Bethenny & Jason: The Divorce Showdown

[Celia Rubenstein]

Finally, some movement in this comatose case ...

 

An appeals court has ruled Bethenny no longer has to pay Jason the 12K a month temporary support (which he was NEVER entitled to because they both waived spousal support in their pre-nup), money the court inexplicably awarded Jason last year. Ha!  Time to get a job, Jason!  I just hope Bethenny can get everything he was paid in error back from the little worm.

 

The ownership of the apartment is still being litigated but I think it's just a matter of time before the fraud Jason committed with the trust results in his ass landing on the street.  Then it will be back to Bumfuck, Pennsylvania, to sleep on his co-conspirator's couch.   Oh well, he always said he wanted to spend more time with them, didn't he?  Maybe he will get his wish.

 

 

 

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/bethenny-frankel-done-paying-12k-a-month-to-ex-jason-hoppy-w199945

[Lady of nod]

Really looking forward to the new season - except for Bethany . Been watching some of last years episodes, and she is just the most obnoxious annoying person. So sad she's back. AND I will miss Kristen. I thought she was funny and has a great style. I guess shrieking narcissists are more entertaining?

[qtpye]

But aren't they divorcing at Bethenny's instigation?  I am pretty sure she is the one who filed.  Kicking Jason to the curb doesn't sound to me like she couldn't get over him.  Quite the opposite, actually.  I think she was completely over him. 

 

I think Jason may be the one who can't get over things (being rejected, mainly, but also losing the spotlight).  Like so many people who get divorced unfortunately, he may be trying to drag things out as long as possible so that he can stay involved with his ex since it is his only way to interact with her now and express his anger.  Things with their kid reportedly always go through their assistants, so he is cut off from that angle.  But fighting on and on over every last thing in the divorce is a way to keep something alive between the two of them.  Even if he has to do it through his lawyer, he knows he is getting under her skin.  I always sensed a lot of anger hidden in Jason.  He seemed like a very arrogant, hostile person who would be very unpleasant to cross.  I can see him acting like that way just to be spiteful.

 

It's a shame because lord knows he will be a wealthy man when all is said and done.  He should just take the money on the table and move on with his life.  I can't imagine that after three years, he has not been offered a fair settlement.  What he has wasted in legal fees alone could probably have set him up for life. 

 

Yeah, to me it always seemed like B was settling for Jason and vice versa.  He was fairly good looking and she wanted to get married and have kids.  Also, it provided a happy ending to the "Sex in the City" story lines she was going for on the show, not to mention her own spin offs.

 

He saw a woman who was more financially secure then him and had her own type of reality show fame.

 

When Skinny Girl took off, I think Bethany thought she could do better.  Now, she could run in the really rich circles as the queen bee, instead of a hanger on, like she was before. 

 

I think she wants to move on and he wants to let it linger.  It is sort of like he is in the First Wives Club for men ( I always hated that term) and it hurts to be dumped.

 

Edited to add:  The most interesting part is the gender role reversal.  The wife is the one with more money and power...but she is also the one with much more to lose.  He will owe whatever wealth he has in life to marrying and divorcing her.

Edited March 25, 2016 by qtpye

[Petunia13]

Jason actually got better looking after Bethenny dumped him.

[Sun-Bun]

Jason actually got better looking after Bethenny dumped him.

So did Bethenny, coincidentally!

[lizlemon]

Whole-heartedly agree with ALL of this.  I was a huge Bethenny fan for the first couple of RHONY seasons- even bought Naturally Thin and her yoga DVD.  I think the demise of my affinity for her occurred watching her spin off with Jason.  In seeing her out-of-control ego now, I firmly believe it was always there, but she now has the money and fame to "justify" the diva behavior.  It's tough to act like that when you are an unknown who can barely afford to pay your rent, as she always reminds us of.  I do think she's a user- she used Jason for a baby and Jill Zarin for her money and connections.  I know that Jill is not a well-liked HW, but I believe that's why she was so hurt by Bethenny.  It wasn't just because of the "get a hobby" comment.  As Bethenny's popularity and career took off, she dropped Jill like a hot potato.

 

Further proof of this is that when she was on The Apprentice with Martha Stewart (not a fan), Martha called her out on being too much of a show-off.  Again, huge ego even then.  I'll never forget hearing Kathy Griffin tell a story that she was at a concert that Bethenny also attended, and they were seated next to eachother in the VIP section.  Apparently Bethenny complained the ENTIRE time about how much she hated being around people and how she couldn't wait to get out of there.  Kathy said she couldn't understand how someone could have a miserable time at a fantastic concert.  I can't even imagine being around someone who complains that much, let alone being married to them.  She certainly can be very charming when she wants to, and I think she totally duped Jason in the beginning.  YMMV.

 

In closing, the impression I have of her is that if she's not the center of attention, furthering her career, or hanging out with those more famous than she is, she's miserable.  Too mundane for her.  Perhaps this is why she is closest with Carol now- because of her Kennedy/various celebrity connections.  Most likely also why she buddied up to Kyle when she lived in LA.  Surely she knew of Kim Richards growing up, plus Kyle's sister was married to a Hilton (who she eventually ended up being the nanny/personal assistant for.)  Classic opportunist.  All that being said, she makes great TV and is a big part of the reason why I even still watch RHONY lol.

Wow, I have to admit I'm surprised by all the negativity about Jason.  I'll put myself out there and say I always thought he was a solid guy, emotionally relatively healthy, and yes more emotionally healthy than Bethenny.  I was a HUGE Bethenny fan, but my feelings about her have waned, including during their continuing reality show-- like when she had a huge meltdown at Jason, with Bryn in her arms.  That sort of drama from Bethenny didn't impress me, especially since she did it in front of their kid.  I thought the therapist that was willing to see Bethenny on camera was a wimp and a sellout for doing so, and that in taping her sessions, Bethenny avoided the opportunity to do the deeper work she needs.  I felt like, in making that choice, Bethenny was deciding to stay addicted to fame rather than face her demons fully.  In fact, I think Bethenny has found herself another loser in this dude she's with now... it's some shirtless trust-fund kid, isn't it, IIRC?  That, to me, speaks to her lack of deep emotional healing, and her persistent immaturity with regard to relationships.  

 

My impression is that the stuff Jason has done post-split has been entirely to preserve his custody rights with Brynn, and has likely been done with advice of counsel (talking about staying in the house-- that if he walked away from living where Brynn lived, he could more easily lose custodial rights).  He always seemed to me like a solid dad.  I admit I don't understand the nuances of some of the legal positions taken by each side with regard to custody requests.  If Bethenny is fighting joint custody, that strikes me as foolish and unfounded.   

 

Okay, those are my thoughts, and it looks like I'm not in the majority on this thread, that's for sure!  I feel like a bucket of chum, and I just dropped myself into a shark's tank.  Go for it, guys, I'm sure you'll have at me.     

