As former “Real Housewives of New York City” star Bethenny Frankel continues to push for reality TV stars to unionize and join SAG-AFTRA members and WGA members on strike, she is pretty confident that Andy Cohen, along with most of the Bravo network, “despises” her.
Frankel made her assertion on Thursday’s episode of Team Coco’s “Literally! With Rob Lowe” podcast, telling Lowe that she thinks the hate mostly stems from wanting and needing to maintain the status quo.
“I can tell you with great certainty that everyone at Bravo likely despises me, including Andy Cohen, because it’s very personal and because they have to protect the realm,” Frankel said.
Elsewhere in the interview, Frankel reiterated her feelings on why reality stars should go on strike, arguing that they’re the ones being taken advantage of at the moment.
“We need a union — not meaning me, I’m not even doing [reality TV] anymore — meaning, that genre needs a union because those people aren’t even reading other people’s words,” she said. “They’re taking such risks by being their own voice. And right now, during this strike, they’re going to be the ones that everybody goes to for cheap labor.”
Frankel has earned support from SAG-AFTRA in her endeavors, and added that she thinks networks like Bravo are threatened by her because she’s “not disgruntled” and looking for payback.
“As a person who’s been on more reality television than anyone who could speak on this topic — and that’s what’s the most scary about me — because I’m not disgruntled,” Frankel said. “I wasn’t fired. I was asked back multiple times. I made millions of dollars. I left twice. So I am allowed to speak on this.”
Reps for Cohen and Bravo did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
You can listen to Frankel’s full interview on the “Literally! With Rob Lowe” podcast here.