It’s a dark day for the reality-TV version of the streets of New York. Bethenny Frankel has announced that she will leave Real Housewives of New York ahead of its 12th season. In a statement provided to Variety, the RHONY star said:
“I have decided to leave the Housewives franchise to explore my next chapter,†Frankel said in a statement. “It’s time to move on and focus on my daughter, my philanthropy and my production partnership with Mark Burnett, producing and starring in shows which represent a shift in the conversation for women. With the changes in modern culture, I want to highlight the strength, confidence and unstoppable power that women have. My experience at Bravo has been an incredibly magical ride. I am so grateful to them for highlighting my entrepreneurialism and allowing me to pave the way for many women to achieve their goals. I am excited for my future. The best is yet to come.â€
Frankel appeared in seasons one through three of the show before leaving and then rejoining the cast in season seven, bringing a ratings bump with her. Over the course of her time on the series, Frankel got in epic fights with Ramona Singer and Luann de Lesseps, ascended to self-made mogul status from her early days as a natural-foods chef, and has launched philanthropy efforts to assist victims of natural disasters. She always seemed to have the right wink-and-a-nod perspective on her place in the RHONY landscape, and often felt like the wry audience surrogate in a surreal, edited-for-TV landscape. Here’s to the good times, the bad times, and the gifs that will live forever, Bethenny.