Bethenny Frankel: Skinny Girl

[FozzyBear]

Uhhhhh. What did she say? I haven't seen the interview yet, but judging by the quotes in the article the divorce happened pretty much they way I thought. Shotgun marriage too soon in the relationship and then a breakdown over conflicting expectations about life in general. I'll admit to liking Bethany even through the solo shows and not really getting a great vibe from Jason, but I always thought the divorce was mostly about 2 people who really didn't have enough in common to build a life. Annnnnnd I still have that perception. What's to sue over?

[jaync]

I get Bravo's need to pimp her return, but I hope the upcoming season isn't the Bethenny Show.

 

I wonder what housewife she's referring to about selling the BS stories to the tabloids? 

She acted positive that it was a fellow HW who did it (as opposed to a crew member or other insider), so I don't know why she punked out and didn't just name them outright.

[hoodooznoodooz]

So was Bethenny implying that she had no respect for Jason? That she lost respect for him after being married to him for a few months? Or that Jason didn't respect her work (famewhoring, brand-promoting)?

Andy asked her if she would have a televised wedding again. She said something to the effect of, If he wants to get married on TV, run away; that's a red flag. That makes it seem as if Jason wanted the televised wedding. But wasn't B the one who wanted every aspect of her life on TV? I'm confused.

This season, I do hope that we get to watch at least one scene with Bethenny bringing Ramona down. Ramona was so insufferable last season. Yes, Mario was cheating on her, but that doesn't give her carte blanche to take her rage out on everyone else with whom she interacts.

[KnotsLanding]

I read that Bethenny insisted this one-on one WWHL with Andy be taped, not live, because she didn't want to be blindsided. Who knows if that's true, but if it is, it does illustrate her need for control, imo. Maybe she wanted her divorce atty to vet the Q and As?

The ways she twists and double twists the truth are masterful. She needs to add twisty pretzels to her skinnygirl product. line.

This is obviously just another story planted about her. All of the one on ones are pretaped. It isn't anything special done for Bethenny. Same with those reports of her being difficult during RHONY filming, that is a common tactic used by housewives, particularly in the New York cast and doing so looks worse on the housewife selling the story IMO.

[motorcitymom65]

This season, I do hope that we get to watch at least one scene with Bethenny bringing Ramona down. Ramona was so insufferable last season. Yes, Mario was cheating on her, but that doesn't give her carte blanche to take her rage out on everyone else with whom she interacts.

This is pretty much exactly what I am waiting for. I mostly liked Beth on the show. I thought she was pretty much perfect for this particular type of entertainment. In my mind reality TV snark will always be equated with Beth. No one snarked on the other gals better than Beth, and no one said exactly what I was thinking (but with more humor) better than she did. I am anxious for her return mainly because I want to see her deal with Ramona. I want to see her mock Ramona. I want to see her make Ramona look as foolish as she is. I don't anticipate a lot of this, however, because I think they are ultimately going to bond over their asshole ex-husbands. 

[zoeysmom]

To me the only thing that might get Bethenny a slap on the hand was the "breadwinner" comment.  That implies Bethenny was the only one contributing.  Their judge told Bethenny not to wear Byrn's clothes and take selfies so it sounds to me that the order is pretty narrowly construed.

[Trooper York]

I think the judge is none to happy with her and any excuse to pile on sanctions will be taken. Look Jason is not on TV talking about their marriage so he is abiding by both the letter and the spirit of the order. She has to be careful. She rubs a lot of people the wrong way. You don't want to do that to a judge. Just sayn'

[MatildaMoody]

That Chris Harrison article says B never went her fathers funeral. What!? She gave a EULOGY!

Then went on the yacht days later and on camera said he was a terrible horrible person in the scene where she gets called a ho bag by kelly. After she just eulogized him. And by the way, prob inherited some serious money.

I despise Bethenny. And the way she treats her mother and father. Private schools, trips to Europe, sweet 16 on a yacht, she is a fraud exaggerating her upbringing and selling us her abuse story to rake in the dough. She took the last name Parisella then changed it back to Frankel, hmmm..why I wonder. Moved to CA totaled her dads car then bitched that he replaced it with a cheap used car? Her dad was probably tough, and private and not touchy feely. But he had MANY good personal and professional relationships in life. A full life.

Her childhood and her parents were 1000% better than many, especially in the 70's. I'm with the author of that article.

I think it gets into tricky territory trying to declare what type of parent someone was or what another person's upbringing was like based on the material possessions that were provided during childhood. 

 

I think it gets especially tricky when it comes to someone like Bethenny's dad. A man, who by all accounts devoted his life to his love of horses and who was much more concerned with the track and how well the animals did than anything else. It can be dangerous to say well he had a lot of great personal and professional relationships, therefore she is lying about the type of father he was. 

 

When there are so many parents who provide well, private schools, lavish vacations, who are still abusive or neglectful assholes. Bethenny's story of her childhood is how she experienced it. I think it is disingenious for anyone to question that based on the material things she had during her childhood. Appearances are just that. Experiences are something else. 

 

ETA:

When Brynn writes her memoirs 20 years from now, will people say, well she must be exaggerating about what monsters her parents are because look at all of the things they bought/did for her? Look at how many people know and love Bethenny and Jason, or have nothing but good things to say about them.  Or, will they accept that Brynn's experience is her own for better or for worse? 

