Social media feuds can get messy, and this one has the whole internet divided.
The Real Housewives drama doesn’t stop when the cameras aren’t rolling, as it seems RHONY alumna Bethenny Frankel has found herself in a bitter quarrel with the daughter of a RHONJ alumna.
Alexia ‘Lexi’ Ioannou, the daughter of Dina Manzo, has fired up on social media after she gifted shoes from her brand, Nou, to the successful businesswoman Bethenny Frankel.
The kind gesture turned sour after Ms Frankel wore the shoes out, and when fans asked her where the pair was from, she linked a dupe from Bloomingdale’s with an affiliate link.
This has sparked a conversation about who is in the right and who is in the wrong.
Let’s begin.
Lexi’s side of the story
The drama was raised when Ms Ioannou posted a video to Instagram on May 16 claiming she sent the Real Housewives star a pair of ‘The Classic Mule’ black satin high heels a year ago, which retail at $US375 (about $559 AUD), where she explained she did this because she “looked up to her” as a female entrepreneur.
She claimed that Frankel didn’t tag her brand after wearing the pair “multiple times,” which she brushed off as being “fine”.
She then called the Skinnygirl founder a ‘weirdo’, after finding out that Ms Frankel wore the shoes on a viral TikTok, accumulating 1.5 million views, and when her followers asked where the heels were from, she “linked a dupe” with an affiliate link to Bloomingdale’s, which would lead her to get some sort of commission.
Ms Ioannou called out the entrepreneur for the misleading post and directed her followers to where the shoes were actually from: Nou.
Bethenny’s side of the story
After Lexi’s Instagram video, Frankel posted her outfit of the day from the day prior, where she mentions where the shoes are from, captioning the post “apparently I can’t get out content fast enough … #yourewelcome”, which was taken as a hidden jab at the Nou founder.
A few hours later, Frankel posted a video responding to Ms Ioannou’s “scathing” Instagram post, where she made a clear point to highlight a “business lesson”.
“I wore a pair of shoes yesterday, I did a fit check with them, it was in the queue for later,” she said.
“In the moment, my team took a picture of me at an event, and the shoes were sold out so they linked something similar, because the audience gets frustrated when they can’t buy something immediately.
“This female owner decided to post a scathing video of me … you send me something I have no obligation to link, like, use, wear, buy, tag, I can do whatever I want.
“Playing the shirt game and whining and being a crybaby about something that didn’t go your way in business means you’re not a real business person.
“You’ve got a lot to learn.
“My account, my body, my choice. Once you send those shoes into my house, my shoes, you’re welcome.”
The online debate
Her post prompted many mixed reviews, some saying that it was rude that Frankel didn’t shout out Nou shoes, with others saying it is not an obligation for her to do so.
Many people have had lots to say about this debacle, with some on Frankel’s side and others on Ms Ioannou’s side.
Laura Bryne from the ‘Life Uncut Podcast’ weighed in on this topic.
“You sent them to Bethenny Frankel because she has combined … eight million followers across both social platforms,” Ms Bryne said on her podcast.
“Her posting and doing a tag to a business story set would cost in the estimate of around $30,000.
“I think to expect that you’re going to get tagged from what is essentially her business, for the exchange of a $600 pair of shoes to me seems like a slightly unreasonable request.”
Some have leaned towards Frankel’s side via social media.
“Sending someone a product does NOT entitle you to coverage. Everyone is running a business, and Bethany has put the work in to build her following, which she now monetises (as she should),” one person commented.
“She had no obligation to even wear them, but she did, and what a privilege for a small-business owner that she did,” echoed another.
“Totally fair for her to not link them in the first instance, she isn’t obligated to do that at all,” another user added to the debate.
“You owe them NOTHING!!” someone else commented.
And while there are plenty of people who feel that Frankel did not have to do anything she didn’t want to do, others find her behaviour “mean”.
“This is MEAN GIRL ENERGYYYYYY,” someone commented on Instagram.
“She is the ultimate mean girl. Women should support other women,” another person added.
“Wow, what an entitled awful response. Bummer,” echoed another.
“This lady has no class! It’s one thing to not mention the shoe brand, a whole other thing to link a dupe product that you do get commission from. Just so tacky and classless,” another posted.
Ms Ioannou’s mother, Dina Manzo, a former Real Housewives of New Jersey star, defended her daughter on Instagram, calling out Frankel.
“So odd of you to post a dupe of your GIFTED @shopnou shoes instead of giving a young entrepreneur the credit,” Ms Manzo posted to her Instagram story.
She ended her rant with a not-so-subtle dig, saying, “You wear them often, so we know you like them”.
While the feud has died down, it seems the online beef has drawn more attention to the Nou brand and its high-end shoes, with many online speculating this all could have been a PR stunt.