Bethenny Frankel has no time for crocodile tears — especially not from someone who, in her words, “built a brand on chaos then cries foul when called on it.”
The 53-year-old reality mogul and former Real Housewives of New York City star has broken her silence following the viral fallout from Teresa Giudice’s disastrous appearance on WGN Chicago, in which the RHONJ star abruptly ended a live interview after being asked about her lingering tax issues.
While Teresa has since accused the show’s anchor Larry Potash of “ambushing” her, calling the segment “unprofessional” and even hinting at possible legal action, Bethenny isn't buying it — and she’s not holding back.
“She’s not being silenced,” Bethenny reportedly told a friend in a leaked voice note obtained by DailyMail+. “She’s just mad she got caught. That’s the difference.”
According to sources close to Bethenny, the Skinnygirl founder believes Teresa is deliberately spinning the narrative to paint herself as a victim — not of financial scandal, but of media bullying — in a move Bethenny calls “insulting to women who’ve actually been silenced.”
“Teresa knew what she signed up for,” Bethenny continued in the leaked message. “You’ve been in the public eye for 18 years. You’ve flipped tables, screamed at women, dragged your family through the mud on television — but the second a journalist asks you about taxes? Suddenly it’s a trauma response?”
Insiders say Bethenny was “privately disgusted” by how Teresa weaponized her podcast to fire back at WGN, especially the moment where she accused the station of exploiting her “media trauma” and claimed that reality stars like her are treated as “less human.”
“No, Teresa,” Bethenny reportedly snapped. “You’re not being treated like you’re less human. You’re being treated like a public figure who has been dodging very real, very public questions for years. Welcome to grown-up PR.”
Bethenny also took issue with Teresa dragging her daughters into the conversation, particularly comments about them being “traumatized” by watching their mother be “attacked” on TV. The RHONY alum allegedly told producers she found that tactic “emotional manipulation at its most shameless.”
“She knows exactly what she’s doing,” Bethenny added. “Play the victim. Cry ‘media bullying.’ Blame the anchor. Blame the edit. Blame the questions. But never — not once — take ownership of the mess she made.”
And the final blow?
“If you don’t want to talk about taxes, maybe try paying them,” Bethenny quipped.
As for where Bravo stands, insiders say executives are “deeply divided.” While some believe Teresa has a right to push back on perceived ambushes, others reportedly agree with Bethenny that her constant deflection is becoming “toxic to the brand.”
Teresa, for her part, has yet to respond directly to Bethenny’s remarks — but sources say she was “infuriated” after learning the RHONY alum had been privately criticizing her in media circles. One friend claims Teresa allegedly texted, “She never liked me. She’s just using this to stay relevant.”
But in Bethenny’s eyes, staying relevant has nothing to do with it.
“It’s about accountability,” she said. “If we want reality stars to be taken seriously, then maybe stop acting like we can’t be questioned like adults.”
And with that, the line in the sand has been drawn — not just between Bethenny and Teresa, but between those who see scrutiny as bullying, and those who see it as the price of being a public figure with something to hide.
