Bethenny Frankel

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Bethenny Frankel (born November 4, 1970), also known as Bethenny Parisella, is an American entrepreneur, television personality, author, philanthropist, and investor who has built one of the most successful personal brands in reality television history while creating a diverse business empire spanning cocktails, food products, apparel, shapewear, and lifestyle products. She is best known as the creator of the Skinnygirl brand, which she sold the cocktail division to Beam Global for a reported $100 million in 2011—one of the most lucrative exits in reality television star entrepreneurship—while retaining the brand name for expansion into numerous other product categories.

Frankel rose to fame as a cast member on Bravo's The Real Housewives of New York City from 2008 to 2010 and again from 2015 to 2019, appearing in over 150 episodes across seven seasons. Her success on the franchise led to multiple spin-off series including Bethenny Ever After (2010–2012), which documented her marriage and family life, and Bethenny (2013–2014), a syndicated daytime talk show co-produced by Ellen DeGeneres. She has also hosted the HBO Max reality competition series The Big Shot with Bethenny (2021) and appeared as a recurring guest "shark" on ABC's Shark Tank during seasons nine and ten.

Beyond entertainment, Frankel has established herself as a New York Times bestselling author with multiple books on diet, lifestyle, and self-help, and as a humanitarian through BStrong, her disaster relief organization that has provided assistance following Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Maria, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Her advocacy for reality television performers' rights has positioned her as a leader in efforts to improve working conditions and compensation for unscripted television participants.

Frankel's journey from an unstable childhood, through multiple failed business ventures and personal struggles, to building an estimated $80 million fortune represents one of the most remarkable entrepreneurial success stories to emerge from reality television.

Early life and family background

Childhood and family

Bethenny Frankel was born on November 4, 1970, in Queens, New York, into circumstances that foreshadowed the turbulent early years that would shape her driven, self-reliant personality. She was the only child of Robert J. Frankel, a horse trainer, and Bernadette Birk, an interior designer and college professor.

Frankel's father was of German Jewish descent, while her mother was of Welsh heritage and had converted to Judaism. Despite these Jewish connections, Frankel was raised Roman Catholic and completed all of her sacraments including First Communion and confirmation. This mixed religious upbringing contributed to a complex relationship with religious identity that Frankel has discussed publicly throughout her career.

Her parents divorced when Frankel was four years old, beginning a period of instability that would characterize much of her childhood. When she was five, her mother married John Parisella, another horse trainer, whose profession kept the family moving frequently to follow the racing circuit.

Difficult childhood

Frankel has been remarkably candid about the difficulties of her upbringing, describing a childhood marked by dysfunction, instability, and emotional turmoil. In numerous interviews and in her books, she has characterized her early years as challenging, with an alcoholic mother and a volatile home environment.

She has stated publicly that her mother "was always drinking" and that violent arguments between her mother and stepfather were a regular occurrence. This chaotic domestic situation created psychological challenges that Frankel would later address in therapy and discuss in her self-help writing as formative experiences that drove her toward success and independence.

The family moved frequently, following horse racing opportunities and disrupting Frankel's education and social development. The constant relocations meant attending multiple schools and difficulty forming lasting friendships, experiences that contributed to her self-reliance but also to challenges with trust and relationships that have characterized her adult life.

Education

Frankel's education was disrupted by frequent moves before she was ultimately sent to boarding school. She attended St. Agnes Cathedral School in Rockville Centre, New York and Holy Child Academy in Old Westbury, New York before graduating in 1988 from Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a private preparatory school.

After high school, Frankel attended Boston University for two years before transferring to New York University, where she graduated with a degree in psychology and communications. The psychology studies would later inform her self-help writing and her approach to understanding consumer behavior and personal development.

Seeking to combine her personal interests with career opportunities, Frankel subsequently attended the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City, a culinary school focusing on health-supportive cooking. This training provided the foundation for her later food-related business ventures and her positioning as a lifestyle expert.

