Bethenny Frankel's Daughter Is Growing Up Fast
Bethenny Frankel is best known as a former member of "The Real Housewives of New York City." After starring in the series for eight seasons, she hit the ground running and used the popularity of the show to get ahead in business. She soon went on to create and sell the multi-million dollar alcoholic line, Skinnygirl Cocktails, which then spiraled into food and other products. Because of her hilarious one-liners and confessionals on the Bravo show, Bethenny had a few reality TV spinoffs that detailed her life outside of "RHONY."
One such show, "Bethenny Ever After," showcased her pregnancy journey with her first and only child with ex-husband Jason Hoppy, Bryn Hoppy. Considering Bethenny had her own issues with her late parents, becoming a loving and doting mother had long been an essential part of Bethenny's hopeful future.
Although Bethenny hasn't been on reality TV in a while, she keeps fans informed on social media. And while she mainly posts videos rating different skincare and makeup lines, Bethenny also shows snippets of her daughter. In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, "The Real Housewives" fans were stunned when they found out Bryn celebrated her 13th birthday in May 2023, proving how fast time goes by. What has life looked like for Bryn over all these years, and what kind of young lady has she blossomed into?
Bryn was born in 2010
In March 2010, Bethenny Frankel excitedly tweeted, "I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M HAVING A BABY! I had a dream it was a girl." And a girl it was. Two months later, Bethenny and Jason Hoppy welcomed a daughter named Bryn Casey Hoppy.
In an interview with People, Bethenny shared a little more about Bryn's birth. The publication noted that Bryn arrived five weeks early. Bethenny's water broke unexpectedly one morning, and the two were so excited that they were going to meet their baby that Jason started calling his friends immediately. Once they organized themselves, the couple went to the hospital where Bethenny labored for 30 hours. She eventually opted for a C-section and delivered a 4-pound, 11-ounce baby girl.
Since Bryn was born prematurely, she was admitted to the NICU where she stayed for a few days until she was strong enough to be on her own. The new parents were excited to bring their little one back home where they happily divvyed up baby duties. "Jason is the burper and diaper changer," Bethenny explained, saying she was breastfeeding.
Bryn was a toddler when her parents filed for divorce
Just two years after Bryn was born, Bethenny Frankel shared a statement with E! News detailing that she and Jason Hoppy were going their separate ways. "It brings me great sadness to say that Jason and I are separating. This was an extremely difficult decision that as a woman and a mother, I have to accept as the best choice for our family. We have love and respect for one another and will continue to amicably co-parent our daughter who is and will always remain our first priority. This is an immensely painful and heartbreaking time for us," the former Housewife wrote.
After showcasing their relationship, wedding, and pregnancy journey with viewers, Bethenny had all eyes on her as she navigated divorce as a newly single mother. And while the pair intended to keep things civil for their daughter, their divorce turned bitter.
The former couple officially filed for divorce in 2013 but it wasn't finalized until 2016. The two weren't in the clear yet, however. Once their finances were sorted, they were in a nasty custody battle that through 2021. For a time, Bethenny paid her ex spousal support and child support and they initially shared custody of Bryn.
The rocky divorce led to Bryn being put in the middle
Bethenny Frankel and Jason Hoppy spent nine years fighting for custody of Bryn Hoppy. During that time, court documents revealed details about her life behind closed doors, and they were jarring for fans of the Skinnygirl creator.
As People reported, the former Housewife claimed she was abused by Jason after he stalked and threatened her. Bethenny also claimed that Jason said disparaging things about her to their daughter in hopes of getting Bryn on his side. Bethenny recounted that Jason once told Bryn, "I know you don't want to go with Mommy."
It was also revealed in court documents that Bethenny attempted to protect her daughter from the abuse. "I tried to use an arsenal of tools to protect myself to reduce the damage for myself and Bryn," she explained. "I tried to keep Bryn away from it. I was very emotionally upset, I tried to really separate her from that. I tried to grieve privately."
