Bethenny Frankel's Custody Battle Wisdom

Bethenny Frankel recently offered valuable advice for parents engaged in custody disputes. The Real Housewives star, who shares her 16-year-old daughter Bryn with ex-husband Jason Hoppy, shared her hard-won wisdom via an Instagram video on October 11th.

Frankel's core message to co-parents is to refrain from alienating children against their other parent. She cautioned that regardless of the ex-partner's behavior, such actions often lead to the child distancing themselves from the parent making the accusations.

Referencing her own protracted legal entanglement with Hoppy, Frankel described the custody process as a long road. She advised playing the "long game" and prioritizing the children's best interests above immediate personal feelings. Keeping anger and misery private, she stated, is crucial for the children's long-term welfare.

Frankel and Hoppy married in 2010 and separated in late 2012, with divorce proceedings finalized in January 2021. Their separation initiated a years-long custody battle. Frankel sought primary custody and sole decision-making authority for Bryn, while Hoppy wished to maintain joint custody.

Ultimately, Frankel secured full legal and physical custody of Bryn. In 2021, a judge also ruled that Frankel was no longer required to pay child support to Hoppy, following her 2020 award of primary residential custody.