The more I hear about Bethenny Frankel and Jason Hoppy’s custody battle, the more I think that they’re both awful people who deserved each other, and that their child is suffering because of it. Yesterday these two clowns had a day in court where their aired their grievances and each accused the other of being a bad parent. Their daughter, Bryn, is four and it’s been well over a year since Bethenny filed for divorce. You would think that they would try to reach a tentative truce for their daughter’s sake.
In court yesterday, Bethenny recounted how Jason threatened to destroy her when she told him she wanted a divorce, and how he regularly made passive aggressive jabs at her. Jason claimed through his lawyer that Bethenny was vindictive, removing all the silverware and cookware from the home when she left and taking all of Bryn’s clothing, toys and personal items so the child would have nothing while with her father. As you may remember, the two lived together after their separation as each stubbornly refused to leave their shared apartment. That predictably worked out poorly. Here’s more about their court session yesterday. Apparently Bethenny cried on the stand.
What Jason allegedly said to Bethenny when she asked for a divorce
“If you don’t want to be with me and you’re ending this marriage, I want nothing to do with you ever again. I’m going to destroy you.“You’re already losing fans. I’m going to ruin you.”
Jason was passive aggressive
She said that after she sent Hoppy a letter telling him she wanted a divorce in late 2012, life became “brutal, horrendous, excruciating.“The person I knew before that letter vanished. Every action during the day, it felt like, was being done to torture me. He would leave the house in shambles — dishes piled everywhere, garbage piled everywhere. He’d pee and poop and leave it in the toilet … He would turn the television on as loud as he could and then put the remote in his backpack and leave with it,” Frankel said.
“He would take bad press about me and put it on the counter… He would say things [to Bryn] like, ‘Mommy should be the witch. She’s a great witch. You’ll be the princess and I’ll be the prince.'”
Bethenny took all of Bryn’s things
[Jason’s lawyer] noted that when Frankel left the apartment, she took all of Bryn’s favorite toys and clothes with her, leaving the adorable moppet distraught when she came home.When Hoppy tried to cook her some food to cheer her up, he discovered all of the utensils were gone, replaced by plastic spoons and forks.
“She left one pot,” Clair said.
Jason fed Bryn meat to spite Bethenny
On the witness stand, Frankel said she kept the girl on a “healthy” diet, with a “foundation” of “fruits and vegetables, and legumes.”After they split, Frankel said her vengeful ex “started feeding Bryn hot dogs and bacon, and a lot of animal protein.”
[From NY Daily News and People.com]
While I regularly criticize Bethenny because she’s the more public figure (and she says a lot of out of touch, self-pitying things), it’s clear that Jason is just as bad. His daughter has been raised as a vegetarian and yet he fed her red meat just to spite his ex. Did it occur to him that the child might get sick after not eating meat her entire life?! As for Bethenny, it was cruel of her to take all of Bryn’s things, and it must have hurt her daughter to see all of her toys and clothing gone. The kid is just four, she doesn’t understand what’s going on and she needs stability. Bethenny could have left some things so that Bryn would feel comfortable at home with her dad, but she’s more interested in sticking it to her ex than considering the needs of her child. For all the money and success these people have, they’re piss poor parents.
photo credit: WENN, FameFlynet and Pacific Coast News
It is just so hard to paint Jason as the bad guy when he has always wanted shared custody and when Bethenny is the one who refuses to give him any sort of custody. She’s ruining herself.
This. And she expected him to cover HER healthcare while she had full custody.
She’s a completely vile woman. She constantly trashed his family, she liked to feel superior to him, and she does most of what she does to spite him. For the most part, he’s played completely fair in the divorce. When someone is trying to take your child away from you for no real reason, I can’t imagine that’s an easy thing. I think the vast majority of people would have a hard time being saintly in that situation.
