The Real Housewives franchise is at its peak entertainment value when capturing an altercation between enemies, but the fights that tear apart best friends are almost too brutal for the fans to bear. Because the Real Housewives series follows a group of friends over the course of many years in the case of long-lasting veterans like Ramona Singer and Kandi Burruss, it is only natural for Bravo cameras to capture the formation and decaying of close friendships. From New York City to Beverly Hills to Potomac, The Real Housewives has broken a few fans’ hearts as the housewives devolve from best friends to feuding enemies.
There are typically two kinds of conflicts that arise between rivaling housewives: one of the enemies that have had it out for each other since the start, and one of the friends turned enemies. While the former makes for the very best of reality TV, the latter can be hard to stomach for fans who became invested in their favorite Housewives friendship. All of the satisfaction that comes from one of Bravo’s best villains getting a table flipped at them is absent when two likable housewives that fans have watched for a long time are unable to effectively communicate and end up screaming at each other over Andy Cohen at a reunion special.
Bethenny Frankel and Jill Zarin
The first best friendship that developed only to brutally dissolve over the course of a few seasons of The Real Housewives is that of RHONY royalty Bethenny Frankel and Jill Zarin. As two of the original five New York housewives, Frankel and Zarin grew close over the first season when Bethenny needed a reliable friend to guide her through her dilemma of attempting to balance her relationship and career aspirations. By the beginning of the second season, fan-favorite housewife Bethenny was spending the summer at Jill’s Hamptons house and the two were inseparable. From Jill helping Bethenny pick out a new apartment to Frankel donning a cheap red wig and impersonating Zarin, the foundation of the New York housewives appeared to be unbreakable and fans loved watching it blossom.
Unfortunately, the best friendship turned to a feud in RHONY‘s third season after Frankel left Jill a voicemail encouraging her to “Get a hobby.” From awkward fashion show squabbles to fights on the phone that left Bethenny sobbing on the streets of Manhattan, fans of their friendship were tortured watching Bethenny and Jill realize they had grown too far apart to resolve the conflict that festered over the season. Bethenny has her share of iconic fights with fellow housewives, but all of her fights with Jill were devastating blows to the friendship that was the emotional core of The Real Housewives of New York. The last time the two appeared on the season, Jill made it clear she would like to mend their broken friendship, but Bethenny remained hesitant to let Jill back into her burgeoning life. Luckily, the pair has made attempts at amends in recent years with Bethenny introducing Jill to her daughter Bryn following the death of Jill’s husband Bobby Zarin in 2018.
Bethenny Frankel and Carole Radziwill
As if the breakdown of Bethenny Frankel’s relationship with Jill Zarin was not enough for RHONY fans, Frankel’s feud with former best friend Carole Radziwill served another helping of heartbreak. Bethenny’s return to the New York housewives was initially a lonely one as she was too preoccupied with her divorce and demanding career to focus on letting new friends into her life. Fortunately for her mental state, by the end of the season, Carole had proved herself to be a reliable friend to Bethenny. The two went on to grow closer going on vacations together and bonding over their distaste for castmate Luann de Lesseps. The feud between Carole and Bethenny started slow and appeared to be nothing more than a misunderstanding that would be easily rectified over a long chat.
Bethenny feared that Carole was replacing her after the RHONY casting of Tinsley Mortimer, who has teased returning to the show following the termination of her engagement to Scott Kluth. Adversely, Carole’s only issue with Bethenny was the passive-aggressive way that Frankel grew angry at the princess. Unfortunately, several emotionally exhaustive interactions passed and neither of the housewives was able to see the other’s point of view. Their on-screen friendship ended with plenty of aggressive finger-pointing at the season 10 reunion.
Kyle Richards and Lisa Vanderpump
Another best friendship that fans had the misfortune of watching capsize was that of Kyle Richards and Lisa Vanderpump. The two longest-lasting The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills OGs, Kyle and Lisa’s friendship appeared to be invincible. Before the cameras even started rolling, Kyle and Lisa had been close, which quickly became evident in the pair’s fun-loving, easygoing attitude when spending time together on the show. Additionally, the two would defend the other in times of crisis like when Kim Richards called out Kyle for being a bad sister the night of season 1’s infamous limo ride. The pair’s loyalty was tested over the seasons as new friends like Taylor Armstrong and Teddi Mellencamp threatened to tear the two apart. It was not until the notorious “Puppygate” scandal that Lisa and Kyle’s friendship was pushed to its limit.
When Lisa Vanderpump was accused of plotting against castmate Dorit Kemsley by framing her as a negligent dog owner, every housewife turned on Lisa, who went on to stop filming with the cast entirely. Lisa hoped that Kyle would defend her no matter the circumstance, but when Kyle revealed to Lisa that she did not believe her side of the story, Vanderpump drew their decade-spanning friendship to a harsh halt. While fans were split on whether Kyle Richards or Lisa Vanderpump was the villain in the feud, it was still heartbreaking to watch the two fall from the friendship they had once cherished.
Monique Samuels and Candiace Dillard
While Monique Samuels and Candiace Dillard of The Real Housewives of Potomac were never as close as the previous housewives, their feud was undoubtedly the most brutal. Monique and Candiace’s friendship began with Dillard’s introduction to the series in the third season at an event Ashley Darby held at her restaurant. Candiace and Monique clicked instantly, bonding over the similar ways they met their husbands and their ties to Howard University. From there, the two maintained a rocky friendship that occasionally contained threats of Monique “dragging” Candiace. Regrettably, this was not an empty promise. After episodes of taunting each other Candiace Dillard made the mistake of flipping her hair in Monique’s face and lighting fireworks. In a matter of seconds, the two former friends found themselves in a hair-tugging brawl that resulted in the fifth season of RHOP being Monique Samuels’ last appearance on the show.
At the end of the day, Real Housewives is its best when friendships are being forged or when rival housewives are feuding. Alas, it is a miserable symptom of the series when the reality show’s formula backfires and a beloved friendship is torn to shreds on national television. As exhibited in New York City, Beverly Hills, and Potomac, the friendships made in The Real Housewives are fragile and should be appreciated while they’re still intact.
