Apparently In Touch had a very interesting interview in their print edition with the CEO of the Skinny Cow brand, a man named Sam Pugliese. Pugliese told In Touch that Bethenny Frankel, who started the Skinnygirl brand a few years ago and sold it in 2011 for a reported $100 million (although she still remains involved in the business) visited him for advice when starting her business. The Skinny Cow founder flat out accused Frankel of stealing his brand name after their meeting, and told In Touch that Nestle, which owns Skinny Cow could “sue the hell” out of Frankel for infringement. Frankel then fired back with a statement to US Weekly calling Pugliese’s claims “false and defamatory”:
In an exclusive statement to Us Weekly on Wednesday, August 17, a Skinnygirl company spokesperson said, “The allegations by Sam Pugliese, published by Bauer Publishing’s In Touch Weekly, are baseless and without merit. Skinnygirl is a wholly-separate, federally registered, trademark that was developed independently by Ms. Frankel.”
“Any assertion to the contrary is inaccurate and defamatory and will be treated accordingly,” the spokesperson continued. “Skinnygirl and Ms. Frankel will not tolerate irresponsible press and will hold accountable anyone attempting to damage the thriving international brand she created and built from inception.”
Skinnygirl’s denial follows a report published in the August 29 issue of In Touch magazine, in which Skinny Cow founder Pugliese accused the reality star of getting the idea for her company’s name from his popular brand of frozen treats. “She stole my name,” Pugliese told the publication.
The businessman also alleged that the Real Housewives of New York City star, 45, visited his office several years ago to ask for help as she launched Skinnygirl, which has since become one of the fastest growing liquor brands on the market.
“I tried to help her, but … she’s a little wacky — I basically threw her out of my office,” Pugliese claimed to In Touch.
As US also reports, Frankel blew up at her Real Housewives of NY costar Dorinda Medley’s boyfriend when he accused her of stealing the Skinny Cow name. Her defense was “His brand is called Skinny Cow. You’re a cow and I’m a girl, that’s the difference!” This is so ripe, especially since Frankel accused another RHONY costar, Sonja Morgan, of stealing her brand by starting a cocktail company named Tipsy Girl. It has “girl” in it, just like Bethenny’s brand has “skinny” in it, but she wants us to believe she didn’t steal the name from Skinny Cow even though she met with the founder for advice ahead of time.
In a recent interview, Frankel seemed to be alluding to this allegation that she stole her business name. She claimed that she’s been “distancing myself from [RHOBH] this summer” and that “I’ve left it behind.” Frankel added “Something very dramatic happened… that questioned my integrity. If someone questions my business or my integrity I take it really seriously — I don’t just gloss over it.” No she makes sure to take the other person to task and to call them out publicly but when someone does it to her she can’t take it.
photos credit: WENN, FameFlynet and Getty
How about instead of Skinny Girl, she change it to Shrill Harpy?
Hah! Too funny.
Good idea. Much more fitting.
Perfect. Shrill Harpy Who Would Rather Ingest a Crapload of Chemicals Than One Iota of Sugar or Fat.
Or Shrill Harpy Who Makes a Disgusting Product? Or just call it Tastes Like Crap? I bought a bottle when that stuff first came out, took one sip and poured the rest of what was in my glass down the drain; the rest of the bottle sat untouched in my fridge for at least six months before I finally dumped it too.
She is terribly unlikeable.
the size of her bank account seems to be antiproportional (sp?) to her likeability. b used to be quite cool back when she was trying to be a “natural foods chef”, whatever that means. now she is a business owner that probably hasn’t cooked for money in years and she seems miserable. so miserable, that her only outlet is to make other people miserable as well. yes, i watch the show. i am not ashamed. 🙂
Does she have any other businesses? Because her partnership in the Skinny Girl line was brought out years ago.
i don’t think b has other projects. she may have sold skinnygirl, but she is still promoting it, so she must have some sort of brand ambassador- position. the product placement on rhonyc has been insane since bethenny is back.
@Flowerchild I think what was bought out by the Jim Beam company was the liquor portion of the business– the bottled margaritas, etc. She remains as a brand ambassador for that. Not bought out is all the other crap she hawks and or licenses the Skinnygirl brand name out to like shapewear, protein bars, non-alc drinks…
I agree that she used to be so much more relatable and fun. It didn’t make a whole lot of sense for her to be on the RHONY in the early years because she wasn’t a housewife, or even married, but she had a compelling story and compared to the other ladies she seemed really down to earth. But, yeah, money showed her true colors. And the way she has treated that sad sack, Jason. She is shrill and crazy. She has an ego that rivals Donald Trump and she is a hateful miserable woman. Her only measure of success is the size of someone’s bank account. I wish Andy Cohen would dump her because without him she wouldn’t really have a platform. I am sure her crappy drinks would continue to sell to sorority sisters around the US, though.
god she has been such a shrill bummer this season of RHONY. I used to like her honesty and the fact that she seems to have insight into the way she’s acting when she’s acting terribly, but the difference this season is her unadulterated ENTITLEMENT to her bad behavior and terrible attitude and just pure mean spiritedness. she’s become an actual bully to everyone on the show. I just want to slap her this season.
So if I start a brand called “Black Girl” is she going to claim copyright infringement?
Karma is a you know what. On the RHONY Bethany accused Sonja Morgan of copying her “Skinny Girl” name because Morgan called her brand “Tipsy Girl.”
That name is quite fitting of Sonja because she was always drunk.
Lol.
Maybe we should just stop using “skinny” as a marketing tool, especially on products aimed at women? Just a thought.
Stop with your radical, feminazi ideas! 😉 Such madness!
lol
Ha! I know, it’s my womyn’s college, down-with-the-patriarchy attitude that gets me in trouble every time!
This coming from the same commenter who referred to her as a “shrill harpy” a few comments up?
have you seen the show? she IS a shrill harpy. so what’s your point? she has a vagina, yes, but she also revels in calling other women sluts and whores.
Her hairstyle is doing her no favours.
Bitch stole my look! That’s what the Countess LuAnn said about Bethany’s new hair cut.
I think I would choose to send Bethenny off into obscurity before I did a Kardashian. That says a lot about how awful I think this woman is.
Equally awful.
Just came here to say that Skinny Cow ice cream is delicious!
So many skinny cow products contain palm oil (along with other terrible things)
Bethenny, Maximus Decimus Meridious called and he wants his sandals back
She has changed her behavior since her success, in a negative way. However this issue isn’t just about the names, it’s about trying to ride the coat tails of someone without the blood, sweat and tears.
“I tried to help her, but … she’s a little wacky — I basically threw her out of my office,” Pugliese claimed to In Touch.
She’s a self-righteous nut job. Not only did she go off on Sonja about Tipsy Girl being a “cheater brand” because of the name (ahem, Skinny Cow), she also flew into a lengthy, unceasing, irrational, rage at Luanne saying she’s a horrible person for sleeping with married men then claimed the next day when asked about it that she was so enraged she doesn’t remember the incident. Is there a Dr. in the house? Of course Bethenny’s new bf is married. But who cares about details, right? With Bethenny, it’s everyone else that’s crazy.
Not only is the new boyfriend married but married to a long time friend of Bethennys. She is so vile.
I’ve never understood the appeal of this woman. She’s rubs me as nasty and vindictive, and I wish she’d go away.
She is a hideous human being. Yeah, pictured at the Talkhouse, moments before or after throwing a drink on someone. Sing it, Lu, “Money can’t buy you class!”
The pics of her in the pink top are in the lobby of the office building I work in. That’s all I’ve got.
Skinnygirl sucks and so does Ms. Frankel. Yawn, next.