"RHOBH" Alum Lisa Rinna Joins Bethenny Frankel In Calling For A Reality TV Union
We’ve all heard about the ongoing writers' strike and actors' strike, where members of WGA and SAG-AFTRA are demanding better pay from major production companies. But what about reality TV? As our favorite Housewives show us parts of their real lives, we can’t help but wonder: “At what cost?” Former Real Housewives of New York City star Bethenny Frankel agrees, and is calling for a reality TV union — and potentially a strike too.
In a video posted to Instagram, Bethenny outlines a series of terms she believes reality stars need to begin negotiating for — the new “Bethenny Clause,” if you will. “I’ve defined fair & reasonable terms & consider those making $0 on the bachelor to a housewife making millions,” she captioned the post. “Looking into traditional TV residuals is like looking inside ‘a beautiful mind.’ Content used later with no profit sharing & exploitation of hard working talent is as archaic as calling empowered independent women ‘housewives,’ a term setting back women 100 years then using them for drama.”
“Reality TV has existed for decades & sustained entertainment during the last strike,” she continues. “This isn’t for people like me, who have thrived & succeeded and clawed their way to the top despite the odds. This is for the next generation…Change takes courage. I’ve alienated this industry & burned bridges with the entire network and streaming community in one fell swoop. This is not for the faint of heart but it’s for the greater good.”
She believes reality stars should be earning residual-like payments when their series become hits, and are replayed by networks and streamers across multiple platforms.
Bethenny shot to fame on the OG Real Housewives of New York City, eventually starring in a number of spinoffs, including Bethenny Getting Married, Bethenny and Frederick, and Bethenny Ever After. For her first season of RHONY, says she was paid $7,250, and has never received any compensation based on the show’s massive success.
“Just because you can, as a streamer or a network, play the show as much as you want, doesn’t mean you should,” she told Variety. “Meaning, yes, they’re going to get as much milk out of the cows as they could because it’s legal. We signed a contract. Does it mean we should be exploited?"
Former reality TV stars agreed, filling her post with details of their own experiences.
“Project Runway and the Weinstein Co took all the rights to my designs and threatened to sue me for $10m if I reproduced my OWN designs and sold them on any outlet,” former Project Runway contestant Kenley Collins wrote. Brittany Bower of Next Top Model agrees, commenting: “I’m with you! This is sooo fair and exactly how it should be done!! I mean I’m not asking to get rich off this, I just [don’t] think it’s fair to still be using my image on streaming and not seeing a dime for it. Why shouldn’t we get a tiny little slice of the pie? Just a sliver is all I’m asking!”
Real Housewives of New Jersey newbie Danielle Cabral also commented, writing “Thank you, @bethennyfrankel. You continue to lead the way for newcomers like myself, who also clawed my way to get a seat at the table.”
Danielle isn’t the only Housewife to enter the conversation, though. Former Real Housewives of Atlanta stars Porsha Williams and NeNe Leakes were quick to add to the conversation. "I can respect a lot of what Bethenny had to say, actually," Williams shared with Entertainment Weekly. "I just would want some of the reality stars who are currently doing that job to speak up…[but] the sad part about it is when you are signed to those contracts, when you have signed away your likeness, you are fighting an uphill battle, while being famous.”
Leakes concurs, telling Collider, “I don’t get a penny for all of those memes you see out there.
Most recently, former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member Lisa Rinna spoke out in support of Bethenny. Lisa took to Instagram, writing, "Every @Sag/aftra [member] who is on a Bravo show should boycott Bravocon...You want them to start to take you seriously and pay you the money you deserve? Then start a reality show union per Bethenny.” She concluded stating, “Time is now.”
Bethenny Frankel and fellow former RHONY Housewife Jill Zarin recently made headlines for reuniting following a 13 year feud. “I’m sure Bravo would have paid me $100,000 to film it, but why let them have it?” Frankel said.
She even called for the Scandoval-slain Raquel (who goes by Rachel again) Levis of Vanderpump Rules to hold out for as much money as possible. "So, the girl was a punching bag for everybody on every talk show in the entertainment industry. So you get beaten up," Frankel said to Entertainment Tonight. "So, yeah, she should not be shooting. She should be negotiating a contract that says…'I got dragged through the streets and I was abused mentally.' That is a good example of what reality television is about, that's a perfect example."
Bethenny also insists her call for a reality guild is not about trying to get more money for herself. “I’m fine. I’m doing just fine,” she says. “This is about the future and getting to control your own content and not accepting these deals anymore.”
Since the advent of streaming services, these personalities are seeing little residuals despite sharing their entire lives and having it manipulated in the public eye. Being the regular Real Housewives rewatchers that we are, the cast should be getting paid for the consumption of their content, even if it premiered a decade ago.
What do you think? Are Bethenny’s terms unfounded? Leave us a comment @BritandCo.
Header image courtesy of Bravo TV.
