ReWives ReRant: Toxic Environment

Bethenny breaks down what really happened on her visit to 'Watch What Happens Live,' including what provoked the escalation from shade to shots fired with Jeff Lewis!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yeah, So I am in Atlantic City in a hotel room.
I came here to do an appearance right after watch
What Happens Live. Usually, watch What Happens Live is live

(00:22):
and you walk out of there like ten thirty and
or eleven sometimes and people have been drinking and it's chaotic.
And let me explain to you what watch What Happens
A Live is like. And I've been doing it since
the very very beginning when Kathy Griffin said she wouldn't
do it. She's done Johnny Carson and she would never
do watch what Happens Live. That was the beginning. Um,

(00:43):
I remember her saying that to me. And of course
now Oprah has been on watch about his live, so
as every other major celebrity, so as Hillary Clinton. So anyway,
I've been doing it since the beginning when Kathy Griffin
wouldn't do it. Um. And it used to be you, well,
you went into a building and you went up an elevator,
you came out and there was like this bank of
offices and a corner office was the head producer who

(01:05):
owns the production company. I think if they still produce it,
and I would sort of sit in there and wait
with my group and it was their personal office and
then you would come and go into this other room
which was like a little cute green room and get
your makeup done and go out to watch Lavens live.
Now it's just and I remember they used to do crafts,
are have they have, like used to have a bunch

(01:26):
of food. They used to order it in the beginning,
but there wasn't you know, they would make their own cocktails.
They they've been doing it right since the beginning. But
now it's really you walk in through you go in
through some other side of the building, which is like
the bowels of the building, and coming through the back,
and there are all these different people and they're staged
in one area, and there's a step and repete, and
there's a backstage, and there are multiple green rooms and

(01:46):
they're like there's tons of social media and they're all
these different things. And so you're still in like the
bowels of the building, and there's still banks of offices
and there's snacks in certain places, but it's like you
moved from one place to another and one dress room
to another because might be recording another show earlier, and
they used to not record shows and now they record
other shows earlier. So on this day I came in

(02:07):
and was in one like busy, big makeup room and
I had only seen once before where multiple people could
get their makeup done. And I ran into Teresa, who
had been on the show earlier, and that was a
fun interaction. And then Andy comes and he always comes in,
which is great as a host, and and then you
shuttled to like another room with your whole group where
like your green room is, and you're doing touch ups

(02:27):
and you're waiting to go out, and it's just like
a lot of chaos because there's usually drinking and people
in action and social media and it's and just it's
just crowded and there's chaos, and so you leave and
you're just exhausted. So I went into watch What Happens
Live on the heels of a conflict with Andy Cohen,
I announced re Wives, and on that morning before it

(02:51):
was announced, I texted Andy Cohen and said it was
my birthday, and I said, happy birthday. Um, you'll this
you'll think is amazing or whatever. So I sent him
the clip of Elizabeth Moss on Rewise and he said,
fun exclamation point. I because of my crazy abused to childhood.

(03:14):
That was not normal. I had Spidey sense, so you see,
he said fun and then and I said it to Paul,
and I said it to like a couple of the
people and they said that sounds great. I said, no,
that's not that's not that's negative. They were like what,
I'm like, I know it all. Him saying oh fun
is like he doesn't know what to say, so he's
just saying oh fun to just say something. So then

(03:36):
I said something like, it's not you know, it's really amazing,
it's really interesting. It's different, and it is different because
because I don't see any other former fired housewives having
Elizabeth moss Emy winning you know, world round actresses on
their shows. And I said something and he said, I'm
just glad to see you embracing the housewives. That told

(03:56):
me everything I need to know. That told me, oh,
we're gonna go on a rock not a really, I
didn't know we'd go on the ride, and went on
a ride. Meaning And he's shading it a little because
he's read everything I've said, but he always acts like
he hasn't read anything I've said because so many things
I've have happened, whether it's the MTV Award or other
things where my show money Cork gets announced, and I
don't get a text from him congratulating me. And I'm

