Bethenny Frankel: Many 'Real Housewives' stars 'can't afford the lives they're living'

Bethenny Frankel said many of the "Real Housewives" stars are living beyond their means. (Getty Images)

The stars of the “Real Housewives” franchise may not have the money to live the lavish lifestlye they portray on television.

“Real Housewives of New York City” star Bethenny Frankel revealed many of the housewives on the popular Bravo reality show are living beyond their means.

“They can’t afford the lives they’re living,” Frankel told Money magazine for its September issue. “And if the music stops, they’re going to get in some trouble.”

Several “Real Housewives” stars have made headlines in the past regarding their finances. “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Teresa Giudice spent nearly a year in prison after pleading guilty to bankruptcy fraud in December 2015.

Her co-star Jacqueline Laurita also revealed she and her husband, Chris, were having financial problems. Chris was found liable for fraud in a bankruptcy case in August 2017, NJ.com reported. Their house was also put up for sale for $2.3 million.

“Real Housewives of Atlanta” star NeNe Leakes was reportedly sued in 2013 by her wedding planner, who claimed Leakes never paid her $1 million bill, according to TMZ. Leakes denied the accusation.

Frankel told Money magazine she was ahead of the game when it came to negotiating her contract for the “Real Housewives of New York City” in 2008. The reality star said when she signed the contract, she refused to allow the network take a portion of the profit she made from promoting her business on the series.

Frankel, therefore, was able to build her Skinnygirl company while getting paid $7,250 for the first season of the reality show.

“Everybody else just had to try to play catch-up after they saw what I did,” Frankel said about her contract negotiation that was dubbed the “Bethenny clause.”

Frankel wasn’t always living comfortably on money. The businesswoman said she was once drowning in $20,000 credit card debt and felt guilty when she went shopping. She recalled feeling "everything was just an anxiety and a struggle" up until her late thirties.