Yeah. I don’t believe a word that comes out of Bethenny’s mouth. Any woman who wants to take a daughter from her father has got some serious issues. And if Jason feels that his daughter should have meat in her diet, than he has every right to do so. It’s not only Bethenny’s call about what THEIR daughter should eat. Besides, hopefully with Jason in her life, Brin won’t develop a serious eating disorder like her mother. Poor kid.
I didn’t even know people started kids on a vegetarian diet so early. I remember my aunt and uncle bargaining with my cousin when she was about ten and trying to denounce meat. They let her gradually ease out as long as she was willing to eat enough different things to make sure she was getting proper nutrients. She hasn’t had meat in about 10 years now.
Not that I actually believe Bethanny about this one- I 100% think she’s trying to pull that ‘oh he feeds them X just to spite me’ to make herself look better.
But BOTH co-parents get to decide what their kids eat. And if the daughter wants to have a hot dog/burger-and her dad is fine with it. Fine.
Erinn-
My daughter is 14 months old and we’re raising her on a vegetarian diet because that’s what we eat. When she’s older, she can make her own choices as far as eating meat is concerned. For now we just make sure she gets the nutrients needed to make up for tge lack of meat. She’s perfectly healthy.
If my husband wanted to feed her meat, I’d be okay with it. But I would be upset about it being such unhealthy meat choices. At least make it chicken or something
Audrey, that makes perfect sense. I suppose my cousin would do something similar when she has kids. I had a brain fart there, and forgot about families that are fully vegetarian. Durr, haha.
Why is it that so many people find it hilarious when Chris Martin takes his and Goop’s kids out for hot dogs, but it’s vile and horrible when Jason Hoppy feeds his daughter meat?
He’s entitled to feed his daughter meat if he wants to. He’s not a vegetarian, and he’s not required to feed her grass all day.
@ Izzy, It really is a tough line to define with the children being as young as they are currently. A very close family friend is experiencing something similar after marrying a Catholic man (she is Jewish). Because she s Jewish, according to Jewish law so are her children but after the divorce, the dad decided that he’s not going to upload any Jewish tradition (ex. he doesn’t keep any kosher foods for the kids visits) as long as the kids are with him. She keeps taking him to court and one judge actually asked her “What do you expect this court to do Mrs. ——? Do you want us to force him to convert to Judaism?” Not to make light of the situation but she even tried taking him to a Jewish elder court hearing. He just refused to go. What are you gonna do? He has just as much of a right to raise his kids how he wants as she does, as long as he is not endangering them.
I think they’re beyond piss poor parents, I think they are actively abusing this little girl. And just to get to each other. It’s appalling.
Feeding her red meat when she’s never had any, just to spite the mother? As a former veg I can tell you, suddenly eating red meat will hurt your insides like hell.
All the details here are heartbreaking and so very very petty. These two people have proven that neither one of them has any right to be a parent to that innocent little girl.
Some people shouldn’t be allowed to procreate.
I totally agree with you! I hate that our societal expectation continues to be that once married the obvious next step is a baby. That women aren’t complete unless they have children. As a result of my experience and observation, I think that only about 50% of population should have children. Simply because you’re a person doesn’t mean you automatically have the goods to be parent.
I also don’t believe what Bethenny says about Jason. I, too, watch some of her show. My impression is that she’s a vindictive, small minded, control crazy, and cruel person. She was repeatedly dismissive of Jason’s parents whom I thought were kind, well intentioned people. I also think Jason’s a decent guy who allowed himself to be ensnared in Bethenny’s web of egocentrism and irrationality.
For the sake of their child, they both need to dismiss their egos, swallow their pride and get on with it. I hate that Bryn appears to be a pawn in all this.
I think eating meat is the least of this kids worries.
Why should she decide what THEIR child eats? A lot of people think vegetarian diets are not healthy and don’t provide enough protein. Maybe she was begging for a piece of meat. Who knows? You can’t believe anything that comes out of that vile woman’s mouth. Plus, she certainly is not healthy looking. She looks like a bag of bones.
