Bethenny Frankel is clarifying her stance against Bravo!
For weeks now, reports have claimed the Real Housewives of New York City star was part of a big lawsuit against Bravo’s parent company NBCUniversal, in which many cast members are fighting for change in the reality TV industry. It was seemingly part of her “reality reckoning” campaign… but now she’s clearing the air on all that!
Taking to her Instagram with a lengthy statement on Sunday, the Skinnygirl CEO doubled down on her desire to see “systemic change” at the network — but insisted she’s NOT taking legal action. She explained:
“I have not hired lawyers nor am I suing, facts misrepresented by the press. I have directed wronged talent and production members to legal representation and am fighting for systemic change in a damaged institution. The reality reckoning, is true, real, and I’ll lead by example and evolve for myself and for my daughter. This is not only a reckoning within an industry but one within myself…”
Whoa.
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She went on to reflect on her time on reality TV, acknowledging she was part of the problem by creating “conflict and judgment” with women she “pretended to know,” explaining:
“I’ve now spent time with and understand many of them — absent of cameras, publicists, media articles, and shows designed to bring out our worst. I adored many of them long before reality tv, and began to strongly dislike many of them.”
She then wondered if the other stars had “changed” or if the “toxic environment designed for ratings” had impacted their friendships, noting:
“To be successful in reality tv, you must kill or be killed. To not get dirty is to get fired. Someone is winning and someone is losing in this zero sum game where people like myself get rich and the less strategic go broke or get cancelled.”
The 52-year-old was obviously very “good at the game” — and she insists that’s because she began the show when she was “broke and desperate and wanted ‘it’ so badly,” elaborating:
“My one liners and quick wit (crafted and honed from a dysfunctional childhood) often at others’ expense, shot me through the ranks of this toxic cesspool. This medium preys on and profits from the emotionally flawed and damaged.”
That said, the businesswoman claimed she “did not know what” she was getting herself into — but even if she did realize how messy it was going to be, she wouldn’t change anything since she’s no longer “broke and afraid.” She clarified further in the caption:
“To clarify, me saying I would do it again means I was scared & desperate and that is what is exploited in all of us. I can explain it to you. I can’t understand it for you and I have no doubt about my feelings or actions about it. I know I’m correct.”
The Bethenny host went on to ask if signing up for a reality show justifies “an environment designed to exploit women,” musing:
“Should it create a society at large glorifying women trashing each other for profit? I wanted to be something and helped create this genre paving the road for those behind me. Am I biting the hand that fed me? Perhaps, but maybe that hand deserves to be bitten. We have fed the machine ratings, ad dollars, catch phrases and content. We get filthy and they get filthy rich.”
Bethenny has a net worth of $80 million, so, uhhh, we’d say she got filthy rich, too! Some of her fellow reality stars aren’t so lucky, though, and she seems to be speaking out on their behalf in hopes of fixing the alleged issues of mistreatment in the genre. And she’s not thrilled with NBC’s response to the backlash so far, in which they merely promised to “monitor alcohol,” detailing:
“A letter about an on set psychologist and a reduction of alcohol consumption is a nice step, but won’t suffice.”
Check out the full statement (below)!
Seems like she’s heard the criticism from fans and is trying to do better… but it’s interesting to hear she’s not part of that big legal battle! Since she has such an influential voice in the industry and has been so vocal about wanting a change, we wonder why she’s not helping out with the case? Maybe she just doesn’t have strong enough allegations of her own since she was so successful on RHONY? What do U think?! Sound OFF (below)!
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