Bethenny Frankel divorce: Brutal 10-year fight was ‘torture’
Bethenny Frankel says co-parenting with ex-husband Jason Hoppy remains difficult, five years after the Bethenny Frankel divorce was finalized in 2021. Speaking on the Sept. 29 episode of Benny Blanco’s “Friends Keep Secrets” podcast, the 55-year-old “Real Housewives of New York City” alum said the two are “not exactly” friendly these days, according to E! News.
Asked whether the former couple still coexist, Frankel quipped, “We do both exist on this earth, so that’s positive. It’s been a strained year. It’s been a challenging year.”
A ‘traumatic’ Bethenny Frankel divorce and a long court battle
Frankel married Hoppy in 2010, and they split in 2012. The pair spent years in court over their divorce and custody of their daughter, Bryn, now 16, before the divorce was finalized in 2021, nearly a decade after the breakup.
On the podcast, Frankel called the experience “torture” and “traumatic,” E! News reported, and the episode was also covered by Us Weekly. “There were a lot of circumstances that have been too much,” she said, describing the “not garden variety” proceedings as “ten years on a two-year marriage.”
The Bethenny Frankel divorce had one more legal chapter: In December 2021, a Manhattan judge relieved Frankel of paying child support to Hoppy after her lawyer argued that Bryn primarily lived with her, according to Looper.
The bright side: Her relationship with Bryn
Frankel said the custody fight within the Bethenny Frankel divorce was “horrible, horrendous, worst of my life,” but worth it for her bond with Bryn, whom she considers her best friend, Just Jared reported.
“I love her so much,” Frankel said. “When we vibe and we are watching something and we’re laughing, we connect.”
She acknowledged the relationship has changed as Bryn has grown up. The two are “on different paths,” she said, so it “feels almost like a roommate in a way.”
“We’re very much like Thelma and Louise,” she added. “We’re in totally different chapters of our lives, obviously, and we respect each other’s chapters.”
Where Frankel is now
Frankel, the Skinnygirl founder who also hosts the “Just B” podcast, is now dating investment banker Shane L. Campbell, according to E! News. For more celebrity updates, visit our Celebrities & Pop Culture section, or read about the “RHONY” revival shake-up involving Jill Zarin.
Reporting from E! News, Us Weekly, Just Jared and Looper contributed to this story.