Bethenny Frankel

Bethenny Frankel
Frankel in April 2009
Born (1970-11-03) November 3, 1970
Queens, New York, United States
Education Pine Crest School
Alma mater Boston University[1]
Occupation
  • Reality television personality
  • talk show host
  • author
  • entrepreneur
Years active 1993–present
Known for The Real Housewives of New York City
Spouse(s)
  • Peter Sussman (m. 1996, d. 1997)
  • Jason Hoppy (m. 2010, d. 2016)
Children 1
Parent(s)
Website www.bethenny.com

Bethenny Frankel (born November 3, 1970)[2] is an American television personality, author and entrepreneur. She founded the drink company Skinnygirl Cocktails, authored four self-help books and hosted a talk show, Bethenny. Frankel has appeared on The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, The Real Housewives of New York City, Shark Tank, Bethenny and Fredrik and was the subject of the reality television series Bethenny Ever After.

Early life

Frankel is the only child of Robert J. Frankel, a horse trainer, and Bernadette Birk, an interior designer.[3][4] Her father was Jewish and her mother was a Roman Catholic of Welsh descent, who converted to Judaism when the couple married.[5][6][7] Her father left her mother when Frankel was four years old. When she was five, her mother married another horse trainer, John Parisella.[3] Frankel describes her childhood as difficult.[3] Her biological father stopped supporting the family and her mother, Frankel says, "was always drinking" and often argued violently with her stepfather.[3]

Frankel said she moved many times and attended multiple schools before going to boarding school. Frankel graduated in 1988 from the Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida[8] where she lived on campus. She attended the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City,[1] and Boston University.[3]

Career

Bethenny worked as a production assistant on the set of Saved by the Bell.[9]

In 2005, Frankel was a contestant on The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, a reality competition series, and was one of two finalists.[10][11] In 2008, Frankel was selected for the reality TV series The Real Housewives of New York City.[12] In June 2010, Frankel starred in the Bravo reality TV show Bethenny Getting Married?, which documented her engagement and marriage to Jason Hoppy, and the birth of their daughter. At the time of its premiere, the series was the highest rated of any series in Bravo's history.[13][14] In September 2010, Frankel announced that for personal reasons she would not be returning to The Real Housewives of New York City for its fourth season.[15] However, following months of speculation, it was confirmed on October 20, 2014 that Bethenny would return to the cast for the seventh season of the show as a main housewife after three seasons absent.[16][17]

Skinnygirl

In March 2009, Frankel's book, Naturally Thin: Unleash Your SkinnyGirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting, was published and The SkinnyGirl Dish: Easy Recipes for Your Naturally Thin Life, was published in December. She created an exercise DVD, Body by Bethenny, in spring 2010 and an audio book, The Skinnygirl Rules, which summarized her two prior books.[18] In 2011, Frankel published, A Place of Yes: 10 Rules for Getting Everything You Want Out of Life and in December 2012, published the novel Skinnydipping.[19][20]

Frankel created the Skinnygirl cocktail[21] company in April 2011 and later sold the company to Fortune Brands' Beam Global (now a part of Suntory) for an estimated $100 million.[22][23]

In May 2017, Bethenny celebrated the Midwest launch of Skinnygirl Market Fresh Deli. It is a line of pre-packaged lunch meat that is free from preservatives and certified[24] by the American Heart Association for containing lower levels of sodium and fat.[25] Skinnygirl Market Fresh Deli is also a supporter of Bethenny's program, B-Strong: Find Your Yes, which is a division of Dress for Success. The program provides a "multi-layered support system, resources and financial assistance for women coping with crisis situations."[25]

Bethenny

Discussion of Frankel as a host for a talk show were initiated in 2011[26] and revived in 2012.[27][28] The Bethenny show premiered on September 9, 2013,[29] and was canceled on February 14, 2014, airing repeats until the end of the television season.[30]

Causes

Her B Strong program for women and their families in crisis works with the national disaster relief charity Delivering Good to provide people affected by the hurricanes of 2017 with gift cards, bank cards and critical supplies. Bethenny and her team helped people who survived natural disasters in Puerto Rico, Houston, Mexico City.