Early career

Hollywood aspirations

In 1992, Frankel moved to Los Angeles with aspirations of becoming an actress, joining the thousands of young people who migrate to Hollywood each year pursuing entertainment careers. While she landed some small acting roles, the breakthrough success she sought proved elusive.

To support herself, Frankel worked as a personal assistant to Kathy Hilton, the socialite and mother of Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton. The position involved duties including picking up Hilton's daughters from school and taking them for ice cream—early exposure to the celebrity lifestyle that Frankel would later achieve on her own terms. She also worked as a personal assistant to film producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Linda Bruckheimer, legendary figures in Hollywood who produced blockbuster films.

During this period, Frankel additionally worked as a production assistant on the set of Saved by the Bell, the popular teen sitcom. These entertainment industry positions provided exposure to how successful productions operated while building connections that would prove valuable in her later career.

In Any Event

Drawing on the connections developed through her assistant work, Frankel started her first business, "In Any Event," a party-planning company. The venture capitalized on the relationships she had developed with celebrities and wealthy clients, positioning her as an event planner who could serve an upscale clientele.

However, In Any Event proved short-lived, folding without achieving the success Frankel had envisioned. The failure provided early lessons about the challenges of entrepreneurship and the importance of differentiated positioning in competitive markets.

Princess Pashmina

Frankel's next entrepreneurial venture was Princess Pashmina, a business selling pashmina scarves that she purchased wholesale from an Indian manufacturer and resold at retail markup. The business capitalized on the pashmina trend of the late 1990s, when the soft cashmere-like scarves became fashionable accessories.

The import-retail model provided experience in sourcing products internationally, managing inventory, and selling to fashion-conscious consumers—skills that would later prove valuable in building the Skinnygirl empire.

BethennyBakes

In 2003, Frankel started BethennyBakes, a baking business producing egg-free, wheat-free, and dairy-free cookies, along with healthy meal delivery services in New York City. The business reflected growing consumer interest in allergen-free and health-conscious foods, positioning Frankel as an early participant in what would become a major food industry trend.

BethennyBakes provided the platform for Frankel's first significant television exposure when it was featured on The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, the reality competition series hosted by lifestyle mogul Martha Stewart that aired on NBC in 2005. Frankel competed on the show and finished as first runner-up, narrowly missing the victory but gaining valuable national television exposure.

Despite the publicity from the Martha Stewart show, BethennyBakes closed in 2006, representing another failed business venture in Frankel's pre-fame entrepreneurial career. However, the television appearance had established her as a recognizable figure in lifestyle media and opened doors to future opportunities.

Following BethennyBakes, Frankel briefly served as a spokesperson for Pepperidge Farm's low-calorie bread line, providing paid endorsement experience that presaged her later celebrity marketing activities.

The Real Housewives of New York City

Joining the franchise

In 2008, Frankel's career took a transformative turn when she began starring in The Real Housewives of New York City, which premiered in March on Bravo. The series, part of the expanding The Real Housewives franchise that had begun with The Real Housewives of Orange County, followed the lives of affluent women in Manhattan and surrounding areas.

Frankel joined the inaugural cast alongside Ramona Singer, LuAnn de Lesseps, Jill Zarin, and Alex McCord. Unlike some castmates who came from established wealth, Frankel was presented as a working entrepreneur hustling to build her businesses and achieve financial stability—a positioning that differentiated her and made her relatable to viewers.

The "Bethenny Clause"

Frankel made a crucial business decision when negotiating her contract for the first season: she refused to sign a provision that would have required her to give Bravo a percentage of profits from businesses she promoted on the show. This refusal, later dubbed the "Bethenny Clause," would prove immensely consequential.

While paid just $7,250 for the first season—a modest sum even by reality television standards of the time—Frankel retained full ownership of any business ventures she developed or promoted during her appearances. This decision meant that when Skinnygirl became a massive success partly due to exposure on the show, Frankel kept all the profits rather than sharing with the network.

