There have been several big fights on The Real Housewives of New York that have stuck with viewers for years afterward. Bethenny Frankel may have left the series, but when she was one of the most famous cast members, she and Jill Zarin had a major argument that lasted for quite a while.
At first, Bethenny and Jill were so close that it seemed like they would always be BFFs. They supported each other, talked all the time, and always went to fabulous events together. They had an enviable friendship – the kind that some people keep looking for and have trouble finding. However, as soon as they started experiencing some tension, it was all over, and they unfortunately never became close again.
Let’s take a look at this iconic fight that went down in Real Housewives history as one of the most dramatic storylines ever.
Updated September 2024: This article has been updated to reflect the most recent information regarding Jill Zarin and Bethenny Frankel’s famous feud.
10 Bethenny Frankel Says Jill Zarin Was Jealous When She Hosted ‘The Today Show’
Bethenny Frankel claimed Jill Zarin claims producers from The Today Show told her Jill Zarin called fuming
Bethenny says Jill was jealous when she hosted The Today Show. That’s pretty crazy to hear about since friends should be happy for each other when they experience success like that.
“I remember there was a turning point and I was hosting the
Today
show. When I got there, the first thing that was told to me by the producers was Jill called her and she lost her mind. ‘Why not me? I’m better than her.'”
9 Jill Zarin’s Late Husband, Bobby Zarin, Wanted Bethenny Frankel To Star On ‘RHONY’
It was Bobby Zarin’s idea for Bethenny Frankel to star on Real Housewives of New York City
Fans love to ask the cast members questions and it is interesting to hear everyone tell their stories of how they got on the show. There are always some truly captivating backstories.
In Bethenny’s case, Jill’s late husband, Bobby, wanted her to star on RHONY, according to Bethenny, as she explained to ET Online.
“The first
Housewives
producer who found me in the Hamptons just emailed me to tell me that it was Bobby who suggested me to her for
RHONY.”
8 Producer Barrie Bernstein Wasn’t A Fan Of The Feud Between Bethenny Frankel and Jill Zarin
Barrie Bernstein thought the feud between Bethenny Frankel and Jill Zarin was bad for Real Housewives of New York City
Barrie Bernstein, a producer on the show, wasn’t a fan of the Bethenny/Jill Feud. Bernstein said, according to Page Six,
“If I’m being fully honest, I remember watching that and thinking, ‘This is not good.’ It’s not good for the show, and it’s going on for too long, and it’s ugly.”
Fans probably would have never guessed this, since it’s easy to think that more fights equal more drama, which is supposedly good for a reality show.
7 Jill Zarin Didn’t Like When Bethenny Frankel Started Dating Her Now Ex-Husband, Jason Hoppy
Jill Zarin was not a fan of Jason Hoppy from day one and let her feelings be known
It can be tough to be in high school or college and start dating someone seriously, as best friends can get jealous and feel like their friend isn’t paying enough attention to them. As it turns out, that’s what happened between Jill and Bethenny.
According to Champagne and Shade, Jill didn’t like it when Bethenny started dating Jason Hoppy, who fans know is now her ex-husband.
6 Jill Zarin Wanted Bobby Zarin To Phone Bethenny Frankel To Mend The Friendship
Jill Zarin did not want to be the first one to reach out to Bethenny Frankel, wanting Bobby Zarin to do it instead
Sometimes, when two friends are fighting, other people in their lives will get involved and try to mend the hurt. Jill wanted Bobby to phone Bethenny and end the fight, but he knew that Jill was the only one who could accomplish that, according to what Bethenny told ET Online.
“And that [Jill said], ‘I kept asking him to fix it, fix it. Call her, you have to fix it.’ And Bobby said, ‘I can’t fix it for you, you have to learn your lesson.'”
Bethenny went on to day, “So, I thought that was really evolved and interesting and surprising.”
5 Jill Zarin Claimed To Have Made Up The Feud
Jill Zarin admitted that she made up the feud between herself and Bethenny Frankel for ratings
According to the Huffington Post, Jill made up the feud and she actually admitted that in 2012. However, it ruined the friendship for real.
Jill wanted high ratings, so that was the motivating factor behind it.
“I thought at the time, that was a good idea. I said, you know what? That’ll surprise the fans.”
4 Jill Zarin Thinks Bethenny Frankel Did Not Treat Their Relationship Like A Friendship
Jill Zarin believes Bethenny Frankel treated their friendship like a ‘Business Relationship’
If any fans have hoped that Jill and Bethenny would be able to be good friends again someday, that doesn’t seem likely to happen, as Jill has said Bethenny saw it as “business,” according to what Jill told Bossip.com.
“I really thought Bethenny and I were like sisters. I really miscalculated our friendship because we weren’t like sisters — it was a business relationship for her.”
3 Jill Zarin Says Bethenny Frankel Was Too Busy To Be Friends With Her
Jill Zarin claimed that Bethenny Frankel’s schedule was too packed to spend time with her to mend fences after the feud
It’s no secret that Bethenny is a super-successful businesswoman and has made a lot of money over the years, and fans of RHONY have always seen her hanging out with her girlfriends on the series.
Well, according to what Jill told US Weekley, Bethenny had too much of a packed schedule to be pals with her.
“She’s got a guy in Boston, she got her own place. So she doesn’t have time for me. I’d like to think we could go back to where we were, but you can’t.”
2 Jill Zarin And Bethenny Frankel Finally Made Peace
Jill Zarin and Bethenny Frankel finally made up at Bobby Zarin’s funeral
Although it’s tragic to think about Jill and Bethenny’s feud that ended their friendship, they did make peace with each other when Bobby passed away. Bethenny went to the funeral and had a very emotional talk with Jill, which was captured on RHONY.
“Despite what’s happened with Jill. Bobby loved me and I loved him.”
1 Jill Zarin Wanted Bethenny Frankel To Get Her Back On RHONY
Jill Zarin kept reaching out to Bethenny Frankel after Bobby Zarin’s funeral to get her back on Real Housewives of New York City
According to All About The Tea, people have said that Jill kept asking Bethenny to get her back on The Real Housewives of New York, after the two talked at Bobby’s funeral.
Jill has said that while she does not have interest in coming back to reality TV in a full time capacity. However, she would never rule out coming back in a friend capacity. But, with Bethenny gone, it feels like the end of a Real Housewives era.