Being a popular internet commentator, Bethenny Frankel is bound to dip her toes into controversy from time to time. This time, the former Real Housewives of New York star received criticism over a makeup giveaway.
Bethenny posted a video going into TJ Maxx and giving away unsealed makeup to the employees. Immediately, she received backlash from those viewing her giveaway as performative activism.
When she suggested the employees couldn’t afford the makeup, people found her attitude presumptuous and condescending. Carole Radziwill accused her of having a “white savior complex.” Bethenny deleted the video but has since come out with a response.
Bethenny mocks “white savior complex” claim
“I’m in a lot of trouble and I think I’m being canceled,” she said. She explained that she receives a lot of makeup from manufacturers that want her to review their products. They send multiple shades so Bethenny has options. She looks at each shade to find the best one for the review. As such, the makeup is “not new … not used” in her words.
“I was at TJ Maxx, and the women were complimenting some of the things I bought. ‘Oh, that’s so nice, I wanna get that, I wish I could afford it.’ So, I went back there with this big bag of probably like, a thousand dollars in makeup. And they have a policy where they can’t accept it.” She took the bag back and gave it to another business.
“But it’s been all over the worldwide internet that I’m really cheap, which, maybe I actually am because I don’t waste anything … Um, what is it called? White savior complex? So people like to use these really big, woke words and terms like ‘narrative’ and ‘gaslighting’ just to act like they’re really smart.”
Still, Bethenny said she perceived the TJ Maxx employees as “people that I don’t think would be able to buy this level of makeup on their own,” which was the mindset that landed her in trouble in the first place. Of course, if her “narrative” is true, she’d have reason to believe that.
TELL US – DO YOU BELIEVE BETHENNY’S ACCOUNT OF THE SITUATION? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HER RESPONSE?
