Bethenny Frankel is working hard to get her reality TV revolution off the ground, but now we learn that she recently pitched a new show to Bravo.
Over the last month, Bethenny Frankel has encouraged reality stars from Bravo and beyond to unionize for better pay, better treatment, and more.
For the last several weeks, Bethenny Frankel has urged reality stars to unionize and join the SAG-AFTRA strike.
“Hollywood is on strike. Entertainers are fighting for residuals, and no one will promote anything. Why isn’t reality TV on strike?” Bethenny declared on Instagram in late July.
“I myself have generated millions and millions of dollars in advertising and online impressions being on reality TV and have never made a single residual,” she explained. “So, either I’m missing something, or we’re getting screwed too.”
She then noted that while reality TV stars are often considered the “losers” of Hollywood, they were the ones who “provided all of the entertainment” to TV viewers during the yearlong Writers Guild of America strike in 2007.
“It’s complete and total bulls–t,” she added. “It just occurred to me that everyone is talking about actors, and we don’t get paid s–t.”
More recently, Bethenny Frankel has recruited two powerhouse lawyers to take on Bravo. On behalf of a bevy of unnamed reality TV stars, the lawyers recently sent a letter to Bravo, alleging that the network engages in “grotesque and depraved mistreatment of reality stars and crewmembers.”
Now we learn that just six months prior to Bethenny Frankel starting her reality TV revolution, the Real Housewives of New York alum pitched Bravo a new reality TV show of her own creation.
According to Page Six, Bethenny pitched a show to Bravo focusing on the lives of rich families and their children in Connecticut. Bravo gave Bethenny the green light on the show, which was set to star Susan Sarandon’s daughter, Eva Amurri.
However, the deal fell apart when something happened between Bethenny and the production company she was working with to produce the show. Despite the show being shelved, Bravo remains interested in developing a show around the rich and elite residents of Westport, Connecticut.
A Bravo rep told Page Six: “We don’t comment on shows that were potentially in development,” while Bethenny’s rep declined to comment.