Spencer Pratt Playfully Rebels After Bethenny Frankel Sparks Buzz About Reality TV Residuals

Bethenny Frankel has caught Spencer Pratt's attention with her determination to seek justice and fair residuals for reality TV personalities. In a TikTok video posted on July 20, the 39-year-old Pratt humorously revealed that he has been on strike, eagerly waiting for someone to take notice.

Frankel's call to create a reality star union and go on strike for improved wages on social media prompted Pratt to share a video in response. In her original clip, Frankel, 52, stated, "Reality stars should go on strike. The Hills, people still watch The Hills." Pratt, from his residence, joined in by saying, "But I've been on strike for quite some time now."

Pratt humorously commented that his voluntary absence explains his lack of visibility.

Pratt gained widespread recognition through his role on The Hills from 2007 to 2010. He and his wife, Heidi Montag, were also prominent members of the main cast in the MTV spinoff The Hills: New Beginnings, which aired from 2019 to 2021. Subsequently, Pratt embarked on selling crystals and pendants under his Pratt Daddy brand.

Bethenny Frankel and Spencer Pratt Courtesy of Spencer Pratt/TikTok

Frankel gained attention on Wednesday, July 19, with an Instagram video in which she proposed a strike for reality TV in light of ongoing strikes by the Writer's Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA. She highlighted the disparity between the current strike by Hollywood entertainers fighting for residuals and the lack of action in the reality TV industry. In the clip, Frankel expressed her frustration by mentioning that she earned $7,250 for her first season of reality TV, yet people continue to watch those episodes. She emphasized how reality TV has always been undervalued and mentioned the surge of reality TV popularity during the previous writers strike when traditional entertainment was limited.

Former Real Housewives of New York City star, who left the Bravo series after season 11 in 2019, asserted that she has never received any residuals. She questioned whether she was missing something or if they were being treated unfairly. Additionally, Frankel claimed that shows like The Hills, The Bachelor, and The Bachelorette on MTV and ABC respectively, also only make minimal profits for their seasons. She alleged that they are not paid well.

"LOL, I wish I had your intelligence when I signed my life away. I'm totally on your side!" former Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe expressed in the comments section. The Real Housewives of Atlanta star NeNe Leakes also chimed in, saying, "I've been saying the same thing, but they'll listen to you more than they will to me."

Vicki Gunvalson, an original cast member of The Real Housewives of Orange County, added her thoughts: "Completely agree! We should be receiving royalties for every time they've used our footage. I didn't get paid anything this season."

The next day, Frankel released another video promising to initiate a "reality TV revolution" and seek justice on behalf of her fellow reality colleagues. In a clip shared on Thursday, she claimed that individuals' names and images are endlessly utilized and taken advantage of, emphasizing the importance of protecting intellectual property.

In her closing remarks, Frankel stated, "While I might not possess the foolproof guide to establishing a union overnight, I am determined to educate myself swiftly."

Frankel commented on the WGA strike that commenced in May and the SAG-AFTRA picketing which commenced earlier this month. The unions are striving to reach an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) concerning improved wages, residuals, and other benefits. Consequently, the ongoing conflict has brought Hollywood to a standstill, with hardly any new projects in development.