The Bethenny Clause became legendary in reality television circles, representing a rare instance of a performer successfully protecting future business interests from network participation. It demonstrated Frankel's business acumen and willingness to take calculated risks on her own potential.

Rising profile

During her first seasons on the show, Frankel's authentic, candid personality and quick wit made her a fan favorite. Her struggles—romantic difficulties, financial stress, business challenges—resonated with viewers who found her more relatable than some of the wealthier, more established castmates.

Her catchphrases and memorable moments became social media phenomena, and she developed a dedicated following that would later translate into customer base for her business ventures. The exposure transformed her from an unknown struggling entrepreneur into a recognizable personality with significant platform.

Departure and return

In September 2010, following the show's third season, Frankel announced her departure from The Real Housewives of New York City. The exit came amid the launch of her spin-off series and the growth of Skinnygirl, as she sought to focus on business opportunities rather than continuing ensemble cast participation.

However, in 2015, Frankel returned to The Real Housewives of New York City for its seventh season, rejoining a cast that had evolved during her absence. She continued with the show through its eleventh season in 2019, ultimately appearing in over 150 episodes across seven seasons.

Her return contract reportedly included significantly higher compensation reflecting her increased star power and the value she brought to the franchise. The second tenure provided continued platform for her brand activities while generating substantial income from appearance fees.

In August 2019, Frankel announced her departure from the show for the second and final time, citing a desire to focus on other projects and opportunities.

Bethenny Ever After and spin-off series

Bethenny Getting Married?

In June 2010, Frankel premiered in Bethenny Getting Married? (later retitled Bethenny Ever After), a Bravo reality series documenting her engagement and marriage to pharmaceutical sales executive Jason Hoppy, as well as the birth of their daughter Bryn.

The series premiere achieved Bravo's highest ratings at the time, attracting 2.1 million viewers and demonstrating the substantial audience interest in Frankel's personal life. The strong ratings validated the network's investment in a solo vehicle for the breakout star.

Bethenny Ever After ran for three seasons from 2010 to 2012, following Frankel through her wedding, early marriage, new motherhood, and growing business success. The series provided unprecedented access to a reality star's personal life while also showcasing her entrepreneurial activities.

Bethenny talk show

In 2011, Frankel taped a pilot for Bethenny, a syndicated daytime talk show co-created and co-produced by Ellen DeGeneres. The show had a test run in limited markets in 2012 before officially premiering in September 2013.

The talk show represented an ambitious leap from reality television to daytime hosting, a transition that few reality stars had successfully accomplished. Frankel's quick wit, interviewing style, and celebrity connections positioned her as a viable talk show host.

However, Bethenny struggled to find audience in the competitive daytime landscape. The show was canceled in February 2014 after one season, although 170 episodes had been taped and continued to air. The cancellation represented a setback in Frankel's broadcasting ambitions, though the experience provided valuable hosting skills.

Other television projects

In November 2010, Frankel competed on Skating with the Stars, finishing in second place in the celebrity skating competition.

In 2018, Frankel starred in Bethenny & Fredrik, a reality series with luxury real estate broker Fredrik Eklund that focused on high-end real estate transactions in New York City. The single-season series provided another platform for Frankel's television presence.

In 2019, Frankel appeared in the Channel 4 (UK) series The Secret Teacher, going undercover at a school near Liverpool.

The Big Shot with Bethenny

In March 2019, Deadline Hollywood reported that Frankel had signed a deal with MGM Television and its chairman Mark Burnett to produce and star in future unscripted television projects.

The first project under this deal was The Big Shot with Bethenny, an HBO Max reality competition series where aspiring business professionals competed for a job on Frankel's executive team. The show, which she also produced alongside Burnett, premiered in 2021.

The series underperformed relative to expectations, and in June 2021, Frankel announced she no longer had a deal with MGM Television. The disappointment reflected the challenges of launching new formats even for established television personalities.

Skinnygirl

Origins and concept

The Skinnygirl brand traces its origins to Frankel's philosophy about health, diet, and lifestyle—the idea that women could enjoy life's pleasures, including cocktails, without excessive guilt about calories. The brand name embodied this philosophy, suggesting a path to being thin through smart choices rather than complete deprivation.

