Bethenny Frankel's Bold Battle for Transformation at Bravo Sparks Ripples of Change

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Bethenny Frankel may not being suing Bravo — but she is still demanding change at the network.

On Monday, October 2, the former star of Real Housewives of New York City, aged 52, took to Instagram to address the recent controversy. In a statement consisting of three slides, she made it clear that she has no intention of hiring lawyers or filing lawsuits. She stated that she has advised affected talent and production members to seek legal representation and is actively advocating for change within the flawed institution.

This clarification from Frankel follows her previous criticism of Bravo. In August, she claimed that she is likely disliked by "everyone" at the network, including Andy Cohen, due to personal reasons and the need to protect the network's interests. She explained this during an interview on Rob Lowe's podcast, "Literally!" where she discussed her idea of unionizing reality TV, which was met with negative reception.

"I got myself tangled in a highly complex situation, all while damaging relationships and giving the impression that I am ungrateful, when in reality, I took care of my own needs," she expressed. "There are numerous individuals who were left without support."

In her extensive Instagram post on Monday, Frankel persisted in criticizing the internal mechanisms of reality TV, insisting that it is the promotion of "conflict and criticism" that drives viewership.

“It's truly fascinating. These women, whom I've been feigning familiarity with within a framework that thrives on criticism and discord, are actually strangers to me," she elaborated. "But when the cameras are no longer rolling, Frankel revealed that she started grasping their true character, untainted by the orchestrated chaos of the shows she asserts are crafted to showcase our negative sides."

The content fragment

Starting her reality TV journey in 2005, the TV personality made a mark as the runner-up on the NBC series The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. She subsequently gained fame by starring in The Real Housewives of New York City for eight seasons, spanning from 2008 to 2010 and then again from 2015 to 2019.

After her successful stint in reality television, Frankel expressed her opinion in a July Instagram video, advocating for the inclusion of reality TV workers in the SAG-AFTRA negotiations to secure improved contracts.

Frankel argued that despite her successful reality TV career, the majority of her earnings did not stem from her appearances on RHONY. She asserted that she had not received any residuals and questioned whether there was something she was unaware of or if they were being treated unfairly.

Frankel pointed out in her post on Monday that her expertise in the game was due to her financial struggles, desperation, and strong desire to succeed. She expressed her belief that this industry takes advantage of vulnerable individuals for monetary gain and questioned whether participating in a reality TV show can justify subjecting women to an exploitative environment.

Apart from her eight seasons on RHONY, Frankel starred in her own spinoff series called Bethenny Ever After, which aired for three seasons between 2010 and 2012. She also co-hosted a show called Bethenny & Fredrik, which had one season in 2018. In addition to these, she was the host of two shows, namely Bethenny and The Big Shot With Bethenny, both of which carried her name.

Frankel concluded her Instagram statement by expressing gratitude for the opportunities that her years on TV provided her with and offering sincere apologies to those whom she had judged and criticized.

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Bethenny Frankel

The Real Housewives of New York City