The Real Housewives of New York will be a lot different with the upcoming Season 12 as Bethenny Frankel announced she was leaving the franchise to pursue other ventures. The news was shocking to all those fans that have followed the series on Bravo for many years and even took her co-stars by surprise.
Why Did Bethenny Frankel Quit ‘RHONY’?
Frankel made the news official of her exit from RHONY with a statement to Variety where she announced that she wouldn’t be returning to the show ahead of the beginning of production for Season 12.
“I have decided to leave the ‘Housewives’ franchise to explore my next chapter,” Frankel said in the statement. “It’s time to move on and focus on my daughter, my philanthropy and my production partnership with Mark Burnett, producing and starring in shows which represent a shift in the conversation for women. With the changes in modern culture, I want to highlight the strength, confidence and unstoppable power that women have.”
Frankel also talked about her time on the show: “My experience at Bravo has been an incredibly magical ride. I am so grateful to them for highlighting my entrepreneurialism and allowing me to pave the way for many women to achieve their goals. I am excited for my future. The best is yet to come.”
Ramona Singer and Fellow ‘RHONY’ Housewives Were Kept In The Dark
Fans were left flabbergasted with Frankel’s exit, but even her fellow housewives didn’t know about her leaving RHONY until it was made public. Although Ramona Singer wished her co-star the best, she was disappointed for not being given a heads up.
“Bethenny found love in her life, and it’s so fantastic that she’ll be taking the time to grow that relationship away from the cameras and to explore other business opportunities,” Singer told People.
“I’m only disappointed that Bethenny did not inform her costars that she’s not coming back to the show,” the Bravo star added. “When she left in season 4, we found out through the press she was doing her spinoff, Bethenny Getting Married. She was upset we never congratulated her, but we were upset she never told us! And that’s how we feel now. There is a camaraderie among us as a cast. Love us, hate us, not like us — we are a team. To hear this from the press and not through her is upsetting.“
“I really wish her well, though,” Singer continued. “The show’s a machine and it will continue on. We’re all just a cog in the wheel. No one is irreplaceable.”
How Did Fans React To Bethenny Frankel’s Exit?
Shortly after the announcement that Frankel was not returning to the reality show, RHONY became a trending topic on Twitter with fans reacting to the shocking news.
“Stopped watching RHONY in 2010. Came back in 2015. Going out again in 2019. I can’t do this without Bethenny,” one fan tweeted.
“I’m going to miss seeing Bethenny on my tv, the OG of RHONY,” another fan wrote.
“First Lisa Vanderpump, now Bethenny…please respect my family’s privacy while we grieve,” a Bravo viewer quipped.
One fan was more optimistic that Bethenny would return as she did in the past: “That’s ok, she’ll be back.”
Another Bravo-holic noticed a correlation of all the OG housewives dropping out of their franchises.
“RHOBH lost Lisa Vanderpump. RHOC lost Vicki [Gunvalson]. RHONY lost Bethenny. All of the OG’s are dropping like flies, all their replacements are AWFUL and I’m so sad about it. Bravo TV is my favorite channel but this season of Beverly Hills? Boring. OC? Awful. NYC is gonna be awful,” the fan wrote.
#RHOBH Lost Lisa Vanderpump#RHOC lost Vicki#RHONY lost Bethenny
All of the OG’s are dropping like flies, all their replacements are AWFUL and I’m so so sad about it. #BravoTV is my favorite channel but this season of Beverly Hills? Boring. OC? Awful. NYC is gonna be awful :/— ♡Average Witch♡ (@TaylaStJames) August 22, 2019
There were theories of why Frankel left the show of people not completely believing the official statement.
“My theory: Bethenny tried to negotiate a new contract. Bravo played hard ball and said nope. She said peace out. And now I think RHONY might suffer for it,” the fan hypothesized.
My theory:
Bethenny tried to negotiate a new contract. Bravo played hard ball and said nope.She said peace out. And now I think #RHONY might suffer for it.
— Zack Peter (@justplainzack) August 22, 2019
Let’s block ads! (Why?)