Bethenny never had a nanny for Bryn
As a single working mother, it would have made all the sense in the world for Bethenny Frankel to hire a nanny when Bryn Hoppy was a baby. With multiple businesses, red carpets, and meet-and-greets Bethenny could have easily afforded to hire someone to care for her daughter while she worked. However, Bethenny insisted that she hadn't hired a caretaker. "I'm proud that I don't have a nanny and that when I am with my daughter, I'm 100 percent with her," the former "RHONY" star told People in 2017.
"So when I work, I work," Bethenny added. "And when I'm with my child, I'm with my child. I spend a lot of intense time alone with my kid." Bethenny argued that she loved being a mom more than anything in the world and that when she's with her daughter, she's present and focused on creating a trustful bond. Seeing what a powerful businesswoman Bethenny is, it was impressive to Bravo fans that she had the energy to keep up with both work and parenting.
As she got older, Bryn stopped appearing on The Real Housewives of New York
As of this writing, Bethenny manages multiple businesses and is engaged to businessman Paul Bernon. Despite her busy life, though, she still makes Bryn her number-one priority. On social media, The "Real Housewives" star has shared photos of her and Bryn vacationing in stunning locations, like St. Barths, Aspen, and even Paris.
While Bethenny and Bryn naturally spend a lot of time together, Bryn did eventually stopped featuring in "The Real Housewives of New York." That wasn't because she wasn't around while filming was going on, though. As Bethenny explained to Entertainment Tonight back in 2016, I don't think [TV is] really [a] place for a child — I don't. I mean, when my daughter was a baby, she didn't really know what was even going on. But what? You put a microphone on a 6-year-old?"
Bryn decided she wanted to live with her mom full-time
In 2021, after a nine-year custody battle, a restraining order, and lots of money spent on legal fees, Bryn decided she wanted to live primarily with her mom. Court documents obtained by Page Six noted that Bryn would become anxious when she knew she was going to see her father. Bethenny's lawyer, Allan Mayefsky, told the judge, "We have put in a schedule that Bryn can be comfortable with that the court can order so we don't have these constant fights going on." He also requested an amendment to the child support arrangement. "We need to recognize that Ms. Frankel is the primary parent ... she should not be paying child support at this point," he said.
The judge allowed Bethenny to end child support payments to Jason Hoppy, and Bryn and Bethenny became stronger than ever as they spent more time together. However, Bethenny said she recognized the importance of having Bryn spend time with her dad when she wants to, and Jason has retained his parental rights.
Bryn has been close to the men in Bethenny's life
Bethenny Frankel kept her love life on the down-low after divorcing Jason Hoppy. However, there came a time when she found love again with a man named Dennis Shields. Not much was known about Dennis until he popped up on "RHONY." As it turned out, Dennis Shields was her serious boyfriend who later became her fiance. And while little was known about their relationship, more came out after his sudden death following a suspected overdose — including how close he'd become to his would-be stepdaughter. In an episode of "Real Housewives of New York," Bethenny told her castmate Dorinda Medley that Dennis and Bryn were so close that he included her in the engagement — and he even got her a ring too.
Bethenny took time to grieve Dennis' death and eventually found love again with Paul Bernon. As she was with Dennis, Bryn is also close to Paul. In 2022, Bryn shared a photo of her and Paul and wished him a happy birthday.
She's even been to award shows
Bryn Hoppy keeps most of her life private but she has taken advantage of the connections her famous mother has as anyone would. In 2022, Bryn accompanied her mom to the MTV Movie and TV Awards where Bethenny Frankel received the Reality Royalty Award. As her plus-one, Bryn looked precious in a bright pink mini dress and strappy heels. When Bethenny accepted the award, she made sure to thank the audience for voting for her and gave a sweet shoutout to her daughter. "You have taught me so many life lessons and have been on this incredible journey with me since day one," she said. "You have given me and my daughter a life I couldn't have dreamed of." In March of that same year, Bryn also accompanied Bethenny to the iHeartRadio Music Awards where she wore an adorable baby-pink dress with hightop sneakers.
