After a court hearing on Wednesday, a judge ruled The Real Housewives of New York City star Bethenny Frankel no longer has to pay her ex-husband child support. Bethenny and Jason Hoppy began dating in 2008, got engaged 11 months later, and were married in 2010. Their relationship was featured on both RHONY and their short-lived spin-off Bethenny Ever After. They were married while Bethenny was seven months pregnant with their daughter Bryn Hoppy. It was clear to viewers that Bethenny was never completely sure she was making the right decision when it came to marrying Jason, but she went through with it anyway. The downfall of their relationship was on full display during the three seasons of their spin-off and it came as no surprise when they announced they were separating in 2012, after 2 years of marriage.
Although they separated in 2012, their divorce was not finalized until January 2021. While on RHONY, Bethenny described the brutal process of divorcing Jason. She would confide in the other women that Jason was making her life a nightmare while dragging out the divorce proceedings. When they split up, Jason decided to stay in Bethenny's apartment while she was still living there, leaving messes everywhere, and often purposefully leaving the toilet unflushed. Eventually, Bethenny moved out of her place, but claimed she and her boyfriend at the time were still being harassed by him. The couple finally came to an agreement and finalized their divorce eight years after their initial separation.
A judge ruled on Wednesday that Bethenny no longer has to pay Jason child support. As Page Six reports, a judge agreed with Bethenny's new lawyer Allan Mayefsky that she should not be required to pay Jason anything. The judge based his decision on the fact that their daughter has chosen to spend most of her time at Bethenny's house, and isn't with her father very often. They recognized Bethenny as Bryn's primary parent, therefore ruling it was no longer necessary for her to be paying Jason. Bethenny also requested that a new co-parenting schedule be put into place, in order to better represent Bryn and where she wants to live. The couple currently has a shared custody agreement in which Bryn is supposed to spend equal amounts of time with both parents. Bethenny claimed via video call that even with a new schedule, Bryn is a "human being" who will sometimes refuse to go to her father's house.
Bethenny claimed she is not keeping Bryn away from her father and understands how important that relationship is for Bryn. She added, however, that Bryn would often experience episodes of anxiety and would break out in hives over not wanting to see her father. In a surprising turn of events, Jason did not fight against Bethenny's request, asking the judge to do what is best for Bryn. He said he doesn't want to spend Bryn's entire childhood fighting with her mother, and said she knows how much he loves her and that he is always there when she wants to see him. He hopes that by easing the tension with Bethenny, things will be made easier for Bryn in the long run. The judge agreed with Jason, adding he hopes this was the last time he will see this couple in a courtroom.
Jason and Bethenny have been in court longer than they were ever a couple. Hopefully, for their daughter, they have finally put all their differences aside and settled things for good. It will be interesting to see if this truly is the last time these two will be arguing against each other in court.
Source: Page Six