Frankel has written extensively about her struggles with weight and body image, and the Skinnygirl concept emerged from her personal journey toward balanced, sustainable approaches to eating and drinking. The authenticity of this origin story resonated with consumers who shared similar struggles.

Skinnygirl Margarita

In 2009, Frankel created Skinnygirl Margarita, a pre-packaged margarita designed to be lower in calories than traditional margarita mixes. The product addressed a genuine consumer need: women who enjoyed cocktails but worried about caloric content and weight gain.

The timing aligned perfectly with Frankel's rising profile on The Real Housewives of New York City, and the show provided substantial free advertising as Frankel was frequently shown enjoying her margaritas and discussing the brand. The Bethenny Clause meant she captured all this value rather than sharing with the network.

Skinnygirl Margarita became the foundation product for Skinnygirl Cocktails, a line that expanded to include various flavored vodkas, wines, and other cocktail products.

The Beam Global sale

In 2011, Frankel sold Skinnygirl Cocktails to Beam Global (now Beam Suntory) in a deal initially reported at $100 to $120 million—a staggering sum for a brand created by a reality television personality.

Subsequent SEC filings revealed the actual deal structure was more complex: Beam paid a minimum of $39 million with potential for up to $64 million based on performance, plus $25 million in incentives tied to future brand performance. Regardless of the exact figures, the deal represented one of the most lucrative exits in reality television entrepreneurship.

Critically, Frankel retained the Skinnygirl brand name for product categories outside cocktails, allowing her to expand the brand into numerous other areas while Beam focused on the beverage business.

Brand expansion

Following the cocktail sale, Frankel aggressively expanded Skinnygirl into diverse product categories, building a lifestyle brand rather than remaining focused on a single product area:

Food products - Including dips, shakes, candy, deli meat, sweeteners, jellies, popcorn, salad dressings, and other grocery items positioned as healthier alternatives.

Shapewear - Skinnygirl shapewear products sold through Home Shopping Network and other retail channels.

Apparel and accessories - Clothing and fashion accessories bearing the Skinnygirl brand.

Cookware - A Skinnygirl cookware line sold at TJMaxx and Marshalls stores, which premiered in 2021.

This expansion strategy transformed Skinnygirl from a single-product beverage brand into a comprehensive lifestyle platform, with Frankel serving as the face and creative force behind all product extensions.

Shark Tank

Joining as guest shark

Frankel was offered a recurring role as a guest "shark" on Shark Tank during seasons nine and ten of the ABC reality competition series. Her appearances placed her alongside established investors including Kevin O'Leary, Lori Greiner, Mark Cuban, and fellow guest shark Rohan Oza.

The Shark Tank platform provided Frankel with opportunities to evaluate and invest in emerging businesses while showcasing her business expertise to the show's substantial audience. Her success with Skinnygirl provided credibility as someone who had built a major consumer brand from scratch.

Investment philosophy

On Shark Tank, Frankel brought particular expertise in consumer products, branding, and reaching female consumers—areas where her experience building Skinnygirl provided genuine insight. Her evaluation of pitching entrepreneurs focused on authenticity, scalability, and the ability to connect with target audiences.

She has discussed her Shark Tank experience in interviews, revealing behind-the-scenes aspects of the show and her approach to evaluating investments. Her candid commentary about the investment process added to the educational value of her appearances.

Notable investments

During her Shark Tank tenure, Frankel made several investments in early-stage companies, though specific details of her portfolio and subsequent performance have not been extensively documented publicly.

Publishing and writing

Book career

Frankel has established herself as a New York Times bestselling author with multiple books covering diet, lifestyle, relationships, and personal development:

Naturally Thin: Unleash Your SkinnyGirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting (2009) - Her first book, presenting her philosophy on weight management through lifestyle changes rather than strict dieting.

