Unless you love reality TV and the Real Housewives, you probably don’t know who Bethenny Frankel is. This brunette is a mother, mogul, female entrepreneur, but most commonly known as an iconic reality star on The Real Housewives of New York. Being on this show launched her career and her most recent venture, Big Shot with Bethenny Frankel. Here are some other facts about this celebrity that you may not know.
1. Apart from Big Shot and RHONY, Bethenny had a spin-off series called Bethenny After Ever, along with hew own daytime talk show called Bethany. She also has written multiple self-help books, including ‘The Apprentice: Martha Stewart.’
2. Her childhood was spent in NYC, where she was born and raised. Her parents separated when she was only 4 years old. Her father was a famous horse trainer, and her mother was an interior designer. When her parents split and her mother remarried, it was to an abusive man that didn’t treat them well, and led Frankel’s mother to become depressed and addicted to alcohol. Bethenny is an only child.
3. The reality star founded the insanely popular diet alcohol brand and lifestyle company, SkinnyGirl. From low calorie takes on wine spritzers to margaritas, people all over the country went crazy for SkinnyGirl. After all, many women worry about gaining weight from cocktails, and this company solved that problem, making it a worldwide success.
4. Frankel has a whopping net worth of $70 million, and no, it’s not just thanks to reality TV. In fact, many people believe that this high number came to be after she sold her cocktail company SkinnyGirl for $100 million.
5. Bethenny’s relationships have been all over the map, from Paul Bernon, a real estate exec, to her ex-husbands Jason Hoppy and Peter Sussman. She was also in relationships with Dennis Shields, Eric Stonestreet, and Warren Lichtenstein. Apparently, she’s recently gotten back together with Paul Bernon. Three months after their breakup, the two were spotted hanging out holding hands in Miami, and then in Boston. Now, they’re officially engaged.
6. Though she’s had a lot of different relationships, the marriage with pharmaceutical sales executive Jason Hoppy was the most tumultuous. The ex-couple has been going through a divorce proceeding for nearly over a decade, and the custody battle over their daughter Bryn was a heated and dramatic one. Fortunately, in January 2021, the divorce was finally finalized by a judge, which is good news for her fiancée.
7. Although she has many titles in her professional life, acting has always been a passion for Bethenny. She even moved to Los Angeles after graduating from NYU with a major in psychology and communications. While her acting career failed and caused her to go broke, she would face many more failures before finally reaching professional success.
8. She took up nannying work to afford living in LA, and became a personal assistant to producer Jerry Bruckheimer. She made a decent salary and it was also a fantastic way to network with people in the entertainment industry. Afterwards, she dove into the world of cooking, going to culinary school and starting the company Bethenny Bakes, baking healthy cookies that were catered at local parties in New York.
9. Still, this history in baking allowed her to become a contestant on the reality show The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. She was one of two finalists on the show, and this helped her rise to prominence and led her to be cast in other reality stars. Enter RHONY in 2008. Bethenny wasn’t just a cast member — she was the show’s most popular personality. In 2016, she become the sixth highest-paid reality TV celebrity.
10. She has a podcast called Just B, which has consistently remained on Apple’s podcast list as one of the most popular podcasts out right now. Just B is all about keeping things honest and real, and this podcast blends her own experiences and stories with the stories of important cultural icons and thought leader, making for unforgettable conversations.
11. This star didn’t exactly start with rags, but she did make her way to riches and built an empire from the ground up. Through multiple failures (both professional and personal), Bethenny Frankel has always persevered and never gave up. Although her relationships might not have turned out perfectly, her career has certainly flourished. Today, she’s one of the most successful women in the world because of it, with a show on HBO Max and so many more opportunities to come.
