Bethenny Getting Married: I Laughed, I Cried

This blogger did not start out as a Bethenny Frankel fan. In Season 1 of the Real Housewives of New York, I thought she was too abrasive and sarcastic. But she was the most interesting person.  Her relationship with Jason Colodne made me cringe, he was so obviously not that into her.  By the way, he has filed a $55 million lawsuit against Patriarch Partners LLC for wrongful termination subsequent to his firing after appearing on Season 1.

Fast forward to Season 3, when we see Bethenny building her brand and falling in love with good guy Jason Hoppy.  She shows us more and more of her human side.  Not fighting back against ex-BFF Jill Zarin was the smart thing to do. Jill Zarin imploded, becoming arguably the most despised housewife in housewife history, a position previously held and righteously earned by Vicki Gunvalson of the Real Housewives of Orange County.

We learn more of her relationship with her father Bobby Frankel, a guy whom his own best friends described as “caring more about horses than people” , and her mother, Bonnie Frankel Parisella, who left Bobby when Bethenny was four for Bobby’s best friend John Parisella.  Bonnie remains a mystery woman, but Bethenny adamantly wants nothing to do with her, not even inviting her to the wedding.  Bonnie called Bethenny when she was in the hospital having Bryn Casey Hoppy, at a time when Bethenny could not deal with her.

Bethenny , for all intents and purposes, left home after boarding school, moving in with her friend and matron of honor at that point. How sad is that?  Never returning home after high school.

Bethenny tried many pathways to success, including a short-lived movie career, before joining the cast of Martha Stewart’s Apprentice as a natural food chef, and eventually the Real Housewives.  Why so driven?  Maybe it’s revenge against dysfunctional parents.  Bethenny Getting Married is a good vehicle for her, one of the few women in the Real Housewives Franchise who did not marry for money.  The scenes we are watching are very real, despite what the  Bethenny non-fans say. Either that, or she’s a better actress than Meryl Streep.

Related Articles: 

Bethenny Frankel: I Oughta Be in Pictures

Bethenny Frankel’s Childhood

Ramona Singer Called It

Bonnie Frankel at Bobby’s Bedside

Jason Hoppy’s Wonder Years

Bethenny Frankel: For Real