Content warning: This story discusses eating disorders.
The latest episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills was a profound one—at least for Crystal Kung Minkoff.
She spoke in-depth about her ongoing struggle with an eating disorder—which she first told her co-stars about last season—opening up about how triggering the holidays can be. Crystal was prompted by Kyle Richards, who commended the Instagram post Crystal had shared at the time.
"The other day I was gonna post this picture of the family and I remember feeling like my stomach and my body—I just felt like crap," Crystal explained during the July 20 episode. "And I decided to just be super real and post how I was actually feeling."
The result was an honest depiction of Crystal's continuing recovery, which she discussed further with both Kyle and Diana Jenkins. "My eating disorder started when I was 11," Crystal said. "I remember every school picture I was in the back middle, always. It's one thing being the tallest kid in class, but also looking different as a minority just makes it even that much more apparent."
And though she's come a long way since then, working "very hard to accept how I look and appreciate it," Crystal admitted it's an ongoing battle. "Physically being in my body sucks," she told her cast mates, tearing up. "I f--king feel like s--t all the time. I'm just exhausted. I want to eat a meal and be okay with it."
Kyle and Diana were both extremely sympathetic, and after some reassuring words and hugs were exchanged, the trio rejoined the rest of the ladies.
The next conversation Crystal had about her eating disorder was harder to watch.
At Diana's Christmas party, Crystal and Garcelle Beauvais were once again discussing how difficult the holidays can be when Erika Jayne joined in. Though Erika started off by simply asking a few questions about the specifics of Crystal's eating disorder, the conversation took a turn when Erika, referring to food, said, "I always think, 'Take laxatives to get rid of it.'"
Garcelle was stunned. "A laxative?" she said in a confessional. "She has an eating disorder. Erika's not a doctor and you don't prescribe laxatives to someone with an eating disorder. It's really the most inappropriate thing at the most inappropriate time."
Erika's questionable comments continued when she said that, instead of vomiting eaten food, she's rather "poop it out," prompting Crystal to ask in a confessional, "Is she trying to be helpful, or has she just had a couple too many drinks?"
Things only got worse from there, though. A waiter brought out a tray of food, but as Erika and Crystal both approached her, Erika told Crystal, "You can't have this, it's a chicken tender."
Viewers were then hit with a "to be continued."
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on Bravo.
(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)