Edited March 24, 2015 by MatildaMoody

[zoeysmom]

This is pretty much exactly what I am waiting for. I mostly liked Beth on the show. I thought she was pretty much perfect for this particular type of entertainment. In my mind reality TV snark will always be equated with Beth. No one snarked on the other gals better than Beth, and no one said exactly what I was thinking (but with more humor) better than she did. I am anxious for her return mainly because I want to see her deal with Ramona. I want to see her mock Ramona. I want to see her make Ramona look as foolish as she is. I don't anticipate a lot of this, however, because I think they are ultimately going to bond over their asshole ex-husbands.

I am hoping to see Bethenny run off Kristen-talk about boring.

[Umbelina]

Well, she WAY the primary breadwinner.

 

I don't recall her saying anything bad about Jason last night.  At all.

[archer1267]

I wonder what housewife she's referring to about selling the BS stories to the tabloids?

 

 

My money's on Sonja.

 

1) She's desperate for money.

2) She's desperate for attention. If the buzz about RHONY isn't kept alive, if the interest takes a dive, she stands to lose her paycheck.

3) Compare her casual attitude towards the facialist's gossiping with LuAnn's disgust that someone she didn't know was talking about her (and that Sonja didn't stick up for her). Sonja sees the Page 6 stuff as no big deal. You know she's got her interns combing the dailies, social media etc. for any mention of her and the show.

 

I also think that Sonja's clumsy and will easily be tripped up if so. I saw her post a story on FB about her Fashion Week collection. The story looked more like a blog piece and the author had a first name and last initial. I could swear it was something an intern had written as a press release and Sonja was trying to pass it off as "media coverage."

[LilaFowler]

I think it's Sonja, too.  She stands the most to lose if the show ends.  She's been on the show for 4 seasons and doesn't have anything substantial to show for it. 

[FozzyBear]

Responding re appearances and monetary things don't represent a good childhood.

They don't, necessarily. But they DO provide evidence that Bethenny "had" parents and was NOT an orphan.

Bethenny said she didn't have parents, she said she was an orphan. Now that, is disingenuous. She did have parents and was not an orphan nor raised by wolves.

Will Brynn (another alternate spelling only child with parents who split in an ugly way, though dad avoids press and attention like a plague ) repeat this cycle ? Will she say she didn't have parents? We'll see.

ETA I think Jill is the leak. And good for Jason for holding Bethennys feet to the fire of she's under a court order. Bethenny has no governor no family parents or roots she is almost Brandi G territory on boundaries. She needs some more serious therapy than dr no sox.

Why I understand why people don't like Bethanny, she never said she was an orphan. In S1 Jill said that when she first met Bethany she thought she was an orphan. It was because Bethany never talked about her family. Jill was clear that Bethany never told her that, it was an assumption she made. Bethany never actually represented herself as an orphan on TRHONY. Even in S1 she was clear that her family provided for her financially, but that she was estranged from her parents as an adult.

[LilaFowler]

Jill did say that.

B said she "didn't have parents", right? Season 1?

Yes, I remember Bethenny saying that she didn't have parents, had raised herself and was calling the police at 1 a.m. (or whatever).  I don't remember where/when she said that, though.  Early on

[Mozelle]

But I don't think she ever meant that literally (just like, you know, she wasn't literally raised by wolves). If her parents were not there in any sort of parental capacity (except maybe to pay for things) and that she had no guidance or discipline from either her mother or father, I can see why Bethenny would say that she had no parents. 

[FozzyBear]

But I don't think she ever meant that literally (just like, you know, she wasn't literally raised by wolves). If her parents were not there in any sort of parental capacity (except maybe to pay for things) and that she had no guidance or discipline from either her mother or father, I can see why Bethenny would say that she had no parents.

Yeah, that was the impression I got. That her parents were wrapped up in their own drama and not that invested in her. I don't remember ever getting the impression that they were dead or that they had literally/legally abandoned her. My impression from S1 on was more of a Tom and Daisy Buchanan story than a Horatio Alger one.

[ZoloftBlob]

Yeah, I never got the impression Bethenny  was presenting was presenting herself as an honest to god orphan with dead parents, or that she was literally raised by a wolf pack, but that her parents weren't close to her and made little effort beyond material efforts to be parents.

[LibertarianSlut]

I always got the impression that Bethenny was trying to portray her childhood as halfway between Daisy Buchanan's kid and a Horatio Alger story. I remember I was kind of taken aback about it first season of RHONJ. She was blogging for that show for Bravo, and she wrote of a woman named Pat from Queens whom she'd lived with at some point in her youth. She said she liked Caroline because she reminded her of Pat. I remember thinking, "wow, Bethenny must have had a really rough childhood if neither of her parents could take care of her for a period of time."

I was young then.

By her second season of her own show, I realized Bethenny may have her very own unique relationship with reality, and I started to doubt everything she said. Then came the boat incident...

Now I don't think Bethenny lies about things, but she leaves out little parts of the truth. Like, maybe she did live with Pat, but maybe it was so that she could use Pat's address so she could go to a special NYC school or something. Just the fact that they managed to send her to that awesome boarding school in South Florida...I think she was ok.

[Watermelon]

I rewatched the Bethenny/Kelly sitdown.  It really was easy for Bethenny to have everyone thinking Kelly was crazy. She's super weird.

 

I enjoyed the "imaginary boyfriend" line though.

[ryebread]

There are some pics of Bethenny in Miami at the UKDailyMail website. I am too lazy to link them.

 

But I'm not!  You say Bethenny and Carole together on vacation and I'm there!

 

I wonder if Carole's pissed that Bethenny copied her sunglasses.