(04:17):
always like, why did he congratulate me? Because he does
seem to read everything, So he did read everything I
guess that I've ever said. I never knew if he
did because he doesn't ever bring it up. So now
he's effectively saying, you've shaded the Housewives. But he didn't
say this yet, so everything is just oh great, I'm
just glad to see you're embracing the Housewives. Okay. Then

(04:38):
we pitched it as a show on Bravo because we
thought it would be a great show, sort of like
they had something about the Couch. There was a couch
show on Bravo. We pitched there because we think with
all the clips, would be an amazing show. We didn't
know how successful it would be, was just an idea,
but we thought it was pretty good. I mean, the
production company thought it was pretty amazing. The way that
Bravo responded seemed like there was a little bit of

(05:01):
sensitivity around my launching rewives, like it being a little personal.
And in the past I've had situations where Bravo it's
very personal to them versus only being about the business.
So I did write a book called Business Personal, but
Bravo definitely has taken things personally about our business. So
then Andy jumps into the Housewives pool and while he's

(05:22):
on his show, he says something about that he was surprised,
and he says that I've you know, said negative things
about the Housewives, which I've said it was toxic because
it was for me, and someone recycles when Andy's already
said and he doubles down, and he says he's shocked
because I've trashed the Housewives for so long. But he
doesn't say any of this to me privately. He says

(05:44):
it publicly. So I'm thinking, am I going to respond
to this? So the same day that that comes out,
the same day we had been turned down for watching
What Happens Live to promote rewives, So the same day
that and and money for it. So the same day
that that article, the all the articles come out about
Andy saying he's shocked what actually Happens Live's called and

(06:04):
I predicted this. I woke up in the morning, I said,
wouldn't it be smart of them to book me? I
don't know if they'd have the guts to do it,
but to book me on Andy show right after it's
he's been sort of calling me out publicly, not privately,
so they book us on the show. I'm like, here
we go. My whole team is like, here we go.
I still don't hear from Andy. So now the show

(06:26):
comes and I hear that a book with Jeff lewis.
So now I'm booked on the show. And I talked
to my podcast producer. She's very smart Amy, and I
say to her, he's all over talking about being shocked
and it's picked up everywhere. Do I just wait for
his show and comment on what I think? She goes, No,
why would you give it all to his show? Say
it on your show? Mentioned it all. I'm like, wow,

(06:47):
this is unique because everybody's used to going on Andy
show and him getting all the scoop on everything. And
so I said, okay, So I've commented on Its still
nothing privately from Andy. So I'm like, all right, let's
let it ride. Let's wait. Yea. So I go to

(07:10):
Andy show and it's chaotic asolas and I bring my
daughter and we get there in the afternoon. Thank god,
because it's taped and it's gonna be a lot. It's
gonna be on days later, so it's not eleven o'clock
at night. I'm not drinking alcohol. I get there and
he comes in. I see Theresa first. I talked to Andy.
All good, We do a TikTok together. Then we're on
the show. He comes right out with it. Okay, so

(07:33):
we have, you know, beef, or we have a conflict.
The only reason it's not real conflict is because we
both know the game. Andy and I are friends, and
we do go on beach walks and we do text,
and he has told me things that no one knows.
And I know where all the bodies are buried, and
he knows exactly how much money I walked out of
there getting paid, and he knows. I'm not gonna tell
anyone because we're both grown acid adults in the entertainment

(07:54):
industry first, that's what we both are. First, we're both
protecting our own realm. So I know that while he
didn't do it privately, even though we're friends, that he's
saving it first show because he's putting business first. So
he says we um had beef, etcetera. And he said,
I said this. He said, I said surprise. I said,
shocked is what you said. And I said, and we