 

[Sun-Bun]

Even though I'm not a huge Bethenny fan myself((although she has made me laugh over the years with her quick wit and talking heads)), I've always been firmly Team Bethenny in her ongoing feuds with both Kelly Bensimon and Jill Zarin.

I honestly didn't see Bethenny as the user in either of those scenarios either---Jill started their entire friendship's ultimate demise, actually.

She's the one who started that ridiculous faux fight with her behind the scenes((and even told Andy about it!)), presumably to create a more sympathetic storyline/drama that would give Jill more screentime. I think she saw Bethenny's star/popularity rising and decided to hone in on it and maybe put a dent in it somehow. Jill really overestimated her own popularity though, didn't she?! Totally ended up backfiring on her...I didn't blame Bethenny one bit for backing away from the crazy after she tried her best to initially repair her friendship with Jill---Jill only wanted to make up on *her* terms and when *she* was ready, and real friendship just doesn't work that way.

Bethenny had too many other things to worry about than the crazy machinations of her fame-whoring former friend and had already moved on emotionally by the time Jill tried her best to worm her way back into Bethenny's good graces. Notice that she still stayed friendly with Alex and Ramona, and those two obviously didn't benefit her too much professionally or personally.

And as for Kuckoo Kelly, she'd already proven to be an elitist snoot to Bethenny on a variety of different social occasions before they even began filming together, so I can understand why Bethenny was put off by her from Day 1---not to mention how diva-esque Kelly was during their very first scene shot together.

I still think "Clearly she's Madonna" is my favorite Bethenny quip ever---their first few scenes/feuds were hilarious to watch because snotty bimbo KKB was no match against quickfire Bethenny!

[KFC]

Whole-heartedly agree with ALL of this.  I was a huge Bethenny fan for the first couple of RHONY seasons- even bought Naturally Thin and her yoga DVD.  I think the demise of my affinity for her occurred watching her spin off with Jason.  In seeing her out-of-control ego now, I firmly believe it was always there, but she now has the money and fame to "justify" the diva behavior.  It's tough to act like that when you are an unknown who can barely afford to pay your rent, as she always reminds us of.  I do think she's a user- she used Jason for a baby and Jill Zarin for her money and connections.  I know that Jill is not a well-liked HW, but I believe that's why she was so hurt by Bethenny.  It wasn't just because of the "get a hobby" comment.  As Bethenny's popularity and career took off, she dropped Jill like a hot potato.

 

Further proof of this is that when she was on The Apprentice with Martha Stewart (not a fan), Martha called her out on being too much of a show-off.  Again, huge ego even then.  I'll never forget hearing Kathy Griffin tell a story that she was at a concert that Bethenny also attended, and they were seated next to eachother in the VIP section.  Apparently Bethenny complained the ENTIRE time about how much she hated being around people and how she couldn't wait to get out of there.  Kathy said she couldn't understand how someone could have a miserable time at a fantastic concert.  I can't even imagine being around someone who complains that much, let alone being married to them.  She certainly can be very charming when she wants to, and I think she totally duped Jason in the beginning.  YMMV.

 

In closing, the impression I have of her is that if she's not the center of attention, furthering her career, or hanging out with those more famous than she is, she's miserable.  Too mundane for her.  Perhaps this is why she is closest with Carol now- because of her Kennedy/various celebrity connections.  Most likely also why she buddied up to Kyle when she lived in LA.  Surely she knew of Kim Richards growing up, plus Kyle's sister was married to a Hilton (who she eventually ended up being the nanny/personal assistant for.)  Classic opportunist.  All that being said, she makes great TV and is a big part of the reason why I even still watch RHONY lol.

 

I agree with some of that. I do think she's a difficult, unhappy person with a huge ego and probably always has. I also dislike how she picks on people and claims it's okay because she "owns it." But I don't know if I can rally behind the poor Jason/Jill narrative. In both cases, it seemed mutually beneficial for both parties.

 

In the case of Jill, I think Jill has always liked uneven power dynamics (she's said as much) because she enjoys being the yenta who "connects" people, so it wasn't as if Bethenny was vulturing off an unsuspecting Jill. While I can see how Jill felt used, she's also admitted to being tit-for-tat, and I can definitely see how Bethenny considered it was an unhealthy friendship with Jill constantly serving as a vindictive bean counter.

 

I won't delve too deeply into Bethenny and Jason, since A. marriage breakdowns are always a little too easy to speculate on from outside and B. it's been discussed ad nauseam and no real consensus seems like it'll be reached. All I'll say is it seemed like they both were after certain things when they got together, maybe they did love each other briefly, but ultimately it was another unhealthy relationship with both parties going in with a certain agenda. Also, the way Jason's clung to Bethenny's assets during the divorce, be it out of spite or greed, really reflect more poorly on him than her, IMO.

[Umbelina]

I don't think the divorce will be over until Jason is completely sure he can't get Bethenny to support him forever in the style to which he has become accustomed.

[jinjer]

Quote

That Bethenny gets vilified for testifying in her own custody hearing for her daughter just baffles me.  

Bethenny testified and badmouthed Jason and then immediately agreed to joint custody with a gag order before Jason could testify, so none of her dirty laundry could be aired. She's not vilified for testifying, she's vilified for her tactic of shielding her own bad behavior during the marriage which I am sure there was some of considering what her gripes were against Jason.  There was a lot of passive/aggressive behavior in that marriage.

Most of the quotes cited in the Bethenny thread from Jason's supposed "unnamed sourced" were before the divorce gag order.  And the locking in the closet/firefighter and Bryn being afraid unnamed source were from court documents that the unnamed source read. That was a leak from a courthouse source I would wager. I wouldn't ascribe that to Jason. 

Carole was Bethenny's mouthpiece last season - "It was so awful - she had to wait 7-8 rings!!! for Jason to answer the phone!! I was there!!" Poor Bethenny.  

Overall, Bethenny has tried to get her personal digs in and we have heard them from her mouth.  Jason has made no comments to the press whenever you see him getting filmed/photographed.  

You rarely ever see the paps there when he picks Bryn up from school.  She goes to the same school everyday, so why do they show up when Bethenny is there?  Why do they show up when they know Bethenny is getting ice cream with Bryn someplace?  Why did they show up that time when Jason and Bethenny were having a bday party someplace for her and Jason had to hand her off?  We rarely ever saw her out with Jason. Jason has avoided the press. I think it has been a good strategy on his part. 

I didn't love Jason as a husband. But Bethenny wasn't great shakes as a wife. She isn't great shakes as a divorced mom vis-a-vis the dad. They need to not talk about each other at all. It's not good for Bryn. Publicly Jason has done a better job. None of us know what is going on in private. I hope neither one says anything in front of Bryn ever. 