 

[FozzyBear]

I wonder if a Bethanny/Carole friendship will finally sour me on Bethanny. I kept liking her even through her solo shows, but I do find Carole exhausting. I can kind of imagine the two of them being pretty insufferable together.

[racked]

I wonder if a Bethanny/Carole friendship will finally sour me on Bethanny. I kept liking her even through her solo shows, but I do find Carole exhausting. I can kind of imagine the two of them being pretty insufferable together.

 

I'm fearing this too. I didn't like her much on her solo shows, but whenever I see her in public appearances I like her again, so I've been assuming I will go back to being a fan on RHONY. But Carole and Bethenny together may be too much.

[politichick]

I totally cannot wait until this season premieres. I hope the ladies of NY don't disappoint!

[LibertarianSlut]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2159979/I-feel-little-hotter-Bethenny-Frankel-says-breast-implants-gave-confidence-boost-bedroom.html

Wow, Bethenny does not look healthy at all in those pics you linked to. If you click on the link I posted above--which is from less than three years ago--she looks completely different; her body looks about as close to perfect as a body is going to get (for anyone over 20 who isn't a model lol). Now...she looks like her organs are getting ready to shut down. I'm worried about her. I wonder if what appears to be her rapid aging has to do with malnutrition. In the 2012 picture I linked to, Bethenny looked to be about 36 to me, though she was actually about 42. Now she looks like Carole's contemporary. And we all know that Carole is 50 (!) (thanks Aviva). What's going on with her?

[jenny2682]

I am re watching the old seasons on BRAVO. I am so confused- I loved her in Seasons 1-3. I had high hopes for her- she seemed to be an underdog, savvy, smart as a whip and didn't take shit. I am sad watching this. We saw Skinny Girl from the ground up and the hard work, determination and hustle that went into it. We saw her entire brand started in her tiny apartment and her hustling  in supermarkets. Her heart breaking over the breakup of Jason 1.0. Then seamlessly it seemed to come together-the brand took off, books written and becoming best sellers, Jason 2.0, the wedding, baby Brynn etc. It was SUPPOSED to not end like it did. It would have been nice if she would have gotten the career, business, success, family and husband like some movie heroine. I guess I wanted it more for her than she did for herself. Take it away Tyra.

[Duke2801]

I am re watching the old seasons on BRAVO. I am so confused- I loved her in Seasons 1-3. I had high hopes for her- she seemed to be an underdog, savvy, smart as a whip and didn't take shit. I am sad watching this. We saw Skinny Girl from the ground up and the hard work, determination and hustle that went into it. We saw her entire brand started in her tiny apartment and her hustling  in supermarkets. Her heart breaking over the breakup of Jason 1.0. Then seamlessly it seemed to come together-the brand took off, books written and becoming best sellers, Jason 2.0, the wedding, baby Brynn etc. It was SUPPOSED to not end like it did. It would have been nice if she would have gotten the career, business, success, family and husband like some movie heroine. I guess I wanted it more for her than she did for herself. Take it away Tyra.

 

Idk, I feel like Bethenny got almost exactly what she wanted: a successful SkinnyGirl franchise and a baby.  In that order.  I really don't think her heart was ever set on a "forever" marriage with Jason.  He was a means to an end. 

 

I think the only thing that she views as a *true* failure is her talk show. 

[Wendy]

I am re watching the old seasons on BRAVO. I am so confused- I loved her in Seasons 1-3. I had high hopes for her- she seemed to be an underdog, savvy, smart as a whip and didn't take shit. I am sad watching this. We saw Skinny Girl from the ground up and the hard work, determination and hustle that went into it. We saw her entire brand started in her tiny apartment and her hustling  in supermarkets. Her heart breaking over the breakup of Jason 1.0. Then seamlessly it seemed to come together-the brand took off, books written and becoming best sellers, Jason 2.0, the wedding, baby Brynn etc. It was SUPPOSED to not end like it did. It would have been nice if she would have gotten the career, business, success, family and husband like some movie heroine. I guess I wanted it more for her than she did for herself. Take it away Tyra.

 

IMO the one who truly got what he wanted was Jason, he pretended to be this outstanding guy in front of the cameras but as her star grew more and more his male ego just couldn't take it. Here they are going on three years of divorce, he has been offered many millions and he is still fighting for more, the custody already got solved so it is not like he is protecting his stake in Bryn's life, he is still living in the apartment that she pays for and still fdragging her to the courthouse for almost every little petty thing.

 

I always thought that Jason was a wolf in sheep clothes who targeted an emotional damaged woman who was dying for love and attention to fullfill her dream of a perfect family, Bethenny has always been who she is, she has never pretended to be any other, the Jason that was on the shows is certainly not the ones who she is divorcing from, the Jason she is divorcing is the one who showed up when the cameras were not filming, the one who mentally tortures her by checking in her beloved dog and doesn't tell her where it is, the one who tries to humilliate her in front of a magazine crew who was at the apartment to take pictures of her in his underwears, the ones who decides to fight her for millions even though he signed a prenup. I have known guys who act one way in front of family and friends and completely different behind close doors, like Dr. Jekill and Mr. Hyde.

 

Bethenny and Jason should have never married but he insisted on it, she said she was happy just living together or marrying after Bryn was born, if she would had followed her gut instinct none of this legal mess would have happened, she made a mistake and is paying for it and will continue paying until Bryn reaches adulthood. So needless to say that her marriage-divorce is her own personal story and I won't judge her for it, I will judge her for her interaction with her castmates and what she brings to the table.

 

RHNY has always been my favorite, even more than RHBH so I am hoping to fall in love again because the last two seasons I just didn't care enough to even watch.

