Instagram/@bethennyfrankel
In retrospect, Frankel has given the most vivid account of her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue experience: just the opposite of what might have been expected. The resolute businesswoman and erstwhile cast member of RHONY took to Instagram after the show to express some thoughts about it. What surprised her the most was apparently not the bikinis or paparazzi but rather the backstage surge of female empowerment.
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In her long caption and accompanying clip, Frankel leaked some of what really transpired behind-the-scenes, with a description followed by examples, kind of like sharing her early feelings: “I didn’t know much going into it,” she started, “I mean, I know it’s a magazine and I know that once a year they do a swimsuit issue.” What really caught her off guard was the genuine support from the models and others involved: “I’ve never seen the level of female support that I experienced here,” she shared, noting instances of women going out of their way for each other, from giving walking tips to moral support.
Being among the older girls on the roster at 53, the Skinnygirl CEO admitted that she was filled with nerves backstage: “I was aware of my age. I was aware that I’m not a model,” she confessed. Fear, she said, had been gripping her-all “embarrassing” everyone if I really don’t get it right. These folks calmed her down. Frankel reminisced how some women were willing to go ‘out of their way to just like, no, no, no, I want to talk to you about your walk. Not just compliments, just like helping and supporting and genuinely wanting other women to win.’
The post drew an immediate response, a wave of comments in support of Frankel coming from her fans and overwhelming them with this message of womanhood in unity. One commented, “Women supporting women is everything. From beginning of life to end of life can be life changing,” to which another responded, “Women supporting Women should be on every Woman’s mind.” The excitement was particularly tangible, with commenters responding en masse with fire and heart emojis.
Nevertheless, one dissenting voice clashed with that sentiment, and was more sarcastic than cynical: “Yep, why I stand alone cause I stand in integrity and truth, I can smell spoiled milk. I’m not one to sugar coat either, if you’re being a botch imma say to your face.” It perhaps came as an unusual moment of boldness in an ocean of positive comments, underlining that—even in talk about female empowerment—there exists disagreement about what that should entail.
More comments started to come in about Frankel’s physical appearances throughout the show: “You looked incredible!!!!! You definitely deserve some chicken salad today!!” said one fan, referring to Frankel’s joking relationship with food. “What did you do to prepare? Because that body was bodying!” was another remark, somewhat straying away from the matter of inner support to ovations for what they had actually been witnessing from the outside.
This is a spicy follow-up after Frankel put a scintillating spotlight on the 2024 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue-this, her maiden appearance in an SI issue far past the present-day age at which most models call it quits on the swimwear shoot. From the former steely type variable now more died-becomes-from-the-publicity-side-through-multicultural-wheels-and-sesame-activism-style thunderbolt, her lens is more turned toward the ambiance of the experience than toward its achievement.
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Frankel wrapped up by telling the viewers: “I could not believe some of these women. Like, some of these women are chef’s kiss. I can’t wait to tell you about it.” This tease definitely promises more revelations about her SI experience to come, leaving her fans wondering what else might be shared about behind-the-scenes. For the moment, however, the message is loud and clear: sometimes the real kicker about a fancy gig is the stories you form backstage and away from the glare of the cameras.
You can view the original article HERE.