[shoegal]

1 hour ago, jinjer said:

Bethenny testified and badmouthed Jason and then immediately agreed to joint custody with a gag order before Jason could testify, so none of her dirty laundry could be aired. She's not vilified for testifying, she's vilified for her tactic of shielding her own bad behavior during the marriage which I am sure there was some of considering what her gripes were against Jason.  There was a lot of passive/aggressive behavior in that marriage.

Most of the quotes cited in the Bethenny thread from Jason's supposed "unnamed sourced" were before the divorce gag order.  And the locking in the closet/firefighter and Bryn being afraid unnamed source were from court documents that the unnamed source read. That was a leak from a courthouse source I would wager. I wouldn't ascribe that to Jason. 

Carole was Bethenny's mouthpiece last season - "It was so awful - she had to wait 7-8 rings!!! for Jason to answer the phone!! I was there!!" Poor Bethenny.  

Overall, Bethenny has tried to get her personal digs in and we have heard them from her mouth.  Jason has made no comments to the press whenever you see him getting filmed/photographed.  

You rarely ever see the paps there when he picks Bryn up from school.  She goes to the same school everyday, so why do they show up when Bethenny is there?  Why do they show up when they know Bethenny is getting ice cream with Bryn someplace?  Why did they show up that time when Jason and Bethenny were having a bday party someplace for her and Jason had to hand her off?  We rarely ever saw her out with Jason. Jason has avoided the press. I think it has been a good strategy on his part. 

I didn't love Jason as a husband. But Bethenny wasn't great shakes as a wife. She isn't great shakes as a divorced mom vis-a-vis the dad. They need to not talk about each other at all. It's not good for Bryn. Publicly Jason has done a better job. None of us know what is going on in private. I hope neither one says anything in front of Bryn ever. 

So, are you sure that Bethenny agreed to joint custody after her testimony because she wanted to trash Jason and not let him testify against her or because her attorney thought that if Jason testified, he might end up with primary custody?  Perhaps things were not going Bethenny's way and she thought that joint custody was the best option at that point and she feared she could end up with less. 

Bethenny for sure has not been silent about her feelings about Jason, but this idea that Jason has been so good about being silent is BS.  He may be sneaky enough that he's not getting his hands dirty (just like he's not financing his own legal counsel) but his side sure does get out there.  ....and I've seen plenty of pap pics of Jason picking up Bryn from school, giving her rides on his shoulders, riding her bike, Brynn running around in fairy wings.  A quick google image search of 'Jason Hoppy Brynn' reveals a boatload of images.  Do paps like pics of Bethenny more?  Sure, because she's much more famous and recognizable.  That's part of her job, her company and her image and ultimately, what writes those big checks to Jason. 

[zoeysmom]

On ‎4‎/‎17‎/‎2016 at 8:53 AM, Umbelina said:

I don't think the divorce will be over until Jason is completely sure he can't get Bethenny to support him forever in the style to which he has become accustomed.

I believe Jason side is arguing a lifestyle he helped build.  See Season 1-3 of Bethenny's spin-off.  His position is not unique on a divorce situation.

2 hours ago, shoegal said:

So, are you sure that Bethenny agreed to joint custody after her testimony because she wanted to trash Jason and not let him testify against her or because her attorney thought that if Jason testified, he might end up with primary custody?  Perhaps things were not going Bethenny's way and she thought that joint custody was the best option at that point and she feared she could end up with less. 

Bethenny for sure has not been silent about her feelings about Jason, but this idea that Jason has been so good about being silent is BS.  He may be sneaky enough that he's not getting his hands dirty (just like he's not financing his own legal counsel) but his side sure does get out there.  ....and I've seen plenty of pap pics of Jason picking up Bryn from school, giving her rides on his shoulders, riding her bike, Brynn running around in fairy wings.  A quick google image search of 'Jason Hoppy Brynn' reveals a boatload of images.  Do paps like pics of Bethenny more?  Sure, because she's much more famous and recognizable.  That's part of her job, her company and her image and ultimately, what writes those big checks to Jason. 

What I hear from Jason side is the comments in court, which is what Jason is paying his attorneys to do.  Bethenny is the moving party and as the respondent Jason side has to answer in court.  His attorney has made a couple of outside court statements.  I don't believe Jason was trying this case in the press.  To me it seemed he wasn't going to roll over because the press wanted a story.

The rest of the stories really  don't flatter either side.  I for one can't imagine why someone would call the fire department to unlock a bathroom door.  It just doesn't make sense so I can only assume the information is not really in the court documents.  An unnamed source quoting underseal documents?  I never understood why Bethenny thought she would succeed in being the primary custodial parent.  I can write a story saying an inside source claims Jason doesn't want Bethenny to take the child to Australia.  We don't even know if Bethenny intended or wanted to take Bryn.  Long trip for a two year old to have shoulder while mom works.

Bethenny in her own show said she was tired of people saying Jason was the nice guy.  She produced the show and put it on air.  Court proceedings rarely if ever vindicate someone.  Bethenny testifying what a heel Jason was did nothing to elevate her public persona.  It got worse because it did give the appearance she wanted to get the dirt out there on Jason.  Her choice and the custody came out just as 90% of custody cases do-joint.

Eventually it all gets settled.  Bethenny answered in best Bethenny style what she will do to celebrate.  http://www.eonline.com/videos/247516/bethenny-frankel-is-doing-what-to-celebrate-her-divorce  You can't make comments like this and then turn around and play the victim.  Same with the duration of the divorce so much was wasted on contested custody.  Wasted.

This is the Bethenny not being able to take 2 year old Bryn on a business trip to Australia:  http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2013/01/bethenny-frankel-not-allowed-take-daughter-bryn-australia/  To me it does not sound like it came from Camp Jason.  I guess since they are quoting Bethenny.

I believe the most recent photos of Jason, including a shoulder ride for Bryn came the right after the Court's decision to terminate temporary payments-hardly something Jason would want to draw more attention to.  I agree Bethenny loves the camera and the microphone.  Jason does not. 

[shoegal]

29 minutes ago, zoeysmom said:

I believe Jason side is arguing a lifestyle he helped build.  See Season 1-3 of Bethenny's spin-off.  His position is not unique on a divorce situation.

What I hear from Jason side is the comments in court, which is what Jason is paying his attorneys to do.  Bethenny is the moving party and as the respondent Jason side has to answer in court.  His attorney has made a couple of outside court statements.  I don't believe Jason was trying this case in the press.  To me it seemed he wasn't going to roll over because the press wanted a story.

