Kyle Richards and Bethenny Frankel are two of the most prominent stars of The Real Housewives franchise, and we have all of the details of their fascinating friendship off-camera. Kyle and Bethenny have ruled their respective Housewives franchises from opposite coasts of the country for years, but their long-distance friendship has always remained enigmatic to fans of the Bravo stars. From the forging of their relationship decades ago to their abrupt fallout that resulted in Kyle unfollowing Bethenny on Instagram, here's everything to know about the Real Housewives stars' friendship over the years.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards first shared the news of her friendship with Bethenny Frankel on Instagram in 2014. Kyle posted a photo of her and Bethenny with giant hair evocative of the late 20th century. A few months later, Bethenny responded to her friend's throwback and shared another picture with Kyle from what appears to be the 199os. In 2015, Kyle took to Twitter to share another throwback with Bethenny from 1992. The photo captures Bethenny during her days in Los Angeles in her early 20s. Kyle went on to explain that when she first met Bethenny, the Skinnygirl mogul was hustling in LA trying to make a name for herself. Ever the abrasive truth-teller, Bethenny introduced herself to Kyle by sharing that she was dating the Beverly Hills native's ex-boyfriend. Fortunately, the recently engaged Bethenny's friendship with Kyle outlasted Bethenny's romance with Kyle's ex.
After years of working as Kathy Hilton's assistant and driving Nicky and Paris Hilton around LA, Bethenny Frankel moved back to the East Coast. Bethenny and Kyle Richards' friendship first interacted within the universe of The Real Housewives when Kyle posted a picture with Bethenny, Lisa Vanderpump, and Lisa Rinna from 2009. Eventually, Kyle and Bethenny were generous enough to share their friendship on-camera in a crossover episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in 2016. During that episode, Kyle brought her RHOBH co-stars to the Hamptons for the opening of her boutique, Kyle by Alene Too. The cast stopped by Bethenny's luxurious Hamptons home, where she and Kyle reminisced. Even though the trip hit a slight bump in the road when Bethenny was critical of Erika Jayne's career as a fashion designer and performer, it effectively demonstrated what Bethenny and Kyle's friendship dynamic is like in person.
Recently, Kyle and Bethenny's friendship has hit an all-time low. The fans grew concerned for the pair of reality television best friends when Kyle and Bethenny unfollowed each other on Instagram. While this is might appear trivial, Instagram was once the platform Bethenny and Kyle used to celebrate their extensive history as friends. Kyle cleared up fan's confusion on a recent episode of Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live. Kyle explained that she unfollowed Bethenny because the former Real Housewives of New York City star unfollowed her first. Kyle justified that she didn't feel a desire to continue following someone who had stopped following her. While Kyle said it is unlikely she would appear on a future season of The Big Shot with Bethenny, the Beverly Hills housewife clarified that she and Bethenny are still friends that "talk and text."
Bethenny and Kyle's friendship goes back further than most of Kyle's relationships with her current RHOBH co-stars. While they may have been closer when they were enjoying LA in their 20s, Bethenny and Kyle's mutual unfollowing on Instagram is not a death sentence for their famed friendship. As for the present day, it is unlikely the pair of Real Housewives will post another throwback anytime soon.