No I don’t think Bethany should decide what the child eats. I’m just saying that if it’s true that she’s not accustomed to meat than to give her lots of meat out of the blue is cruel.
I had to stop being vegetarian due to issues with my immune system. I clearly remember my first few, small servings of red meat and how I would be up at night with the sweats and stabbing stomach pains and digestion issues. It’s an adjustment. And I just thought how sad (IF this is true) that the father would put her through that just to spite the mother.
Jason is not the bad guy. Bethenny used him to have a child and when that was done, wanted a divorce and him to never be a part of his daughter’s life.
I had the misfortune of watching their show a few times and she was a horrible woman to his family, who were kind people wanting to spend time with both their granddaughter and daughter in law and Bethenny treated them like white trash. She treated Jason with so much disrespect it was sick.
I will never like this woman. She is a giant manipulator and very hard inside. Always blaming her parents for everything wrong in her life. She is an egocentric head case.
This. Except that you were too kind.
Bethenny is an unfixable headcase who loves no one but herself. If that child is to have any chance at all in this life of being a normal human being, she needs to be with Jason and with the grandparents who love and adore her.
I even refuse to buy Skinny Girl because of the connection with Bethenny. She’s a manipulative, self-serving a-hole.
If you watched their reality show — their relationship was highly toxic by season 2. It was rushed because she wanted more, more, more reality fame and the perks that came with it. The problem is that she barely knew Jason and she is also a bit unstable.
I still fail to see why she just doesn’t give in and do joint custody, but whatever… he’s no angel, but I think this could’ve went smoother.
I was horrified with some of the things the camera caught him saying to her during the last season of their show (did anyone else see the scene where they were in the car …. no cameras with them but audio … when they were supposed to be flying in the helicopter??). I had to stop watching … people may call her awful names but she was open with all of her insanity. He honestly seemed to be “poking the bear” and playing psychological warfare and this was while they were still married. I think he is truly creepy. I feel bad for their daughter to be caught in the middle of this.
Keep in mind, this was her show, and editing on those shows tends to put someone in the ‘bad guy’ position. Not that it validates him saying bad things, but I wouldn’t be surprised AT ALL if some of the worse things she uttered didn’t make it to air.
I also believe that scene was toward the end of their marriage. I also believe that being with someone like that can change a person – that Jason was so tired of fighting and being manipulated, that he could snap and say something out of character. It’s a case of best of the worst, but I would still peg him as the more loving, stable parent.
Nobody wants to hear a bad word about Jason. I agree with you, though. I like him. Don’t get me wrong, but I saw the other side of him. They brought out the worst in each other, but the traits are there to be brought out.
The thing is there are people that you share your faults with and then they turn and they use it on you in cutting, cruel ways. That’s him. I had a friend like that. She is a nutcase and a bitch. But they both have faults and were wrong for each other, and they both have played way too many games during this divorce.
I agree with you and Christina. Jason struck me as a deeply cruel person when I watched the shows, and what she described in court fits with this. I’m not going to defend Bethenny – she picked him – but I wouldn’t want someone like him in my orbit, let alone fathering my child.
nobody is giving examples on what he did that was cruel/awful! Never saw their show, so more detail would be nice. The little that i saw of her on Housewives, she came off as neurotic and a little too full of herself, but most New Yorkers fit that bill. .
She is such a pretty little girl. It is too bad that she is going to grow up scarred by her parents selfishness and petty behavior.
I hope a joint custody situation is set up quickly. Unless there is some actual abuse going on, there is no reason in the world for there not to be.
Ugh, why is she relevant anymore?
I think once the divorce is finally over she won’t be. I think this is all she has right now (how odd), although I might be wrong.
Once you have crispy bacon… it is so hard to go back. That first BLT must have been divine…
+1
As a vegetarian of 48 years, I can second that notion. Bacon is one of the meats I miss. Fake bacon just doesn’t do it.
