Bethenny Frankel's Mom Refutes 'Toxic' Childhood Claims

By PopEater Staff Posted Jul 15th 2010 03:39PM

Bethenny Frankel, who appeared on the cover of last week's PEOPLE with her newborn daughter, Bryn, dropped a bombshell inside the magazine's pages, claiming, "I never had a true childhood."

However, Frankel's mother, Bernadette Birk, has fired back against her daughter's assertions, telling Star, "I love my daughter, but what she's saying is killing me."

Although Birk, a professor of interior design, admits she has only spoken to her daughter twice in the past decade, she maintains that Frankel was "the most important person in my world."

Inside her PEOPLE issue, the 'Bethenny Getting Married?' star alleged her mother abused alcohol, suffered from an eating disorder and got in violent fights with her former husband.

Tags: bethenny frankel, Bethenny Getting Married, people, real housewives of new york city

Comments

(89)

Saturday 17 July

By h

Vote down Vote up Report this

Bethenny's mom can say all she wants in her defense but her daughters childhood expericences stand up in her life as she lived it. Furthermore, the fact that "Moms" has only spoken to her daughter what twice in the past decade speaks for itself. Also, one "Kelly Bessimon" is enoguh in this world.

Monday 04 October

By Shelly

I love Bethany. I need to tell you she is probably the most honest, straight up character on the show. She makes it worth watching.

As for the rest of the phony rich women, grow the hell up.

Thursday 15 July

By Teri

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

I think Birk's actions - speaking to her daughter twice in a decade - speaks volumes over her words - "I love my daughter."
What an idiot - Bethenny is way better off without her mother in her life!

By roseyswine

For someone who doesn't know their situation you sure do seem to know what's best for her!

Monday 19 July

By Ralph DeMattia

I think they're two of a kind, and both are in violation of Murphy's First Law of Procreation; "Stupid people Shouldn't Breed!" Who is Bethany Frankel, anyway?

Friday 16 July

By Joleen

I 100% agree with you.

By joleen

I 100% agree with Teri

By kelly

bethenny seems like a no-nonense type of woman, who tells it like it is...just because you gave birth to someone, doesn't qualify you a good mother.....and they usually are in denial.

By MandiP

Low Ranked Vote down Vote up Report this

Then what you are saying is that 'the apple doesn't fall far from the tree'. Bethenny's celebu-minute style wont make her any better.

uh no mandip, thats not what i am saying.... iIthink you need to go back to school.......what i said is that bethenny is a no nonsesne girl and if she says her mom is an ahole, she probably is.

By Colleen

I agree Kelly. It may be quite true that she "loves her daughter" and that what Bethenny says is "killing her" (truth hurts), but when an alcoholic says that someone is the "center" of their world, they usually mean right behind the booze! Bethenny was probably the first thing, second to alcohol and that isn't good enough. In her moms mind she did the best she could but the best you can do through the haze of drinking and purging is probably not enough to build a good relationship with your child. If you see yourself here--get help!

By Julai

All ofyou special people that seem to think that you know the real story.......you make me laugh. Unless you know the parties in this dispute personally, havae lived with them, spent time with them, etc. you only think that you know the truth. The truth is most likely someplace in the middle of both stories. It is called selective memory and imagination to fill in the blanks. Remember the new mom does make her living in a pretend world. Shame on her for airing this dirty linen, if it is true, in public. It is none of our business or concern and as I see it an attempt to grab attention.

By ladivabev

OMG that is the worst picture.. lady.. cut back on the plastic surgery, you look like the JOKER'S WIFE.

By Vdelao

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Exactly what I was thinking...."The Joker" yuk!

By april

No, she looks like
the Grinch

By Sam

Go back and look at the early Housewives episodes. She looked like a different person. How much work has she had done? She's not a nice person...I guess the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

Tuesday 20 July

By HATEREALITYTV

She's laughing all the way to the bank thanks to Reality TV.

By rob

I really crack up at people like Bethany or Nene from the Atlanta housewives who like to exclaim how they love to "tell it like it is"
what these gals don't realize is that they are not necessarily telling us "how it is" but rather what THEY think "how it is"
usually what they tell us is alot of crap and is NOT how it is..

By cwkpam

Ask every lousy mother who made very little effort for her kids, never went out of her way for her kids, where the center of the universe was herself, and you'll find a woman who deludes herself into believing she was a "good enough" mother, and might even have the hubris to brag about how well she raised her kids. I recognize it well because, yeah, there's more than one of those in my own family.

By Carla

Believe me, there are fathers, too, who claim to have been "the best they could", yet live five MINUTES away and haven't seen their kids (by their own choice) in years.

Page 1 of 5