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Bethenny Frankel's Biggest Moments from Her 8-Season RHONY Run
The Real Housewives of New York City cast member gave viewers a front-row seat to her life for 8 seasons.
As far as iconic Housewives go, Bethenny Frankel is certainly among the top. An original cast member of the second show in the Real Housewives franchise, The Real Housewives in New York City, Bethenny entered the Bravoverse with her memorable and sassy tagline, “New York City is my playground.”
During her tenure, she gifted fans some of the most quoted Bravo phrases of all time including " Get off my jock," "Go to SLEEP," "Maybe I know it all," and "Mention it all."
Bethenny became a fan favorite for her honest and blunt approach, her witty interviews, and taking us along on a no-holds-barred ride through her life’s ups and downs. On the show, Bethenny gave viewers a front row seat to her marriage and subsequent tumultuous divorce, various medical issues, the death of a loved one, friendship breakups, and more.
Season 1: Bethenny Frankel struggled to grow her business
When Bravo viewers first met Bethenny in Season 1, she was an up-and-coming businesswoman and chef. “My career is very important to me,” Bethenny shared in the show’s premiere episode. “I want to be a household name, like a modern, healthy Martha Stewart.”
The road there wasn’t easy: An iconic early scene depicted Bethenny trying to hand out samples of her baked goods at a supermarket to a smattering of disinterested shoppers.
In the first season, Bethenny also had a boyfriend, Jason Colodne. She was eager to marry him and to have a child with him, but she had doubts about whether, as a divorcee with three kids, he was ready.
Season 2: Bethenny Frankel started SkinnyGirl and had a break-up
Bethenny and Jason ultimately called it quits, which she revealed to Jill Zarin in the show’s second season. In Season 2, she also experienced some tensions with the other women, including Kelly Bensimon and Luann de Lesseps.
At the same time, she was making great strides in terms of her business. She began work on her SkinnyGirl line of margaritas and was promoting her line of baked goods, Bethenny Bakes.
Season 3: Jill Zarin broke things off with Bethenny Frankel, who found a new love
The show’s third season began with a crack in Bethenny and Jill’s friendship, after it was revealed that the former besties hadn’t spoken in months. Things came to a head when Bethenny blamed Jill for a tabloid story about their friendship. After a face-to-face confrontation, Jill decided she was done with Bethenny, leading to one of the most iconic and polarizing friendship breakups in Bravo history.
There was also tumult in Bethenny’s friendship with Ramona Singer. They got into a disagreement during a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, and Ramona famously told Bethenny, “You have no friends. You have nobody in your life. Right now you have Jason — you’ll probably mess that up, too.”
Bethenny had begun a relationship with Jason Hoppy at the time. She became pregnant with their child later in the season and they got engaged.
Season 3 is also when the unforgettable Scary Island trip happened, and Bethenny told Kelly to “Go to SLEEP!”
Bethenny left the show after Season 3.
“The B is back” when Bethenny Frankel returned for Season 7
When Bethenny returned for Season 7, her tagline was, “I’m not a housewife, but I am real.”
She was in the midst of splitting from Jason, and the first episode saw her checking into a hotel’s presidential suite, where she was living. “I’m the wealthiest homeless person in Manhattan,” she famously said.
She updated fans on what happened in her life during her hiatus: “I’ve gone through a very public divorce, and my old apartment in TriBeCa is currently occupied by my ex,” she explained. “For two years I’ve been in transition. I feel like I’m in purgatory.”
Throughout the season, Bethenny continued to deal with the drama that ensued as she tried to get her divorce finalized, and eventually found, renovated, and moved into a new apartment.
Bethenny’s chaotic situation left her with little patience for the pettier dramas in the friend group. Kristen Taekman was offended when she didn’t get an invite to Bethenny’s birthday dinner, but Bethenny was uninterested in smoothing things over.
Bethenny also found herself at odds with Heather Thomson: On the cast trip to Turks and Caicos, Heather called Bethenny out for being a know-it-all, and Bethenny iconically replied, “Maybe I know it all.”