And I believe Bethenny is a vile woman who will stop at nothing to get her way. I think Jason and his salt-of-the-earth parents would be a much better influence on his daughter than crazed Bethenny could ever be. She IS a witch.
I am a meat eater and I’ve never liked bacon and don’t eat it. I should hand in my membership.
Ugh, I just don’t know with these two. I’ll never understand why people can’t get along for the sake of their child. You don’t have to be best friends, but be a grown up and play nice for goodness sake! They never understand that the only person who is getting hurt is THE CHILD. IDIOTS.
Who is reporting this, her camp or his? Sounds like a case of he said/she said. I’ll believe it when there is actual proof that all this was going on by both of them. Both need to man/woman up, pull up the big boy/big girl pants and do what is best for their child.
Are these two gonna be the Bargain Bin Alec Baldwin And Kim Basinger of Custodial parents?? Fighting this out and such practically til Brynn is of age?
Sadly, it’s not just ‘celebrities’ that do that. My sister has children with 3 different husbands, and she fought in court with all of them for years and years. When she decided she wanted a divorce (ie when she found something/someone better) she instantly started a smear campaign against the father(s). She made up lies similar to Frankel’s about ex #3 feeding their daughter inappropriate foods to make her constipated on purpose to spite her. It doesn’t work, tho–all of the adult children now barely speak to her and are closer to their dads because they eventually realized what a liar and manipulator their mom is. My SIL has a 19yr old stepson who was estranged from them by his mother. A couple years ago he learned about all the lying his mom had done to try and keep him away from his dad. He moved out of her house on his 18th birthday and is now closer to his dad and step-mom. All this fighting, lying, backstabbing and attempted estrangement will hopefully come back to bite Frankel’s scrawny arese when her daughter gets older.
The feeding her meat thing bothers me, because going from no meat to red meats is quite a trip.
That poor girl.
Is it heathly for a 4 years old kid to be vegan?
Kids that young can be vegan, but they need to take vitamins to make up for certain deficiencies.
Talie – honest question: if practising a vegan diet results in ‘deficiencies’ that need to be made up with supplements or vitamins….then wouldn’t that make it unhealthy for a child to be a vegan?
It indicated that she was vegetarian, not vegan. My family is vegetarian and our two toddlers get plenty of protein with peanut butter, dairy, eggs and soy. It’s possible for a child to get enough protein on a vegan diet but the parent must be very vigilant about nutrition to ensure it.
It sounds like they are both creating an incredibly unhealthy environment for their daughter. Poor kid is going to have many issues.
What is it with some people wanting to strip a willing parent of rights. He was alright with the divorce and shared custody. She wanted full custody so she can travel where she pleases with their daughter with him having no input and just do what she pleases as far as Brynn is concerned and he would have no say. That is cold. She is pissed that he did not roll over and good for him. In a time were we are hearing horrible stories about abandonment and abuse, she should be kissing the sidewalk that she will have to raise that georgous kid alone.
Not have to raise.
People who trash their exes so publicly make me want to vomit.
Oh, I agree. I could see how passive aggressive Jason was by the end of the show. She’s still way worse, but as far as this divorce and what has gone on, I think they are both awful too. The child is not being put first by either of them It’s all about the money really.
okay, you can blame the dad for everything, just not for making the child eat meat because firstly, the child is four, meaning she has hardly lived life and secondly, it’s never too late to try something new. For all you know, the mom could be one of those crazy people who make their child watch their weight to stay skinny!
The problem with the meat is that when you’re a long term vegetarian & you eat meat, you get violently ill. I’m speaking from personal experience. I was vegetarian from 15-22 & it took me a good 6 months to transition back to meat. So if he fed their daughter hot dogs to spite Bethenny, the kid paid a big price. I’ve been eating mostly vegetarian for the past few months but occasionally have fish to keep my hand in with animal protein in case I succumb to a tasty cheeseburger.
