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RHONY’s Bethenny Frankel reveals sweet reason she said no to ‘DWTS’ stint: ‘I didn't want to leave my...’

Bethenny Frankel shares how she chooses projects with intention and strategy.

Bethenny Frankel has built a reputation for turning opportunities into empires. From reality TV fame to multimillion-dollar business deals, she’s always played by her own rules. And according to the ‘Real Housewives of New York City’ alum, that’s exactly why fans won’t catch her competing in the ballroom on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ anytime soon. The 54-year-old mogul recently addressed the question head-on after a TikTok follower asked why she’s never appeared on the hit ABC series. She shared the video on her official Instagram too. Frankel didn’t hold back, explaining that while she’s been invited several times over the years, the timing and the fit never felt right.

“Since the very beginning of my career, multiple times, I've been asked by [the show's producer] and I just didn't think it was the right fit,” she revealed. “And then [other] 'Housewives' started to do it and it just didn't seem like the right fit for me. Also I didn't want to leave my daughter.” For Frankel, her decision isn’t about shying away from competition. In fact, her earliest taste of the spotlight came on ‘The Apprentice: Martha Stewart’ back in 2005, where she earned runner-up status and became a household name. That exposure opened countless doors, but it also made her selective.

After proving herself on that show, she turned down the chance to appear on ‘The Celebrity Apprentice,’ reasoning that she didn’t need to recycle the same storyline. “I crushed it the first time,” she said. “I just thought it would be strange to be going into compete when I had already proven myself in the entrepreneurial space.” The same strategic thinking came into play when ‘The Masked Singer’ approached her. Frankel admitted she briefly considered the idea because of her love for singing. But ultimately, she walked away. "I was going to do it because I do like to sing, but I just didn't think that me being in a mask the entire competition, if I went that far, was the right thing for me," she stated.

That philosophy has defined Frankel’s career since her early Bravo days. When she joined ‘The Real Housewives of New York’ in 2008 as one of the show’s original cast members, she was introduced to audiences alongside Luann de Lesseps, Jill Zarin, Ramona Singer, Alex McCord, and Kelly Bensimon. Her popularity paved the way for spinoffs like ‘Bethenny Getting Married?’ and ‘Bethenny Ever After.’ They chronicled her whirlwind relationship with Jason Hoppy and the birth of their daughter, Brynn. Though those shows ended, Frankel continued to keep herself in the public eye, returning to ‘RHONY’ in 2015 before exiting again in 2019, according to Parade.

Along the way, she partnered with Bravo once more for ‘Bethenny & Fredrik’ in 2018, teaming up with real estate broker Fredrik Eklund. Frankel didn’t stop there. She became a recurring face on ‘Shark Tank’ as a guest investor, proving she could hold her own alongside seasoned titans of industry. Later, she helmed her own HBO Max reality competition, ‘The Big Shot With Bethenny.’ In recent years, her focus has shifted to digital platforms. With TikTok as her main stage, Frankel has cultivated a following by providing unfiltered product reviews, candid takes on pop culture, healthy snack ideas she calls “Supermodel Snacks,” and sweet glimpses into her life as a mom.

So when it comes to a show like ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ Frankel insists it simply doesn’t align with the brand she’s worked so carefully to build. “The thing is I'm very intentional and strategic about every single decision that I make and I take pride in that,” she explained. “I think that's really important in business and in personal to be very intentional and not just do something because it sounds like a good idea, it has to actually be a good idea.”