Bethenny Frankel defended herself after Ed Kelce, father of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, called her a "troll" for her rude comment about Travis and Taylor Swift's relationship.
Following the Chief's Super Bowl victory, the Real Housewives star and Skinnygirl CEO called Travis Kelce a "peacock," even though she's never met the guy, and she cast doubt on the longevity of his relationship with Swift, which has been at the center of a major media frenzy.
"I once dated a guy like Travis Kelce. It just hit me," she said while applying makeup for an Instagram reel posted on February 16.
She went on to describe her ex, explaining:
"He loves to be the center of attention and life of the party."
Frankel used descriptors such as "big, burly," "charismatic," and "needed the attention" and also said he was "very passionate, very larger than life," suggesting those were similar characteristics to those of Travis Kelce's.
She said:
"I was definitely not the peacock in that relationship. Like, this was the person who craved everyone liking him, everyone knowing him, being at the center of attention."
"Being in that relationship made me realize I was driving without breaks."
"Like, it was really fun. Really electric, but this person always wanted to party and take it to like a 10 when I often wanted to take it to an 8 or 7."
"It's going to be interesting," she said of Kelce's relationship, adding that it's "all fun and games" until life gets serious with "kids and marriage and long distance. It's not easy."
Frankel continued:
"It's hard because Taylor Swift is certainly a peacock. So there usually can only be one peacock in a relationship."
"Here, it seems like Travis is the peacock, which is completely ironic."
Her rant ended with a reference to Kelce's excited reaction on the winner's podium after the Super Bowl.
"I could never be in a relationship with someone who needed to stand up and grab the microphone and sing and scream 'Viva Las Vegas, etc. He is as advertised as he seems to be.'"
Here's Frankel's Instagram reel.
Her negative relationship assessment caused backlash, with one commenter writing:
"You don't even know him or their relationship. Let's please start spreading more love and kindness."
"Have you seen the love he has for his family, his friends, his teammates, his girlfriend, how much he does for charity?"
More comments followed.
@bethennyfrankel/Instagram
@bethennyfrankel/Instagram
@bethennyfrankel/Instagram
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@bethennyfrankel/Instagram
When Ed Kelce saw Frankel's comments reported on Newsweek, he took to Facebook and asked:
"Who TF is this troll?"
Ed Kelce/Facebook
His reaction forced her to speak out on Monday's episode of her Just B with Bethenny Frankel podcast.
Said Frankel:
"Travis Kelce's dad called me a troll. I do actually understand and admire a parent coming to their child's defense, particularly when asked about it."
She continued:
"I just wish he would have expressed an opinion versus just a verbal insult, because, you know, as we teach our kids, it's better to express yourself than to just criticize."
She doubled down on what she said about her past relationship.
"I was saying usually there's only one peacock in a relationship, and I dated a guy like that—that was very over the top and very loud and gregarious and like needed to be the center of attention."
"And I stand by that. I think that's who Travis is."
"I did not mention him pushing his coach, which is a physical expression versus using your words and having a conversation, which is kind of like what his dad did."
"He used an insult instead of using his intellect."
"So, the Swifties can come for me, but I'm going to defend myself. I have said that they were in my Mount Rushmore of couples, the two of them."
"I mean, they're on top of the world. They're both very successful. I've said that I literally think he's a peacock, and there are two peacocks in this relationship, and it usually doesn't work."
She compared Kelce's dad inserting himself into the discourse to the drama seen in Real Housewives, saying:
"It's sort of like the kids getting into the drama on the Housewives, or the husbands. It's just a little absurd, but it's making headlines; so sorry, not sorry."
Social media users rolled their eyes.
Looks like someone is sorely lacking in love to go after those who have it in abundance.
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@evanrachelwood/Instagram