When I look at “Real Housewives of NY” reality star Bethenny Frankel, the words “maternal instinct” don’t necessarily come to mind. But Frankel gave an interview to People magazine saying that she is all about her new baby girl. She also revealed that her own childhood wasn’t so great, and her mom wasn’t much of a role model – which kind of explains a lot.

As a first-time mom, Bethenny Frankel is happily focused on pampering her new baby, 8-week-old Bryn. But the reality TV star says her own childhood was far less loving.

“I never had a true childhood,” Frankel, 39 – the only child of legendary horse trainer Bobby Frankel and his first wife, Bernadette – tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story. “There was a lot of destruction: alcohol abuse, eating disorders and violent fights.”

The Real Housewives star – whose new Bravo reality series, Bethenny Getting Married? chronicles her whirlwind romance with businessman Jason Hoppy and the birth of Bryn – says she has long been estranged from her mom, whom she describes as “extremely volatile. She was never a mother to me.”

Now, Frankel says she is grateful for the chance to create a stable home with Hoppy and their daughter: “I live for this baby.”

[From People]

Here’s hoping that Bethenny stays focused on her daughter even after the newness wears off. When someone is as self-absorbed as she appears to be, putting an infant’s needs first can get old pretty quickly. But it sounds like she is determined to give little Bryn a better life than she had, and that’s always a good start.

People cover courtesy of Coverawards.

Is this shocking? Life & Style is running a story about RHONY’s Bethenny Frankel, and how she had a “secret” first marriage. True, I did think she was had never been married before her current husband Jason Hoppy. So I was slightly surprised, but mostly I feel like Bethenny got a raw deal by those who said she was not a “housewife” enough to be cast on the show. She had already been married and divorced, so there. Suck on that, H8ERS. Eh.

When Bethenny Frankel married Jason Hoppy in March, it turns out it was actually her second wedding. Life & Style can exclusively reveal that the Real Housewives of New York City star wed her former best friend Peter Sussman in 1996 — but the marriage fell apart after just eight months. Now, Bethenny opens up to Life & Style about her past with first husband, Peter.

“We were best friends for five years, and he always wanted to be more,” says the natural-foods chef, who eventually accepted Peter’s persistent advances. The pair dated for two years before saying “I do.”

Sadly, Bethenny realized that the relationship made her feel secure but was totally lacking in passion. “I felt like, ‘This is really it? This is the person I’m going to spend the rest of my life with?’” she says. “You can’t go to bed with a piece of 8-by-10 paper.”

Now older and wiser, the self-made and independent Bethenny knows she wed Peter for the wrong reasons.

“I loved him because of how much he loved me,” she tells Life & Style. “I got married too young. I didn’t wait for the great love of my life.”

[From Life & Style]

Jeez, way to make your sound really exciting. If they divorced under pleasant circumstances, why go out of your way to make your ex sound so horrible, and SO obsessed with you? Oh, right. It’s Bethenny!

In other Bethenny news, she gave another exclusive to Us Weekly a few days ago, this one about how she’s back to a size 4 after giving birth just three weeks ago. But Bethenny claims that she didn’t get back her shape by dieting! She said: “I don’t believe in diets. I’m still wearing maternity clothes, because they’re comfortable. I”m excited to get into my Louboutins again. No more swollen feet.” Then, blah, blah, she did yoga while pregnant and she’s already back to walking and doing her vegetarian diet. To see her in her bathing suit, go here.

On Friday, Life & Style magazine set out a high alert that Real Housewife of New York Bethenny Frankel had gone into labor a month early. A friend told the tabloid: “Her water broke at 12:46 a.m. She’s at the hospital now.” Many people had followed Bethenny’s happy pregnancy news with then-boyfriend Jason Hoppy on this season’s RHONY, and had been rooting for her throughout her March shotgun wedding to Jason. And I’m sure many will be thrilled to learn that Bethenny gave birth to a healthy little girl on Saturday, May 8. Mother and child are apparently healthy and happy, and Jason and Bethenny released the name of their little girl to People Magazine: Bryn Hoppy.

Just in time for Mother’s Day, Bethenny Frankel is a new mom!

The Real Housewives of New York City star and her husband Jason Hoppy welcomed a baby girl Saturday, her rep confirms to PEOPLE.

“Bethenny and Jason are proud to welcome their new baby girl, Bryn Hoppy, born at 8 a.m. . . . in New York City,” the rep says. “She is a 4 lb. 12 oz., healthy baby. Bryn, mom, dad and [their dog] Cookie are all very happy.”

Frankel and Hoppy, who were married March 28, were surprised to know the baby’s sex. “Jason won’t let me find out because he knows I’ll spoil it,” she told PEOPLE in an interview about her pregnancy.