The rest of the stories really  don't flatter either side.  I for one can't imagine why someone would call the fire department to unlock a bathroom door.  It just doesn't make sense so I can only assume the information is not really in the court documents.  An unnamed source quoting underseal documents?  I never understood why Bethenny thought she would succeed in being the primary custodial parent.  I can write a story saying an inside source claims Jason doesn't want Bethenny to take the child to Australia.  We don't even know if Bethenny intended or wanted to take Bryn.  Long trip for a two year old to have shoulder while mom works.

Bethenny in her own show said she was tired of people saying Jason was the nice guy.  She produced the show and put it on air.  Court proceedings rarely if ever vindicate someone.  Bethenny testifying what a heel Jason was did nothing to elevate her public persona.  It got worse because it did give the appearance she wanted to get the dirt out there on Jason.  Her choice and the custody came out just as 90% of custody cases do-joint.

Eventually it all gets settled.  Bethenny answered in best Bethenny style what she will do to celebrate.  http://www.eonline.com/videos/247516/bethenny-frankel-is-doing-what-to-celebrate-her-divorce  You can't make comments like this and then turn around and play the victim.  Same with the duration of the divorce so much was wasted on contested custody.  Wasted.

This is the Bethenny not being able to take 2 year old Bryn on a business trip to Australia:  http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2013/01/bethenny-frankel-not-allowed-take-daughter-bryn-australia/  To me it does not sound like it came from Camp Jason.  I guess since they are quoting Bethenny.

I believe the most recent photos of Jason, including a shoulder ride for Bryn came the right after the Court's decision to terminate temporary payments-hardly something Jason would want to draw more attention to.  I agree Bethenny loves the camera and the microphone.  Jason does not. 

Jason seems to love the camera and microphone when it suits him, he had no problem seeking out a woman to date who was on a reality show, agreeing to document their dating relationship on the reality show, allowing cameras to document his marriage, the birth of his daughter, his parents, his family, his home, his day to day living and even his junk.  He also seems to enjoy all the money that the camera and microphone continues to bring.  I don't buy this whole Jason is just a small town nice guy with a great family who just wants a simple life with his daughter schtick.  I didn't buy it on the show and I don't buy it now. I'm not going to buy it no matter how many "insiders" there are with stories of how lovely Jason is and what a shitty mom that Bethenny is....or how many times Jason's actions get explained or justified or brushed aside while Bethenny is blamed for everything and more. 

I personally can't wait until he gets kicked out of that apartment and has to support himself.  Maybe then his simple guy wanting a simple life schtick will be a little more believable.

Edited May 17, 2016 by shoegal

[zoeysmom]

My references to Jason not wanting to be in front of the cameras are over the last four years.  Has anyone had a direct quote from Jason, an interview, a photo shoot?  If Jason wanted some quick bucks I am quite certain there are offers out there for him.  Maybe as soon as the divorce is settled there won't be an interview he won't give, a photo op he won't take.  I just haven't seen him seeking any such attention since the divorce was filed. 

Jason doesn't have to be a nice guy and Bethenny a shitty mom.  Anymore than Jason has to be a shitty guy and Bethenny a saint.  We saw the two of them together there were plenty of faults to go around. 

There has to be some basis for Jason to have received temporary maintenance payments, not be removed from the apartment.  He may end up receiving all that he has collected to date and not be granted anything else.  I don't think he is any better or worse than any other party in a divorce.  It is just far more public. Maybe it just me but I find it far more sympathetic when couples split and there is very little to split and maintaining two households becomes overwhelming.  It just isn't the case here.  I may be mistaken but doesn't Jason work?

[shoegal]

My point is that Jason's side of the story is getting out without Jason having to get his hands dirty, either because of the gag order, because he wants to maintain his image as the nice guy, or because he doesn't want to do anything that can be used against him that might threaten his 10 million dollar payout that he so desperately wants.....I'm guessing it's a combination of all three and more. 

But mostly I think it's the money.

[WireWrap]

23 minutes ago, shoegal said:

Jason seems to love the camera and microphone when it suits him, he had no problem seeking out a woman to date who was on a reality show, agreeing to document their dating relationship on the reality show, allowing cameras to document his marriage, the birth of his daughter, his parents, his family, his home, his day to day living and even his junk.  He also seems to enjoy all the money that the camera and microphone continues to bring.  I don't buy this whole Jason is just a small town nice guy with a great family who just wants a simple life with his daughter schtick.  I didn't buy it on the show and I don't buy it now. I'm not going to buy it no matter how many "insiders" there are with stories of how lovely Jason is and what a shitty mom that Bethenny is....or how many times Jason's actions get explained or justified or brushed aside while Bethenny is blamed for everything and more. 

I personally can't wait until he gets kicked out of that apartment and has to support himself.  Maybe then his simple guy wanting a simple life schtick will be a little more believable.

Where does this notion come from that Jason sought out Bethenny because she was on the HW show? How does anyone even know that he knew she was on it prior to them meeting? Yes, he did agree to film with Bethenny as did her other BF Jason. Bethenny also had no problem documenting her/their every move, including her own nudity on the show, even going so far as to pee in a bucket on camera no less. I always get the impression that some feel Jason targeted poor, innocent, naive Bethenny for the sole purpose of getting her money even though it was nonexistent when they met/dated/married. LOL

[WireWrap]

4 minutes ago, shoegal said:

My point is that Jason's side of the story is getting out without Jason having to get his hands dirty, either because of the gag order, because he wants to maintain his image as the nice guy, or because he doesn't want to do anything that can be used against him that might threaten his 10 million dollar payout that he so desperately wants.....I'm guessing it's a combination of all three and more. 

But mostly I think it's the money.

Maybe it is a simple as him putting his love for Bryn above his dislike/anger/hatred of Bethenny and nothing more. And again, all the comments from his side are through his lawyer either from court documents or a few comments in rebuttal to what Bethenny has said publicly.

Is Jason an angel? No But Bethenny is as far from being a victim as one can get IMO.

[shoegal]

9 minutes ago, WireWrap said:

Where does this notion come from that Jason sought out Bethenny because she was on the HW show? How does anyone even know that he knew she was on it prior to them meeting? Yes, he did agree to film with Bethenny as did her other BF Jason. Bethenny also had no problem documenting her/their every move, including her own nudity on the show, even going so far as to pee in a bucket on camera no less. I always get the impression that some feel Jason targeted poor, innocent, naive Bethenny for the sole purpose of getting her money even though it was nonexistent when they met/dated/married. LOL

I believe that Jason ditched his date and walked up to Bethenny at whatever club it was and said to her some version of "are you ready to get that stick out of your ass?"  He knew who she was.

[WireWrap]

20 minutes ago, shoegal said:

I believe that Jason ditched his date and walked up to Bethenny at whatever club it was and said to her some version of "are you ready to get that stick out of your ass?"  He knew who she was.

