RHONY alum Bethenny Frankel SLAMS Bravo for filming Bobby Zarin's funeral without permission from his wife Jill
Bethenny Frankel called out Bravo for allegedly not getting Jill Zarin's permission to film outside her late husband Bobby's funeral back in 2018.
While appearing on Monday's episode of her former Real Housewives of New York City costar's Just B podcast, the mom-of-one, 59, claimed she did not sign a release for the network to film any part of her spouse's funeral, held at the Riverside Memorial Chapel.
After Jill asserted that she never gave her blessing for RHONY cameras to document Bobby's funeral, Frankel, 52, alleged Andy Cohen told her that: 'Jill said you can bring the cameras to the funeral.'
'That's what he said to me,' the Skinnygirl creator told Jill, who insisted she didn't know what the cameras were for, which captured a heart-to-heart conversation between the women.
As she recalled seeing her estranged friend at the service, Jill told listeners that her heart dropped and she was 'so happy.'
Not okay: Bethenny Frankel called out Bravo for allegedly not getting Jill Zarin's permission to film outside her late husband Bobby's funeral back in 2018
'You looked drop dead with this black hat and black suit,' Jill told Frankel.
In response to Jill's claims about not consenting to being filmed, the entrepreneur acted shocked as she stated: 'That's literally the most disgusting thing I've ever heard.'
'That's just disgusting,' she continued. 'It's embarrassing … it's really disgusting, it's absolutely disgusting, that's disgusting, and I apologize, because it was a spectacle and a circus and yes the lines are blurred.'
Jill remembered that said someone said to her: 'Bethenny wants to talk to you before she leaves.'
During their conversation, she noted that she saw cameras, but assumed they were just paparazzi and said she 'wasn't on a mic,' an d had no idea Frankel was.
'So what you're saying is, I f**king ambushed a funeral for reality television?' Frankel asked.
Jill then made it clear that while she never gave permission to film the funeral, she did want Bobby's 'passing to be recognized on the show.'
DailyMail.com has reached out to Bravo for a comment, but has not heard back at this time.
Their sit-down marks the first time they have been alone together since 2010, after years of feuding.
Allegations: While appearing on Monday's episode of her former Real Housewives of New York City costar's Just B podcast , the mom-of-one, 59, claimed she did not sign a release for the network to film any part of her spouse's funeral , held at the Riverside Memorial Chapel (seen above at Bobby's funeral with Jill in 2018)
Her side: After Jill asserted that she never gave her blessing for RHONY cameras to document Bobby's funeral, Frankel, 52, alleged Andy Cohen told her that: 'Jill said you can bring the cameras to the funeral'
On Monday, Frankel shared a photo with Jill and sweet caption about how this marks their 'first time alone since 2010.'
She noted that the episode was airing as is, without edits or redone sections at Jill's request, as she worried about her words being manipulated.
That ease made Jill feel at home despite having a difficult conversation about the end of their friendship.
‘The reason I was mad at you was because I was hurt that I was losing you and I was being left out of everything,' Jill said during a moment of emotional openness.
'I remember when you got invited for a free trip, and I wanted not to come for the free trip, but to be with you,' she said sweetly and somberly. ‘I felt I lost you and I couldn’t really say that I was hurt by things that you had said.'
She and Bethenny reminisced about how they had first met, and though their recollections were hazy, Jill and Bethenny both agreed that RHONY had already begun filming its first season with Jill as part of the cast, but producers were still searching for a 'fifth housewife.'
After Jill ran into Bethenny a few years after her stint as the runner-up on the Martha Stewart–hosted spinoff season of The Apprentice from 2005, she encouraged her to join the fledgling show.
Bethenny even credited Jill with partially inspiring the name of her massively successful cocktail line Skinnygirl, which she sold for $120 million in 2011, by calling her — seemingly approvingly — a skinny b**** during their first meeting in the Hamptons.
They delved into how their relationship fell apart before Bethenny's departure at the end of season three.
Upsetting to hear: In response to Jill's claims about not consenting to being filmed, Frankel acted shocked as she stated: 'That's literally the most disgusting thing I've ever heard'
Friendly again: On Monday, Frankel shared a photo with Jill and sweet caption about how this marks their 'first time alone since 2010'
Jill recounted how she was hurt by Bethenny not reaching out to her when her husband Bobby was sick prior to his death in 2018 after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Bethenny even applauded Jill's ruthlessness after Jill admitted that she had been upset for some time, but didn't bring up her feeling of being abandoned by her friend until shooting had resumed on RHONY.
But Jill said she hoped to fix her issues with Bethenny, and she believed the two of them might have been able to work through things if the businesswoman had stayed on for the fourth season of RHONY, instead of leaving then for a spinoff reality series and later a short-lived talk show, though she later returned to RHONY following Jill's season four departure.
According to Zarin, once the housewives weren't filming together and regularly in each other's company, they drifted further away while their issues with each other were allowed to fester.
Elsewhere, Jill admitted that she didn't 'do well with surprises,' which is what made her such a popular housewives.
'Anytime you surprised me, I couldn't handle it!' she said, which made for great TV, but once she finally planned out a confrontation of her own, she no longer had time on screen with Bethenny to apologize.
'The point is, I definitely made mistakes, and I wanted to be there for you, when you got pregnant and all that stuff, but you just didn't let me back in,' Jill said.
Bethenny said she wouldn't let Jill back into her life because she thought that Jill would leak their private communications afterward.
Shocked: The episode instantly drew strong reactions from Bethenny's loyal fans, many of whom commented on her Instagram post announcing the meeting of the minds
Kumbaya moment: 'Has hell officially frozen over?' joked one fan, while another joked that 'the world is healing'
Success! The whole gang showed off infectious smiles after wrapping up the podcast interview
The episode instantly drew strong reactions from Bethenny's loyal fans, many of whom commented on her Instagram post announcing the meeting of the minds.
'Has hell officially frozen over?' one fan joked.
Another person said they could 'just cry' after seeing the two old friends reunited after so much time apart.
'This makes me happy!' added another fan. 'The past is meant to stay in the past and the future is to show how we have learned and grown from it. I love seeing y'all together. I think this shows us all the power of friendship and forgiveness.'
Another listener joked that 'the world is healing' following Bethenny and Jill's reunion.
One fan wrote that they hoped the same reunion happened with Carole Radziwill, but Bethenny said during the podcast that she had no interest in that.
Jill asked her if she would invite Carole on for the same experience, but Bethenny said she wasn't interested in that.
One fan gushed that Bethenny and Jill were the 'two OGs' of RHONY, while 'everyone else is just a copy.'
Others said it was a 'miracle' and a 'dream come true' to see the two women bury the hatchet.
Another person joked that the unlikely reunion was their 'sign to buy a powerball ticket.'
Source: Daily Mail
