‘RHONY’ Cast ‘Blindsided’ By Bethenny Frankel’s Exit: They ‘Don’t Believe’ It Was Last Minute

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If Bethenny Frankel’s farewell to The Real Housewives of New York City shocked you on Aug. 21, you weren’t alone. “The cast of RHONY felt very disappointed of the way they were informed about Bethenny’s exit of the show,” a source close to the Skinnygirl CEO’s co-stars EXCLUSIVELY tells HollywoodLife. But the 48-year-old Bravo star’s announcement wasn’t entirely news to a select few, our insider claims.

“They felt blindsided and shocked with the exception of the couple she told,” our source reveals! We learn the names of these ladies who were in-the-know, as our insider continues, “It’s caused a lot of tension and drama in the cast because the ones that didn’t know, like Ramona [Singer] and Luann [de Lesseps], wish the ones that did know, like Dorinda [Medley] and Tinsley [Mortimer], told them.” But one co-star in particular took Bethenny’s decision to abort the Housewives ship especially hard.

“Ramona especially was disappointed in the way she found out as she and Bethenny began the show together, but Ramona does respect Bethenny’s decision,” our source tells us. Ramona is the only cast member to star on all 11 (and soon 12) seasons of RHONY, meaning she was right by Bethenny’s side for the entrepreneur’s eight seasons.

The RHONY stars also believe Bethenny wasn’t lacking on time to break the big news. “The ladies don’t believe it was a last minute decision on her part and wished that she would’ve shared with all of them as they were all under the impression she was coming back since that’s what they were told,” our insider explains.

But Bethenny had her own reasons for not involving her castmates in the decision process to leave the show, according to another insider who previously spoke with HollywoodLife. “She didn’t inform her castmates as she’s been contemplating her exit, and then acted immediately when she made her final decision,” the insider, who’s close to Bethenny, told us. “She wanted her departure to be communicated in her own words. This was a business decision and action, and Bethenny makes those choices on her own.” With RHONY in her rear view mirror, Bethenny is now focusing on producing unscripted television shows after signing a deal with MGM Television and Mark Burnett.