[sleekandchic]

Did Jason actually insist on marriage over Bethenny' s objection and her desire to just live together? That's not how I remember the situation but it's possible I missed that chapter.

What I remember is Bethenny getting ready to star in a new Bravo reality series that would follow a single woman in NYC, dating, working, relationships,etc. I think the working title was Bethenny and the City? A play on Sex and the City?

Then she got pregnant, which was not a mistake; she and Jason were actively trying for a baby. So, since she still wanted to do the new reality series, it would have to take a different approach. That's when Bethenny Getting Married was created. I don't know if that was Andy Cohen's idea or Bethenny's or Jason's or a combination of people. But Bethenny ran with it, and it never seemed to me that she was being forced to marry against her will. We watched all the wedding preps, the gown choices, the bridal shower, the rehearsal dinner, the meet the in-laws, the Four Seasons ceremony and reception, the fab honeymoon. That series was fun to watch. Though, it didn't portend well that after being pronounced husband and wife, Bethenny turned and began the walk up the aisle without Jason, lol!

I just never got the impression she was forced by Jason to get married. Then the next series, Bethenny Ever After, suggested by the title alone, that she was finally happy and living the fairy tale. The huge Skinnygirl buyout success came during that time, and we saw a lot of that, plus new baby and home life, business, and Jason's involvement with all that, too.

Divorce is so ugly for everybody involved. I'm sure B wants it over with, and I also feel safe in saying there's probably been lots of bad, nasty stuff coming from both sides.

I will say though that Bethenny got much more than she expected from Jason. Up to now, when she was ready to end a relationship, she called the shots, and the person was cut off. This time, she wanted Jason gone, her in-laws too. She wanted to raise Bryn by herself, in my opinion. Jason's digging in his heels is definitely her cross to bear. I tend to agree with Duke2801' s comment above that Jason was just a means to an end for B. Maybe when that thought actually dawned on Jason, he decided he wouldn't just disappear and make things easy?

I do wonder why the divorce is taking this long, especially since the child-custody seems to have been worked out to mom's and dad's satisfaction. The long divorce tells be that neither side is willing to budge an inch, and that's not good for anybody. At some point, the judge will need to end it.

But I will be watching this new season of RHNYC just because Bethenny is back. I had lost interest in the show seasons ago, but now I'll be watching to see all the new dynamics.

Edited April 8, 2015 by sleekandchic

[Mozelle]

I wonder if there was a part of Bethenny that thought she needed to do the marriage thing because it's what's "supposed" to happen. I'm not talking about any Bravo reality show here. I mean, just what seems to be the general expecation of a lot of women that by a certain age we're supposed to have XYZ checked off The Life List: Women's Edition. Like, Bethenny probably could have gone the donor route, but I'm hazarding a guess that she thought she was supposed to have the husband as part of the package...until that shit became too real. 

 

On a shallow note--Carole's ass isn't bad. I'm surprised because she is so thin, but she's got a little bubble there (as opposed to Bethenny's pancake). Carole's not going to give Jada Pinkett Smith's bum a run for its money, but I can buy that certain guys check out her ass. 

[FozzyBear]

The wedding being Jason's idea was something that B said in an interview. I think? Anyway, it's one of many, many times where I believe it, but I don't think either had bad intentions. I think B would have been happy living together and I'm sure Bravo could have spun the show that way. Jason may have wanted the wedding, and the wedding pre-baby, to please his parents. B may have felt pressure not to disappoint them and J may have been too concerned with what they wanted v what was best for him and B. In any case I think the wedding was a bad idea. It was too soon and they didn't really know each other and they only made it as far as they did riding on new baby excitement.

[AuntieDiane6]

 

 

Idk, I feel like Bethenny got almost exactly what she wanted: a successful SkinnyGirl franchise and a baby.  In that order.  I really don't think her heart was ever set on a "forever" marriage with Jason.  He was a means to an end.

I think the only thing that she views as a *true* failure is her talk show.

 

Exactly.  She got married because she wanted the bling and the storyline.  See Bethenny making funny cracks during a bridal shower.  Watch Bethenny try on ridiculous gowns.  See Bethenny in her wedding gown on the subway.  Oh wait, that was Rhoda in one of the most watched TV sitcom episodes EVER.  I remember seeing her shut the door on her in-laws when they returned Brynn to the apartment.  She grabbed the baby and that was that.  Their faces still had the stunned look on them as the door slammed.

[MyAimIsTrue]

 See Bethenny in her wedding gown on the subway.  Oh wait, that was Rhoda in one of the most watched TV sitcom episodes EVER.  

 

I freakin' love you for this.

[Aunt Kiki]

I always got the impression that Bethenny was trying to portray her childhood as halfway between Daisy Buchanan's kid and a Horatio Alger story. I remember I was kind of taken aback about it first season of RHONJ. She was blogging for that show for Bravo, and she wrote of a woman named Pat from Queens whom she'd lived with at some point in her youth. She said she liked Caroline because she reminded her of Pat. I remember thinking, "wow, Bethenny must have had a really rough childhood if neither of her parents could take care of her for a period of time."

I was young then.

By her second season of her own show, I realized Bethenny may have her very own unique relationship with reality, and I started to doubt everything she said. Then came the boat incident...

Now I don't think Bethenny lies about things, but she leaves out little parts of the truth. Like, maybe she did live with Pat, but maybe it was so that she could use Pat's address so she could go to a special NYC school or something. Just the fact that they managed to send her to that awesome boarding school in South Florida...I think she was ok.

