Sutton Stracke recently apologized after becoming embroiled in a tense argument about race with her castmate Crystal Kung Minkoff during a trip to Lake Tahoe.
Now Garcelle Beauvais has come to her defense, insisting her costar is not racist.
‘I think she’s misunderstood,’ Beauvais, 54, told Hollywood Life. ‘Sutton is not a racist. Nobody on the show is a racist.’
‘Sutton is not a racist’: Garcelle Beauvais defended her costar Sutton Stracke in an interview with Hollywood Life (pictured 2020)
Beauvais broke down the events that led to Stracke’s comment, explaining the cast had started talking over one another after a long day of traveling and drinking.
‘We flew to Tahoe, we shot all day, we’re drinking the entire time and when people are talking, they tend to talk over each other.’
Beauvais does not believe Stracke meant any harm with her comments, nor was she ‘trying to take anything way from Crystal’s story’.
‘Sometimes you want to tell your story too and you might talk over a friend and I think people can be really hard and she owned up to what people were saying in terms of her interrupting Crystal. She didn’t mean any harm.’
Tough conversation: The conflict started after Minkoff started discussing her experiences with racial stereotyping
Breaking barriers: Minkoff is the first Asian-American to be cast on The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills
The conflict all started after Minkoff, the first Asian-American cast on the show, started talking about her experiences with racial stereotyping during a trip to Lake Tahoe.
Stracke refused to get involved in the conversation.
‘I’m not doing this,’ Stracke told Minkoff, in addition to ‘I am not talking about racial stereotypes.’
‘It’s easy for you not to,’ Minkoff informed Stracke, who is white.
Reluctance: Stracke refused to get involved in the discussion
Stracke said she didn’t want to discuss stereotypes because she faces them as someone hailing from the South.
‘Are you those people that you don’t see color? Tell me you’re that girl,’ Minkoff replied, characterizing her reluctance to discuss the issue as ‘insane.’
‘Are you serious with me right now?’ Stracke asked Minkoff.
Touchy subject: Stracke said she didn’t want to discuss stereotypes because she faces them as someone hailing from the South
‘It was disrespectful to interrupt her’: Stracke apologized for her behavior in a statement posted Thursday
In a statement posted to Instagram after the remarks were aired, Stracke Minkoff and promised to ‘do better.’
‘Despite Crystal and my strained relationship at the time, it was disrespectful to interrupt her and not listen to her express her truth,’ Sutton began in the statement posted to her Instagram account.
‘My life is blessed by the diversity of my relationships and I am committed to become a better listener to understand the painful realities experienced by people of color. I am sorry. I will do better and be better.’
‘I will do better and be better’: Stracke promised to ‘do better’ as she issued an apology to Crystal
Speaking with People in May 2021, Minkoff discussed the importance of being the first Asian-American cast on the show.
‘It’s a huge honor and a huge responsibility I feel to represent not only Chinese Americans, but all AAPI,’ she said. ‘And with the uprise of anti-Asian hate, it’s a collective problem.’
‘Sometimes the conversations were challenging,’ the reality star added. ‘Everyone comes from different perspectives and from different backgrounds. But we have to move the needle. And the more conversations there are, the more understanding.’
‘It’s a huge honor and a huge responsibility’: Crystal discussed the importance of being the first Asian American cast on the show during an interview with People (pictured on Watch What Happens Live)
Crystal’s casting was announced back in October 2020 shortly after news emerged Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave and Denise Richards would not be returning for next season.
Crystal has been married to Rob Minkoff since 2007 and they share son Max and daughter Zoe.
Minkoff directed the original Lion King movie, The Haunted Mansion, Stuart Little and Stuart Little 2.
Crystal is the founder of the company Real Coco, which sells products like coconut-based coffee creamer, water, milk and chips.
Family ties: Crystal has been married to Rob Minkoff since 2007 and they share son Max, eight, and daughter Zoe, five (pictured 2017)