Bethenny Frankel is exiting The Real Housewives of New York City ahead of its upcoming 12th season. Variety exclusively broke the news about her leaving on Wednesday, August 21.
“I have decided to leave the ‘Housewives’ franchise to explore my next chapter,” Bethenny, 48, 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.”
Bravo did not immediately respond to Variety’s request for comment.
The mother-of-one was one of the breakout RHONY stars when it first premiered in 2008. She left the show after a tumultuous season three (who could forget her battles with Jill Zarin?) and became an incredibly successful businesswoman with her Skinnygirl lifestyle brand.
Bethenny returned to RHONY in season 7 and has remained a full-time cast member in the years since.
She has found success on other television mediums including ABC’s Shark Tank and her spinoff shows Bethenny Ever After and Bethenny & Fredrik.
Bethenny’s RHONY costar Luann De Lesseps confirmed in a recent interview that a new girl has joined the show for the upcoming season but doesn’t know too much about her.