Frankel posed nude for a PETA billboard in September 2009.[31]

Personal life

Frankel married entertainment industry executive Peter Sussman in 1996 and divorced him in 1997.[1][32] She married pharmaceutical sales executive Jason Hoppy in March 2010, and gave birth to a daughter, Bryn, in May of the same year.[33][34] Frankel separated from Hoppy in December 2012[35] and filed for divorce in January 2013.[36] A custody agreement was finalized in June 2014, but property division negotiations were still ongoing.[37] The divorce was finalized in July 2016, nearly four years after the couple separated.[38] In December 2017, she sued for full custody of their seven year-old daughter.[39]

Frankel dated American director Trevor Engelson for a short period of time.[40] According to Frankel, their romantic relationship subsequently evolved into a business one.[40]

Movie and television history

Year Movie Role Notes
1993Soiree Sans Hors D'oeuvresWomanMinor role
1994Hollywood Hills 90028Laura DrakeLead Role
1995Wish Me Luck
2005The Apprentice: Martha StewartHerself13 episodes, runner-up, came in 2nd place
2008–10, 2015–presentThe Real Housewives of New York CityMain cast member (season 1–3, 7–present)
2009–16The Wendy Williams ShowVarious episodes, celebrity guest
2009Z Rock1 episode, "I Wanna Be Z-dated" as Joey's love interest/Chief
2010–12Chelsea LatelyVarious episodes, celebrity guest
2010Skating with the Stars6 episodes, runner-up, came in 2nd place
2010–15The Ellen DeGeneres ShowVarious episodes, celebrity guest
2010–12Bethenny Ever AfterHerself
2013–14BethennyHerself
2013The NeighborsJill1 episode, "Mo Purses Mo Money Mo Problems"
2016, 2018The Real Housewives of Beverly HillsHerselfGuest (season 6 & 8)
2016Beat Bobby Flay1 episode, "Comforts of Home" as Guest Judge (season 10)
2017Million Dollar Listing New YorkGuest (season 6, episode 3)
2017Shark TankGuest Shark (season 9, episode 8 & 24)
2017Bethenny & FredrikMain role
2018Bar Rescue1 episode, "Operation: Puerto Rico"

Bibliography

  • Naturally Thin: Unleash Your SkinnyGirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting ( ISBN 978-1416597988, 2009)
  • The Skinnygirl Dish: Easy Recipes for Your Naturally Thin Life ( ISBN 978-1416597995, 2009)
  • Body by Bethenny: Body-sculpting Workouts to Unleash Your SkinnyGirl ( ISBN 978-1-59828-440-9, 2010)
  • A Place of Yes: 10 Rules for Getting Everything You Want Out of Life ( ISBN 978-1439186916, 2011)
  • Skinnydipping: A Novel ( ISBN 978-1451667387, 2012)
  • Skinnygirl Solutions: Simple Ideas, Extraordinary Results ( ISBN 978-1451667400, 2014)
  • Cookie Meets Peanut ( ISBN 978-0316368438, 2014)
  • I Suck at Relationships So You Don't Have To: 10 Rules for Not Screwing Up Your Happily Ever After ( ISBN 978-1451667424, 2016)

