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Bethenny Frankel recently opened up about the severe emotional impact of her protracted divorce from Jason Hoppy, revealing that it left her with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as deep-seated trust issues.
On the April 11 episode of her Just B podcast, the former Real Housewives of New York City star described the decade-long legal battle over their daughter Bryn as the most harrowing ordeal of her life.
“It was literally the most traumatizing thing I will hopefully ever go through in my life,” Frankel stated, comparing the emotional toll of her divorce to being worse than experiencing the death of a loved one. She candidly discussed the sense of suffocation and despair that marked those years, labeling the experience as “mental and emotional torture.”
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“I have been through a f–king war –– a war. I have questioned myself as a human, as a parent, because I was told so many times otherwise how terrible I was and disgusting and old and irrelevant and so abused, because I had no power to get out of it,” she said. The Skinny Girl founder listed numerous adversities she faced, including “fraud,” “forgery,” being followed, and allegations of being hacked.
@bethennyfrankel On my decade long divorce… I’m sharing my story, deconstructing the most excruciating time of my life and my lifetime low with the hopes of helping others. If it could happen to me it could happen to anyone. This is the cautionary (not the fairy) tale and the truth no one tells about relationships. 🎧➡️ Listen to the first episode of Just B Divorced NOW wherever you podcast🔗 [link in bio] #justbdivorced @justbwithbethenny Just B Divorced is a series for anyone who has been or ever will be in a relationship. This is a must listen for anyone going through it. If you’re on the verge of divorce or a breakup, or on the path to love, the wisdom you will gain could prevent years of grief and suffering. If 50% of us will get divorced, let’s arm ourselves with this knowledge now to thrive when it happens or avoid it if at all possible. #divorce #marriage #breakup #relationships #listen #storytime #podcast #speakyourtruth
♬ original sound – Bethenny Frankel
Frankel, who married Hoppy in March 2010 and separated just two years later in December 2012, endured a drawn-out legal battle over custody and finances until their divorce was finalized in January 2021. By December 2021, she had won full legal and primary residential custody of their daughter, who is now 13, who is now fully aware of the divorce details. “My daughter knows all about this, and we talk about it a lot, and I’m not doing anything that is even remotely damaging to my daughter,” she stated.
Despite the challenges, the 53-year-old mom is now “ready” to discuss these events openly, planning a series of podcast episodes—one for each year of the divorce—to share her story. She explained that this process of recounting her experience is part of coming to terms with the past and hinted at the complex interplay between her traumatic divorce and her current relationship with fiancé Paul Bernon. “And it’s why I have not gotten married again, or I’m not sure if I would ever get married again, or ever be legally bound to someone for anything other than a business contract.” the former Bravo star admitted.
Frankel’s upcoming podcast episodes promise to delve deeper into her experiences, explaining how she navigated the complex legal and personal challenges during the long divorce. She has not disclosed when the episodes would be released.
Uncommon Knowledge
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