I worked at a NY racetrack one summer.  In the 70s and 80s it was pretty bad for workers whether they were trainers or hot walkers.  It was even worse for the families - the housing situation was horrendous and in some cases the horses had better living conditions.  If her father was modestly successful, and the parents were divorced, he probably sent her to live off the track.  So I don't doubt that she was sent to live off site in a safer situation.  Probably Pat was a relative of one of the workers and most likely Bethenny wasn't the only kid who was sent to live with Pat.  It's a pretty vagabond life there.

 

Her father had so-so success in NY and didn't make his career what it was until he went to California. 

 

With that said - I think she likes to embellish - but no more than most of the NY housewives.

 

I wonder if Carole and Bethenny are such buddies, where does that leave Heather?

[sleekandchic]

I've been trying to remember the details of that uncomfortable scene between Bethenny and Jason 1.0 during an episode of RHNYC. She asked him about their future together and pressed him for some kind of commitment. He waffled, she persisted. He was adamant that he didn't want to have that discussion on camera.

At the time, I felt she was asking about marriage, but maybe Bethenny was just wanting a relationship and a baby? I do remember that Jason 1.0 had a couple of kids, and I wondered what kind of stepmom B would make.

I think Bethenny is a person who wants what she wants when she wants it -- until she doesn't want it anymore. I don't think that's a bad philosophy of life at all. Things can get dicey though when you choose to memorialize decisions and actions on film, only to do major reconstruction later on. I definitely watch way too many police and trial procedurals because I find myself thinking, were you lying then or are you lying now?!

I think it was the finale episode of Bethenny Getting Married's first season? Bethenny and Jason and new infant Bryn trek out to Montauk, along with. Gina the baby nurse, Max the intern and Julie, the assistant and Bryn' s godmother. They barbecue on the beach, B gets a little weepy as she toasts the group and waxes poetic about how she finally has the family she's always wanted and that these people ARE her family now. I really felt for her in that scene.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethenny_Ever_After

Edited April 4, 2015 by sleekandchic

[Leroux]

Absolutely not, Bethenny didn't push for a commitment, Jason did and he said it himself

There is that scene at the bar where they met ( RHNY season 3) when Jason puts his foot down and wants a more committed relationship because he feels it is the right time, that is when they decided to live together, Jason made all the moves towards her and this doesn't come from Bethenny's mouth but from Jason's own admissions on their four seasons together.

Jason is the one who approached her at the bar, Jason is the one who asked for a committed relationship because their first six months together they had an open relationship and he wanted a exclusive relationship, he asked the to live together, he moved into her apartment, he proposed, he wanted to get married before the baby was born , he wanted the big wedding as opposed to Bethenny who wanted only his family and some close friends, by his own admission he is the one who proposed they stopped birth control and see what happened, if there has been one driver in that relationship it has always been Jason. Until the very last day of the wedding Jason feared that Bethenny would get cold feet, there is a picture of a runaway bride iirc to illustrate her doubts about this marriage.

I remember that because there was one particular scene very early on before they got married that told me clearly that this relationship was never going to work, Bethenny had mentioned to Jason that she wanted to get married after the baby was born and she wanted a very small wedding, Jason insisted that he wanted a big wedding so he could invite all his frat boys so Bethenny agreed, yet when it came time to get to work at it Jason completely bailed and left Bethenny to prepare everything by herself, he couldn't even be bothered to stop watching his football game to check with her the menu options and that is when she had a mini meltdown, Jason felt guilty so to make up for his lack of help he went and got the marriage license, big whoop. He wanted the big wedding but he was more than happy to left Bethenny to deal with all of it , he never considered the fact that she was pregnant and probably tired, she was writing a book and working on her cocktail line, she was working her tale off and he was just nonchalant putting more on her plate.

That is when I knew they will never make it, Jason was more than happy to sit back and warm the bench and Bethenny is a go getter, she wants something she goes and gets it done, Jason wants something but he expects someone else to pick up the tab, no wonder professionally their paths have been so different. Jason is not a bad guy, he is just like many guys whose mother has probably done everything for them during their whole life so their idea of a wife is a woman who is probably completely different from Bethenny.

I would like to believe that they both made a mistake and married too soon like millions of other couples but the way Jason has handled the divorce and how hard he is fighting for every cent just makes me believe that he might have had ulterior motives, the picture of this poor, innocent, naive man who was seduced, raped and forced to get Bethenny pregnant and marry her for a show IMO is laughable and just illustrated how manipulative Jason really is because he has sold that image pretty well, he is the poor victim of a deranged woman so while he is trying to milk her for millions , who cares? After all he is the nice guy.

Those "nice" guys are the worst, they are smooth and charming but they are lethal.

[Rhetorica]

Absolutely not, Bethenny didn't push for a commitment, Jason did and he said it himself

There is that scene at the bar where they met ( RHNY season 3) when Jason puts his foot down and wants a more committed relationship because he feels it is the right time, that is when they decided to live together, Jason made all the moves towards her and this doesn't come from Bethenny's mouth but from Jason's own admissions on their four seasons together.

Jason is the one who approached her at the bar, Jason is the one who asked for a committed relationship because their first six months together they had an open relationship and he wanted a exclusive relationship, he asked the to live together, he moved into her apartment, he proposed, he wanted to get married before the baby was born , he wanted the big wedding as opposed to Bethenny who wanted only his family and some close friends, by his own admission he is the one who proposed they stopped birth control and see what happened, if there has been one driver in that relationship it has always been Jason. Until the very last day of the wedding Jason feared that Bethenny would get cold feet, there is a picture of a runaway bride iirc to illustrate her doubts about this marriage.

