Bethenny Frankel, the 55-year-old former Real Housewives of New York City star, has shared a shocking health update. In a TikTok video posted on January 22, 2026, she announced her diagnosis of stage 2 chronic kidney disease after routine blood tests flagged issues.
Oh honey, Bethenny Frankel is spilling the tea on her health scare, and it's got us all reaching for our water bottles! The Skinnygirl founder, ever the proactive queen, got her blood work done—bone density and all—and repeated tests showed her kidney function coming up low. She admitted she dragged her feet on seeing a kidney specialist, saying, “I didn’t want to go … I didn’t feel like going today.” But thank goodness she did, because the doc dropped the bomb: “You have stage 2 chronic kidney disease.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, stage 2 means a mild loss of kidney function, and with regular monitoring and blood pressure control, it can be kept from progressing. Bethenny's doc thinks it might be autoimmune or linked to that traumatic allergy attack years ago that nearly took her out—possibly damaging her kidneys in the process. She's connected it to past battles like UTIs, which she says don't hit as hard anymore.
Now for the real shade: treatment starts with hydration, but Bethenny confessed, “I don’t drink a lot of water … I’m holding a bottle, but I’m not usually drinking it.” Her doctor was not having it, insisting, “Water is your medicine. You have to drink a giant— I think he said 1.5 [gallons]—and you can put your hydration packets in it.” Oh, and cut the kombucha dreams—no more ibuprofen, Aleve, Advil, turmeric, or—gasp—ice cream. She was munching on some frozen treat right on camera, adding, “I remembered after.” Talk about ironic! 😩
Bethenny's 2026 has been medically messy already; she cut her St. Barts vacay short after a bacterial infection on her face, which she blamed on sketchy hotel towels. She's sharing this all to urge us: “I want you to take precautions in your own life, be mindful.” Wise words from the reality TV icon who's always kept it real. So, will Bethenny hydrate her way to health, or is ice cream calling her name? 👀