OR, Bethenny was acting like an arrogant fool at the bar and he likes a challenge. Good grief, even Bethenny hasn't claimed that Jason knew about her/HW show before they met or that he targeted her and she would have screamed that from the roof tops, on ED show and on her own talk show had there been even a kernel of truth to that rumor. LOL

[shoegal]

3 minutes ago, WireWrap said:

OR, Bethenny was acting like an arrogant fool at the bar and he likes a challenge. Good grief, even Bethenny hasn't claimed that Jason knew about her/HW show before they met or that he targeted her and she would have screamed that from the roof tops, on ED show and on her own talk show had there been even a kernel of truth to that rumor. LOL

I believe Bethenny stated she was getting her photo taken by photographers when Jason approached her....yeah, just a regular old guy hitting on a regular old girl at the bar.  I wonder if the 'get the stick out of your ass' line was just something he used regularly.  I'm sure that wasn't a direct reflection of Bethenny's personality at all!  LOL, nope, just your normal every day pick up line.

[Umbelina]

I think they were initially attracted to one another.  It happens.

They had too many differences to make it work long term though.  If they had dated a year, instead of Bethenny accidentally getting pregnant right away?  I doubt they would have ever married.  Jason wanted Bethenny to fit in to his life, and used passive aggressive bullshit and pouting to attain that.  Bethenny wanted Jason to fit into her life, so soothed his ego by making it "their company" and pretending she needed him.  Of the two, I think Bethenny tried harder to adapt to life as a couple.  Jason seemed to love the fame and money part of it all, but though attracted to a strong woman initially (probably because he is basically a weak man) it began to grate on him. 

Bethenny, a woman with no real family was suddenly expected to embrace his completely, allow them into her life every weekend, either go to his small town, or have them in her apartment.  She's a busy woman, with an actual job, and building her company.  He was, supposedly, a property manager which entails what?  Collecting rent and hiring plumbers occasionally?  Before that he was a pharm rep I think.  Easy to go home every weekend for him with either of those jobs, doctors don't work weekends at private officers, and really "property manager?" 

Anyway, they were unsuited, and Jason's who attitude was "YOU must change because YOU are not normal or OK, why can't my mommy and daddy be your mommy and daddy too?  Why don't you like my friends coming over whenever they feel like it, and staying the weekend if they want to?"  Whine whine whine.

He's a boob, he was always a boob, he will probably remain a boob until Bethenny's money to him runs out.  Maybe then he'll get a job and work maybe 1/5th as hard as Bethenny does.  Meanwhile, I agree, Jason has made sure Bethenny has also been trashed in the press, but in typical passive-aggressive fashion, lets others do the dirty work, so he can maintain his "good guy, mommy's good boy" role. 

Edited May 17, 2016 by Umbelina
typos

[Satchels of gold]

1 hour ago, WireWrap said:

Maybe it is a simple as him putting his love for Bryn above his dislike/anger/hatred of Bethenny and nothing more. And again, all the comments from his side are through his lawyer either from court documents or a few comments in rebuttal to what Bethenny has said publicly.

Is Jason an angel? No But Bethenny is as far from being a victim as one can get IMO.

As a child of divorced parents and the step mother to two wonderful humans from my husband's first marriage , ITA. To be successful at co parenting sometimes you just have to eat some sh__.  It's not fun but we enjoy peace more than winning. From seeing her frantic lifestyle and work envoirnment I don't think Bethenny values peace/ stability. She is a born fighter and seems to enjoy chaos . That is not a judgement as  those are the very things that made her successful. I would imagine that type of person would be very difficult to negotiate and co parent with. She doesn't ever want to loose even if it makes things harder in the long run. 

 

Ok ok totally off topic I don't follow Bethenny closely in the tabloids ( I rely on the goodwill of my fellow posters to supply links. Thanks!) but have you noticed that Bethenny and Jason always seem to be carrying Byrn? She seems too old for that. 

[Umbelina]

Probably because when you see photos of them carrying her they are surrounded by papz that hang out at Bryn's school, and they don't want her scared or trampled, or being hit by a camera.

[jinjer]

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes always carried their daughter too.  I think Umbelina's right.

I don't know what Jason's position is wrt the divorce.  I occasionally see photos of him with Bryn, most of them are old and from when the custody dispute was hot and heavy.  

Bethenny had not sold SKG when she met Jason. He didn't target her as a get rich quick scheme. He could've sold tons of stories about her.  He could've gone on and sought out other reality crap.  He is working at whatever he does. 

I do think they both started out with the best intentions. But now they both need to move on.

[shoegal]

I don't believe Jason targeted Bethenny for money, but he sure was drawn to the bright light of that camera, and the trips and accoutrements that her lifestyle afforded. I read something about the divorce, the judge was trying to determine their "marital lifestyle" and their travel was an issue. Jason claimed their trips were vacations and Bethenny contends they were work. If ever there was an example that demonstrated a situation so accurately...

[NewDigs]

6 minutes ago, shoegal said:

I don't believe Jason targeted Bethenny for money, but he sure was drawn to the bright light of that camera, and the trips and accoutrements that her lifestyle afforded. I read something about the divorce, the judge was trying to determine their "marital lifestyle" and their travel was an issue. Jason claimed their trips were vacations and Bethenny contends they were work. If ever there was an example that demonstrated a situation so accurately...

Where did they go?

[WireWrap]

10 minutes ago, NewDigs said:

Where did they go?

Usually they went to a beach somewhere. Yes, she also took along her employees but we never saw her hold a SKG meeting on any of these business trips on her show. LOL

[WireWrap]

19 minutes ago, shoegal said:

I don't believe Jason targeted Bethenny for money, but he sure was drawn to the bright light of that camera, and the trips and accoutrements that her lifestyle afforded. I read something about the divorce, the judge was trying to determine their "marital lifestyle" and their travel was an issue. Jason claimed their trips were vacations and Bethenny contends they were work. If ever there was an example that demonstrated a situation so accurately...

When Bethenny/Jason first met/dated and got married, she didn't have any money or OTT lifestyle other than what the show provided during the 3-4 months of filming. And having the cameras present all the time would not have been easy for him or them as a couple. Did he enjoy the perks, I am sure he did but I am equally sure he disliked the pitfalls of those cameras as well.

I believe that Bethenny was claiming the vacations/trips were part of her SKG business, not part of the show/job. They took a lot of trips without the cameras present, more than they did with cameras in tow and many without her employees, other than the nanny.

[NewDigs]

Ah. Kind of what I figured.

She probably took them as tax deductions and Jason took them as a "style" to which one could become accustomed.

And the truth is somewhere in between?

[shoegal]

2 minutes ago, WireWrap said:

When Bethenny/Jason first met/dated and got married, she didn't have any money or OTT lifestyle other than what the show provided during the 3-4 months of filming. And having the cameras present all the time would not have been easy for him or them as a couple. Did he enjoy the perks, I am sure he did but I am equally sure he disliked the pitfalls of those cameras as well.

