‘RHONY’ Alum Bethenny Frankel Blames Bravo Boss Andy Cohen for Her Failed Marriage
Former The Real Housewives of New York star Bethenny Frankel has been involved in plenty of reality TV drama over the years, but her love life has also been chaotic. Her marriage to pharmaceutical sales executive Jason Hoppy ended in a nasty divorce and legal trouble for Frankel.
When a love like this turns so toxic, it’s natural for someone to wonder how they ended up in such a situation. In Frankel’s case, she lays the blame for this doomed romance at the feet of Andy Cohen.
Frankel’s whirlwind marriage ended in acrimony
Frankel married her second husband, Hoppy, after two years of dating in an ornate televised wedding in March 2010. (She was married to entertainment executive Peter Sussman from 1996–97.) Bethenny was already pregnant at the time. The couple welcomed their daughter Bryn into the world two months later.
But the marital bliss didn’t last long afterward. They announced their separation in December 2012. Frenkel filed for divorce in January 2013. A custody agreement was reportedly made in 2014, but further legal troubles arose before the split could be finalized.
In 2017, Hoppy was arrested on stalking and harassment charges after Frenkel accused him of threatening her at Bryn’s school and sending her abusive emails. Hoppy later agreed to a plea deal. But the two parties fought in court for a few more years. The custody issue was eventually settled in private. The divorce was finally confirmed in 2021.
Andy Cohen set up the former couple
The Skinnygirl founder discussed the relationship during an episode of her podcast Just B. Frankel revealed to her former Bravo costar Jill Zarin that Cohen gave her the idea to wed Hoppy. “Andy told me to marry Jason, so, there we go,” Frankel said. “F—ing worst idea in history.”
She and Cohen have had a complex relationship from the beginning. The RHONY executive producer didn’t want to cast Frankel on the show initially due to her previous experience on The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. Frankel also wasn’t invited to join the cast of The Real Housewives of New York City Legacy. But that doesn’t appear to bother her.
Frankel delved deeper into her breakup during the podcast. She described it as a “nightmare divorce” while also explaining what she initially saw in Hoppy.
“I ended up marrying someone who was just a regular person, who seemed like they could handle all of what’s going on with me, and being in reality television,” Frankel explained. “And I was sort of proud of myself for just marrying someone who had a simple life, and they didn’t come from much, and so they would never want anything from me.”
Her affection for her then-partner goes some way to explaining why Frankel had no interest in signing a prenup with Hoppy. “I’m trusting, and I just don’t want to deal with this, and it was embarrassing. The word ‘prenup’ was embarrassing to me. It’s uncomfortable, it’s awkward. A contract when you get married? It’s an uncomfortable, awkward concept.”
Will Bethenny Frankel marry again?
The short lifespan of Frankel’s previous two marriages hasn’t stopped the TV personality from pursuing love. She started dating film producer and real estate exec Paul Bernon in 2018, and the two got engaged in 2021. Another wedding is in the cards one day, but Frankel is happily unsure about what that ceremony will look like.
“I’m never gonna plan a wedding,” she said during an appearance on Today with Hoda & Jenna. “We love each other. We’re great life partners. We are married. I just don’t want to go through what everyone else wants us to do and the whole plan.”