She did, however, Tweet, “I had a dream it was a girl.”

So, it seems, dreams do come true!

[From People]

I’m sure she and Jason are thrilled beyond belief, and it’s good that everyone is healthy despite Bethenny’s early labor. Considering Bryn is so small, I would think that the hospital would probably want Bethenny and Bryn to stay in the hospital for several extra days, but you can never tell. In any case, congratulations to the happy family!

Header: Bethany & Jason in NYC on February 19, 2010. Credit: WENN.

Sometimes I wish I was a Catholic, just because Catholics get to have the best reactions when seeing something this sketchy for the first time. I would imagine it would involving crossing oneself, and yelling “Santa Maria!” like in the movies. Anyway, Santa Maria! Us Weekly got their hands on Bethenny Frankel’s unaltered, un-Photoshopped PETA ad, and it is heinous. Granted, I’m not a huge fan of Bethenny, but does Photoshop have to do all the work? Couldn’t they slap some makeup on her so her “before” photo wouldn’t look so jacked? Oh, and Bethenny was the one to release the unaltered photo because she’s all about being “honest and upfront”. Well… I can respect that, actually. But the unaltered photo still make me want to cross myself.

Bethenny Frankel is no shrinking violet. The pregnant Real Housewives of New York star posed nude for a PETA billboard that was unveiled Dec. 15 in Manhattan’s Times Square. Now, she’s talking back to the housewives and other haters who have suggested that the butt-baring photo was heavily airbrushed — and she’s shared the photo evidence (the original, untouched image) exclusively with UsMagazine.com.

“Everything I’m about is being honest and being upfront,” Frankel, 39, tells UsMagazine.com. “So if people are talking and saying [the photo] was airbrushed…then, you know what? Here’s the picture. Have it your way.”

The author of new cookbook The Skinnygirl Dish adds that she would “never, ever allow them to put up a billboard that was really far from the truth.”

Now four months pregnant with her first child, Frankel disrobed for the shots on a Manhattan rooftop in September. Although she’s never posed nude before, she says “I wasn’t that freaked out about it. I don’t know why. PETA has no interest in making me look sleazy. It was such an honor.”

As for the pregnancy? “It’s been great. I haven’t been particularly nauseous, and I get a decent night’s sleep, which is refreshing. My boobs are big, but other than that, nothing’s crazy.”

Still, she confides that expecting a baby is a “weird” experience, “To be honest, being pregnant is weird. Whoever says any different is probably lying. It’s a strange, strange thing.”

The dad-to-be is Frankel’s fiance, Jason Hoppy. Although the couple announced their engagement in October, they have put off planning their nuptials until after Frankel gets through her pregnancy, a book tour, the third season of Housewives (which just wrapped shooting) and her new untitled solo reality show. “There’s no plan whatsoever!” Frankel says.

[From Us Weekly]

Can you imagine if this had happened to Demi Moore? The tweets would have been neverending. Demi would have spent the next month bitching and moaning about how she just naturally looks perfect and her lawyers would be suing everyone in sight. So I’m actually giving Bethenny credit for this, and she gets a temporary pass in my book, just for being honest enough to release a God-awful photo of herself. I will give her a word of advice though – sunscreen, night cream and lots of water will help with how damaged your skin is. Seriously. Just try a little Oil of Olay. It works really well!

Unaltered PETA ad courtesy of Us Weekly. Original PETA ad courtesy of Huffington Post.

Variety is reporting that three Bravo reality “stars” are getting their own separate television projects. I barely know two of these people, and I really wouldn’t care about their shows even if they features a naked Gerard Butler offering me his wang dipped in chocolate. Actually… scratch that. I’d totally watch that show. Why have I not been hired as a television programmer yet? The two people I don’t give a crap about are Bethenny Frankel (one of the New York “housewives” who was neither a wife, nor did she stay at home) and Fabio Viviani (one of the contestants on Season 5 of Top Chef - I’m sure my mom will know who he is). Whatever. I’m sure their shows will crash and burn, especially Bethenny’s. She’s a delusional whack-job, and she doesn’t come across well on television (unlike, say, all of the other delusional whack-jobs who do come across well).

The real news is about the third announced show – which will be built around Project Runway’s Season 4 winner Christian Siriano! According to Variety, the show will focus on Christian’s efforts to “set up a new shop and market his clothing line.” I really hope they call the show “Tranny Hot Mess”. Or something about “fierce” which is his signature compliment.

Bravo is developing three new projects starring some of the cabler’s recent breakout reality stars: Bethenny Frankel, Christian Siriano and Fabio Viviani.

All three reality vets will star in docuseries that focus on their lives and careers, according to Bravo VP/general manager Frances Berwick.