I believe that Bethenny was claiming the vacations/trips were part of her SKG business, not part of the show/job. They took a lot of trips without the cameras present, more than they did with cameras in tow and many without her employees, other than the nanny.

One of the first things they did as a couple was a trip to Turks & Caicos that Bethenny was given in connection to Naturally Thin IIRC. Bethenny was already published when she met Jason and had two seasons of RHNY, and SkinnyGirl was becoming a thing,  so she had $$ and he had perfect timing.

[jinjer]

They did an island trip. They filmed it for one of the shows. It would be a questionable business expense to the IRS unless she was down there for a convention of some sort. Maybe it was for BEA and to show how exhausted she was "for the show."

ITA that Bethenny made a mistake to film her life if she ever really wanted to have a marriage succeed. The honeymoon stage is hard enough for two people who had lived alone for so long to adjust to living with someone else and an impending birth. 

The more I think about it (with Bethenny perhaps 'saving' the Sonja and Luann stuff for filming this year), the more I think they actually staged their story lines about the inlaws visiting all the time and him having to quit his job and "help" her with skg.  Please Bethenny doesn't need "help" from Jason.  

Problem is, they created problems that they didn't need. Adjusting to being married is hard enough. Then Bob and Carole or whatever their names are, suddenly became really irritating and annoying, Jason was around ALL the time and had IDEAS of his own off screen too and wanted to be heard. We saw on screen he grew tired of her "damaged-ness" and started getting passive aggressive. All those on-screen pretend problems carried over into real life with the real life problems.

 I think you are right, I think had they been together longer before Bethenny got pregnant, they probably would've broken up without getting married.

Edited May 17, 2016 by jinjer

[shoegal]

13 minutes ago, WireWrap said:

Usually they went to a beach somewhere. Yes, she also took along her employees but we never saw her hold a SKG meeting on any of these business trips on her show. LOL

The show was her business.

[jinjer]

Just now, shoegal said:

The show was her business.

Of her life, supposedly.  Reality right? lol  Bethenny is always real according to her. (Not laughing at you - at her). How does she distinguish between business and personal expenses on her taxes if she is filming her personal life? 

[WireWrap]

1 minute ago, shoegal said:

Just now, shoegal said:

The show was her business.

One of the first things they did as a couple was a trip to Turks & Caicos that Bethenny was given in connection to Naturally Thin IIRC. Bethenny was already published when she met Jason and had two seasons of RHNY, and SkinnyGirl was becoming a thing,  so she had $$ and he had perfect timing.

The HW show was her business, the spinoff was their business. She did not do the spinoff on her own, it was a joint venture.

 

He was also a successful Pharm Sales Rep. Back then, they didn't get the kind of paychecks they now get. At most she may have made 200K for her second/third seasons and I doubt she made much from her book sales (didn't she have a co-author/ghost writer). IMO, they were on the same level money wise until after they got their own show and YES, I fully believe that without Jason/pregnancy, she wouldn't have had a successful spinoff.

[shoegal]

3 minutes ago, jinjer said:

Of her life, supposedly.  Reality right? lol  Bethenny is always real according to her. (Not laughing at you - at her). How does she distinguish between business and personal expenses on her taxes if she is filming her personal life? 

I'm not sure who pays for what or how it gets reported, there are corporations and trusts and llc's.....the trip that Bethenny and Jason went on when they first met was in exchange for Bethenny promoting the resort. What I found demonstrative about the vacation issue is that I think to Jason they were vacations and to Bethenny they were work...cause Bethenny was doing the work and Jason was along for the ride, and he doesn't want the ride to end, so he's in court arguing that vacations and travel are part of the 'lifestyle to which he's become accustomed'.

[jinjer]

1 minute ago, shoegal said:

I'm not sure who pays for what or how it gets reported, there are corporations and trusts and llc's.....the trip that Bethenny and Jason went on when they first met was in exchange for Bethenny promoting the resort. What I found demonstrative about the vacation issue is that I think to Jason they were vacations and to Bethenny they were work...cause Bethenny was doing the work and Jason was along for the ride, and he doesn't want the ride to end, so he's in court arguing that vacations and travel are part of the 'lifestyle to which he's become accustomed'.

It's an interesting view - the show for her was work/their life was work.  For him the show was filming their life. So the vacation was a real vacation for their life in his eyes. For her the "vacation" was pretend for work.  So was the marriage pretend for work? She was either being real as she claims she always is and was just putting it all out there and showing us her life, or she was just working the whole time because the cameras were there. Jason wasn't along for the ride. Jason got paid for being on BGM and BEA. Jason supposedly was living his life and going on vacation and was letting it be filmed because that's what keeping it real means for a reality show according to Bethenny.  Jason was working just as hard as Bethenny on that vacation if working means being on a vacation while filming a reality show.

But regardless, if the trip was comped by the hotel for publicity, it was free and wouldn't go to their lifestyle expenses in any event I would imagine. They add up their expenses for the past year/two and see how much they spent on vacations etc.  

[shoegal]

20 minutes ago, WireWrap said:

The HW show was her business, the spinoff was their business. She did not do the spinoff on her own, it was a joint venture.

 

He was also a successful Pharm Sales Rep. Back then, they didn't get the kind of paychecks they now get. At most she may have made 200K for her second/third seasons and I doubt she made much from her book sales (didn't she have a co-author/ghost writer). IMO, they were on the same level money wise until after they got their own show and YES, I fully believe that without Jason/pregnancy, she wouldn't have had a successful spinoff.

Ha! Yes, it was a joint venture, he dropped that "real work" real quick, didn't he? 

Whether she would have had a "successful" spin off aside, she already had the spin off without Jason. Bethenny was definitely on the way up money wise. I'm not saying he wasn't smooth, as I said, he had impeccable timing. 

[shoegal]

7 minutes ago, jinjer said:

It's an interesting view - the show for her was work/their life was work.  For him the show was filming their life. So the vacation was a real vacation for their life in his eyes. For her the "vacation" was pretend for work.  So was the marriage pretend for work? She was either being real as she claims she always is and was just putting it all out there and showing us her life, or she was just working the whole time because the cameras were there. Jason wasn't along for the ride. Jason got paid for being on BGM and BEA. Jason supposedly was living his life and going on vacation and was letting it be filmed because that's what keeping it real means for a reality show according to Bethenny.  Jason was working just as hard as Bethenny on that vacation if working means being on a vacation while filming a reality show.

But regardless, if the trip was comped by the hotel for publicity, it was free and wouldn't go to their lifestyle expenses in any event I would imagine. They add up their expenses for the past year/two and see how much they spent on vacations etc.  

