Bethenny Frankel is reflecting on her marriage with her ex-husband, Jason Hoppy, through a wiser lens.
On Friday’s episode of her “Just B Divorced” podcast, the “Real Housewives of New York” alum, 53, admitted that she overlooked some serious warning signs in her relationship because she “convinced” herself “to be that into him.”
The first red flag she recognized she overlooked was when he stayed with her after a night out and told her he’d left his vehicle elsewhere so he could ride with her.
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“Then he asked the driver to take him back downtown to get his car,” she said noting that the move could either be viewed as “endearing that he wanted to hang out with me” or a lie and “that he wanted to hang out with me.”
Another red flag she ignored was Hoppy sharing his desire to have a child with her early in their relationship out of concern for her age.
“Now I did not think of this as a red flag. I don’t know why I didn’t. I think other people would think of it,” Frankel — who shares shares 13-year-old daughter, Bryn, with her ex — said.
“I think I was 36 or maybe 37, like your biological clock is ticking, but I wasn’t 42. And I was also about to launch a liquor brand. But I led with like my heart and not my logic and my mind and not my gut and my stomach,” she added. “And I’m not blaming anyone else — my body, my own choice.”
She then claimed that Hoppy’s charm turned into a “toxic trait.”
The final “fire engine red flag” was when they discussed Nick Lachey’s 2006 divorce from Jessica Simpson. She claimed that Hoppy told her, “he [Lachey] should he should take whatever he can get from her.”
“But nevertheless, I ended up getting engaged and I ended up doing a prenup really fast that my lawyer said I should not allow you to sign. But I said, I’m marrying a regular guy, a small town guy from a small you know town family, a regular guy. He does not want my money, famous last words,” the Skinnygirl Margarita founder said.
However, money was a big topic throughout their relationship because she “had more [money] than this person” — which is a power dynamic she said she doesn’t want to repeat “because it becomes a problem.”
Though she recognized the warning signs, she admitted to talking herself into the relationship.
“I wasn’t really that into him,” she said, noting that at the time of their relationship, she’d hit a “low, vulnerable point.”
“I convinced myself to be that into him, and when I would hit a low during that general period, it would be like a security blanket and I would like logically say this is something I should do,” she continued.
Frankel then revealed that the lesson she’s learned from the experience is “what you should do is run like a thief in the night if you’re not certain.”
“I was pregnant. I was not happy in my relationship. I kept going because I was doing a television show and I was very stupid,” she said.
The couple went on to get married in 2010 before splitting three years later. However, it wasn’t until March 2021 that the couple finalized their divorce.
Frankel is currently engaged to Paul Bernon, whom she’s been engaged to on and off since 2018.
