According to Bethenny Frankel, the custody drama between her and her ex-husband Jason Hoppy has a negative affect on the reality star’s relationship with their daughter, Bryn.
The Real Housewives of New York City star, 48, detailed how the exes’ custody arrangement has a “dramatic effect” on her relationship with the 8-year-old during a Monday, March 25, court appearance. Radar Online was the first to report the news.
“Until something stops you don’t realize how traumatic and damaging it is,” Frankel said in a New York City courtroom on Monday through tears. “When that person is arrested, you’re sleeping better, you’re not stressed. You’re physically more psychological healthy. You’re not a wreck all the time. It’s like you can have a slightly normal life and you’re more connected with Bryn because you’re not in a panic about what will happen with the emails.”
Frankel and Hoppy, who split in 2012 after two years of marriage, finalized their tumultuous divorce in 2016. The Skinnygirl CEO requested full custody of Bryn earlier this month. Frankel’s current boyfriend, Paul Bernon, was by her side in court on Monday.
During the aforementioned court hearing, Frankel also played a 2015 FaceTime call between the exes, claiming Hoppy used the app as a tool to “abuse” her.
“I have a video that happened on May 9, 2015, and it was Mother’s Day weekend, and Bryn’s birthday weekend,” she explained. “The circumstances were I was trying to FaceTime Bryn, and [as] I have experienced every day, Jason [was] using it as a tool to harass me and assault me.”
In the clip from the FaceTime, Frankel asked, “Can I talk to Bryn for a sec?”
Hoppy replied: “No, keep recording me, keep recording me, you lost your privilege when you began recording me.”
“Jason would use FaceTime calls to taunt me, abuse me,” an emotional Frankel told the judge on Monday. “Just basic torture and and taunting every day. ‘Is everything OK Bethenny? You seem upset Bethenny. Did you have a bad day Bethenny?’”
Frankel has previously claimed that Hoppy was emotionally abusive in the past, which he has repeatedly denied. The businessman was arrested in January 2017 after he allegedly threatened Frankel during an unplanned visit to Bryn’s school. The Bravo star was later granted a restraining order against her ex.
Frankel told the judge on Monday that she wants “more physical time” with Bryn and the “ultimate decision-making” authority.
“Decision making has been impossible and tedious and not a collaborative or rational or reasonable process,” Frankel stated. “And the decisions, the minor decisions, go on with email and bogged down in anger, and we can’t get anything minor done. And now Bryn is getting to the age, that as she gets older there is the physical, and medical, and God forbid, drugs, we have to be rational and reasonable and have good judgment.”
She added: “Jason will make decision about how he would hurt me. If I say black, he will say white.”
