Textual content messages reveal communications between clothier Rebecca Minkoff’s father, David Minkoff, and his affected person, Whitney Mills, earlier than she died by suicide.
Jun. 24 2024, Printed 8:00 p.m. ET
David Minkoff, a physician within the Church of Scientology and the daddy of clothier Rebecca Minkoff, warned a affected person affected by extreme melancholy earlier than she killed herself that “medication might numb” her, and insisted she had the non secular assist of late Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, screenshots of textual content messages obtained by RadarOnline.com reveal.
In response to a wrongful loss of life lawsuit filed by members of the family final month in Pinellas County, Florida, Whitney Mills was 40 years outdated when she “tried to set herself on fireplace earlier than inflicting herself with a gunshot wound” on Might 12, 2022.
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Dr. David Minkoff, a Florida-based high-ranking Scientologist, is the daddy of upcoming Actual Housewives of New York Metropolis star and clothier Rebecca Minkoff.
Within the months main as much as her loss of life, Mills, a top-ranking scientologist, was handled by Dr. Minkoff, who the household known as an “different drugs physician.” Minkoff, whose daughter just lately joined the forged of Actual Housewives of New York Metropolis, additionally holds a excessive rank within the church, and has been accused of malpractice prior to now.
The doctor “misdiagnosed [Mills] with most cancers and Lyme Illness,” and medical specialists employed by her property revealed that she was “truly affected by extreme nervousness, melancholy, mind fog, mind irritation and a bunch of different issues,” the lawsuit towards the Church of Scientology alleged.
The household additionally accused Minkoff of “extorting” Mills for greater than $20k for “extremely questionable, ‘different’ remedies,” slightly than “correctly treating her.”
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In February of 2022, Mills complained to Dr. Minkoff that “the strain in my head is so intense.”
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In February 2022, she had been “struggling persistent each day debilitating complications, hallucinations, melancholy, lethargy,” and feeling like her “pores and skin…was on fireplace,” and sought assist from Dr. Minkoff, the swimsuit stated.
She despatched a textual content message complaining, “the strain in my head is so intense,” and requested, “Will this go away when the Lyme is gone?” Minkoff responded, “Sure. Did you begin the ivermectin?”
Mills responded that she had began taking Ivermectin, which the physician allegedly gave her to deal with a parasite he identified her with. She later “came upon she didn’t have babesia,” the swimsuit stated.
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Minkoff allegedly prescribed Mills ivermectin for a parasite she didn’t have.
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In the meantime, “Mills’ situation was so extreme that she typically discovered it troublesome to depart the house or do common each day actions equivalent to bathing,” per courtroom docs.
After “begging Minkoff consistently” for assist along with her psychological well being, Mills wrote to her physician in April 2022, “Is there the rest for the psychological half? I’m critically experiencing some psychological sickness. That is my greatest symptom is the psychological half.”
“The extent of quackery in Dr. Minkoff’s response is nothing in need of astounding,” the household’s lawyer argued, noting that the doctor assured his affected person that her situation “has no energy over YOU. That is the reality. Eye of the tiger.”
“You’re beloved,” the physician continued, “You’ve gotten pals and LRH.”
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Dr. Minkoff assured his affected person that she had the assist of late Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.
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Lower than a month earlier than her loss of life, Mills despatched one other textual content message to Minkoff, studying, “Okay, is there the rest for the psychological issues? I’m REALLY combating that half. That is the toughest half to be performing insane after I’m not.”
Nonetheless, the lawsuit alleged the physician “didn’t refer Mills to a psychological well being care skilled or prescribe applicable medicine,” and that he “put his beliefs in Scientology above his Hippocratic oath and above his duties as a licensed doctor in Florida.”
Mills’ household argued that if the church had not intervened on her care, “Mills wouldn’t have self-harmed.”
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Weeks earlier than her loss of life, Mills pleaded with Minkoff for assist along with her “psychological issues,” saying she was “REALLY struggling.”
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An post-mortem revealed that Mills didn’t have Lyme illness, and that she “didn’t have a cancerous, life-threatening cyst, however slightly a benign one” — a revelation the household argued Dr. Minkoff “would have realized” had he carried out a differential analysis on his affected person.
Within the wake of the scandal, the embattled phsician was put “on discover,” per authorized necessities in Florida for defendants concerned in malpractice fits, the Tampa Bay Occasions reported.
The church known as Mills’ loss of life “an unlucky tragedy,” and denied the household’s allegations.
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