The Real Housewives of New York City alum Bethenny Frankel reveals a technicality in her contract was the catalyst for her exit from the show.
Bethenny Frankel has opened up about the “technicality deal point” she used as her excuse to leave The Real Housewives Of New York City. Bethenny joined the Bravo Housewives series in 2008 when it debuted on screen. She left the franchise in 2011 after three seasons but returned to the show during the seventh season in 2015. Bethenny was a main cast member of the franchise and kept fans entertained for years. However, she exited the franchise once again after season 11 in 2019.
Bethenny cited emotional exhaustion as the reason behind her departure from the show, but co-star Luann de Lesseps later claimed that there was more to Bethenny’s decision to call it quits. In an interview on Rob Shuter’s podcast Naughty but Nice, Luann alleged that a contract dispute between Bethenny and Bravo producers was why she decided to give up her apple. In the podcast, Luann also said that money was the real reason the Skinnygirl mogul left the show. However, it turned out that Bethenny’s reason for leaving the show was not money-related.
In a recent TikTok video, the 51-year-old TV personality clarified the speculations surrounding her exit. Bethenny noted in the clip shared on July 5, “I used a technicality deal point as my excuse.” Bethenny said she had just lost someone special (Dennis Shields), and the show did not provide time for her to get over the devastating loss as she had to return to work. The reality star then explained that the show’s producers adjusted the Housewives’ contract when many cast members failed to show up for filming because they did not get along with cast members from different cities. The new term stated that cast members would not get paid whenever they missed an episode. Bethenny was not pleased with the new clause in the contract and decided to leave.
In the clip, Bethenny also addressed the information she left because of money. The Big Shot With Bethenny alum clarified, “If I stayed, it would have been because of the money. I left because I wanted to leave. I was ready to leave.” Bethenny, a former talk show host, also noted that producers said they would have changed the contract for her, but she had been looking for an opportunity to leave. Bethenny said, “I’m the type of person [where] that one thing will give me an excuse, so I said no. And then the powers that be said, ‘We would have changed it, et cetera,’ but every little thing matters. And, you know, I don’t bluff, and I just was looking for a reason, and that was a good reason.”
Bravo fans know Bethenny has remained relevant on TV for years, keeping viewers entertained on The Real Housewives Of New York City. The former talk show host gave fans one of the best experiences in reality TV history, and her presence will greatly be missed. Although the TV personality has left and returned in the past, her recent exit seems final. Bethenny’s TikTok video revealed she had been looking for a reason to call it quits. Hence, when the opportunity arose, she wasted no time using it. Bethenny did not comment about returning, meaning fans would have to look forward to more entertainment from other cast members.
