If you’ve paid even a small amount of attention to Bethenny Frankel’s divorce and custody battle, you know that it’s been incredibly petty. It’s at the point where it’s surely costing Bethenny and her ex, Jason Hoppy, tens of thousands in lawyers bills so they don’t have to actually talk or text one another. Bethenny and Jason are unsuccessfully trying to coparent their daughter Bryn, who turns five in May. They’ve been separated for over two years and yet they still haven’t worked out minor details. For instance Bethenny once took all of Bryn’s clothes and toys from the apartment she used to share with Jason, upsetting the little girl before she was scheduled to spend time with her dad. It’s all about Bethenny getting back at Jason with little care for the effect it has on their daughter.
This latest instance is more of the same. Bethenny hired some movers to go over to the apartment she used to share with Jason, where he still lives. Of course Bethenny never bothered to give Jason the heads up. Bryn and Jason were home at the time and Bryn got really scared to see a bunch of strange men around with no warning. In response, Jason called an emergency phone meeting with their custody judge. Here’s more, thanks to Radar:
“Jason’s attorneys requested the emergency conference call this morning after a moving crew showed up at the apartment he shares with Bryn and started removing Bethenny’s belongings,” a source close to the situation told Radar.
The $5 million apartment has been at the center of their split squabbles, with Hoppy refusing to move out and a judge ordering that neither party could buy or sell the place until all of the divorce details are finalized.
“Jason’s attorneys told the judge that Bethenny has bought a new apartment and she was taking her remaining things out of the Tribeca place. The problem was, Bryn was home and the moving crew scared her,” the source explained. “She started hysterically crying and Jason was furious so he immediately called his lawyers, who called the judge.”
The source told Radar that a conference call ensued and the judge was furious with Frankel for “exposing Bryn to these fights her parents still have.”
The meltdown came on the heels of lingering tensions from last summer, said the source.
Frankel, who has returned to The Real Housewives of New York City, infuriated Hoppy last summer while she was in the Hamptons, the source claimed.
“Bethenny spent the summer in the Hamptons and had her assistant get Bryn and bring her out to the beach,” claimed the source. “This made Jason mad that she didn’t do it herself.”
According to the insider, the exasperated judge called for a hearing next month, hoping to finalize Frankel and Hoppy’s messy divorce once and for all.
So Bethenny hired movers who came while her daughter was home and she couldn’t be bothered to text Jason to let him know. That’s ridiculous. It’s also ridiculous that Jason is mad at Bethenny for having her assistant pick up Bryn. She should have told him ahead of time though. The judge in this case must be so pissed to get dragged into these stupid, pointless fights. These two, particularly Bethenny, are only hurting their child, who has grown up with the two most important adults in her life not even talking to each other. It’s sad for Bryn.
Here are some photos from yesterday in which Bryn looks like she’s about to run into traffic. It’s not as dramatic as it looks though, Bryn may have been running to a car which waiting for her and her mom. A guy stepped in to help and it looks like he was their driver.
Photo credit: FameFlynet. Photos of Bethenny are recent. Photo of Jason is from January, 2014
How can you hate your ex more then you love your child. Do they need a hearing for everything? Do they really not understand the damage they are doing to this poor kid?
Spot-on, Elisabeth.
True.
But Jason’s playing this all really well.
I mean, he didn’t HAVE to let the movers in at all. I suppose he didn’t anticipate her reaction, but he could’ve left them outside while he explained things to her. Or just refused to let them in.
She’s a bit old to be carried, and seems immature.
But Jason’s been doing great through this.
They are two selfish, petty people. That little girl should be their sole concern, not this tit-for-tat fighting. I hope the judge ripped them both a new one.
Yep. They’ve BOTH been acting like a-holes (I can’t say one more than the other, from what has been reported) and they need to get it together.
There’s something seriously wrong when your child needs a judge to look out for her best interests.
Bethanny is a terrible mother. I used to be a fan and now all i see is narcissism. Divorce can be so damaging to children, especially when they are dragged out. Bethanny’s a child of divorce and knows the pain and long term effects. Money can’t buy you class, my friends!
What horrible parents! Makes me realize how good I had it, my parents divorced when I was 4. I’ve never heard them say a bad word about the other, even though now I’m grown I know there was plenty to say. Put your ego away Bethenny, you have a daughter.