Although being Bethenny Frankel's daughter has its high-profile perks, Bethenny told New Beauty, "I don't have a spoiled child, which is great."
Bryn's dream destination is Bali
In April 2022, Bethenny Frankel had a surprise guest host on her successful podcast, "Just B with Bethenny" – her daughter Bryn Hoppy. While Bethenny is used to being the interviewer, she had Bryn ask most of the questions, which gave a look at the playful side of their relationship.
Although Bryn asked her mom questions about her past she also revealed some things about herself — including her desire to travel. While Bethenny said she wanted to go to Morocco and the Maldives, Bryn said her dream destination is Bali. She expressed interest in sleeping in a tent on the beach. Although Bethenny said she'd been there in the past, she told her daughter, "I'll go to Bali with you. It's very you." Bethenny went on to explain that Bali would be the perfect place for Bryn because she's "very earthy."
By the end of the podcast, fans had learned a great deal more about Bethenny and Bryn's adorable mother-daughter bond.
Bryn became friends with another Real Housewives alumn
Bravo fans love when their favorite shows collide, and that's exactly what happened when Bryn Hoppy was seen dancing with Ace Dubrow. With Bryn's mom being a part of "The Real Housewives of New York City" and Ace's mom being a longtime member of "The Real Housewives of Orange County," Bravo fans went into a tizzy when Bryn and Ace appeared in a TikTok together.
Some wondered how this video came to be, though, considering the families live on opposite coasts. Bethenny explained on Instagram, writing, "I've known Heather for decades. Heather was a young actress and friends with my ex-husband Peter's brother, Danny." While Bethenny and Bryn were vacationing in Aspen, they happened to run into Heather and Terry Dubrow. "We saw each other again at dinner and I met her beautiful sweet son Ace, around Bryn's age," Bethenny detailed. "Bryn & Ace made plans to hit the slopes." And apparently they made some time to make a TikTok, too.
Bryn and Bethenny have epic mommy & me time
Bryn Hoppy may have stopped appearing on "The Real Housewives of New York City," but she pops up on Bethenny Frankel's Instagram feed as well as her own.
In May 2023, the twosome partnered with NYX Cosmetics for an Instagram "mommy & me beauty review," which gave viewers more insight into Bryn's sweet personality and what kind of style she prefers. Although she wasn't a fan of every product she tried, she let fans know that she was "obsessed" with the Butter Gloss Non-Sticky Lip Gloss in Sugar Glass.
In a separate post shared on the same day, Bethenny revealed that, like many other girls across the world, Bryn is a Swiftie. Bryn attended her first-ever concert in May — and what a show it was. "[Taylor Swift] is a great role model for my sweet girl Bryn. She was perfectly punctual (which is a first in my lifetime) and performed her heart out for all three hours — singing, guitar, and piano," Bethenny wrote in an Instagram post. She went on to confirm that the concert was "the best night of [Bryn's] life."
Bryn remained close with her mom as she became a teenager
In an Instagram post, Bethenny Frankel shared that Bryn was officially a teenager. "Every parent gushes, so I will try to restrain myself, but she is perfect." She continued, writing, "Happy 13th birthday to my sweet angel Bryn. You have given me everything I have ever needed in this lifetime and I am so grateful."
Starting at a young age, Bryn's name made headlines, in part because of her parents' custody battle; however, Bethenny appears to have made it her mission to allow Bryn to grow up as normally as possible. "She was born a nice girl and she has never strayed," Bethenny wrote of her daughter. "She was blessed with as many gifts as I have flaws, and I am so grateful to go through this beautiful life with her." Despite all the ups and downs in their family, it's clear that Bryn and Bethenny have remained incredibly close.