Bethenny Frankel, known for her time on The Real Housewives of New York City, says she feels a "responsibility" to be honest with her fans online. The RHONY alum, beloved by Bravo, first appeared on the NYC-based series from 2007 until 2010. Following her departure, she starred in her own reality show, Bethenny Ever After, as she prepared for her wedding and motherhood. After three seasons on the air, the show ended and the reality star instead focused on her talk show, Bethenny, which aired on Fox for one season before being shelved by the network. Since then, she returned to RHONY for seasons 7 through 11 before exiting the series again.
Now that Bethenny isn't showcasing her personal life on RHONY, she's keeping her fans updated in other ways. Thankfully for her supporters, she doesn't mind; actually, she feels an obligation. "Years ago, on reality TV, I actually had a debate with somebody about that, because they said, 'You have your personal life, and then you have your public life,' and I never thought they were that different," Bethenny tells Shape. "So it's just the road that you choose. I mean, sometimes I envy people that can just play perfect to their fans and then be an entirely different person. They're just so protected by that wall, but it's just not my personality."
Bethenny Feels She Has A 'Relationship' With RHONY Fans
Since her time on RHONY, Bethenny has been a fan favorite. She said, "Listen, I've been connecting with the audience and growing it and meeting new people for a decade and a half." One of the reasons Bethenny is so beloved among Bravo fans is her level of authenticity. "I now feel a responsibility to be honest, in many different ways. I mean, I always have, but now [I strive] to proactively talk about something sometimes if it's bothering me, because I feel like [my fans and I] have a relationship," she explained. Although she's close with her fans, the former talk show host said she doesn't "overshare" and keeps certain parts of her life private.
The Real Housewives franchise focuses on a group of women living in a specific city, interacting with each other, and their personal lives. For Bethenny, viewers have been given an inside look into her personal life since 2008. On Bethenny Ever After, fans saw Bethenny and her then-husband, Jason Hoppy, prepare to welcome their daughter, Bryn, and also put together a wedding. The couple married in March 2010, and after less than three years of marriage, they divorced in January 2013. Despite their initial filing, the pair were at odds for several years, with their divorce being finalized in March 2021.
Bethenny excites fans because she shows a commitment to her work. Primarily, Bethenny is praised among viewers and the Bravo network because of her authenticity. Although she has not appeared on RHONY since season 11, Bethenny continues to interact with fans of The Real Housewives through podcasts, interviews, and her own shows. Recently, Bethenny was on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, where they discussed her potential return to the series. Although The Real Housewives New York City star Bethenny has said she doesn't want to return to reality TV, knowing the door is always open gives hope to her fans.
Source: Shape