The Skinnygirl Dish: Easy Recipes for Your Naturally Thin Life (2009) - A cookbook featuring healthy recipes aligned with the Skinnygirl philosophy.

Body by Bethenny (2010) - An exercise DVD and accompanying audiobook The Skinnygirl Rules summarizing her previous works.

A Place of Yes: 10 Rules for Getting Everything You Want Out of Life (2011) - A self-help book presenting life lessons and motivational guidance.

Skinnydipping: A Novel (2012) - Her first and only fiction work.

Skinnygirl Solutions: Simple Ideas, Extraordinary Results (2014) - Lifestyle advice and practical tips.

Cookie Meets Peanut (2014) - A children's book.

Skinnygirl Cocktails: 100 Fabulous and Flirty Cocktail Recipes (2014) - A cocktail recipe book.

I Suck at Relationships So You Don't Have To (2016) - A relationship advice book drawing on her personal experiences.

These books have collectively sold hundreds of thousands of copies, establishing Frankel as a legitimate author beyond her television personality status.

Podcasting

Frankel has hosted two podcasts, including Just B with Bethenny Frankel, which covers lifestyle, business, and personal development topics while featuring celebrity guests. The podcasts extend her media presence while providing platforms for discussions of current events and personal perspectives.

YouTube presence

Frankel maintains an active YouTube channel where she creates content including product reviews, lifestyle advice, and commentary on current events. Her YouTube presence represents adaptation to evolving media consumption patterns and provides direct connection with audiences outside traditional television distribution.

Philanthropy

BStrong foundation

Frankel founded BStrong as a philanthropic organization initially focused on assisting women. The organization has evolved to focus significantly on disaster relief, providing rapid response to emergencies around the world.

BStrong's operations are notable for their speed and directness, with Frankel personally involving herself in relief efforts rather than operating solely through institutional channels.

Hurricane Harvey response

In 2017, following Hurricane Harvey's devastating impact on Texas, BStrong raised $300,000 in donations and supplies for victims. Frankel personally traveled to Houston to participate in distribution efforts, bringing visibility to the relief operations and encouraging additional donations.

Hurricane Maria and Puerto Rico

Later in 2017, following Hurricane Maria's catastrophic damage to Puerto Rico, Frankel chartered four planes to the island, personally accompanying supplies including medical equipment, food, water, and hygiene products. BStrong raised funds and coordinated distribution to communities struggling with the disaster's aftermath.

The Puerto Rico relief efforts generated significant media attention and demonstrated BStrong's capability to mount substantial rapid response operations.

Mexico earthquake relief

Also in 2017, following the 2017 Puebla earthquake, Frankel traveled to Mexico City and Jojutla, Mexico to raise awareness and support recovery efforts. BStrong raised $150,000 for the disaster response.

COVID-19 pandemic response

During the COVID-19 pandemic, BStrong pivoted to pandemic relief, raising funds and delivering personal protective equipment including masks, goggles, gowns, and sheets to hospitals across the United States. The pandemic response demonstrated the organization's ability to adapt to different types of emergencies.

Ukraine humanitarian aid

Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, BStrong provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine, continuing its pattern of responding to major crises affecting vulnerable populations.

PETA involvement

In one of her earliest public philanthropic activities, Frankel posed nude for a PETA billboard in September 2009 as part of the organization's "I'd rather go naked than wear fur" campaign against the fur industry.

Reality television advocacy

Push for unionization

In the wake of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, Frankel emerged as a vocal advocate for reality television performers' rights. She called for reality television personalities to strike and to unionize, arguing that unscripted television participants face exploitation and intense scrutiny without adequate protection or compensation.

Her proposals for a reality television union included: - Residual-like payments similar to those received by scripted television performers - Minimum wage of $5,000 per episode appearance with raises for subsequent seasons - Retrospective compensation for past appearances - Freedom to quit filming at any time without financial penalty

Frankel enlisted prominent attorneys Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos to investigate problematic treatment of reality television performers and explore legal options for improving industry conditions.

