Not her decision? Bethenny Frankel implied that her Real Housewives of New York City costar Carole Radziwill’s exit from the series is not of her own choosing.
Bravo has reasons for not asking hwives to return. It’s based on research & focus groups & YOU. Aside from 3 years I left, no RHONY cast member has ever quit. One saying they chose to depart & attributing it to me is fiction. It’s healthier to be truthful about a hard situation.
— Bethenny Frankel (@Bethenny) August 2, 2018
“Bravo has reasons for not asking hwives to return. It’s based on research & focus groups & YOU,” Frankel, 47, tweeted on Wednesday, August 1. “Aside from 3 years I left, no RHONY cast member has ever quit. One saying they chose to depart & attributing it to me is fiction. It’s healthier to be truthful about a hard situation.”
Radziwill’s rep announced the 54-year-old was leaving RHONY in a statement to Us Weekly on July 25: “After six seasons on Bravo’s RHONYC, I have decided to return to what I do best — journalism and producing. I am sure this does not come as a surprise to any of the viewers, all of whom have been supportive, encouraging, and kind. My original curiosity about reality television has waned over the years and I am focusing on TV and writing projects that better suit my more steady temperament. I have worked with amazing producers, made great friends, and I’m thrilled to leave frenemies behind. I will remember this entire experience with delight, humor, and a veracious accuracy.”
News of the journalist’s departure came after a production source told Us exclusively on July 19 that Radziwill and Frankel came to blows during the July 17 taping of the season 10 reunion. The two have been feuding ever since the Skinny Girl creator claimed during season 10 that the What Remains author’s on-again, off-again boyfriend Adam Kenworthy refused to participate in a service trip because there was no pay.
Radziwill suggested on her Instagram Story on Friday, July 27, that she left the Bravo hit for moral reasons. “If you were doing something that was forcing you to do things that went against your own value system would you walk away regardless of the pay?” she asked her followers. “Its a tough decision.”
After seeing the results of her poll, she later added: “So 80% would walk away from something that went against their own values. That’s how I felt this past year too. It’s difficult but life is long and you can’t always play the short game.”
