Bethenny Frankel Fires Back at Joy Behar Over 'Fake Boobs' Jab on 'The View'

Bethenny Frankel's response to the comment Joy Behar made about her comes after Frankel proudly boasted about her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Runway Show appearance on Instagram.

During a recent episode of "The View," the hosts of the show brought up reality TV star Bethenny Frankel's video about her experience participating in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Runway Show and the public reaction afterward. Co-host Joy Behar had some choice words to share about Frankel, who, in return, clapped back at her.

As the clip of Frankel's behind-the-scenes reflection played on air, in which she openly discussed the effort and artistry that goes into crafting a glamorous runway image, the co-hosts of "The View" offered their reactions.

While Whoopi Goldberg introduced the segment with a neutral tone, it was Behar's quip that took center stage. "I mean, I admire her candor," Behar noted, before adding, "But her boobs are still fake."

The remark quickly drew chuckles from the studio audience and the rest of the panel. Frankel, however, was less than impressed and didn't let the comment go unanswered. In a video shared on TikTok, she responded with a poised yet pointed monologue, seated in a gray sports bra and straw hat.

"So, Joy Behar took a swipe at me on 'The View,'" she began, calmly recounting how Goldberg had introduced her clip discussing the Sports Illustrated show, and then addressing Behar's "fake boobs" jab head-on.

Frankel clarified, "This is actually a lift, Joy." She explained how she got the procedure done 15 or 20 years ago after struggling with large, sagging breasts as a teenager. But Frankel's real message wasn't about cosmetic work.

Shifting her tone, she expressed disappointment in what she saw as Behar's need to belittle a moment that was meant to be inclusive and empowering.

Reflecting on the show, Frankel said the true takeaway was that women "of a certain age" can still walk proudly, feel joy, and celebrate their bodies without shame.

She lamented that Behar, instead of joining in or simply staying silent, had chosen to "kick someone" who was already being self-deprecating and honest about the artificiality of the moment. "We all look like this," Frankel mentioned of the runway images. "But we had a lot of work that day."

"Like I'm already saying, 'I could decide to perpetuate everyday looking like that, but I wanna look just like you guys and show you that on those days we can bring it.' So sadly, Joy is painting the picture of the older, seemingly miserable, washed-up woman that all of us are trying to show that we aren't," highlighted Frankel.

Frankel suggested that Behar's need to mock said more about her than about anyone else. "I actually feel sorry for Joy that she hasn't lived her life, or doesn't seem to be living her life with any joy," the businesswoman stated.

She went on to contrast Behar with the very image of empowered older women that the runway show hoped to showcase, asserting, "We have women like Joy Behar that remind us of who we don't wanna be."

Frankel concluded her reflections with a note of empowerment, encouraging women to "keep being happy, keep living your life," and hold tight to the kind of joy that doesn't require tearing others down.

Before Behar's comment even aired, Frankel had already opened up about her Sports Illustrated runway experience in a deeply personal video shared on Instagram — the same one referenced during the segment on "The View."

In the post, Frankel tackled the internet's obsession with her appearance head-on, acknowledging the scrutiny surrounding her age, weight, and looks. But instead of glamorizing the spectacle, she pulled back the curtain.

"Every woman that was with me on that stage did not look that way two hours prior," she revealed, describing the sheer volume of behind-the-scenes effort — glam teams, contouring, lighting — required to present that polished image.

Rather than shaming it, she used it as a moment to educate. She reminded viewers that these glossy standards applied not just to her, but to public figures across the board — from Kim Kardashian and Beyoncé to Jennifer Lopez.

Frankel also emphasized that vanity has never driven her. Sharing a personal anecdote, she recalled a man once telling her she was the "least vain person" he had ever met. "My mother was stunning," she added. "But she'd go to the dry cleaners in overalls and never wore makeup."

