Bethenny Frankel’s talkshow is coming back in September after having survived a six week trial run last summer. There are stories that Bethenny’s namesake show will be in competition with Kris Jenner’s talkshow, but let’s face it, Bethenny is already ahead of Kris and that’s likely to continue. Kris’ talkshow sucks. Plus Bethenny’s show is being produced by Ellen DeGeneres, so she already has that going for her. One thing Bethenny does not have is any kind of rapport with her staff, if recent reports are to be believed. The NY Post claims that Bethenny’s administrative assistant, who has worked with several other celebrities, quit the job because she had “never been treated this badly.”
Sources tell us the former “Real Housewife” is “very particular and difficult,” and her behavior has upset some staffers at the Ellen DeGeneres-produced show, which is headed into pre-production.
We’re told that Frankel’s executive assistant, named Marilyn, quit after just a few weeks, saying she couldn’t work with the Skinnygirl mogul.
“Marilyn quit after less than a month because Bethenny was so mean to her,” a source said. “Marilyn has a lot of experience working with celebrities and complained she had ‘never been treated this badly.’
“They have been interviewing other assistants, who had to sign nondisclosure agreements and were told not to talk to Bethenny unless she talks to them first. They have interviewed more than 40 people, but she doesn’t like anybody.”
While a source close to Frankel confirmed that things with the assistant “didn’t work out,” she insisted there’s complete harmony between Bethenny and her team. “They are testing out assistants. It is a very particular job with a lot involved, managing Bethenny’s TV and business interests. But there is absolutely no division between Bethenny and the staff on the show. For many of them it is a dream job. There’s lots of energy and excitement.”
The program makes its debut on Sept. 9, and Frankel has brought on a team of bookers to give Kris Jenner’s new talk show a run for its money.
Meanwhile, spies saw Frankel — who’s going through a bruising divorce with Jason Hoppy — with billionaire hedge-funder Warren Lichtenstein at his son’s New England summer camp last weekend.
“They were there for parents visiting day,” a spy said. “And they arrived via private jet to see Warren’s son.”
A friend of Frankel told us, “Warren has been very supportive during a difficult time. He and Bethenny have been best friends since college.”
A rep for Bethenny declined to comment.
Of course Bethenny is such close “friends” with this billionaire that she’s going to visit his son’s summer camp with him. Bethenny’s rep doesn’t deign to respond to those rumors that she’s seeing the guy but her “friend” will. It’s a shame the “friend” didn’t directly deny that Bethenny insists that no one speaks to her at work unless she speaks to them first. You know she does that. You also know that she threw water on her ex’s face while he’s sleeping and screamed at him that she’s “richer than God.” None of this is surprising.
These photos are from May and June. Credit: WENN.com and FameFlynet
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