Real Housewives of New York City’s Heather Thomson and Bethenny Frankel are both taking legal action against individuals who they believe have hurt their respective businesses, Yummie by Heather Thomson and Skinnygirl, Us Weekly can confirm.
Thomson, 45, is currently looking to fire Eric Rothfeld, the manager of her company, over claims that he barred filming of the Real Housewives in the company’s offices, a decision that allegedly resulted in lost revenue.
“Our lawyers have asked me not to talk about the case until it is resolved,” Thomson exclusively tells Us in a statement. “All we can hope for is a speedy result so I can get back to the business of running this wonderful brand.”
The difficulty for Thomson lies in the fact that Rothfeld is also a partial owner of the shapewear and athletic wear company, making him harder to replace.
Last month, the Bravo star confirmed that she would be leaving the hit reality series to focus more on her company, something she couldn’t do with a demanding filming schedule.
“When the opportunity came to do this show, I had this list of pros and cons,” she exclusively told Us of her decision to leave. “Three years in, the pros list is just gone. They don’t exist anymore.”
Frankel, meanwhile, is waging her own legal battles to defend Skinnygirl, the successful lifestyle and wellness brand that the 44-year-old mogul started in 2009.
According to TMZ, the reality star’s company is currently suing Travis and Stacey Labarge, claiming that the couple’s Skinnygirl Tea is a copycat of Frankel’s popular product.
“Skinnygirl is a successful international brand in more than 14 categories, so imitators come with the territory,” a spokesperson for Skinnygirl tells Us. “We take any threat to Bethenny Frankel’s Skinnygirl intellectual property seriously and will vigorously defend it by any means necessary.”