Advocacy impact

As one of the most successful reality television personalities, Frankel's advocacy carried significant weight in industry discussions. Her willingness to speak publicly about compensation and working conditions opened conversations that many less established performers might fear would harm their careers.

Personal life

First marriage

Frankel married entertainment executive Peter Sussman in 1996. The marriage was brief, ending in divorce in 1997 after approximately one year.

Marriage to Jason Hoppy

In March 2010, during the height of her Real Housewives fame, Frankel married Jason Hoppy, a pharmaceutical sales executive. The wedding was documented in her spin-off series Bethenny Getting Married? and represented a hopeful new chapter in her life.

The couple has one daughter, Bryn Hoppy, born in 2010. Much of Frankel's early spin-off content focused on her pregnancy, the birth, and early motherhood.

However, the marriage deteriorated, and the couple separated in December 2012. Frankel filed for divorce in January 2013, beginning what would become an extraordinarily protracted and contentious legal process.

A temporary custody agreement was reached in June 2014, and a financial settlement followed in July 2016. However, ongoing disputes over child custody extended the divorce proceedings for years. Frankel and Hoppy's divorce was not finalized until January 2021—nearly eight years after the initial filing.

The lengthy divorce battle became a recurring topic in Frankel's public life, with the stress and complications frequently discussed in interviews and on her television appearances.

Dennis Shields

Frankel dated Dennis Shields, a banker, from 2016 to August 2018. Shields proposed to Frankel in April 2018, and she wore his engagement ring, though she has described the relationship as "off-again, on-again" throughout its duration.

Shields was found dead in August 2018 of an apparent accidental overdose of pain medication following back surgery. His death deeply affected Frankel, who has spoken publicly about her grief and the impact of losing someone close to her.

Paul Bernon

Frankel met film producer and commercial real estate developer Paul Bernon through a dating app in 2018. The relationship progressed, and they became engaged in 2021.

However, after nearly six years together, Frankel ended the relationship, stating publicly that she was not happy. The split was announced in 2024.

Religious identity

Frankel's religious identity reflects her complex upbringing. In a November 2022 podcast episode, she described herself as culturally Jewish while having been raised Catholic: "I grew up with a stepfather who was Catholic, so I also went to church. I've had a sort of mutt upbringing of religion and thus ended up not being religious at all but being spiritual and cultural."

During that same podcast, she criticized rapper Kanye West for antisemitic comments he had made, taking a public stand on the controversy.

In 2022, the Jewish Journal named Frankel one of "The Top 10 Jewish Reality TV Stars of All Time."

Health issues

Frankel has a severe fish allergy that has been life-threatening. In December 2018, she was hospitalized after consuming soup containing fish and suffering an allergic reaction.

Following this experience, she has advocated for airlines to stop serving fish on flights, arguing that the presence of cooked seafood in an enclosed commercial aircraft cabin presents hazards to passengers with fish allergies.

Legacy and influence

Reality television entrepreneurship

Frankel stands as perhaps the most successful entrepreneur to emerge from the reality television ecosystem. While other reality stars have launched product lines and businesses, few have achieved the scale of success represented by the Skinnygirl empire and the Beam Global acquisition.

Her example—and particularly the "Bethenny Clause" protecting her business interests—has influenced how subsequent reality television participants approach contracts and business opportunities related to their on-screen appearances.

Female entrepreneurship representation

As a highly visible female entrepreneur who built her business from nothing, Frankel represents possibilities for women in business. Her candid discussions of failure, struggle, and eventual success provide relatable narrative for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Her lifestyle brand specifically targeting women with practical products addressing real needs—from low-calorie cocktails to shapewear—reflects understanding of her customer base that comes from being part of that demographic herself.

Disaster relief innovation

Through BStrong, Frankel has demonstrated alternative approaches to disaster relief that emphasize speed, direct action, and celebrity visibility to drive donations. The organization's model of rapid response with personal involvement has provided meaningful assistance to disaster victims while inspiring other celebrities to engage more directly in relief efforts.

References

External links

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