I think the issue is, that's not his job anymore, but he still wants Bethenny to finance the travel. As far as the expenses and how the travel was paid for, by whom and why, that's what the judge was having a hard time determining. Their life, her company, the shows, everything seems very intermingled. 

As far as "being real", I think that when the cameras are around, it's work. Not vacation.

[Umbelina]

34 minutes ago, jinjer said:

They did an island trip. They filmed it for one of the shows. It would be a questionable business expense to the IRS unless she was down there for a convention of some sort. Maybe it was for BEA and to show how exhausted she was "for the show."

ITA that Bethenny made a mistake to film her life if she ever really wanted to have a marriage succeed. The honeymoon stage is hard enough for two people who had lived alone for so long to adjust to living with someone else and an impending birth. 

The more I think about it (with Bethenny perhaps 'saving' the Sonja and Luann stuff for filming this year), the more I think they actually staged their story lines about the inlaws visiting all the time and him having to quit his job and "help" her with skg.  Please Bethenny doesn't need "help" from Jason.  

Problem is, they created problems that they didn't need. Adjusting to being married is hard enough. Then Bob and Carole or whatever their names are, suddenly became really irritating and annoying, Jason was around ALL the time and had IDEAS of his own off screen too and wanted to be heard. We saw on screen he grew tired of her "damaged-ness" and started getting passive aggressive. All those on-screen pretend problems carried over into real life with the real life problems.

 I think you are right, I think had they been together longer before Bethenny got pregnant, they probably would've broken up without getting married.

Bethenny still had to work, and earn money, especially with that freeloader along for the ride.  I think all marriages would have more of a chance if no one had to work.

33 minutes ago, shoegal said:

The show was her business.

Exactly.  Also, her deal with Beam was that she continue to promote their products, and being as visible as possible, with all of the free advertising she got from Bravo, was a huge part of that.

26 minutes ago, WireWrap said:

The HW show was her business, the spinoff was their business. She did not do the spinoff on her own, it was a joint venture.

 

He was also a successful Pharm Sales Rep. Back then, they didn't get the kind of paychecks they now get. At most she may have made 200K for her second/third seasons and I doubt she made much from her book sales (didn't she have a co-author/ghost writer). IMO, they were on the same level money wise until after they got their own show and YES, I fully believe that without Jason/pregnancy, she wouldn't have had a successful spinoff.

If you read any of her early books, it's obviously in her voice.  Everyone has editors.  She already HAD a spinoff, they changed it to "Bethenny's Getting Married" or whatever it was called when the whole baby/marriage thing happened.  What was the name going to be?  I've forgotten.  Jason got paid for his participation, but there would never have been a show without Bethenny.  So he made bank all the way around, and is now determined to milk every last penny he can from her, which is why the divorce is still going on.  Oh yeah, and Bethenny, YOU pay my lawyer's fees too!

23 minutes ago, shoegal said:

I'm not sure who pays for what or how it gets reported, there are corporations and trusts and llc's.....the trip that Bethenny and Jason went on when they first met was in exchange for Bethenny promoting the resort. What I found demonstrative about the vacation issue is that I think to Jason they were vacations and to Bethenny they were work...cause Bethenny was doing the work and Jason was along for the ride, and he doesn't want the ride to end, so he's in court arguing that vacations and travel are part of the 'lifestyle to which he's become accustomed'.

She was always promoting something, it's in her DNA, work work work.  So I think that most of the trips were show or product related, but yeah, for Jason?  VACATION!  Except for filming with Bravo, and his "property management" which is hardly labor intensive, he was always on vacation.  Why work when you have a sugar-mamma? 

[Satchels of gold]

2 hours ago, Umbelina said:

Probably because when you see photos of them carrying her they are surrounded by papz that hang out at Bryn's school, and they don't want her scared or trampled, or being hit by a camera.

Yea that makes sense. The only reason I even noticed is because my daughter was in an orphanage in Central Asia and for the first year of her life  she spent a lot of time "contained" in either a crib or this giant playpen. After her adoption she hated to be contained and I ended up carrying her a lot. Like a lot, a lot . So I always notice that type of thing. 

Edited May 18, 2016 by Satchels of gold

[KFC]

Much as I haven't liked a lot of Bethenny's post-success behavior, I still view it as her success. Not Bethenny and Jason's success. It was never an equitable relationship (which is probably a big part of why the marriage crumbled), but that's also the reason why I think Jason Hoppy is fighting for assets which aren't really his. I didn't watch BGM, although I have a strong suspicion that he wasn't particularly integral to whatever popularity that show might have enjoyed.

Anyhoo, delving into their divorce is more speculation than I normally like. I generally hate dissecting the failed marriages on these shows (since there's so much we probably aren't even seeing, and I'm sure there's assholery on both sides), so I'll see myself out of this thread. 

[OhGromit]

20 minutes ago, KFC said:

Much as I haven't liked a lot of Bethenny's post-success behavior, I still view it as her success. Not Bethenny and Jason's success. It was never an equitable relationship (which is probably a big part of why the marriage crumbled), but that's also the reason why I think Jason Hoppy is fighting for assets which aren't really his. I didn't watch BGM, although I have a strong suspicion that he wasn't particularly integral to whatever popularity that show might have enjoyed.

Anyhoo, delving into their divorce is more speculation than I normally like. I generally hate dissecting the failed marriages on these shows (since there's so much we probably aren't even seeing, and I'm sure there's assholery on both sides), so I'll see myself out of this thread. 

Oh honey.  You CANNOT comment until you watch BGM and BEA!  All three seasons!  Go, start now and come back when you're done.  I want to hear what you think.

Because I've watched them-- more than once! (yes, I lack pride!)-- and I disagree with you.  I think Bethenny landing the man and getting the baby was ABSOLUTELY why she was so popular there for a hot minute.  Her popularity peaked right before Ellen decided to give her her own show, and then started to fall first when she both proved unwatchably anxious as a host, and more so after she got the divorce.

But it's not fair for me to comment yet, because it's going to take you a while to catch up.  Don't worry, I'll be waiting! 

Edited May 18, 2016 by OhGromit
fix

[Showthyme]

On 3/26/2016 at 9:12 AM, Petunia13 said:

Jason actually got better looking after Bethenny dumped him.

I would look better too if my ex had to pay me $12,000 a month in spousal support!

[zoeysmom]

Here is a very happy Bethenny revealing how and when she met Jason-no ditching of dates-they were both drunk and it was 3 am.   http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20355169,00.html

Note Bethenny signed on with Kanabar about the same time she met Jason.  He was along for the beginnings of SKG.

[motorcitymom65]

7 hours ago, OhGromit said:

Oh honey.  You CANNOT comment until you watch BGM and BEA!  All three seasons!  Go, start now and come back when you're done.  I want to hear what you think.

