Bethenny Frankel and Jill Zarin reunite alone for the first time since feud began in 2010

April 2024 · 4 minute read

From friends to enemies to friends again?

Bethenny Frankel and Jill Zarin shocked “Real Housewives of New York” fans Monday by reuniting for an episode of the SkinnyGirl founder’s “ReWives” podcast — over a decade after their feud played out on camera.

Opening up about why she pushed her former bestie away, Zarin admitted that she felt left out as Frankel took off to build her now $100 million empire.

“I wanted to have a real make-up. I couldn’t tell the real truth, the real truth of why I was mad at you,” Zarin said. 

“The reason I was mad at you … is because I was hurt. And maybe I didn’t express it, I didn’t share it,” she continued. “I was hurt that I was losing you and was being left out of everything.”

Bethenny Frankel and Jill Zarin hung out for the first time “alone” in over a decade. FilmMagic
Bethenny Frankel and Jill Zarin dished on their friendship and how the “Real Housewives of New York” producers pushed them a part. FilmMagic

The duo also reflected about their time on Bravo and claimed that they were driven apart by the ambitions of producers, especially Andy Cohen.

“Had you done season four and not gone on your own, we would’ve made up,” Zarin added.

“We would’ve, but it would’ve gotten dirty, and it would’ve been for the show,” Frankel agreed.

They also addressed one of their biggest fallouts when Frankel showed up with cameras at the funeral for Jill’s husband, Bobby Zarin. Frankel claimed that was Cohen’s idea and she said she was led to believe that Jill was on board.

“What you’re saying is that I ambushed a funeral for f—king reality television,” Frankel said. “That’s disgusting.”

Just hours before the podcast episode dropped, the pair announced the exciting reconciliation on Instagram.

“Tonight, Jill and I reunite for the first time alone since 2010,” they captioned the joint post. “👀 🍎 Stay tuned – the podcast episode drops later this evening (unfiltered and unedited)!”

In the snap, the two “RHONY” alums posed together next to a massive apple sculpture — leaving many fans overjoyed.

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“I could cry just seeing this photo,” one person commented, while another asked, “Has Hell officially frozen over?”

“Talk about breaking the internet OMG,” a third added.

The two women haven’t been on speaking terms since their feud began in 2010. WireImage

While this is the first time fans have had an inside look into their relationship in recent years, the pair briefly reunited while on a flight in June 2022.

“So this girl walks onto a plane…” Frankel captioned an Instagram selfie with her former co-star, who happened to be sitting a row behind her.

Frankel added the hashtags, “Mentions It All,” “Get a Hobby,” and “If Wings Could Talk,” which were all some of her most iconic lines during her time on “RHONY.”

Things reached a boiling point after Frankel told Zarin to “get a life.” Instagram/@bethennyfrankel

Jill — who appeared on “RHONY” from Season 1 to Season 4 — also shared the photo to her own account, adding, “Pleasant flight, no turbulence 😉✈️.”

Tensions between the two boiled over during Season 3 of “RHONY” — which aired in 2010 — when Frankel accused her then-friend of being jealous of her success.

In response, Zarin slammed the entrepreneur for not being very supportive amid her husband Bobby’s battle with cancer.

Nearly 11 years later, Zarin told Andy Cohen that she still had zero interest in rekindling her friendship with Frankel. mrsjillzarin/Instagram

After lots of back and forth, Frankel wound up telling Jill to “get a life” and stop obsessing over her, which the pair were never able to move on from.

The “Bethenny Ever After” alum, who temporarily left the show that year, later claimed on “The View” that Jill asked other cast members not to film with her.

While it appeared that the pair made amends at Bobby’s funeral in 2018, the truce was short lived as Jill later told Cohen that she would never have a friendship with Frankel again. 

Zarin later told Page Six that she felt like Frankel used her husband Bobby Zarin’s funeral for publicity. Bravo/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Then in April 2022, Jill accused her frenemy of solely coming to her late husband’s funeral for publicity in an interview with Page Six.

“She came with cameras [to Bobby’s funeral], which I didn’t know were going to be there, so that changed it for me,” she recalled, noting that she was “so happy to see” Frankel that she “didn’t question the fact that she was all dressed up.”

“Housewives came without cameras to pay their respects: Dorinda [Medley], Luann [de Lesseps], Ramona [Singer], all came [with] no makeup, no hair, you know, not glammed out.”

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