I think it’s wrong to indicate that what Bethenny said is fact or something – it’s her testimony, guided by her lawyer, but before cross-ex by Jason’s lawyer.
Whatever criticisms, legit or not, one has of Jason, he is not the person who filed first for sole custody – and he’s still not filing for sole, he wants shared custody. She is trying to cut the father of her child, who she gladly married, out of the child’s life, and has been openly, sickeningly disrespectful of the father and the girl’s grandparents. Bethenny is a twisted, narcissistic person who can’t maintain any relationships – not even professional ones, like the one with Ellen DeGeneres. She has allegedly included many references to “Skinnygirl” in her soon to be released children’s book, which targets little girls as readers – any attempt to give their daughter a balanced diet is probably very necessary. Last, in terms of stability, she is dating a guy kicked out of his college for rape – a rich dude, shaved-chest alleged criminal. Trying to sever a parental relationship is lowest of the low behavior.
My question is this–
Was their daughter raised as a vegetarian/vegan? Or is it just a matter of Bethenny wanting her to be a vegetarian, when she wasn’t before, and is now getting mad at her ex husband for letting her eat meat?
I doubt that he would give his child meat, or at least do that more than once, if she got sick from it.
He’s nothing but a creep and a hanger on and he has been from the start. He also has an awful family who stuck their noses in everything. I am team Bethenny all the way.
The child looks exactly like her father. How will that influence B. if she gets full custody? It is hard to know what’s really going on in a divorce because in most cases both parties trash the other, and if they don’t think of it on their own too many lawyers urge that tactic. I know from experience.
This is Gabriel and Halle all over again.
Of course the guy’s not an angel, he willingly married Bethenny. But she is a piece of work, I not someone who’s word I’d be willing to take on ANYTHING, let alone her declarations and testimony in her divorce case.
Imagine you’re married to Bethenny.
Fun?
Nah.
He may be passive-aggressive, but she’s aggressive-aggressive.
and kinda frightening
Know what would be great? if a big hole opened up in the earth and swallowed Bethenny whole
She is a cancer on those around her.
I love the claim that he turned the TV on really loud and took the remote. Quelle horreur! Does she realize that you can still change the channel and volume as well as power on/off a TV without the remote by, um, using the controls on the actual TV itself?
an ex roommate of mine did that, the last month of the lease she moved out all her things, things that we shared like the microwave and silverware. I emailed her saying it was inconsiderate of her, that doing this without warning I had to go a month without being able to cook for myself in the apartment-she never responded. Some people see that they’re done having a relationship with you so they see no need to treat you with any respect what so ever.
Unfortunately, divorces are messy, and especially in cases like this, people can be driven to do and say horrible things. Is it right? No. Does it happen all the time? Yes. People are human and sometimes are driven to act in ways that even they aren’t proud of later on. I’m sure Jason is not a saint by any means, but the simple fact is that whatever he and Bethenny have said/done to each other, he clearly loves his daughter, and the fact that Bethenny is fighting shared custody is downright dispicable. What I find interesting too is that in all the interviews where she talks about her marriage and divorce, and how her marriage was a mistake, I’ve never once heard her address why she’s fighting shared custody. This whole thing could be over with if she just shares custody! Why would any well-intentioned parent who claims to be putting their child’s interests first try to block or reduce a loving father’s involvement? She is lucky that Jason cares this much about his daughter. Many people wouldn’t be able to withstand this long and hard of a fight. Regardless of whatever Jason has said or done, Bethenny is a huge zero in my eyes – because she could end this all right now and make things better for her daughter just by agreeing to shared custody!! When Bryn grows up, how is Bethenny going to explain the fact that she caused all of this because she didn’t want Jason to have shared custody?
Trying new foods in moderate amounts will not make toddlers sick. That’s ridiculous.