Bethenny Frankel Declines RHONY Spinoff Offer

Former 'Real Housewives of New York City' star cites business conflicts and compensation concerns as reasons for not joining the new E! series.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Bethenny Frankel, a former cast member of 'The Real Housewives of New York City', has explained why she will not be starring in the upcoming E! spinoff series. Frankel cited potential conflicts with her business partnerships and equity deals, as well as compensation issues, as the main reasons for declining the offer to join the new show titled 'The Golden Life' which will feature several of her former co-stars.

Why it matters

Frankel's departure from the spinoff is notable as she was a central figure on the original 'RHONY' series. Her decision highlights the challenges reality TV stars can face when balancing their public personas with their business interests, as well as the ongoing tensions around compensation and contract negotiations within the 'Housewives' franchise.

The details

In an Instagram post, Frankel explained that appearing on the spinoff 'wouldn't be good for my business' due to her current partnerships and equity deals with other brands. She also noted that the amount of money E! would need to pay her to return would likely create resentment among the other cast members, as they had been trying to renegotiate their contracts to earn more than Frankel. Despite some of her former co-stars asking her to join, Frankel ultimately decided it was not the right move for her at this stage of her life.

  • On March 3, 2026, Bethenny Frankel announced via Instagram that she would not be starring in the 'RHONY' spinoff series.

The players

Bethenny Frankel

A former cast member of 'The Real Housewives of New York City' who has declined an offer to join the upcoming spinoff series on E!.

E!

The television network that is producing the 'RHONY' spinoff series titled 'The Golden Life'.

Dorinda Medley, Ramona Singer, Luann de Lesseps, Kelly Bensimon, Sonja Morgan

The former 'RHONY' cast members who will be starring in the E! spinoff series 'The Golden Life'.

Jill Zarin

A former 'RHONY' cast member who was originally supposed to star in the E! spinoff series but was fired from the reunion after criticizing Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“It wouldn't be good for my business. It used to be good for business when I was promoting my own business, but now that I work with a lot of other brands and have different types of equity deals and different types of partners, they don't look highly upon that genre.”

— Bethenny Frankel (Instagram)

“Despite some of the women asking me if I would come back, the amount of money that it would take for me to come back, that E! could presumably never pay, would make the other Housewives resent me so much, which did happen before.”

— Bethenny Frankel (Instagram)

The takeaway

Bethenny Frankel's decision to decline the 'RHONY' spinoff offer highlights the challenges reality TV stars can face in balancing their public personas with their evolving business interests and partnerships. Her departure from the franchise also underscores the ongoing tensions around compensation and contract negotiations within the 'Housewives' universe.