For Frankel, beauty isn't about performing for the public every day — it's about showing up as herself, without pretense. She even admitted that most of the time, she looked like "a train wreck" and had no shame about it. But what truly resonated in the video was her insight on body image.

She laid bare her struggles from past years, revealing that in her early thirties, she was 25 pounds heavier and trapped in a cycle of bingeing, starvation, and emotional eating, driven by insecurity and loneliness.

Now, she has peace. She doesn't crash diet, doesn't rely on gyms, and walks on the beach as her main form of movement. Her philosophy is rooted in balance — choosing to eat clean not out of guilt, but out of love for how it makes her feel.

"It's the obsession [...] the noise that is why we are struggling," she explained. By sharing her journey from self-loathing to self-regulation, Frankel sought to shift the conversation from judgment to compassion.

"It's time for women to start focusing on and realizing that what's on the inside will lead to being happier with what's on the outside," she wrote in her caption. Her message, drenched in honesty and vulnerability, was never about flaunting perfection — it was about freeing women from the pressure to chase it.

While Frankel's raw honesty about self-image set the tone for much of her online discourse, it was a separate Instagram video that captured the heart of her Sports Illustrated experience. In it, she described walking into the event with little expectation, knowing the magazine's reputation but unfamiliar with most of the women sharing the stage.

What she encountered, however, surprised her — and in the best way. "The resounding theme and culture is women supporting women," she divulged.

In a media landscape where competition and comparison often dominate female-centered spaces, Frankel said she had never experienced the kind of authentic support she did that day.

Fellow participants offered guidance on posture, shared advice about walking with confidence, and gave one another genuine affirmations, not to boost their own image, but to ensure everyone felt like they belonged. Frankel described it as contagious — the kind of energy that made her want to see other women succeed just as much as she hoped to do the same.

Though the event itself was thrilling — "It was so fun," she gushed — it was the quiet moments backstage that left the most lasting impression.

Admitting she was conscious of being older and not a professional model, Frankel recounted how she wrestled with internal questions about whether she would "stick this landing or make an absolute fool" of herself. But surrounded by women who showed up for one another, she found strength in the shared vulnerability.

Still, for Frankel, one of the most touching affirmations didn't come from a fellow model or a fan — it came from her daughter, Bryn Hoppy.

In yet another Instagram video, the proud mom recounted a FaceTime call with her "peanut," who swooned, "Mama, I saw you, you did so good [...] You have such a cute tush [...] You looked like you were 30 years old."

Beaming with pride, Frankel revealed how meaningful her daughter's words were. Acknowledging the pressures teens face as their bodies change and their self-esteem takes shape, Frankel said she wished her daughter could have been there to witness the confidence and empowerment on display.

"I want that for her," she said. "I want to be on that runway with her." For Frankel, it wasn't just a moment of personal triumph — it was a powerful lesson in self-love she hoped to pass down.

Unapologetically proud of her display on the runway, Frankel has since flooded her Instagram feed with snapshots and videos that showcase her show-stopping presence. In one shot, she saunters barefoot in a black cowboy hat and denim bikini, tipping her hat with confident ease.

Another photo captures her striking a fierce pose in a bold hot pink, polka-dot two-piece, while a third highlights her statuesque frame in a high-cut, leopard-print one-piece, exuding fierce elegance against the glowing runway backdrop.

In a video clip she shared from the event, Frankel can be seen strutting and dancing playfully down the catwalk, owning every second in front of the cheering crowd.

The empowering moment was set to George Michael's anthemic "Freedom! '90," and she captioned the post with a message that rang loud and clear — "Whether you're 18 or 98, everyone deserves to feel alive, happy, and free. Thank you @si_swimsuit."

Another playful Instagram video shows her lip-syncing to RuPaul's "Call Me Mother," clad in a plush robe and full glam makeup before footage cuts to clips of her runway walk in various show-stopping looks.

Bethenny Frankel wasn't just celebrating herself — she was reveling in the freedom of embracing every part of her journey, and inviting her followers to do the same.