.
"Cynthia and I have done this in an organic, natural way," Crystal explained to us. "So we're not acting like we're hoping someone's a fly on the wall, we're just being ourselves. We couldn't be more thrilled that people are responding in the way they have. Every day we call each other, we're like, 'Wait, people really like it.'"
As Crystal steps away from Beverly Hills this season and Cynthia prepares to return to Atlanta as a "Friend", the process of letting the audience into their lives via podcast vs. the often truncated mode of reality TV has been a healing one.
"It's really so cathartic and I think for me, I struggled most with people seeing me a certain way that I had no control over," Crystal said when recalling her experience on RHOBH. "Because you're on the show, and you have to respect the network and the experience of it ... I'm a team player, but actually, it really like took a toll on me emotionally."
"If you don't like me because of me, cool," she continued, "And if you like me because you like me, awesome! The problem with the show is you don't like me because of what was shown in this edit and then I have to live with that? That was really hard."
Crystal also added that diving into the behind-the-scenes of reality TV on "Humble Brag" has also been an unexpected perk, especially for fans who may want to get a little peak behind the curtain.
"The audience is so smart," she added. "You can still enjoy the show while knowing how the sausage is made. We're not gonna expose everything because we respect the experience, but we're also like, here are the things we can share with you guys, and it's fun!"
Bailey got a taste of how much "Humble Brag" is resonating with Bravo fans when she attended Bravo Fan Fest in Miami last month. "When I tell you how many fans came up to me, like hundreds of them, saying how much they love 'Humble Brag!' I was like, 'Wait, what?' I was calling Crystal and I was like, 'Bitch people really like "Humble Brag"!'"
Bailey, gushing over the special connection she's found with Crystal, reffered to their bond as "the perfect accident." Crystal swiftly agreed with her new bestie, even suggesting that could have made for an even better title than "Humble Brag."
In the often-tense land of Real Housewives, rifts are unfortunately more common than bonds. How special it is then, to witness two reality stars from different backgrounds come together for some laughs, some healing, and a little bit of shade along the way.
"Humble Brag With Crystal and Cynthia" is available to watch on YouTube and listen to wherever you get your podcasts.