I remember that because there was one particular scene very early on before they got married that told me clearly that this relationship was never going to work, Bethenny had mentioned to Jason that she wanted to get married after the baby was born and she wanted a very small wedding, Jason insisted that he wanted a big wedding so he could invite all his frat boys so Bethenny agreed, yet when it came time to get to work at it Jason completely bailed and left Bethenny to prepare everything by herself, he couldn't even be bothered to stop watching his football game to check with her the menu options and that is when she had a mini meltdown, Jason felt guilty so to make up for his lack of help he went and got the marriage license, big whoop. He wanted the big wedding but he was more than happy to left Bethenny to deal with all of it , he never considered the fact that she was pregnant and probably tired, she was writing a book and working on her cocktail line, she was working her tale off and he was just nonchalant putting more on her plate.

That is when I knew they will never make it, Jason was more than happy to sit back and warm the bench and Bethenny is a go getter, she wants something she goes and gets it done, Jason wants something but he expects someone else to pick up the tab, no wonder professionally their paths have been so different. Jason is not a bad guy, he is just like many guys whose mother has probably done everything for them during their whole life so their idea of a wife is a woman who is probably completely different from Bethenny.

I would like to believe that they both made a mistake and married too soon like millions of other couples but the way Jason has handled the divorce and how hard he is fighting for every cent just makes me believe that he might have had ulterior motives, the picture of this poor, innocent, naive man who was seduced, raped and forced to get Bethenny pregnant and marry her for a show IMO is laughable and just illustrated how manipulative Jason really is because he has sold that image pretty well, he is the poor victim of a deranged woman so while he is trying to milk her for millions , who cares? After all he is the nice guy.

Those "nice" guys are the worst, they are smooth and charming but they are lethal.

I think the post was referencing the first Jason. He was divorced with kids, went to her birthday party, came to her house for dinner. Season 1, I think. (How can I remember this and forget appointments?)

[Duke2801]

I think the post was referencing the first Jason. He was divorced with kids, went to her birthday party, came to her house for dinner. Season 1, I think. (How can I remember this and forget appointments?)

 

Yeah, sleekandchic was definitely referring to Jason 1.0, not Jason Hoppy.  Interesting post though.  I tend to think the truth lies somewhere in the middle, in a "shade of grey" if you will.  I don't think Bethenny was an evil harpy shrew, nor do I think Jason H. was an evil mastermind plotting to get her millions while masquerading as a "nice guy."  I think, like, oh just about every single person in the world, they both have facets to their personalities that are good and bad.  And, unfortunately, they seemed to bring out the worst in each other. 

 

I'm sure we could sit here all day and night and analyze the things each has done and said over the years - both while married and separated - in order to paint the other party in a negative light.  But, to me, the bottom line is that they are just 2 people who weren't right for each other. 

[hottesthw]

Absolutely not, Bethenny didn't push for a commitment, Jason did and he said it himself

There is that scene at the bar where they met ( RHNY season 3) when Jason puts his foot down and wants a more committed relationship because he feels it is the right time, that is when they decided to live together, Jason made all the moves towards her and this doesn't come from Bethenny's mouth but from Jason's own admissions on their four seasons together.

Jason is the one who approached her at the bar, Jason is the one who asked for a committed relationship because their first six months together they had an open relationship and he wanted a exclusive relationship, he asked the to live together, he moved into her apartment, he proposed, he wanted to get married before the baby was born , he wanted the big wedding as opposed to Bethenny who wanted only his family and some close friends, by his own admission he is the one who proposed they stopped birth control and see what happened, if there has been one driver in that relationship it has always been Jason. Until the very last day of the wedding Jason feared that Bethenny would get cold feet, there is a picture of a runaway bride iirc to illustrate her doubts about this marriage.

I remember that because there was one particular scene very early on before they got married that told me clearly that this relationship was never going to work, Bethenny had mentioned to Jason that she wanted to get married after the baby was born and she wanted a very small wedding, Jason insisted that he wanted a big wedding so he could invite all his frat boys so Bethenny agreed, yet when it came time to get to work at it Jason completely bailed and left Bethenny to prepare everything by herself, he couldn't even be bothered to stop watching his football game to check with her the menu options and that is when she had a mini meltdown, Jason felt guilty so to make up for his lack of help he went and got the marriage license, big whoop. He wanted the big wedding but he was more than happy to left Bethenny to deal with all of it , he never considered the fact that she was pregnant and probably tired, she was writing a book and working on her cocktail line, she was working her tale off and he was just nonchalant putting more on her plate.

That is when I knew they will never make it, Jason was more than happy to sit back and warm the bench and Bethenny is a go getter, she wants something she goes and gets it done, Jason wants something but he expects someone else to pick up the tab, no wonder professionally their paths have been so different. Jason is not a bad guy, he is just like many guys whose mother has probably done everything for them during their whole life so their idea of a wife is a woman who is probably completely different from Bethenny.

I would like to believe that they both made a mistake and married too soon like millions of other couples but the way Jason has handled the divorce and how hard he is fighting for every cent just makes me believe that he might have had ulterior motives, the picture of this poor, innocent, naive man who was seduced, raped and forced to get Bethenny pregnant and marry her for a show IMO is laughable and just illustrated how manipulative Jason really is because he has sold that image pretty well, he is the poor victim of a deranged woman so while he is trying to milk her for millions , who cares? After all he is the nice guy.