The untitled show starring Frankel, from the channel’s “The Real Housewives of New York City,” will showcase her career as a natural foods chef, as well as the Gotham socialite’s love life.

The flamboyant Siriano, who won season four of “Project Runway” (back when the show still aired on Bravo), will be featured in his show as he sets up a new shop and markets his clothing line.

Viviani will star in “Fabio: A Catered Affair,” which will chronicle the challenges he faces as he and business partner Jacopo Falleni look to expand their restaurant and catering business in Los Angeles. Viviani was a “Top Chef” finalist in season five.

Magical Elves, which produces “Top Chef” and formerly produced “Project Runway” (including Siriano’s season), will produce the “Fabio” and Siriano projects. Shed Media U.S., which produces “The Real Housewives of New York City,” is behind the Frankel project.

[From Variety]

Christian was built for stardom, in my opinion. He’s so strange-looking, yet cute and adorable. He’s got the original Kate Gosselin hair, and he’s barely five feet tall. He’s also got an incredible work ethic, he’s got talent oozing out of his pores, and he’s very, very professional. Even when he was really stressed out on Project Runway, he just kept his head down and did his work without bitching and moaning and being a big baby. Even though he was known for some of the most hilariously bitchy things ever uttered on Project Runway, he really wasn’t as tough and punk as he wants people to think. He’s a sweetheart, and I can see people totally falling in love with him on his own show.

Bethenny Frankel is shown on 9/17/09. Christian Siriano is shown on 6/11/09, 5/31/09 and 5/3/09, with Kristen Johnston. Credit: WENN.com

Dude, everyone hates Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop. To the extreme! While I find Gwyneth’s snotty attitude offensive, I’m don’t really take her Goopy advice too personally. Sometimes, I actually enjoy it, in the “Goop is such a pretentious piece of work, let’s mock and laugh at her” sort of way. But “Real Housewife of New York” Bethenny Frankel takes it personally, and Frankel lashed out at Gwyneth (and her Goopy recipes) at a recent event. In case you don’t follow the “Real Housewives” (which I don’t, for the most part), Bethenny is the one without a husband, who was the runner-up on Martha Stewart’s Apprentice, and who just bought herself a new pair of boobs. She’s also something of a genuine chef and foodie, an accomplished food writer and just this year, she released her first cookbook: Naturally Thin – Unleash Your Skinnygirl & Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting. Guess how much she hates the Goopster?

If Gwyneth Paltrow ever gets another cooking special, it’s really going to irk Bethenny Frankel.

“I’d rather staple my eyelids shut than watch Gwyneth cook,” the chef told us during the launch of her bottled Skinnygirl Margaritas at the Montauk Yacht Club on Saturday.

She added, “Gwyneth is afraid to [reveal] who she really is – she’s so manhandled by publicists and managers. Her show would be way too boring to watch.”

The “Real Housewives of New York” star confided that she has been approached to create a food series of her own, but nothing has been confirmed yet.

[From Gatecrasher]

I hate myself for agreeing with Bethenny Frankel. Like, there are no words for how much I hate myself, and how much I agree with with Frankel. The best Goop newsletters are always the ones where Gwyneth actually gives us her own advice, which she hasn’t been doing recently. She just gets her “friends” and her “shrinks” to tell us how to live our lives. I’ve started to wonder if Gwyneth might be getting tired of all of this Goop nonsense, just because she’s run out of things to say. Are Bethenny and I wrong? Is Gwyneth still interesting? Or is she really as boring as we think?

Header of Bethenny Frankel at the G-Shock presents shock the world tour event, held at Cipriani in New York City on August 5th. Image thanks to WENN.com. How strange does Gwyneth’s head look here?

We haven’t talked much about this chick Bethenny Frankel and she knows that. She’s the annoying single woman who stars in the reality show “Real Housewives of New York” despite the fact that she is not now, and doesn’t seem to have ever been, a housewife. Frankel is a natural foods chef and has written a book about staying thin. She gets press for whatever petty arguments she’s having with her co-stars and for talking smack about more famous and successful people.

Bethenny, supposedly 38, stepped out at an event on Monday wearing a see through catsuit. She obviously wasn’t wearing a bra because her boobs completely showed through. (These pictures don’t do the outfit justice, Huffington Post has better versions.) She does seem to be wearing some tiny underwear, however. Is this as lame as all the crotch-flashing that was the rage two and a half years ago? In my opinion, not really. It’s just as desperate though. She’s in good company – Posh does this frequently and just nipped out in London yesterday. (Photos below.)

Frankel has a new blog up on E! Online with her bitchy thoughts on the New Jersey housewives. One commenter says she’s like the “skank calling the whore trash.”

Photos of Victoria Beckham credit Bauergriffinonline.