Bethenny Frankel opens up about 'strained' relationship with ex Jason Hoppy after tense divorce and custody battle

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Bethenny Frankel is revealing where she stands with her ex-husband Jason Hoppy five years after their contentious divorce.

Frankel admitted that the two are not on good terms and described their decade-long divorce and custody battle as 'horrible [and] horrendous,' saying the experience was the 'worst [thing] of my life' on Tuesday's episode of the Friends Keep Secrets podcast.

The reality TV personality, 55, was  married to Hoppy for two years, from 2010 and 2012, and they welcomed their daughter Bryn in the first year of marriage. 

After their split, Frankel and Hoppy, 56, were entangled in a divorce and custody battle for eight years.

The exes eventually finalized their lengthy divorce in 2021, and a judge ruled the same year that Frankel was no longer required to pay Hoppy any child support since Bryn primarily resided with her.

Frankel and her daughter lived in New York before later moving to Florida in 2025. 

Bethenny Frankel shared an update on where she stands with her ex-husband Jason Hoppy five years after their divorce and said they are not on good terms; pictured in May 2025

The reality TV personality, 55, was previously married to Hoppy for two years between 2010 and 2012. They were entangled in a divorce and custody battle for eight years; pictured in December 2010

In the wake of the lengthy and tedious legal battle, Frankel sarcastically quipped that she and her ex-husband now have a relationship where they 'coexist.' 

'We do coexist ... on this earth, so that's positive,' she said.

When podcast cohost Benny Blanco asked Frankel if she is 'cool' with Hoppy now, Frankel replied: 'Not exactly.' 

'It's been a strained year. It's been a challenging year,' she added as she acknowledged how the contentious divorce and custody battles were difficult for her, as well as for her daughter. 

'There were a lot of circumstances that have been, that are... torture, like, traumatic. Like, 10 years [in court for] a two-year marriage and, like, every single branch on the tree [has been affected].' 

In December 2025, Frankel had opened up about how 'traumatic' the divorce and custody battle was for her, adding that she feared she would 'never survive it.'

While making an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, the Real Housewives of New York City alumna said their split was even worse than her unstable and chaotic childhood. 

She went on to detail how the 'trauma of someone wanting to torture you and telling you they're going to do it' eclipsed anything she faced growing up. 

Frankel sarcastically quipped that she and her ex-husband now have a relationship where they 'coexist'

She described their decade-long divorce and custody battle as 'horrible [and] horrendous' and said the experience was the 'worst [thing] of my life.' When asked if she is 'cool' with Hoppy now, she replied: 'Not exactly'

When asked about Bryn's relationship with her father, Frankel said that her daughter, now 16, also had a 'strained' and 'challenging' year

During their raw and emotional conversation, the star said nothing in her upbringing, not even watching her mother 'slit her wrists,' compared to the torment of leaving Hoppy.

'I have lived my whole life chasing her into bathrooms, trying to catch her throwing up,' she said through tears. 'I've been around guns, the mafia, the racetrack. I've seen her beaten within an inch of her life. Nothing compares to what my divorce was for 10 years. Nothing.' 

She described her mother's lifelong battles with bulimia and alcoholism as 'child's play' compared to the relentless emotional warfare she claims she endured during her divorce. 

Frankel said the public perception only made the ordeal worse, with many viewing her as 'the powerhouse tyrant' and casting Hoppy as 'the victim.'

'It was so traumatic,' she said, pausing as her voice cracked. 'It was 10 years of my life. I lost hair. I thought I would never survive it. I didn't want to. I literally thought, "I'll never be happy again." The only reason I kept going was my daughter.'

She alleged the split included 'fraud,' 'stealing,' 'hacking' and harassment. 

In 2017, Hoppy was arrested and charged with harassment, aggravated harassment and stalking. He denied all charges. 

Frankel previously said she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following her divorce from Hoppy

In her latest podcast appearance, she said: 'There were a lot of circumstances that have been, that are... torture, like, traumatic'; pictured in March 2010

Ultimately, he took a plea deal in the case 'involving a family adjournment in contemplation of dismissal' and agreed to comply with Frankel's order of protection for six months, according ot People. 

Frankel said she spent 'millions of dollars' fighting through the legal hellscape, noting: 'Every single lawyer said they've never seen anything like it. Ever. It was insane.' 

The entrepreneur said the only thing that helped her endure the brutality of the process was the hope that she could eventually guide others through similar turmoil. 

She urged listeners to 'always get a prenup' and trust their instincts early, warning that 'cracks become craters.' 

Looking back, Frankel called the divorce 'the worst thing I could ever wish upon a person,' but added that surviving it, even when she thought she wouldn't, is what ultimately rebuilt her strength. 

In 2024, the star shared that she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following her divorce from Hoppy. 

'I've been burned. I have massive trust issues, and I have post-traumatic stress disorder,' she said on an episode of her Just B podcast. 

The star added that the lengthy divorce had been 'more tortuous' than grief, while also labeling it as 'mental and emotional torture.' 

She described her mother's lifelong battles with bulimia and alcoholism as 'child's play' compared to the relentless emotional warfare she claims she endured during her divorce

The star added that the lengthy divorce with her ex had been 'more tortuous' than grief, while also labeling it as 'mental and emotional torture'; pictured in February 2012

'I thought I would never survive it. I did not see a way out. It was suffocating. I thought I was gonna be miserable for the rest of my life.'

Frankel also stated, 'I have had every single f***ing thing except for physical abuse done to me, and I am an expert on this topic.'

Some of the incidents that she allegedly experienced included 'fraud,' 'multiple trials on custody,' and also 'being followed.'

'I have been through a f***ing war. I have questioned myself as a human, as a parent, because I was told so many times otherwise how terrible I was and disgusting and old and irrelevant and so abused, because I had no power to get out of it.'

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