Photo: getty
She looks great either way.
By Samantha Maffucci — Written on Mar 11, 2020
For anyone who's a fan of Bravo and has watched the Real Housewives of New York since its inception, you know housewife Bethenny Frankel is one of the most loved/hated, hilarious, and all-around controversial cast members. From her quick jabs to being business savvy, she's easily one of the most successful Bravo-lebrities out there.
Fans and viewers were able to follow Frankel on her journey through marriage, having a baby, her subsequent and very messy divorce, and everything in between, with spin-off shows and an eventual return to the show, and then a long overdue departure.
But if you’ve watched the first season of RHONY and compared it to the more current seasons, it raises questions. Specifically, did Bethenny Frankel get plastic surgery?
As anyone with eyes can see, her face looks quite different from the one we have been currently seeing on television.
And while there’s nothing wrong with getting plastic surgery — whether it’s to fix a deformity or improve your own body image — did Frankel become just like every other housewife, going under the knife for her appearance?
Just see for yourself with before and after pictures.
It’s nothing new for women, especially those appearing on television like this, to get all sorts of procedures done. After all, they want to age gracefully, right? The most common is Juvaderm or Botox, non-surgical procedures that tighten the skin and give you a "youthful" appearance.
Cast members from basically every installment of Real Housewives have admitted to getting work done, including Kyle Richards from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Margaret Josephs from Real Housewives of New Jersey, and Tamra Judge from Real Housewives of Orange County, to name a few. It's become a way of life for these women.
While she did not acknowledge or confirm/deny getting any surgical procedures at first, Frankel did proudly admit to using Botox. She said, “Maybe once a year, I’ll be like, ‘Oh, I look like a Shar-Pei, let me do that.’” What a typical Frankel response (and we love it).
She also noted that her use of Botox in her jaw completely changed her face. And plastic surgeons agree, with Dr. Jonathan Sykes confirming, “The contraction of her lower face muscles has lessened, giving her face a more heart-shaped appearance.” Cosmetic surgeon Dr. Alexander Rivkin agreed, adding, “Her face has a more feminine, oval shape, whereas before it was more square and masculine.”
In 2019, Frankel revealed that she first started getting injections in her face to stop the grinding of her teeth. She said, “You can see that my jaw has completely changed.” The reality star also admitted to having a breast augmentation done years ago, but made it clear, “I have not had invasive plastic surgery.”
While Frankel hadn't admitted to what she had really had done until last year, the changes in her jawline, forehead, and cheeks were already quite apparent, which is basically unavoidable when you're on TV. You can't be in the spotlight and expect people not to notice, especially with such a big transformation.
But for all the haters out there, Frankel couldn't care less — because while you sit behind the computer insulting her, she's laughing all the way to the bank.
Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.