Where Is Bethenny Frankel's Former Assistant Julie Plake Now?
The Real Housewives of New York City mogul shares whether she keeps in touch with her past employee.
Julie Plake was right by Bethenny Frankel's side as her Skinnygirl empire began to take off. But she ultimately decided to leave her job with Bethenny as the so-called "coordinator of chaos" and move back home to Pittsburgh to be closer to her boyfriend and family.
Even though it's been years since Julie was an employee of Bethenny's, fans still ask The Real Housewives of New York City mogul about her former assistant all the time. Why, a caller posed that very question to Bethenny during the Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen After Show Tuesday night. "Julie lives in Pittsburgh still, and she was at my house last week with her daughter Josey, who has my birthday," Bethenny updated fans on what Julie is up to these days during the WWHL After Show (clip above). "She makes more of the effort than I do because she's definitely less busy, and she visits, but when she comes, she stops by or we have lunch. We met at the mall recently. She has the most beautiful child. But yes, I keep in touch."
As you can see, a lot has happened in Julie's life since she returned home to Pittsburgh. She got married in 2013 and then welcomed daughter Josey, who is now 3 years old, in 2014. Julie, who now goes by Julie Plake McMinn, worked at the integrated marketing agency MARC USA before becoming a PR/brand consultant with her own firm, JPM Branding + Consulting, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Julie, who is godmother to Bethenny's daughter Bryn, reflected on her time working for Bethenny during an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2012. "She really helped me to grow," Julie said. "It was a great experience."
She still has fond memories of her time with Bethenny today. "Seeing this still makes me so happy and proud to have been a part of the start of it!" she captioned an Instagram photo of a Skinnygirl Candy display she came across in 2017.
Maintaining this type of close relationship with a former employee isn't uncommon for Bethenny. "I keep in touch with all my old assistants, and some have come back. Meghan used to be my assistant, and now she works on the brand side," Bethenny shared during the WWHL After Show. "As much of a tyrant and Miranda Priestly that people think I am, I do have a good relationship with my current and former assistants."
These days, Bethenny can be seen working hard and playing hard with her good friend Fredrik Eklund as they take the world of New York real estate by storm on Bethenny & Fredrik. Get ready for an all-new episode Tuesday at 10/9c with the sneak peek, below.