(08:15):
haven't discussed this. We have only discussed this has only
been out publicly. You chose to air this publicly, not privately,
like just like a housewife. He saved it for the show.
He did not say it to me. Here's my text.
We text about the dumbest thing you could text me privately,
ay that you didn't love it. I'm doing it. Be
that you're shocked any of this. So I didn't know

(08:35):
any of this until this came out in the public.
So then he says, you said it's toxic, and you
said it's boring. I said, I didn't say it's boring.
I said. He said, you said leg because he was born.
I said, I haven't seen Legacy. He said the announcement.
I said, the announcement was boring. We're announcing two shows.
We're recycling and putting the same people through the recycle

(08:56):
and recycling former and fired housewives. Over here in a
quote unquote legacy. I mean, we have a new show. Great,
we have a new show. That was the idea that
I thought was more interesting. But I did think Legacy
was born guilty and I stopped. So I'm in between
Jeff and Andy and he's to my right, Jeff is
to my left. So now Jeff comes and he goes
and what's so yeah, and what's so different about this Housewives?

(09:17):
Because I said, really, and what's so different about your podcast?
So now shots are fired, like there's a little shade,
it's like, you know, real subtle, not that subtle shade
and frosting. Oh really, and what's so different teaming up
the ball? What's so different about this podcast? So I've
just gone over here and said to Andy, well, you
said shocked and it was boring and also I'm entitled
to talk about it. Check that box. Now I'm over

(09:40):
here playing tennis and Jeff is that? So? What and
what's different about this? I'm like, well, it's not first
and four. And I don't even realize that Jeff is
a podcast about the housewives. I've never heard his podcast,
so I guess he talks about the housewives, but he's
not even on Okay, he has nothing to do with
the Housewives. But and he's so I didn't know anything.
I didn't even know what I'm about to tell you.
So I said to Jeff. He says, and what's different?

(10:01):
I said, because I wasn't thinking of him. I said, well,
it's not fired disgruntled Bravo housewives talking about the podcast.
So he says, I was fired. I didn't even know this.
He says, I was fired, And I said, well, well
that's why you're so bitter, because he's anger. He's clearly
bitter about something it doesn't even involve him. But maybe
he thinks it involves him because he's a fired employee
that's now talking about his former high school, which is

(10:23):
what I've said, So maybe now he thinks this involves
him when it really doesn't. So he then is like, wait,
I was just cheating up your podcast. He's trying to pretend,
which later Andy clarified was shade. He's trying to pretend
you what pretend? He wasn't shading me, And he was
just wondering what's different about my podcast? And I was like,
if you're gonna come for me, you're gonna get shot.

(10:43):
Check that box. Now he's on alert. So anyway, now
we're going back and forth. Then they say, why, um,
did you want file? Kyle? Kyle and I do want
follow and follow people randomly, like sometimes someone's posted so
many times about something. Maybe it was about Housewives and
I wasn't on Housewives at the time. Maybe it was
about Erica Jane. I have no idea. I literally don't know.

(11:05):
But I am friends with Kyle. I do text Kyle,
and I am literally friends of people that I don't follow.
Out Andy points out, we don't follow each other, Jeff,
I am sort of, you know, bullshit friendly with We
don't follow each other, and I follow random makeup artists
and weird people like from stores that have reached out
to me. I have no method to my madness and
my following on Instagram. Someone could clean out my house.

(11:27):
I do know, because I do know that I don't
follow Balencia to thank God, because other people have controlled
for following them. I have a random system for who
I following and followed. But Jeff, what are you coming
in for me? Because Jeff was behind making faces. Okay,
so all this is to say for me, none of
this was anything. This was just a normal day at
the office. Because I'm used to going in to the
Bravo clubhouse with armor not even knowing, and I thought

(11:51):
to myself, what I didn't stay to Jeff Lewis, which
I'm mentioning at all with you, this is not spilling
TV is spilling strong coffee. We're gonna spill strong coffee
on re Rest, no diluted TA. This will be strong
coffee spills. So what I didn't say to Jeff Lewis
is what's different. It's not former or fired disgruntled housewives

