Kelly Dodd is confused by Bethenny Frankel’s reality TV fight, insisting that Bravo and NBCUniversal “never forced” talent to drink despite claims made by the latter’s legal counsel.
“I can tell you right now, they never told me to say anything. They never told me to drink,” the “Real Housewives of Orange County” alum, 48, said on Monday’s episode of the “Miss Understood with Rachel Uchitel” podcast.
“They never told me what to do. We were already drinkers, to begin with, so they provided the alcohol for us, but they never said, ‘Hey, get drunk. Start drinking,’” Dodd elaborated. “I never experienced that in my life. I don’t understand.”
The ex-Bravolebrity — who feels she was fired from “RHOC” in 2021 for expressing her conservative views in a divisive sociopolitical climate while filming Season 15 in 2020 — explained that she “could be a total disgruntled employee” and side with Frankel, 52, but doesn’t believe in her cause.
“I don’t understand that thing that Bethenny is doing,” Dodd added of her “Real Housewives of New York City” counterpart, who departed the franchise on her own accord — and for a second time — in 2019.
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Earlier this year, Frankel questioned why reality TV stars weren’t including themselves in the ongoing Hollywood writers and actors’ guild strikes for fair pay and better contracts. She strongly encouraged fellow unscripted personalities to unionize.
Subsequently, the Skinnygirl CEO assembled a team of attorneys to write a letter to NBCUniversal — Bravo’s parent company — that included bombshell claims that the network’s reality stars are manipulated, plied with booze and are the victims of revenge porn.
“NBCUniversal is committed to maintaining a safe and respectful workplace for cast and crew on our reality shows,” an NBCUniversal spokesperson previously told Page Six in part, responding to the accusations.
“At the outset, we require our third-party production partners to have appropriate workplace policies and training in place. “
Frankel later revealed on Team Coco’s “Literally! With Rob Lowe” podcast that her friendship with “Housewives” honcho Andy Cohen deteriorated in the wake of her efforts to wage a war against Bravo.
“I can tell you with great certainty that everyone at Bravo likely despises me, including Andy Cohen,” she said in August, “because it’s very personal and because they have to protect the realm.”
Still, it was revealed on Friday that NBCUniversal had strengthened its workplace guidelines for reality shows.
Frances Berwick, Chairman, NBCUniversal Entertainment, sent a note — obtained by Deadline — to external production companies to inform them of the changes, beginning with alcohol.
“Building on our current protocols, we will require that you deliver an expanded alcohol-related training to the cast, crew and production team,” Berwick wrote in part, “which must include details on how production will monitor alcohol, including when consumption limits may be appropriate and when and how to intervene to maintain cast and crew safety.”
Frankel reacted to the news via Instagram.
“The change is happening… the reality reckoning is here,” she wrote in a caption, applauding Berwick for being a “strong example” to women. “PS. This conversation is far from over. We are just getting started…”