Bethenny Frankel isn’t letting Joy Behar get under her skin.
The 54-year-old former Real Housewives of New York City star took to TikTok to defend herself after Behar criticized her recent appearance in a thong bikini at the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit show in Miami.
On The View, Whoopi Goldberg had mentioned that Bethenny spoke candidly about the glam process behind the scenes, saying none of them looked the same two hours before the show. But instead of engaging with the point, Behar chimed in with a dig, “I appreciate her candor, but she has fake boobs.”
Bethenny wasted no time responding. “Joy Behar took a swipe at me on The View,” she said in a TikTok video. “These are a lift from, like, 20 years ago.” She then opened up more personally, saying, “I had saggy, floppy boobs in high school. This is actually a lift, Joy.”
She made it clear that her message wasn’t about perfection but about transparency and empowerment. Bethenny emphasized that the fashion show was meant to show that women her age and older can be joyful, free, and unashamed of their bodies.
“What that show really illustrated was that women of a certain age can live their lives freely,” she said. “We’re not washed-up, miserable older women. That stereotype needs to go.”
Frankel also didn’t hold back when sharing how she feels about Behar’s remark. “You have to be really miserable to take a swipe at something self-deprecating,” she said. “I was literally saying, ‘Hey, we all had glam teams. We don’t always look like this.’”
The reality star added that Behar’s attitude was the very thing women like her are working to move beyond. “Sadly, Joy is painting the picture of the older, seemingly miserable, washed-up woman that all of us are trying to show that we aren’t.”
Bethenny’s not trying to pretend she’s perfect. In fact, she recently posted on Instagram admitting, “I look like a train wreck most of the time. That’s me. That’s what I want.”
She says she embraces the glam and the mess alike. Whether she’s walking a runway or hanging out in sweatpants, it’s all part of her reality, and she’s proud of it.
In a world quick to shame women for aging or trying to look good, Bethenny Frankel is standing firm. She’s not here to please critics. She’s here to remind everyone, especially women in their 50s, that confidence doesn’t come with an expiration date.
Jamie Wells has a knack for getting the inside scoop on Hollywood’s biggest stars and up-and-coming talent. With a sharp eye for industry trends and an ear for viral moments, Jamie covers everything from red-carpet events to behind-the-scenes drama in movies, TV, and celebrity culture.
