A source told Page Six that Frankel already had “one foot out the door” as negotiations for her ninth season kicked off with Bravo, and she “was confident there were options out there for her. She’s happy in her personal life with [real estate exec and film producer] Paul Bernon.”
Apparently, Frankel went into the room in an enviable position, and threw out a huge number to see if Bravo would agree. They didn’t. So that's when the Skinnygirl mogul announced that she was leaving the series. The show’s producers heard about Frankel's exit on social media, reports Page Six.
On Wednesday, August 21, Frankel released a statement addressing her exit from the Bravo hit reality series.
“I have decided to leave the ‘Housewives’ franchise to explore my next chapter,” Frankel said in a statement via Variety. “It’s time to move on and focus on my daughter, my philanthropy and my production partnership with Mark Burnett, producing and starring in shows which represent a shift in the conversation for women. With the changes in modern culture, I want to highlight the strength, confidence and unstoppable power that women have. My experience at Bravo has been an incredibly magical ride. I am so grateful to them for highlighting my entrepreneurialism and allowing me to pave the way for many women to achieve their goals. I am excited for my future. The best is yet to come.”
Frankel signed a deal with MGM Television and Mark Burnett back in March under which she will develop unscripted projects that she will executive produce and potentially appear on camera. According to an individual with knowledge of the deal, Frankel has recently taken meetings at both cable networks and streaming platforms to discuss producing new shows under the MGM deal.
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