‘Real Housewives Of NYC’ Cast Changes: Was Jill Zarin Responsible For Bethenny Frankel’s Exit?

Shortly after Bethenny Frankel announced her departure from“The Real Housewives of New York City,” Jill Zarin began to drop hints about returning to the Bravo reality series. Since then, reports have alleged that Bethenny’s relationship with Jill may have influenced her decision to quit the show.

On Aug. 21, the Skinnygirl founder confirmed her departure from the “RHONY” to focus on her daughter, Bryn, and other projects. On Wednesday, Andy Cohen, who serves as an executive producer on the show, shared his hopes for Bethenny return and denied that her feud with Jill played a part in her exit.

During a conversation on his SiriusXM show “Radio Andy,” the television personality was asked if Jill was one of the reasons Bethenny left the series. “She’s not existent in this conversation,” he replied.

Although Bethenny won’t be returning for “The Real Housewives of New York City” Season 12, Cohen believes she may come back to the show one day. “We are much like the mob. You can’t get out. I do hope and think that she will come back sometime. Who knows?”

Since the ”RHONY” premiere, Bethenny has appeared in eight out of 11 seasons. Cohen suggested Bethenny’s past hiatus could be a sign that she may return. “She already left is what we need to remember,” the “Watch What Happens Live” host explained.

“We were so lucky to have these last seasons with her on them. It was so fun to have her back, and she brought so much to the show that I am just living in the gratitude of her second return. And I will hopefully live in the gratitude of her third return.”

Although she confirmed her exit, Cohen hinted that fans may still see Bethenny when “Real Housewives of New York City” Season 12 premieres. “She’s so still a part of everything that’s going on that you almost could see her dropping in,” he said.

“It’s like, ‘Oh, my God! OK! Here’s Bethenny at a party. Bethenny is on this trip.’ You never know. I look forward to her in any capacity on the show, and I’m just grateful that she came back at all. We all should be.”

Cohen’s comments come after Jill told People she started filming “RHONY” Season 12. Although Bethenny’s exit could allow Jill to return as a full-time cast member, she wouldn’t confirm her role on the series.

“You’ll have to watch and see what happens. I don’t know what to say,” she told the outlet.

Bravo has not announced a premiere date for “The Real Housewives of New York City” Season 12.