Bethenny Frankel

Bethenny Frankel (November 4, 1970) is an American natural foods chef, television personality, and author. She was first introduced to television audiences in the 2005 series The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, where she placed second. From 2008 to 2010, she was one of the original five housewives featured on the Bravo reality series The Real Housewives of New York City. In 2010, she starred in her own companion series, Bethenny Getting Married?, and again in 2011 with Bethenny Ever After.

Personal life

Frankel's first marriage was to her former best friend, Peter Sussman, in 1996. She says they "...were best friends for five years and he always wanted to be more. I loved him because of how much he loved me. I got married too young. I didn't wait for the great love of my life.

Frankel married Jason Hoppy on March 28, 2010, at The Four Seasons Restaurant in New York City. On May 8, 2010, Frankel gave birth to their first child, Bryn Casey Hoppy, named for Jason's brother Bryan who died in a car accident when he was 19 years old. Just three weeks after giving birth Frankel posed in a size-4 swimsuit for Us Magazine.

Frankel posed nude for animal rights group PETA in September 2009. The photo was featured on a billboard in Times Square as part of PETA's campaign against the wearing of furs.

Early life

Bethenny Frankel is the daughter of the late thoroughbred trainer, Robert Frankel, a National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame inductee and five-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer, and Bernadette Parisella. She is the granddaughter of Gertrude and Merrill Frankel. She was once a "hot walker" in the stable owned by her stepfather, John Parisella, and she spent every summer at Saratoga Springs, New York, with her mother and stepfather. Frankel graduated from Pine Crest School and attended New York University.

Career

Frankel began her career with appearances in the 1994 movie Hollywood Hills 90028 and the 1995 movie Wish Me Luck. She also worked as a production assistant for Saved by the Bell.

She attended the Natural Gourmet Culinary Institute in New York to become a chef. After she graduated, she formed BethennyBakes, a company that provided wheat-, egg-, and dairy-free baked goods, meals for private clients, and a custom-meal delivery service. The company ceased production upon the launch of Frankel's Skinnygirl brand in 2009.

In 2005, Frankel was one of 16 candidates in The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. She made it to the series finale before losing to Dawna Stone. She was a contributor to Bravo TV's coverage of the 2009 Kentucky Oaks.