'RHONY' Alum Bethenny Frankel Calls for Reality TV Star Union Amid Hollywood Strikes
RHONY's Bethenny Frankel is calling on reality TV stars to unionize amid the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.
Bethenny Frankel is calling for reality television stars to take a stand amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. The former Real Housewives of New York City star took to Instagram with a call to action for unscripted television stars, complaining that she's "never made a single residual," despite being part of a lucrative franchise.
"Hollywood is on strike, entertainers are fighting for residuals and no one will promote anything. Why isn't reality TV on strike? I got paid $7,250 for my first season of reality TV and people are still watching those episodes," Frankel, 52, on Wednesday, July 19. "We've always been the losers ... During the last writers strike, we were providing all the entertainment and that's really when the gold rush of reality TV started."
The former Bravo personality continued that she has "generated millions and millions of dollars in online advertising and impressions" on reality TV, but that very little of her net worth comes from actually being paid for filming. "I have never made a single residual," she claimed. "So either I'm missing something or we're getting screwed too."
Frankel didn't just name the Real Housewives franchise in her call to action. She also named-dropped The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Vanderpump Rules, and The Hills as shows where the cast has been paid "peanuts" in comparison to their popularity. "Anyone shooting a Bravo show should not be shooting until they get paid residuals for all the episodes they've ever done or those episodes should be taken down," she continued.
"It's total bulls-t," the Skinnygirl founder argued. "And I'm going to get into this because it just occurred to me everyone is talking about actors when we don't get paid s-." Frankel continued her thoughts in the caption, writing, "I'm well aware that unscripted talent aka 'reality stars' should have a union or simply be treated fairly and valued. ... The mentality that we were nobodies and that these streamers and networks have given us platforms and that we can capitalize on them is also moronic. She added, "If a network or streamer is currently making money on me telling someone to GO TO SLEEP then maybe I should be compensated. And maybe I'm the one who needs to GET A HOBBY and maybe this will be it."