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Bethenny Frankel Shuts Down Jason Hoppy’s Criticism of Her Social Media Use: My Followers ‘Help Me Pay Jason’s Rent’

Don’t bite the hand that feeds you? Bethenny Frankel shut down Jason Hoppy’s criticism of her social media use in court as they continue to fight for custody of their daughter, Bryn.

Related: Inside Bethenny Frankel and Jason Hoppy’s Tumultuous Custody Battle

Hoppy’s attorney Robert Wallack asked the Real Housewives of New York City star, 48, about her Instagram account in court on Tuesday, May 14. According to Radar Online, the lawyer specifically referenced Frankel’s decision to share a video of herself crying over the loss of her dog Cookie following a seizure in October 2017.

Bethenny-Frankel-Jason-Hoppy social media rent
Bethenny Frankel and Jason Hoppy Philip Ramey/Corbis via Getty Images

“Isn’t a fact that you would rather take advice from 2 million followers then Jason?” Wallack asked Frankel. “You were looking to exploit this tragic situation? … You were doing it for attention, correct?”

Related: The Most Influential Celebrities on Social Media

“No, I don’t need attention,” Frankel replied.

Wallack continued to push the issue, asking the Bravo star, “Why do you feel the need to share your personal life each time with your 2 million followers?”

“I know a lot of my fans. I do a lot of book signings. They help support me, and they help me pay Jason’s rent, and they are the people that are allowing me to stand on my own two feet,” Frankel fired back. “That’s how I made money to pay Jason millions of dollars. That’s how he is paying your legal bills. That’s why you have this job right now. That’s how Jason can afford his rent, and that’s how I can afford my rent and support my daughter.”

Frankel and Hoppy, who tied the knot in 2010, split in 2012 after less than three years of marriage. While the exes reached a custody agreement over their now 9-year-old daughter Bryn in 2014, they returned to court in 2019 after Frankel sued Hoppy for full custody.

The Skinnygirl CEO has previously accused her ex-husband of emotional abuse, which he denied. In March, Frankel compared living with Hoppy to being in a “torture chamber.” On Tuesday, she claimed that she didn’t want to make an orthodontist appointment for her daughter until after the trial because Hoppy would be present.

Related: ‘Real Housewives’ Couples Who Filed for Divorce After Appearing on TV

“An appointment with Jason is abusing me, making fun of me. An appointment with Jason is a torture chamber,” she told the judge. “It is a vacuum of abuse. Going to an appointment with Jason is not a good a idea, because he uses every way to abuse me when no one is looking. … No, I will not be in a room with Jason Hoppy.”

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