'Real Housewives' Star Bethenny Frankel Calls for Reality TV Union Amid Strikes

Bethenny Frankel is calling for a reality TV union.

Amid the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in Hollywood for fair pay and treatment in Hollywood for writers and actors, the Real Housewives alum is speaking out about the treatment of reality TV stars.

She says she was paid $7,250 for the first season of RHONY, but has never received any compensation afterward. She’s calling for residual-like payments when their series become hits and are replayed by networks and streamers.

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“Just because you can, as a streamer or a network, play the show as much as you want, doesn’t mean you should,” she said to 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? It means when you get a ratings bump or something happens, you should share. Networks and streamers have been exploiting people for too long.”

“Just because you can exploit young, doe-eyed talent desperate for the platform TV gives them, it doesn’t mean you should. They don’t know what they don’t know. I was playing chess, but how do I help the people who may not know the game?” she continued.

“We should just find out what reality shows are in production right now and say, ‘Just stop working. Say you’re not going to work unless they take down all the things you’ve done in the past and then we can negotiate for the future.’”

Find out which potential cities were rejected for Housewives franchises.

Bethenny also spoke about her idea on social media. Watch inside…