Wow, that is complete terror on bethannys face though. Ugh, one of my worst nightmares
We all have fears about our kids getting hurt because they’re little and vulnerable. That said, she is stupid not to know to hold her daughter’s hand BEFORE they get to the street. It bugs no end, when parents let their kids walk up to street corners and then start screaming at them to stop or don’t go yet. Can they not figure out that the time to curtail the possibility of that kind of tragedy is before the can take off and get away from you?
And, you can tell that little girl is shy to take the hand of the driver. Does Frankle not realize, too, that she is a little kid and telling her “this is our driver” doesn’t do anything for a child’s comfort and security being with that person? That’s why I understand her ex’s beef with her having her assistant pick the little girl up. She’s a stranger to that child for f—k’s sake! Frankle is seriously creepy! Sorry, but I get stabby when it comes to dumb/lazy parenting.
Me too! My pet peeve are parents with strollers who, in their impatience for a light to change, walk to the very edge of a corner walkway thereby pushing the stroller containing their baby into the street.
People are nuts! And having children doesn’t fix that.
Bethany just comes across so vindictive , petty and selfish. I remember when she was on housewives and she SEEMED so sweet but over time her true colors started to show. The fact this woman wanted ( and would have done anything ) to keep her daughter away from a loving father and his family is sick. No excuses. All we ever heard about was how she was so messed up as a kid because of her parents yet she’s doing the same thing! And I know Jason is no angel but imagine dealing with her?!
Yeah, it quickly became clear that she was calling the paps and stirring up a lot of stuff so she could be the star. Even though Jason knew he was marrying a reality tv “star,” I do feel bad for the guy. She really used him for a story line and when she decided she was fed up with the marriage, and no longer attracted to the man, she wanted an easy break from him- give him a little money and have him go away. He is tougher than he appeared on television, and should have full custody of his daughter with generous child support payments and spousal support. Bethenny is too focused on her brand- and returning to the RealHo’s of NYC shows this- to be a full time parent.
I don’t know why anyone would think she’s sweet. If you watched the first show she was on, Martha Stewart Celebrity Apprentice, you would see that she is anything but. Her and that moron Jim were total jerks on the show.
Bethany pulled a nasty stunt for sure but what kind of father does this? So while Bryn is freaking out Jason decides it is a good time to make a series of emotionally charged, hysterical phone calls to his legal team instead of scooping up his child and calming her in the kitchen with a cookie, an explanation and a hug? I hope the judge makes both parents provide for the child’s future therapy bills.
It’s completely possible he did both. We don’t know. She could have been in his arms when he was calling the lawyer. This kid is so messed up maybe calling the lawyer is what calms her down. He could have called after she was calmed down. Way to jump to conclusions.
*I know the story says immediately, but it’s written by a third party – someone that wasn’t there, so “Immediately” could mean 20 minutes, an hour, or after she went to bed that night. I also know that it could very well mean “immediately” but I really doubt it.
I take the story at face value. Besides, if you are free to speculate so am I. I suspect Jason was in a hurry to get the lawyers and judge on the phone *during* the child’s meltdown to give his complaint more credibility/urgency. Regardless, the dad didn’t handle this well.
@imo – but the story said HE didn’t call the judge his attorneys called the judge – “Jason’s attorneys requested the emergency conference call this morning” highly doubt Jason has a direct line to the judge so he can prove Brynn was upset lol. – he spoke to the judge during the conference call that was after the meltdown. I really can’t imagine he rushed to the phone with a crying child just to prove it to anyone because it would have only been his attorneys- who are on his side. Not to mention have you ever tried to talk on the phone with a crying toddler?
Good point about the judge but I think it is entirely possible that a screaming child would add drama.
Seeing her little daughter next to her, it’s even harder to believe she put this little girl’s clothes on to show off.
Bethenny needs to grow up and do what is best for her child. Kids see everything and understand more. I can only imagine the dark things she tells Brynn to poison her against Jason. It’s so sad.
+1
The child is really making a break for it! Yes I understand kids are unpredictable and do crazy things. I think my own would have run into the street if they were chasing a ball or something and not thinking about traffic. But I wonder what her behavior is like in general? Since the parents detest each other, how can she respect either one? She must live in a state of terror.
On the other side, how dramatic is Jason? Can he not comfort his daughter? Pretty sure I could calm my kid over someone unexpected, but not dangerous, showing up at my house. Clearly every word of this comes from him. He is definitely not the good guy here.
Yeah, they both suck.
Agree. I used to be on his side, but he’s just as petty as she is.
Like I said above, how do we know he didn’t?
