Bethenny Frankel Opens up About Her Dramatic Divorce on ‘RHONY’ Reunion

Bethenny Frankel shared a very difference side of herself on part two of the Real Housewives of New York City reunion on Wednesday.

Frankel opened up about her dramatic divorce to Jason Hoppy, which is very rare for the TV personality.

During the Bravo series reunion, host Andy Cohen asked multiple questions about her current love life as well as her ugly divorce. Instead of being completely tight-lipped, the Skinnygirl mogul broke down in tears when talking about the “torment and torture” she has endured because of her ex-husband.

Frankel and Hoppy split after three years of marriage in December 2012 and share 7-year-old daughter Bryn. Their divorce was finalized last July, but things have not settled down since then.

Hoppy was charged with harassment and stalking earlier this year, and the former couple has been in court dealing with that.

Frankel was very candid and open with her responses during the reunion. Read on to see what she had to say.

How Her Ex-Husband Has Affected Her Life

At Wednesday’s reunion, Frankel said she has become a “happier and nicer” person over the last few months. 

However, it appears her divorce took a toll on her throughout the season and may have affected her relationships with fellow cast mates. Cohen asked about her decision to keep most of her issues and her pain private. 

“It is indescribable and it is inexplicable and it’s like, if someone wants to talk about like a war zone in Israel, how are you going to explain that to someone?” she said. “I’m not comparing this to actual war but in my life, you can’t even imagine the torment that this has been. There’s no way to describe it. I just stifled it in because if I let any of it out, I’m going to totally break down. I can’t believe this happened to me.”

“It was part of my life,” she added. “I thought I was never getting out of it. I couldn’t even understand it. How can I explain this to everybody? You’ve never — it is torture. So that’s why I didn’t explain it. There’s no way to describe this to anybody. Nobody would believe it.”

When asked if there was anything that occurred in her marriage to Hoppy that set him off, Frankel grew silent. Her friend Carole Radziwill stepped in and offered some insight.

“He’s obsessed with her. It’s like an obsession. And I guess when someone walks away and you no longer have control?” Radziwill, 54, claimed, telling Frankel, “I’ve known you a few years now. When we first started getting close, I saw all the times you tried to reach your daughter, FaceTime your daughter. And he would sometimes pick up the phone and hang up or face it to the wall. Weird stuff. And I thought, ‘Wow, this guy is a little off.’ But now, I don’t think you even realized at a certain point how painful and the emotional havoc it played on your life.”

How Her Daughter Is Coping

According to Frankel, her daughter Bryn doesn’t know what is going on between her parents.

“[Bryn’s] very pure and innocent and happy and she doesn’t really understand what a reality television show is, much less the things [we’re] talking about,” Frankel said. “It’s extremely advanced and complicated. I live in a house alone with my daughter when I have her. So there’s no pressure at all. She’s very isolated in her life and she’s very happy.”

However, that doesn’t mean she isn’t worried for the day she learns of the drama.

“I grew up in a very, very, very challenging household and I survived,” Frankel said. “Life is not always fairy tales and rainbows and I don’t want her to think that it is.”

“We’re in a different world now where every day there’s new news and things get washed out in the cycle,” she continued. “It’s not the same way it was 10 years ago. No one cares what happened yesterday. I don’t think that when she’s 12 and starts Googling things, it’s going to be five years ago and I just don’t think that it’s going to be that relevant anymore. I don’t think it’s going to be on the top of everyone’s mind.”

She also explained that her daughter will never hear anything negative come from her mouth in regards to Bryn’s father. 

“I can only worry about my side of the street,” Frankel said. “My message to my daughter is, ‘Everybody loves you.’ “

“I’m definitely at my happiest when I’m with [her]. She is the sweetest, nicest person. Just going to the beach. The simple things in life. Those are the happy moments,” Frankel said.

Her Love Life Is Alive Again

As previously reported, Frankel revealed on the reunion that she was back together with Dennis Shields.

While confirming the news, she also admitted that she’s been doing a lot of work on herself in order to get past the drama. 

“I have my moments where I don’t trust and I’m afraid. I’ve learned a lot about myself in the last year, year and a half. I’ve been working on myself more. I’ve been in therapy,” she said, choking back tears. “I have a difficult time getting close to people, especially since my situation, I will not allow people in. Dennis has said, ‘You will not allow me to love you.’ Because it’s very, very hard.” 

The couple started dating in late 2015, but decided to part ways right before May of this year. The Skinnygirl mogul was romantically linked to business owner Russ Theriot after her split from Shields, but it seems fate brought the two back together.

A source explains, “They took some time apart because both were going through their divorces. They gave each other a little bit of space and now they’re back together having fun.”