When Bravo announced Rebecca Minkoff as a new cast member of The Real Housewives of New York City, some fans were shocked. Now, just in time for the RHONY Season 15 premiere, her father has been named in a wrongful death lawsuit. It all supposedly links back to the Church of Scientology, and the details are disturbing.
The allegations against Rebecca Minkoff’s father, Dr. Minkoff
Rebecca’s father is Dr. David Minkoff. He owns a clinic in Florida called LifeWorks Wellness Center. According to Radar Online, David has been added to an ongoing lawsuit involving the suicide of a woman named Whitney Mills.
To understand Dr. David, you first have to look at his past. In 1995, he became involved in a case with a woman named Lisa McPherson. She died while under the care of the Church of Scientology. The subsequent lawsuit resulted in a $100,000 settlement and Dr. David losing his medical license. What is it with the world of Housewives and public medical callouts? Allegedly, he prescribed sedatives over the phone to third-party church staff handling her care. He is said to have never even met her.
Despite the suspended medical license, he continued to “treat” patients at his clinic. Whitney, the woman at the center of the latest lawsuit, became a patient in 2015.
According to the complaint, LifeWorks diagnosed her with ovarian cysts, Lyme disease complications, and various other conditions. Before her death, she complained about deteriorating mental health symptoms. Her complaints included “anxiety, insomnia, hallucinations and the sensation her skin was burning.”
Rather than accessing her mental health concerns, the complaint alleges that Dr. David solely focused on her physical ailments and prescribed her a bunch of experimental drugs and herbal remedies. He even allegedly prescribed her ivermectin, which became well-known during the coronavirus outbreak as a dangerous, unproven remedy.
The complaint against Rebecca’s father includes allegations about the communication he had with his “patient” before her death. She’d reach out to him complaining about her mental health struggles, and instead of offering medical treatments, his suggestions aligned with Scientology practices. The lawsuit seeks to prove that his lack of medical care resulted in her death.
If you or someone you know needs help for a mental health concern, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264). For confidential treatment referrals, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website or call the National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). If it is an emergency, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or call 911.
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