Real Housewives Star Reveals Her Surprising Starting Salary

Pixabay Real Housewives star talked about how much money she made.

Bethenny Frankel revealed what she made for her first season of “The Real Housewives of New York City.”

In a TikTok video posted on April 6, 2023, the former Bravo star revealed what she was paid when she joined the reality show in 2008.

“The contract said $7,250 which I did not dispute,” Frankel said. “I was a nobody. That was a lot of money to me. All I had was time on my hands. No kids, no family, no problem.”

Ina caption to the video, Frankel noted that when she started on the show she had “just moved into a 1 bedroom from a studio.”

When a fan commented that Frankel was “underpaid af for carrying the show,” Frankel replied, “NAH.”

Bethenny Frankel Inspired a Contract Clause

Frankel revealed that while she lacked business experience at the time, she thought ahead when signing her RHONY contract.

“The only thing I did cross out was the thing that said Bravo would take a percentage of anything I make,” she added. “I was a nobody…but somewhere down deep inside of me, I understood conceptually that was wrong. I was going places, and nobody was going to own any part of it.”

Frankel added that after she launched her Skinnygirl cocktail business and began making big money, Bravo  “woke up.”

“They created what is now referred to as the Bethenny Clause, which means that anybody going on reality TV has to give a percentage to the powers that be,” she explained.

In her TikTok video, Frankel warned her followers to go with their gut when signing business deals. “I read a contract,” she said. “Something didn’t feel right to me, and I took it out. And it changed my entire life, and it changed the entertainment industry and their practices.”

Frankel ultimately left RHONY after three seasons and swore she’d never go back. In a follow-up TikTok, she explained that the show became “didn’t want the negativity” in her life once she became pregnant with her daughter Bryn, and that she valued her well-being over money. She returned to the show for five more seasons starting in season 7.

Frankel now has a net worth of $80  million, per Celebrity Net Worth.

Bethenny Frankel Is Not the First Real Housewives to Talk About Her Salary

GettyDenise Richards.

Most Real Housewives don’t talk about their salaries, but there are rumors that some of the OGs are highly paid. According to Screenrant, there have been rumors that some of the biggest Housewives stars have earned as much as $3 million for a season. But during an appearance on “Jeff Lewis Live,” former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Denise Richards said rumors that she was paid millions to join the show were false. “No offense to Bravo but they don’t pay a lot of money,” she said, according to People.

In March 2023, former ‘Real Housewives of Dallas” star Stephanie Hollman answered fan questions in a Tik Tok video and noted that there is a “formula” used to determine a Real Housewives star’s salary.

“I will say, season 1 for me, I felt like I was paying to be on the show. Like, I definitely spent more than I made,” she admitted. Hollman added that it takes three seasons for most Housewives to  “kind of start” to make decent money.

READ NEXT: RHONY Alum Drops Details on Spinoff Show