Those "nice" guys are the worst, they are smooth and charming but they are lethal.

Jason was a grown man surviving in NYC as a bachelor. I'm highly doubting his mommy was footing the bill for his lifestyle and coming over twice a week to cook him dinner.

And Bethenny has raised herself from birth all alone (by her own admission). I'm again highly doubting she was a silent partner in that relationship with no input in anything. She wanted the attention a big wedding would bring, point blank period. I've yet to read any articles that B fought off Andy Cohen with a stick when he offered her a spinoff based on said wedding.

Bethenny is a master manipulator if nothing else.

[babykin]

She wanted a small intimate wedding, but then INSISTED it happen at the Four Seasons. One of the most expensive and elite venues in NYC. Puh-lease. 

 

I LOVED Bethenny. But like Jason, I think, I slowly came to see her for what she is. Full of shit. I don't believe one word she says and her entire schtick is old. She's a total narcisisst who can't take any accountability for anything she does. I'm so bummed that she's back.

[MatildaMoody]

She wanted a small intimate wedding, but then INSISTED it happen at the Four Seasons. One of the most expensive and elite venues in NYC. Puh-lease. 

 

Is there a reason why you can't do a small intimate wedding at the Four Seasons? I ask because I know nothing about the place other than it is a fancy venue. Do people not do small upscale events there?

[babykin]

 

Is there a reason why you can't do a small intimate wedding at the Four Seasons? I ask because I know nothing about the place other than it is a fancy venue. Do people not do small upscale events there?

I definitely agree you can certainly have a small intimate wedding anywhere. It was just obvious this wasn't her MO. Why choose one of the most expensive hotels on Fifth Avenue and then have 100+ people. IMO there is nothing intimate about the Four Seasons. MMV of course. 

[iwasish]

I definitely agree you can certainly have a small intimate wedding anywhere. It was just obvious this wasn't her MO. Why choose one of the most expensive hotels on Fifth Avenue and then have 100+ people. IMO there is nothing intimate about the Four Seasons. MMV of course. 

Why bother with a small intimate wedding, when you're filming it for entertainment and when you exploit every other aspect of your life for public viewing. Dollars to donuts that if Jason didn't object to it, Bethenny would have Brynn all over this show.

How do we know that Jason is delaying the divorce by stonewalling over money? I've never gotten the vibe from him that he has champagne taste. It was always Bethenny who wanted designer this and that, she was the one who mocked his old style, unfashionable jeans and shoes. If he developed a taste for the good life, it was thru her influence. If the roles were reversed, and it was Jason who hit it big time, Bethenny would be putting up just as big a stink to get her share.

[QuinnM]

 

How do we know that Jason is delaying the divorce by stonewalling over money? I've never gotten the vibe from him that he has champagne taste.

 

I think the fact that he is living in the marital apartment but not paying anything towards it is what people are talking about.  The county records dug up by tabloids show her checks paying the taxes and utilities.  I get that he wants the apartment but then he pays for it.  Right now he is just one big passive aggressive freeloader.  But women do the same thing all the time.  Divorce is an ugly business when one of the partners has so much money.

[biakbiak]

I definitely agree you can certainly have a small intimate wedding anywhere. It was just obvious this wasn't her MO. Why choose one of the most expensive hotels on Fifth Avenue and then have 100+ people. IMO there is nothing intimate about the Four Seasons. MMV of course.

Not that The Four Seasons Restaurant isn't expensive but it's not the same as the Four Seasons hotel group, they aren't affiliated. It was founded before the hotel group so got to keep the name.

[Almost 3000]

I definitely agree you can certainly have a small intimate wedding anywhere. It was just obvious this wasn't her MO. Why choose one of the most expensive hotels on Fifth Avenue and then have 100+ people. IMO there is nothing intimate about the Four Seasons. MMV of course. 

It was done at a restaurant called the four seasons on E 52nd St and not at the hotel on E 57th.

eta: I see its already been noted.

Edited April 9, 2015 by Almost 3000

[Wendy]

Iirc the guest list kept growing and growing because Jason wanted to invite everyone of his frat boys, at that point Bethenny said the heck with this if you are inviting all your frat boys then I am inviting some of my business partners, cast mates and that is how the guest list grew to a number of 75.

75 is not a big wedding, but Bethenny did pointed out that she would have been just happy with having 25 guests. My problem was not with how big or small the wedding was, my problem was with the fact that it was done at his request, he is the one who wanted the party and all his friends invited and when it came time to make it work all he can be bothered with was to get the marriage license.

Bethenny should had seen the red flags all along, she is not perfect, she is ocd and a neurotic perfectionist but Jason is a very laid back, lazy, happy to get others to do the work kind of guy, it was never going to work and this divorce is not just Bethennys fault, he had his part in it as well.

[sleekandchic]

http://www.people.com/article/bethenny-frankel-jason-hoppy-custody-battle-court-daughter-bryn

Well, according to her sworn deposition in front of a judge Jason was acting like a vindictive POS, messing with a poor old dog like Cookie would have been bad enough but to try to teach his daughter Bryn to call her mother a witch certainly shows the real Jason.

The nice Jason is probably only a carefully constructed character for family, friends and the judge, the real Jason is the jerk who stops at nothing to make the life of the mother of his child miserable and who uses his own child to hurt her the most.

Nice Jason my ass.

Wendy, IIRC, Bethenny was never cross-examined on her accusations. She took the stand during the custody case, and was questioned by her attorney based on her sworn deposition details, as reported in your PEOPLE link. After she finished her testimony , there was a recess, and B' s attorney offered Hoppy the joint custody arrangement he wanted from the beginning. Hoppy agreed to it, the judge approved it, and the custody case ended.