By then a very successful business mogul, Bethenny attempted to help Sonja Morgan with her businesses, forged a friendship with Carole Radziwill, and traveled to Miami to reconnect with her estranged father.
Season 8: Bethenny continued to struggle with her ongoing divorce
As the show’s eighth season opened, Bethenny was still juggling her business, dating, and her ongoing divorce — but also found herself at odds with John Mahdessian, Dorinda Medley’s boyfriend, after Dorinda’s bra party.
Bethenny then tried to plan a girls' trip to Mexico, but had to pivot to a Miami trip due to her health issues. During the vacation, Bethenny learned that Luann's then-fiancé, Tom D’Agostino, had been cheating on her, and memorably told Luann.
Meanwhile, she learned that Sonja hoped to launch a prosecco brand called TipsyGirl. Bethenny did not take kindly to the alleged homage, and called Sonja out for trying to launch a “copycat brand.”
Bethenny organized Season 9’s unforgettable Tequila, Mexico cast trip
After winning back the apartment in her divorce, Bethenny worked with Million Dollar Listing New York’s Fredrik Eklund to sell it.
The conflict between Ramona and Bethenny reached new heights when Ramona questioned a video from Bethenny’s past.
The season also featured possibly the most memorable RHONY cast trip of all to Tequila, Mexico. Bethenny organized the trip, which included lots of shots, skinny dipping in the pool, and even some tears. A RHONY executive later called it "the most epic sh-t show in RHONY history."
In Season 10, Bethenny and Carole’s friendship came to a tumultuous end
Bethenny and Carole’s super close friendship took a turn in Season 10: As Carole and Tinsley Mortimer grew closer, she and Bethenny drifted further apart, and they basically fought the entire season. By the reunion, it was clear their friendship was over for good.
The season also chronicled Bethenny’s relief work in Puerto Rico, after she and Dorinda flew to the island to help the people displaced by the hurricane. Viewers were also introduced to Bethenny’s new love interest, Dennis Shields.
Ramona and Bethenny’s relationship was still in a rough spot, especially after Ramona told Bethenny she doesn’t support women and famously ended an argument with “Wow, Bethenny, wow.”
In Season 11, Bethenny mourned the loss of her boyfriend, Dennis
When Season 11 opened, Bethenny was grieving the sudden and unexpected death of her boyfriend, Dennis. It was later revealed that the two were actually engaged before his passing. She continued to struggle to come to terms with the situation throughout the season.
Bethenny also felt unappreciated after helping Luann with her struggles with alcohol, and she broke down after memorably telling Luann that “life is not a cabaret.”
Why did Bethenny Frankel leave RHONY?
Bethenny ultimately exited the show for good after Season 11.
She officially announced the departure on Instagram in August 2019.
“I wanted to take a moment to write a personal note to you. I am so grateful to you for sticking with me through everything. You started this journey with me in my tiny apartment in my late 30s, wondering what would happen to me. I was broke, single, had no family and no idea what the future held,” she wrote. “I had big dreams and I never stopped, but I honestly didn’t know if I would ever get here."
“I am fortunate to have created a business and career that some people only dream of," she added. "I had a beautiful baby girl who is now 9 years old, and she has changed me as a human being. I was able to give back and help people all over the world who have been hit with the worst of unforeseen circumstances, which we will all continue together."
She ended on a hopeful note.
“GO for it. Whatever it is," she finished. "Reach for your dreams in life and love and make the impossible happen, because it can happen and it WILL happen. Come from a place of yes and it’s yours for the taking.”
In a statement to Variety, she added, "It’s time to move on and focus on my daughter, my philanthropy and my production partnership with Mark Burnett, producing and starring in shows which represent a shift in the conversation for women."
"My experience at Bravo has been an incredibly magical ride," Frankel said. "I am so grateful to them for highlighting my entrepreneurialism and allowing me to pave the way for many women to achieve their goals. I am excited for my future. The best is yet to come."
