Explosive RHONY Podcast Reunion: Jaw-Dropping Moments You Can't Miss!

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Fans of Real Housewives of New York City can now breathe a sigh of relief as Bethenny Frankel and Jill Zarin have finally ended their decade-long feud. The two reunited for a special episode of Bethenny's "ReWives" podcast, which premiered on Tuesday, July 18. Bethenny, 52, excitedly shared with listeners, "We're sharing all the details. We both need to find a hobby and spill all the tea."

Bethenny and Jill, who were once best friends on RHONY, had a falling out during season 3. Bethenny accused Jill of being jealous of her success, while Jill criticized Bethenny for not being there for her during her husband's battle with cancer. Recently, the former co-stars reunited for a podcast, which was suggested by Bethenny's fiancé, Paul Bernon. They watched the RHONY reboot together and discussed it, marking the first time in 13 years that they had been alone together.

Bethenny Frankel, Jill Zarin. Shutterstock (2)

"I was taken aback, but I didn't want to act rashly," Jill mentioned regarding the invitation to participate in the podcast. "Maybe it's because I'm currently medicated, which was not the case thirteen years ago - but in a positive way. I struggle with anxiety. When you knew me, it was clear that I had an anxiety disorder."

Continuing, Jill expressed her initial reluctance to accept the offer, but her daughter, Ally, provided the encouragement she needed. "And that was enough," Jill remembered. "That's all it took."

Keep scrolling for the biggest takeaways from Bethenny and Jill’s reunion:

Why Jill Was Upset

The initial conflict between the two individuals arose when Bethenny perceived Jill's jealousy towards her accomplishments in establishing Skinnygirl as a prominent brand and securing her own spinoff show, Bethenny Getting Married (which was later renamed Bethenny Ever After). Contrarily, Jill expressed that she did not experience any feelings of envy; rather, she simply desired to be part of the journey.

"I didn't have any ill feelings towards your success. What bothered me was your unwillingness to share anything with me. Of course, I was happy for you," Jill expressed. "I definitely experienced FOMO. I could write a whole book on that feeling. ... It's not like I aspired to have my own show. I genuinely enjoyed being part of a group. Perhaps you assumed that I wanted my own thing and that's why you thought I was envious of your solo project. But the truth is, I never desired that for myself."

Bethenny disagreed and argued that Jill had approached the people in charge of the spinoff in a problematic way.

Jill confronted Bethenny for claiming that a producer invited her to be on RHONY, despite Jill being the one who helped her connect with Bravo decision-makers. Jill expressed her feelings of being hurt by Bethenny's words, particularly when she mentioned during a Today show interview that a producer found her, which deeply affected Jill. They couldn't exactly resolve who said what, but Jill believed they could have reconciled earlier if Bethenny hadn't left RHONY after season 3. (Bethenny eventually returned in season 7, but Jill had already left after season 4.)

Bethenny’s Take

Although Jill insisted she had no envy towards Bethenny's success, Bethenny perceived Jill's behavior as "gatekeeping certain things" during the early stages of her career. Bethenny reminisced, "Sharing certain things became highly challenging because if you asked about something and I mentioned that [X Company] had sent it to me, you would immediately call them, potentially infringing on their preference for me not to disclose." She added, "Honestly, you were possessive. You were excessively possessive."

Bethenny also mentioned a supposed comment Jill had made about being dissatisfied with Bethenny having her own talk show, but Jill denied ever saying such a thing. "I take responsibility for my actions. I take responsibility for my actions," Jill told her former co-star. "It never occurred. Firstly, I can't recall the exact show, but I do remember you mentioning it on, let's say, the Today show... that you had heard that I had told someone that I didn't want you to succeed, that it should have been me. That never happened. I promise you."

Brokering a Ceasefire

Jill denied that Andy Cohen ever advised her to reconcile with Bethenny, stating that she only heard about it after their notorious trip to St. John. Despite admitting her own mistakes, Jill expressed her desire to support Bethenny during her pregnancy but was kept at a distance. Bethenny responded by expressing her feeling that any action she took for Jill would be exploited for drama. She gave an example of how even a simple gift basket sent to Bobby became publicized, and Jill would leak information if she didn't get the desired outcome in their friendship.

Bethenny at the Funeral

Although Jill wasn't part of the RHONY cast at the time of Bobby's death in 2018, Bravo cameras were present because Bethenny attended the ceremony. Surprisingly, Jill claimed she had no prior knowledge of Bethenny's presence or the accompanying film crew. Jill vividly described her surprise, expressing how her heart sank upon seeing Bethenny. Jill went on to praise Bethenny's appearance, mentioning how she looked stunning in a black hat and suit. Notably, Jill did spot the cameras but was unaware of who they belonged to. She emphasized her vanity, admitting that she wouldn't have dressed as she did if she had known she was being filmed. Jill concluded her statement by swearing on Bobby's memory that she had no inkling of the cameras' presence.

Bethenny expressed her belief that Jill was aware of the presence of cameras at the funeral. "You're essentially accusing me of invading a funeral for the sake of reality television," Bethenny exclaimed. "That's revolting. It's truly the most repulsive notion I've ever encountered. I cannot say for certain if I would have attended the funeral had we not been filming. I wasn't sure what my intentions were at first – perhaps merely drawn to the spectacle it would have been. However, as events unfolded, I realized it could be a profoundly captivating and intriguing moment. When that realization hit me, it was undeniably genuine."

Just B / iHeartRadio

The RHONY Legacy Negotiation

Jill expressed her appreciation, acknowledging that Bravo's coverage of the funeral was handled with respect. However, despite this positive sentiment, she admitted feeling exploited when she found out that cameras had been present only after the footage aired.

Jill vehemently denied being the cause of the breakdown in negotiations for the RHONY spinoff, Legacy. (After the plans for an entire new series fell through, some of the original cast members are reuniting for season 5 of Ultimate Girls Trip, but Jill is not included.)

According to Jill, "I had just participated in Ultimate Girls Trip [season 2] and was compensated a specific amount per episode. The offer I received for Legacy was less than half of that amount," she claimed, emphasizing that it was even less than what she received for season 4 of RHONY. "If they truly wanted me on the show, they would have made a fair offer."

Jill expressed no regret for declining the offer, but she believes her refusal led to her exclusion from the RHONY Girls Trip. She asserted that it was a deliberate punishment and described feeling a fear of missing out on UGT season 5, as she had initially suggested the idea but was not invited. Jill firmly believes that her omission from the trip was an act of retaliation because she had declined the opportunity to be part of Legacy.

Would Jill Come Back?

Jill no longer wants to participate in the Housewives franchise or any spinoffs, due to it having a negative effect on her. To illustrate, she compared it to wanting to smoke despite knowing it will lead to death. She is completely done with it. However, she expressed her support for the reboot of RHONY, which premiered on July 16. Jill acknowledged that her time on Housewives has passed and she is content with that. She wishes the new cast the best and sees it as a positive thing that there are new additions to keep the show going. She doesn't understand why there is a need to pit the old cast against the new.