I don’t want to pick sides in this because I think you’re right for the most part, both parents are guilty. But I also don’t think a third party writer can use the word immediately with any real meaning. They weren’t there, they didn’t see how immediately the phone call was placed.
Hollz, I see your point, but I think the fact that he called the lawyers at all about something this trivial says just as much.
Yeah I’m not seeing the need to call the judge here. It’s not as if the home was broken into and they were held at gunpoint. They were just workmen. This is a completely ridiculous story.
I’ve watched my husband’s ex pull this kind of stuff. She’ll claim my SS is hysterical or acting out about something we’ve done but he never reacts poorly at our home. So either she whips up his feelings to that level or it’s not happening. She used to insist we not contact her with exchange emails and that everything had to go through her attorney, who she wants us to pay for, or the parenting coordinator. Neither is feasible. Finally we got a coordinator who told her to knock it off and coparent. And the behavior claims have diminished significantly because SS is old enough that if she makes those claims he gets indignant and calls her out. Unfortunately those sort of tactics seem very common in divorce and I feel for this kid because some adults hold onto this bad behavior for waaaay too long. We’re looking at over 8 years post divorce here. I started dating him at 3.5 and was shocked it was still happening then. And the thing is I know she really believes she loves SS and is doing right by him. She just doesn’t see the damage she’s doing and can’t realize she’s emotionally unhealthy. You have to hope this kid has someone stable in her life who can help her reconcile her feelings about her parents individually.
I used to like Bethenny, we had a lot of similar mother issues, but all this custody drama is complete BS and it seems she’s just repeating her childhood with Bryn, which is so sad. I’m sure Jason has his faults but I feel bad for him, I can’t imagine having to deal with Bethenny, but they need to stop this crap and move on for the sake of their child, time to grow up and let it go. The funny part is her mother called this, said she was only using Jason to have a child and she would drop him ASAP.
You could tell from the moment she first appeared on Real Housewives she only wanted to be with a guy to have a kid. And yes, she does seem to be re-living out her childhood issues with her own mom with her daughter.
Horrifying.
I find it very interesting that two people who are as dark-haired as these two would have such a blonde-haired child. I remember when Bryn was a baby and thinking her white blonde hair would probably darken over time. But it’s not even a dirty or honey blonde- she’s almost a tow-head. I find the genetics of that very interesting, with both parents dark brunettes!
Anyone else?
Yes! Genetics are fascinating, I know a lot of dark haired parents with blonde kids, and I thought I’d have a blonde because her father and I were both blondes as kids but my kiddo came out with a head full of almost black hair, huge surprise, it eventually fell out and grew back a light golden brown.
My dad had white-blond hair as it kid and it gradually darkened to where it’s almost black–well, what isn’t gray (he’s 78). One of my brothers also had super blond hair, it stayed blond thru his teens/early 20s and now in his late 40s it’s light brown and his beard grows in auburn. And my daughter’s hair was strawberry blonde with blue eyes at birth and by 2yrs old she had beautiful dark chestnut hair and chocolate brown eyes! Bryn’s hair could very well darken gradually as she gets older.
Not surprising at all. If both parents have the genes for both (dark hair dominates) and are dark haired just because that gene in the pair is dominant, their genes could mix with the two recessive genes for light hair rather than one or both donating the dominant (dark hair) gene. I imagine the genes involve regulation of melanin production- hence many children have blonde hair as babies/toddlers but then it darkens eventually as production steps up. Happened to me, my blonde hair became light brown by the time I was 3 years old. (Would look bleached for a few hours after washing it, though, so maybe oil production is involved in the perceived color as well).
Kittens start out with blue eyes for similar reasons. In humans, even skin color can start out very light and then darken as melanin production gets going. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and pale skin are actually due to relative lack of the melanin pigment. Complete lack results in the albino syndrome, which can show up in both paler and darker ethnic groups.
At this point, I do feel bad for Bethenny. In the beginning, she was wrong to have pushed so hard and demand full custody — clearly that set off WWIII — but to keep this up is just ludicrous.
The kid needs more therapy if the presence of the moving men caused her to become hysterical.
It mentioned in the story that her clothing and toys were moved before so I think her getting upset is something to understand.
I know. I was wondering if he was exaggerating. Some kids are more sensitive than others. My little girl would be chatting them up and helping them move furniture. From his point of view though, I would be pissed about not getting a heads up.