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Bethenny Frankel". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  2. "Bethenny Frankel". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2016. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 McNeil, Liz (July 19, 2010). "Bethenny Frankel: Love Saved My Life". People. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
  4. New York Daily News: "'Real Housewives of New York City' star Bethenny Frankel and husband Jason Hoppy separating" By Bill Hutchinson December 23, 2012
  5. "After Show: All About Baby". bravotv.com. 28 October 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  6. Video Interview on BravoTV: "After Show: All About Baby – Part V: Bethenny talks about her religious background and the most important thing Baby Bryn has taught her" Retrieved July 4, 2012 "My father was Jewish. The story goes – because you know I am not that close to my family, I am not there for the real history lessons – He married my mother and she converted to Judaism for him. She was Catholic but then she was with my stepfather for all those years. I went to Catholic school and I know more about that.",
  7. Bethenny Frankel (March 22, 2011). A Place of Yes: 10 Rules for Getting Everything You Want Out of Life. p. 56. ISBN 9781439186923. My mother had gone of to Wales for several months...her family is from Wales – very poor people who lived in shacks and raised pigeons
  8. Pinecrest Alumni newsletter Archived September 4, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 12, 2012
  9. "Bethenny Frankel Shares Photo From 'Saved By The Bell' Set". Huffingtonpost.com. June 26, 2012. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
  10. Jacki Garfinkel (24 August 2006). "Bethenny Frankel: A Reality Star One Year Later". Media Village. Archived from the original on 2006-10-23. Retrieved 29 July 2017. Interview with Bethenny Frankel of The Apprentice: Martha Stewart
  11. Martha Stewart selects Dawna Stone as her 'The Apprentice' winner Reality TV World
  12. Huguenin, Patrick (January 14, 2008). "Bravo spinoff 'Real Housewives of New York City' debuts in March". Daily News. New York.
  13. "Ratings: Bethenny Getting Married? the Most-Watched Series Debut in Bravo History". TVGuide.com.
  14. "Bethenny Frankel Leaving Real Housewives of New York City?". National Ledger. June 20, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  15. "Bethenny Frankel: I'm Leaving 'The Real Housewives of New York City'". CBS News. September 2, 2010. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
  16. Rayford Rubenstein, Janine (October 20, 2014). "Bethenny Frankel Is Returning to Real Housewives of New York City". People. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  17. Sieczkowski, Cavan (March 2, 2015). "Bethenny Frankel Returns To 'Real Housewives Of New York City'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  18. "Bethenny Frankel's Tips on Staying Slim, Sexy, and Fabulous".
  19. Unknown Author Skinnydipping World Cat, accessed December 18, 2012
  20. Frankel, Bethenny; Adamson, Eve (29 July 2017). "Skinnydipping". Touchstone/Simon & Schuster. Retrieved 29 July 2017 via Open WorldCat.
  21. "Bethenny Frankel". Beauty Interviews. September 1, 2008. Archived from the original on September 16, 2008. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  22. "Forbes Magazine Looking Into Bethenny Frankel's Financials". Huffington Post. New York. October 13, 2011.
  23. "Bethenny Frankel on Skinnygirl Sale". Today Show – MSNBC. New York. October 17, 2011.
  24. "American Heart Association and American Stroke Association Linking Policy". www.heart.org. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  25. 1 2 Smithfield Foods. "news release : Skinnygirl Founder & Reality TV Star, Bethenny Frankel Makes Lunch More Fabulous With Cincinnati Launch of Skinnygirl Market Fresh Deli". GlobeNewswire. Retrieved 2017-05-23.
  26. Harnick, Chris (November 28, 2011). "Bethenny Frankel's Talk Show Fails to Find Syndicated Home". The Huffington Post.
  27. Albiniak, Paige (January 24, 2012). "Bethenny to Air in Summer Test on Fox". Broadcasting & Cable.
  28. Downey, Kevin (July 6, 2012). "Fox Stations Set To Give OK To Bethenny". TVNewsCheck.
  29. Bibel, Sara (May 3, 2013). "'Bethenny', Bethenny Frankel's Talk Show, to Premiere in National Syndication September 9". TV by the Numbers.
  30. "Bethenny Frankel's Talk Show Has Been Canceled". people.com. 14 February 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  31. Hall, Katy (December 15, 2009). "Bethenny Frankel: Nude For PETA". The Huffington Post. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  32. Bethenny Frankel reveals secret first marriage to Peter Sussman. BY Cristina Everett, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER, Wednesday, June 9, 2010
  33. "Bethenny Frankel in Size-4 Bikini 3 Weeks After Baby! Go Bethenny!". UsMagazine.com.
  34. Fran Carpentier (July 12, 2010). "Parade Magazine interview with Bethenny Frankel: "Bethenny Frankel: 'My Mother Hasn't Expressed Any Interest in Meeting Bryn'"".
  35. Billups, Andrea and McNeil, Liz (December 23, 2012) Bethenny Frankel & Jason Hoppy Split Up People, accessed Dec 24, 2012
  36. "Bethenny Frankel Divorcing Jason Hoppy". People. January 5, 2013.
  37. "Bethenny Frankel and Jason Hoppy's Custody Case Settled". People Magazine. 4 June 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  38. McNeil, Liz; Corinthos, Aurelie (July 18, 2016). "Bethenny Frankel Settles Nearly 4-Year Divorce Battle with Ex Jason Hoppy". People. United States: Time Inc. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  39. "Bethany Frankel suing ex-husband for full custody of daughter, however no decision has been forthcoming". December 12, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  40. 1 2 "Bethenny Frankel: I Dated Meghan Markle's Ex Trevor Engelson". Us Weekly. 9 April 2018.
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