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Real Housewives of New York City<\/em><\/strong>\u2018s newest cast member Rebecca Minkoff<\/strong><\/a> is opening up in a new interview!<\/p>\n The 43-year-old fashion designer was announced as a new addition to the cast last month<\/a>, and now, she\u2019s speaking out about her religion, Scientology, as well as why she joined the Bravo reality series.<\/p>\n Keep reading to find out more\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n When asked by Elle <\/a>why she joined the Bravo universe, she shared, \u201cI said to my husband the day I signed on, \u2018I can predict our life if we don\u2019t do this, but I can\u2019t predict our life if we do, and that\u2019s exciting.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n She added, \u201cWhen thinking about it, I was like, \u2018The only way I can do this is by being me.\u2019 And if no one likes that, then I get voted off the island. I have to go in there holding true to everything I\u2019ve built, otherwise I look like a fraud on both sides, and you don\u2019t know who I am and you lose trust. It is not lost on me that there\u2019s a huge irony in that, but I think there\u2019s a way to play in that, too. You\u2019ve met my friends [on the show] who have things to fight about. Do you need another person doing that? Or would it be nice to have someone being like, \u2018Can\u2019t we all just get along?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n On worries about opening her life to criticism, she shared, \u201cWhether it\u2019s the buyer or the reviews, there are these moments where people can attack you. And it\u2019s just like, \u2018Throw another shrimp on that barbie. I\u2019ve had to develop very thick skin. Good thing I\u2019m in the leather business.\u201d<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t know, Rebecca practices Scientology, or as she calls it, her \u201capplied religious philosophy.\u201d She shared that it has helped her \u201cdeal with the stress of the industry, with being better at communicating, and dealing with difficult personalities. It starts and ends there for me.\u201d <\/p>\n About why the public seems very interested in celebrity Scientologists<\/a>, she added, \u201cJudaism is nearly 4,000 years old, Christianity around 2,000 years, so look at what it took for those to become established\u2026[Scientology] is new. And I think new breeds curiosity and misconception, and that\u2019s why I can only tell you what I\u2019ve gotten out of it, which is a source of stress relief, but to anyone who\u2019s curious: There are free online courses.\u201d <\/p>\n Find out the 10 celebs who left Scientology (and why)<\/a>, plus the 12 who are still public members.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n