Bethenny Frankel is walking back criticism of Meghan Markle after hearing her side of the story about what life was like inside the palace walls.
The “Real Housewives of New York” alum apologized for her Twitter tirade against Meghan and Prince Harry almost immediately after the couple’s emotional tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey aired on Sunday night.
During the sit-down, Meghan and Harry candidly revealed bombshell details about how the the royal family silenced and failed to protect them in the face of unrelenting and racist tabloid attacks, all while perpetuating falsehoods about the couple in the media.
“I watched M & H sit down,” Frankel tweeted. “Emotional distress & racism must feel suffocating & powerless. I’m a polarizing, unfiltered (often to a fault) flawed person w a voice. When I heard of the interview during a pandemic, it felt like a surprising choice. I’m sorry if it hurt or offended you.”
Just hours before the CBS interview aired, Frankel made it clear that she had little sympathy for the Duchess of Sussex despite the continued attacks on her character and allegations that she bullied staff, which she has firmly denied.
Breaking with a handful of celebrities who’ve come to Meghan’s defense in recent days, Frankel laid into the duchess in response to a fan’s tweet about the brutal press coverage she’s received ever since marrying into the House of Windsor.
“Cry me a river,” Frankel wrote. “The plight of being a game show host, fairly unknown actress, to suffering in a palace, w tiaras & 7 figure weddings for TWO WHOLE YEARS to being a household name w @Oprah on speed dial, fetching 7 m for interviews, hundreds of millions in media deals.”
Frankel went on to make clear that Prince Harry was exempt from her criticism. “I [100 emoji] give Harry a break,” she wrote, appearing to agree with a comment about what his mother endured. (Princess Diana was regularly harassed by the paparazzi until her death in 1997.)
But the reality TV star still suggested that a primetime televised interview simply invited more unwelcome attention: “This isn’t the way to generate less press & cannot be filed under the guise of wanting privacy to prevent a repeat of previous events.”
Except for some rare moments of candor, the former “Suits” star had remained tightlipped about the unrelenting negative and racist tabloid coverage she has received since she and Harry started dating in 2016. Meghan and others have noted that the royal family has strict rules about when and how its members go public about anything. The Winfrey special is the first on-camera interview the duke and duchess have given since announcing their plans to step back as senior working members of the royal family last year.
Still, Frankel refused before the interview to see Meghan as a victim, instead suggesting that she’s a shrewd opportunist. The Skinnygirl founder went as far as to compare her reality TV career with Meghan’s experience in the public eye.
“I chose reality tv, to work towards making $, to be scrutinized & criticized. I took the trappings & the beatings along with it. It’s a rose w petals & thorns. People beg to enter the often toxic institution I signed up for. That WAS the life I chose,” Frankel wrote. “You can’t play stupid & smart.”
Frankel’s Twitter spree before the interview immediately sparked a backlash on social media with fans and celebrities alike weighing in on why she was targeting Meghan.
“Lawwd Bethenny racism is a lot different than your lucky life... and it’s Women’s History Month .. let the Sister tell her story. You haven’t even heard it yet!!!” Loni Love, co-host of “The Real,” wrote in response to one of Frankel’s tweets.
“Selling Sunset” star Chrishell Stause also hit back at Frankel, writing, “Not a white housewife comparing her struggle to Meghan’s. A woman of color joining the Royal Family. It’s the delusion for me. Everyone is working overtime trying to silence her. Let us hear what she has to say.”
Read some more responses to Frankel’s comments below.
Frankel and Meghan actually share a bit of history: The “Real Housewives” star revealed back in 2018 that she once went on a date with the duchess’s former husband, Trevor Engelson.
The two apparently didn’t hit it off romantically, as Frankel was more interested in a business connection with the producer. But she said back then, “There’s something there. There’s something salacious about doing a TV project with Meghan Markle’s ex.”
“There’s a little sizzle there,” she added. “I could make chicken salad out of that chicken shit for sure.”