Because I've watched them-- more than once! (yes, I lack pride!)-- and I disagree with you.  I think Bethenny landing the man and getting the baby was ABSOLUTELY why she was so popular there for a hot minute.  Her popularity peaked right before Ellen decided to give her her own show, and then started to fall first when she both proved unwatchably anxious as a host, and more so after she got the divorce.

But it's not fair for me to comment yet, because it's going to take you a while to catch up.  Don't worry, I'll be waiting! 

I remember it very differently.  I always saw Beth as the breakout star of the NY show, pretty much from the beginning.  I also never watched her other shows because I just didn't care, but she was a big deal to me because of the NY show.  She was already a success before she met Jason, although not to the same extent.  Didn't he benefit from her other shows as well? Did he work for free? I don't know much about him, but from what I have come to understand, they were both unhappy in the marriage and it wasn't a good fit from the beginning. It wasn't like he was desperately in love with her and she left him high and dry for another man. It didn't work and they split up. I think they are both at fault, and act ridiculous, but it seems to me like he is the one who just needs to move the fuck on. I never get why he is is defended in such a manner as if he is taking the high road. He just looks like a guy who has zero pride IMO. 

[jinjer]

I think he is taking the high road insofar as not blabbing or making digs about her. I am sure every time TMZ snaps a photo of him he could make a snide comment and he doesn't. I would say he has moved on. He is living his life on a day to day basis. He dates. He parents his daughter. He works. Just because they are working through the financial settlement doesn't mean he hasn't moved on.  Yolanda and Mo took years to get through theirs too.

He is entitled to whatever the law says he is entitled to from that marriage. She would be in the reverse circumstances. He quit his job to do whatever she wanted him to do - we watched it on the show.  

I agree they were both unhappy in that marriage. They never had a shot most likely because they were on a reality show and never had the chance of privately working through their differences.  Even their couple's therapy was filmed. Of course with Imabore.

I think they stayed together probably a year too long and for Bethenny's career - so she could get the talk show. Their were rumors of the divorce during the pilot. I remember what a big deal it was for Jason to be sitting in the audience with Bryn. Jason probably feels like he was a tool in her success, and I wonder if he maybe feels used to snag the talk show.

She was popular in RHNYC. I liked her best. But the wedding and the baby also won her a lot of fans. Bethenny's spin off was about a single girl - not a girl getting married. "Evrybody knows" people love a wedding! I think the wedding show drew in a lot of viewers, not just the single girl in the city demographic. You need a groom for that.  And Jason was definitely integral to that show. 

I have a friend going through a divorce right now and it really is unbelievable how cut and dry and unemotional the process is. The court's idea of equity is very different than mine. It is a sterile, unemotional, black and white analysis. They take out all of the back story really, just look at the numbers and probably will look at the contracts and probably Jason quitting his job and working for her.  What's fair and what's equitable don't seem to be the same thing.

So we know that Bethenny created and built her brand. Jason we think is arguing that during his marriage he either helped with the brand or raised her brand's popularity by participating in BGM, BEA and helping her land the talk show and therefore wants some of the non drink monies. We will probably never know how they reach a settlement because it will probably be sealed and they will agree to a non-disclosure clause. But in any event Jason has some sort of claim or the courts would have thrown him out long ago as custody is settled and they already took away his spousal support.

[Neurochick]

8 hours ago, OhGromit said:

Oh honey.  You CANNOT comment until you watch BGM and BEA!  All three seasons!  Go, start now and come back when you're done.  I want to hear what you think.

Because I've watched them-- more than once! (yes, I lack pride!)-- and I disagree with you.  I think Bethenny landing the man and getting the baby was ABSOLUTELY why she was so popular there for a hot minute.  Her popularity peaked right before Ellen decided to give her her own show, and then started to fall first when she both proved unwatchably anxious as a host, and more so after she got the divorce.

I believe Bethenny is one smart cookie.  She knew damn well that her story of "Single girl in the Big City, gets pregnant, gets married and they live happily ever after in The City," would maker her more relate-able to people all over the country, not just in NYC. 

I am sure her brand became more successful when she became a married woman with a husband and a baby.  Had she just been a single woman in the city, her appeal might not have been as broad; so in that case she does owe something to Jason.

[zoeysmom]

I always thought the problem between the two of them was an inability to define their roles.  Was Jason the carry the wife's purse kind of husband and also expected to be her equal in the world of success?   The two of them were all over the board.  The other difference is I think by nature Bethenny speaks her mind and doesn't always think of the consequences or how she comes off and quite frankly doesn't care.  Jason seemed more measured but according to Bethenny he was not any more respectful privately.  Again, a huge difference in how two people communicate.  I am guessing, like many couples when they argue they are both harsh.  I never thought Bethenny had to prove Jason to be an asshole, because when people argue they are generally both assholes.

I never recall Jason going to work for Bethenny.  I recall Amador telling Bethenny she needed to let Jason come to her about him going to work for her.  

If roles were reversed and Jason had rocketed to success while filming a reality show with an unknown Bethenny I believe Bethenny would be asserting her rights.   I think all would agree they both love their daughter.   

[teapot]

19 hours ago, shoegal said:

One of the first things they did as a couple was a trip to Turks & Caicos that Bethenny was given in connection to Naturally Thin IIRC. Bethenny was already published when she met Jason and had two seasons of RHNY, and SkinnyGirl was becoming a thing,  so she had $$ and he had perfect timing.

was that trip the one that Jill thought that Beth should've taken *her* on & part of their fight?  (I am so glad the details came out about B & J's fight;  it was so confusing that whole season....like, what???)

Edited May 18, 2016 by teapot

[zoeysmom]

20 hours ago, shoegal said:

One of the first things they did as a couple was a trip to Turks & Caicos that Bethenny was given in connection to Naturally Thin IIRC. Bethenny was already published when she met Jason and had two seasons of RHNY, and SkinnyGirl was becoming a thing,  so she had $$ and he had perfect timing.

Actually Bethenny's  first book came out in March of 2009.  She and Jason began dating in November 2008.  Skinny Girl wasn't really a thing-other than a drink order as she had just signed with Kanabar days before she met Jason.    RHONYC Season 2 did not even air until February of 2009.  It is kind of Bethenny's decision to make who she dates and as far as her having money, it was in the works but she was not in big money at that time.  Skinnygirl was first released when Bethenny was pregnant with Bryn as she was making the rounds pregnant promoting the drink-which was before the Beam distribution deal.

This is why litigation can be tricky, fudging of dates and assuming intent.  When Jason met Bethenny she was a reality TV star and making a huge effort to be noticed by any and everybody.  Her financial successes followed her meeting Jason.  The list is quite long of reality stars who didn't have success with their products and books.  Considering about the time she met Jason, she had just finished filming a season where she stayed with Jill because she claimed she didn't have the funds to rent a Hampton's summer rental, I would say she was anything but $$.