Bethenny Frankel

Bethenny Frankel (born November 4, 1970) is an American television personality, entrepreneur, author, and philanthropist. She gained national prominence as a standout cast member on Bravo's reality television series The Real Housewives of New York City, where her sharp wit and business acumen made her one of the franchise's most recognizable figures. Over the years, she has expanded her career into business leadership, hosting, digital content creation, and disaster relief philanthropy.

Early Life and Television Career

Born in New York City, Frankel worked in entertainment production and event planning before appearing on television. In 2005, she finished as runner-up on NBC's reality competition series The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. She gained widespread public recognition after joining the inaugural cast of The Real Housewives of New York City in 2008. Her breakout popularity on the series led to spinoff shows including Bethenny Ever After and Bethenny & Fredrik. She subsequently hosted her own syndicated daytime talk show, Bethenny, and later headlined the HBO Max executive competition series The Big Shot with Bethenny in 2021.

Business Ventures and Content Creation

Frankel leveraged her television platform to build a major consumer product empire. She founded Skinnygirl, starting with a packaged low-calorie margarita brand before expanding into food products, home decor, and apparel. Outside of commercial business, she founded BStrong, a global disaster relief initiative that distributes emergency aid, supplies, and financial support during crises worldwide. Frankel is also a published author of multiple New York Times best-selling books focused on health, nutrition, business, and relationships. In recent years, she has established herself as an influential digital creator, producing popular podcasts like Just B with Bethenny Frankel alongside beauty reviews and lifestyle vlogs on YouTube and TikTok.

Personal Life

Frankel was previously married to Peter Sussman and later to Jason Hoppy, with whom she has one daughter, Bryn. After spending decades living in New York City and the Hamptons, she relocated to South Florida. In addition to her media projects, Frankel remains active in entrepreneurship, pop culture commentary, and philanthropic efforts across the United States.