“It’s also ridiculous that Jason is mad at Bethenny for having her assistant pick up Bryn”
How is that ridiculous that he would be mad at her for not picking up up their daughter herself? She should have done so and not her assistant. That is her daughter, not a hand bag she order.
Agree.
It’s ridiculous because if the two parents are unable to get along at the moment, it’s best if a third party picks the child up. It’s very possible that if she shows up, she might end up taking issue with something that’s happening (when you can’t get along with someone, it’s very easy for ANYTHING they do to piss you off), then she might say something and they’ll blow up at each other in front of the child.
There’s nothing wrong with her assistant picking the child up from him and taking her to her mother. A lot of people have someone else pick their child up from school (or wherever) and take them home – this is no different.
Having her assistant pick up Bryn did not really bother me for exactly the reasons you state, PrincessMe. But given what we have seen of Bethenny and Jason, I wonder if the real issues are a) Jason and/or Bryn did not know the assistant (or know him/her well) or know that s/he was the person intending to take Bryn to the Hamptons beforehand – which seems odd since I suspect their lawyers have fought over custody transfers ad nauseam since the start of the divorce proceedings; or b) Jason was not comfortable with some aspect of how the assistant planned to transport Bryn to Bethenny (e.g., If the assistant were driving his/her own car from the city to LI, did it have a car seat properly installed and carry current insurance?). Jason probably had little choice but to turn Bryn over to the assistant lest he be accused of interfering with Bethenny’s custodial time, but I know I would be uncomfortable turning my young child over to a non-family member in this situation. This is not a trip around the corner or even in the same city. Driving from the city to the Hamptons during the summer can take HOURS even in decently moving traffic, and the trains are typically jam packed on the weekends.
It is ridiculous, actually. Unless she didn’t call or text him to inform him beforehand, which she probably didn’t. But there is nothing wrong with having assistants or nannies to help when the parents are busy, working individuals who run businesses. My hubby’s assistant or even my FIL picks up my stepson all the time when the two of us are tied up, it’s not a big deal & we spend plenty of time with him outside of normal business hours but sometimes it’s hard to leave your office at 3 PM on a Monday. It’s just a damn car ride with someone the child already knows and trusts. Stepson’s mom isn’t the most cooperative person in the world but even she doesn’t mind at all because it helps on her end too.
Agreed. In my experience the parent who pitches a fit about it is someone who hasn’t moved on and is using the child as their current life and lifeline to the past. Since they’re not busy because of all their “devotion” to parenting they kick up a fuss about minor issues like pick ups. It can gain sympathy with certain people and it can be difficult to realize that it’s a pattern of custody interference and manipulating the child into thinking the working parent cares less. Kids should be a priority but not the center of the universe.
The call to his lawyers may not have been ONLY about how Bryn was scared by the movers. I am curious as to how the movers knew what items needed to be removed when Bethenny was not there to show them. My suspicions are that he called his lawyers because the movers wanted to take some items that Jason may consider joint property subject to division in the divorce battle and of course he mentioned the lack of prior notice by Bethenny and Bryn’s surprise and fears. He also undoubtedly complained about how the unscheduled move disrupted his custodial time with Bryn since he obviously could not leave the apartment with her while strange people were there packing and taking things. I highly doubt that a family court judge would call an emergency hearing SOLELY over a child’s meltdown about the movers, but I know the judge likely would schedule one over disputed property and interference with custodial arrangements.
Excellent point. I also think it was about more than their daughter being afraid of some moving men. This whole thing has been dragged out for way too long, and for what? Just to see how much they can “out-spite” each other? It doesn’t seem like either one of them has their daughter’s best interests as their main focus. And she’s the one who’s really the most affected by all their petty crap. Sad.
Amen, smcollins! Kids always get caught in the crossfire. What is particularly sad to me is that Bethenny knows what it is like to have dysfunctional parents who didn’t get along and STILL seems hell-bent on making the same mistakes with her daughter. She would do well to remember the old adage, “Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.” I just hope Bryn has other caring adults in her life who model functional, mature, loving relationships for her. Their petty sniping and inability to settle this divorce quickly and quietly make me want to start a GoFundMe campaign to get her a new family! #FreeBryn
Poor kid.
So is no one going to comment on Bethenny’s Botox/fillers? She’s looking less skeletor-like.
As for the rest… she lost her damn mind with this divorce. They could have been done and divorced in six months if she hadn’t made it into such a debacle.
Why the hell does Bethenny still have her stuff in the apartment if they split up over two years ago??