(12:13):
slash employees. It's also internationally acclaimed actors, comedians, actresses. Elizabeth
Moss is not going on you know, housewives recap shows.
So sorry, not sorry, that should be the name of
this show. But what was interesting to me after getting

(12:36):
unbeknownst to me, sort of quietly ambushed, I come off
and my daughter was like, WHOA, that was shady, and
my assistants like whoa, and my assistant, my daughter and
everyone around said, oh, they came for you. It looked
like there was a tennis match that you were in
the middle and you were just hitting back balls. And
my assistant said, the difference is everybody else comes in
with a script and you are not done up a

(12:59):
script and you're just answering in the moment, which happened
to me on One reunion. One reunion, you can ask Andy.
There was a firing squad on the opposite couch firing
squad and I took them all one by one how
God only knows, but I did. So don't come for
me unless I send for you. That's a Kenya more line.
Because my assistance were everyone in my team. This is

(13:21):
what shocked me. I thought, oh, that was fun, Andy, Andy,
and I thought, oh that was sort of fun. And
that was a lot. Everyone on my team said that
guy Jeff Lewis is mean. He's not a nice person.
He came for you for no reason, like you didn't
do anything to him. I actually brought he and his
daughter a gift. I brought him an Italian simple little nothing,
you know, a handpainted ornament from Italy. Um. I bought

(13:42):
them when I was in Italy waiting for Christmas, and
I've only given out one to Jeff Lewis to be
honest with you. UM. And I gave a cute like
squish him with Hello Kitty Pineapple to his daughter. I
looked up how old is his daughter? My name is Monroe,
and I realized that that would be nice for her.
And he came with a firing squad for no reason,
with no goal. I'm not on the show with you.
I have nothing to do with you. What are you
so angry about? What do you care about what I'm doing?

(14:04):
He looked at me like I had just vomited on him.
He had something going on, So it was a bit
of an ambush. I totally held my own. But it's
another thing. My assistant, Taylor said, that was interesting. She said,
you often say how we represent you, meaning when we're
out and about, meaning my staff. You want us to
just like not be have our heads in our phones
all the time. It'd be nice to people and be kind.
And same goes for me, Bethany. Sometimes I'm looking at something,

(14:27):
I'm stressed about something, I'm not looking up, I'm not
saying hello to somebody I've passed in a lobby, and
it all matters because that's their one interaction with me.
And they experienced it as rude, even if I was
in my head or I wasn't rude. And so they
and and and I realized that that person will tell
everyone they know that I was rude. And and my
assistant said, he's that person. Now. Everyone we were with

(14:47):
thinks he is so nasty and mean, and came for
you for no reason. They were like, what did you
do to him? And I frankly don't know. So that's
the strong coffee about what happened. And watch What Happens Live,
And I'm not saving it for Andy show. I'm giving
it to you here on my show and not just
coming in for the low hanging fruit clickbait and trashing people.
I'm giving you context and telling you a story. This

(15:10):
is my experience at Watch What Happens Live, Paul said
to me, Jeff came for you, then he quickly became
your your your friendly sidekick. The whole point is what
my assistant said about how people will perceive you. Um.
The other thing is what's crazy is how desensitized I
have been. Here's the moral of the story. It is
a toxic environment because I did not even realize that

(15:34):
people were coming from me for no reason, Like I
didn't do anything. I mean, it was it felt like,
you know, Andy was business as usual. But I'm sitting
with a person who came for me for no reason whatsoever.
I literally was just sitting down on a talk show
and the other guests was trying to got Jimmy the
whole time. He was just angry. He didn't want to

(15:54):
play the game, and he set up for him, and
it just it felt, it felt toxic, and it felt
it felt just a fight. I'm gonna listen to these bitter,
angry people about what I shouldn't shouldn't do in a podcast.
Why do you care about what podcasts I'm doing? H