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Orange Is the New Black Wiki
Orange Is the New Black Wiki
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in: Civilians, Season 1 Characters, Season 2 Characters,
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Crystal Burset

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Crystal Burset is Sophia Burset's wife. She and Sophia have a son named Michael. Crystal is portrayed by Tanya Wright.

Personality[]

She is an understanding and caring woman, deeply concerned with the welfare of her son, Michael. She and Sophia are no longer romantically involved. However, she still cares for Sophia and is willing to fight for her when needed.

Physical Appearance[]

She has arched eyebrows, brown hair, eyes and skin.

Biography[]

Before Sophia's incarceration[]

Before Michael's birth, it is evident Crystal is more comfortable about the baby than Sophia. ("Mother's Day")

When Crystal's spouse Sophia comes out to her as transgender, she helped her with the transition. Crystal gives Sophia one of her own dresses to try on when the clothes Sophia picked out weren't appropriate.

In a probable effort to maintain their sexual life as it is, Crystal asks Sophia to forgo her planned vaginoplasty, but Sophia says the surgery is necessary.

Unknown to Crystal, Sophia is funds her transition with stolen credit cards. Their son Michael, who hadn't accepted Sophia's transition, eventually turns Sophia in, leading to her arrest and subsequent incarceration. ("Lesbian Request Denied")

Season One[]

Crystal is a loyal spouse, having stuck by Sophia through both her transition and prison sentence, giving Sophia clothes and makeup tips and later visiting her in prison. Despite her support, when Sophia doesn't get an appropriate amount of hormone pills from the prison pharmacy, she asks Crystal to smuggle them in. Crystal refuses, pointing out how much she is struggling due to Sophia's mistakes and asking, "How selfish can one person be?" She also misses men and eventually, with Sophia's blessing, begins dating her Pastor.

Season Two[]

In "Little Mustachioed Shit", Michael finally comes to see Sophia for the first time in prison. Crystal suggests they play cards to mitigate the awkwardness.

Season Three[]

When Gloria Mendoza takes over kitchen duties from Red, she can no longer visit her son Benny during the same visitation times, and needs to find him a ride during another time. When she finds out Crystal lives near Gloria's Aunt Lourdes, who has custody of her sons, Gloria asks if Benny can ride up with Crystal and Michael.

Michael and Benny become friends, and Sophia blames Benny when Michael begins exhibiting rebellious and callous behavior. Crystal, however, places the problem with Michael in their parenting. She is concerned when Michael sneaks a girl into the house and confronts Sophia over dating advice she had given to Michael, namely "pick an insecure girl to practice on."

Crystal is tolerant of Michael's new friendship with Benny. She allows Benny over for dinner and does not attribute Michael's rebellious attitude to his new friend. Later, she tells Sophia that Michael got into a fight with another boy, while Benny ran away.

Crystal stops bringing Benny with them on visits to Litchfield. Gloria presumes that it is because Sophia told her to stop giving him rides, but Crystal's actual reasons remain unclarified.

Season Four[]

In Power Suit, Crystal finds out that Sophia is in the SHU indefinitely after Gloria asks Benny to go over to Crystal's house to tell her. Crystal proceeds to stand outside of Litchfield, where she talks to Caputo, threatening to sue and fight for Sophia. She eventually goes to Caputo's home where Linda threatens her with a gun.

Later, a photo of Sophia in the SHU is given to Danny Pearson, and he and Crystal take it to MCC. By this method, they succeed in getting Sophia back into general prison population.

Season Six[]

Sophia tells Crystal she will be released soon. On the day, Crystal waits for Sophia outside the prison, and embraces her. The two go home. ("Be Free")

Relationships[]

Romantic[]

  • Sophia Burset (wife) - Crystal and Sophia married before Sophia came out as a transgender woman. Crystal supported her through her transition, but despite caring for Sophia, due to her only being attracted to men their relationship had never been the same since then. Although they are currently still legally married, they are not romantically involved, but still care for each other as friends. Sometime after Sophia's incarceration, Crystal begins to date her pastor. Sophia eventually gives them her blessing.
  • Unnamed Pastor (boyfriend) - Sometime during Sophia's incarceration, Crystal falls for her pastor, and eventually, with Sophia's blessing, begins dating him.

Family[]


Appearances[]

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