Bethenny Frankel from The Real Housewives of New York City has been sued by an NYC photographer after allegedly committing copyright infringement on Instagram. Bethenny, who starred in the second Real Housewives installment for eight seasons, is known among Bravo fans for her outspoken personality, memorable quotes and hardworking attitude. From establishing the massive SkinnyGirl lifestyle brand in 2009--which was documented throughout RHONY season 2--to writing several self-help books, Bethenny has proven that she is more than the dramatic scenes she has been featured in alongside co-stars like Ramona Singer and Luann de Lesseps.
Since leaving RHONY for good in 2019, Bethenny has focused extensively on providing humanitarian aid across the world. Establishing BStrong alongside Global Empowerment Mission in 2016, Bethenny's charity has provided those in need with supplies and relief across the United States, including Texas, Florida and California. Besides traveling to places like Puerto Rico, Guatemala and The Bahamas, she and BStrong have also raised over $100 million for Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in February. Bethenny's philanthropy had been applauded by other charities, followers online and former co-stars like Dorinda Medley and Ramona, as well as The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Joyce Giraud.
Between helping millions of people across the globe while taking care of daughter Bryn, 8, Bethenny has something else on her plate after being sued by Marcos Santos, a photographer based in New York City. According to Page Six, Marcos filed a lawsuit against Bethenny on April 25 in Manhattan four years after the star allegedly uploaded his photo to Instagram without permission. The picture, which shows a portion of Puerto Rico after being damaged by Hurricane Maria in 2017, was shared online by Bethenny in May 2018 as part of a video showcasing BStrong's humanitarian efforts on the island.
Page Six, which reshared Marcos' photo of Puerto Rico, also included Bethenny's Instagram caption from 2018, which read, “This footage is from last year’s #thisisacrisis movement in #puertorico. #hurricanemaria killed more than 4600 people–that’s more than 70 TIMES the official toll.” According to the lawsuit filed by Marcos, Bethenny allegedly neither asked to use the photo of Puerto Rico nor inquired about its licensing, since the image is registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. While Bethenny and Marcos have yet to comment on their impending legal battle, it's clear that despite the amount of time that has passed, he is looking for full compensation. The photographer is not only suing her for damages and any funds made based on the photo being shared but is looking for the case to have a jury trial.
Although Bethenny's time on RHONY has been positively received by fans of the Real Housewives franchise, the 51-year-old has made it clear that her time with the reality program is long over. While former co-stars like Jill Zarin have expressed interest in rejoining The Real Housewives of New York City for season 14, Bravo recently revealed that they are looking to rehaul the series with a completely new cast, making it unlikely that any previous fan-favorites will be returning. The network is working on a Legacy spin-off, so there's always a chance they could join that show. Luckily for those following Bethenny's career and personal life, it doesn't look like the star will be fading from the spotlight anytime soon.
Source: Page Six
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