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The Real Housewives of New York City

Bethenny Frankel announces 'The Real Housewives of New York' exit

By Reality TV World staff, 09/01/2010

Bethenny Frankel has confirmed she is leaving The Real Housewives of New York City.

"Last season was scary and painful," Frankel told Us Weekly in a Tuesday report in which The Real Housewives star said she has rejected Bravo's offers to return for the fourth season of the show, which begins filming later this month.

"It took all of the joy out of it," she said of her feuding with fellow The Real Housewives of New York City stars Jill Zarin, LuAnn de Lesseps and Kelly Bensimon. "[I don't] see any reason to go back."

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However Frankel -- who Bravo spun off into her own Bethenny Getting Married? reality series this summer -- will still appear in a portion of The Real Housewives of New York City's fourth season due to contractual obligations, Us reported.

Frankel had been suggesting she probably wouldn't return for The Real Housewives of New York City's fourth season since before Bethenny Getting Married? premiered in June.

"It's not a cliche when I say I don't believe in staying at a party too long. I just don't know what else there is to do there," she told reporters in early June. "If I had a lesser part in it and I just dipped in and dipped out once in a while, maybe. But what is there to say to Jill? There's nothing to say to Jill. I don't know what there is to say. I see [Alex McCord, Ramona Singer] on my show, which is really, really nice and pleasant."

"I guess if they still need my running commentary, and I suppose the Greek chorus, perhaps I would do it. I don't know. You're seeing my life [on Bethenny's Getting Married?], so I don't know what I'd be doing there."

Frankel then began speaking more definitively after Bethenny's Getting Married? debuted to strong ratings.

"I don't see myself going back to The Real Housewives the way that the cast is now," she told People at the time. "[Bethenny Getting Married?] has been so well received, everyone loves it and itâ€™s really all about me, so that takes a big weight off of my shoulders because I guess I can carry a show."

(Photo credit Bravo)

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