So B got to make her accusations in open court, but the other side never got the chance to challenge or to rebut her. To me, a classic she said/he said scenario. Though I agree that some of the details reported in PEOPLE put Hoppy in a terrible light, I'd be willing to bet that his spin or recitation of events would have been polar opposite of Bethenny. The ex and both his parents were prepared to testify.

It's all very sad but I think there have been plenty of posturing and embellishment from both parties. Jmo

[Alonzo Mosely FBI]

Exactly, cuz Bethenny "never" exaggerates.....

 

Doesn't Have Parents....Lost At Sea....Homeless.

 

#sorrynotsorry

[sleekandchic]

The thing with Bethenny and her ex is complicated. I don't know why the divorce settlement is dragging the way it is, but I do believe Jason Hoppy' s initial refusal to budge (on advice of his attorneys) was rooted in his love and devotion to his child. I also believe that Js love of Bryn is as strong as Bethennys love of Bryn. ( For those unaware, Bryn was named in honor of Jason's late brother, Bryan.)

When B and J had their own reality series, B made no secret of her dislike and resentment of both J' s closeness to his parents in Pennsylvania and to his friends and roots from back home. There was an episode in the the last season where wills were being drawn, and B was adamant that the elder Hoppys not be named as legal guardians. Instead, B wanted Veronica, her new "glammy," designated. The glamorous nanny was a relatively new hire (not Bryns godmother Julie) and Jason was taken aback and disappointed, but B prevailed (at least that's what we saw onscreen).

Once B and J decided to divorce, she asked for full primary custody of their daughter, while J asked for joint custody, which B fought in court. My sense was (based on what I saw during their reality series) J feared that B wanted to raise her daughter by herself, eventually cutting out the paternal side.. That's a scary thought for any dad who loves his child.

B just never had good role models for healthy family dynamics. So she learned to be independent and forge ahead. She trusts her own counsel, and answers to no one. I'm sure the prospect of coparenting with her ex for 18 years is anathema to her. And the small-town, mild-mannered elder Hoppys (and J's network of friends there) are just not the type of people B likes or respects.

Because of the nature of my work, I daily see fractured families, and the anger and betrayal, though rooted in legitimate reasons, can often turn into irrational rage and vitriol. The children are always the losers, and then the cycle of dysfunction goes on and on and on.

So, I don't fault Jason Hoppy for digging in his heels and showing his ex wife that he and his family will not be erased from his little girl's life.

B is not family oriented and can't acknowledge how loving grandparents can enrich a child's life, showing her nurture, support and unconditional love. Bryn has no aunts/uncles or cousins. Right now, she has no maternal grams because B cut her own ties with her mom. Bryn has one set of parents, one set of grandparents. The idea of cutting any one of those people down to shadow participation or complete estrangement is tragic.

I like and admire Bethenny Frankel's quick wit and intelligence, her astute, candid observations and her drive for hard work and financial success. But, in my opinion, her desire to cut the Hoppys' influence on Bryn to bare minimum or nonexistent is wrongheaded and selfish.

Divorce is always terrible and with minor children involved, it's sometimes unbearable to watch the results and repercussions. Maybe Jason Hoppy is THE biggest phony, lazy, hardass, stubborn, financially-greedy, emotionally tone-deaf ex-husband that ever was. It's possible. But, in my opinion, his tenacity in staying involved in his daughters life is commendable. How easy it would have been to take his settlement-millions, and go back to his independence, maybe seeing his daughter once a year (if that)?

I don't blame Bethenny's friends and fans for feeling protective of her and believing that Jason is an unreasonable opportunist and greedily selfish. But, imo, divorce settlements are always a tightrope-y 50/50 thing, with plenty of good and bad to spread around. The fact that the divorce court judge has allowed the negotiations to go this long proves to me there is much more to Frankel v Hoppy than meets the eye.

[Neurochick]

However... am I the only one on the planet that thinks that their apartment was NOT bought with "Bethenny's" money it was bought with the proceeds from the launching pad that Bethenny had BECAUSE OF JASON, Bethenny Getting Married and Bethenny having the Baby (Jesus I forgot the title already?) would have never gotten off the ground without Jason. He also had a part of Skinnygirl. Without Jason and the byproducts and the buzz she would not have the coin she has she'd be another successful housewife for sure but not to the degree she is.

 

 

I agree with this.  I am cynical when it comes to Bethenny.  I believe she wanted a child but didn't want to have one out of wedlock.  I think she married Jason because she knew it would help her brand.  I mean, she got two reality shows out of the whole thing, Bethenny Getting Married and Bethenny Ever After.  None of those shows would have been possible without a husband, and Jason was just the lucky, or unlucky guy.  I believe Bethenny wanted to keep Jason around, and then unload him and then her next incarnation would be "Single Mom Bethenny" living in NYC an dealing with life.  That's what I think she wanted, again, I'm very cynical.

 

I think Jason is hanging on and making this difficult for Bethenny because he probably realizes that she used him.  Maybe he really did love her and was willing to put up with the reality TV stuff because of her and he thought it would help the family.  It was interesting that Bethenny mentioned Halle Berry because I think that's what Halle Berry did, she wanted a child with a good looking man, she found him, got pregnant and then wanted to unload him, but Gabriel wanted to be part of his daughter's life, or maybe he just wanted her money.  Maybe Jason just wants money, but I just get this sense that he realizes he was used and is fighting back.