Bethenny Frankel gave an insightful but vague update about her health the week of August 3 when she took to her Instagram to announce she recently learned she was misdiagnosed with a condition she calls “major.”
The former “The Real Housewives of New York City” star did not specify the condition. Back in January 2026, she shared that she’d been diagnosed with stage 2 chronic kidney disease after a specialist confirmed her kidney function was “coming up low.” In February, she told fans her kidney condition had progressed to stage 3a, which is considered “mild to moderate loss of kidney function” by the Mayo Clinic.
At the time, she said she was “a little sick to my stomach” about the news, but “remaining calm.”
Other conditions the mom of one has opened up about having include long COVID syndrome and POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), which the Cleveland Clinic says causes “causes a number of symptoms when you transition from lying down to standing up, such as a fast heart rate, dizziness and fatigue.”
Bethenny Frankel Warns Fans to Be ‘Thorough’ About Their Health After Misdiagnosis
Frankel says she learned about her misdiagnosis by diving into a service she described as a “medical community” that has helped her take a more thorough look at her health and prior diagnoses.
She started her message, “I really don’t wanna tell you this, but I have to tell you this because it could help one of you or several of you. So, I joined a medical community and it has teams of doctors that sort of cross-reference your markers, your labs, longevity.” She likened the program to having the Mayo Clinic “at home,” saying it’s more than just a “vanity concierge doctor.” She explained, “It’s very, very legitimate” before revealing she learned from the service that she’s been misdiagnosed “with something pretty major.”
She says this is why she’s urging her followers to be thorough in getting labs, checkups, and “crowd-sourcing of opinions.”
She still warned, “Don’t believe everything you hear on the internet and don’t everything you hear Chat tells you, but I do believe that whether it’s gluten intolerance or an allergy, or gut – everybody’s sort of saying that they have everything. I’m very confused because I was sort of operating with the idea that I do have this, and I don’t wanna throw anybody under the bus.”
She went to say she’s “tried to do the right thing, but it’s very confusing, and I just think there’s nothing we should be more thorough about than our medical care. Our health.”
The 55-year-old then urged her audience, “Just think about it. Get a notebook out, whatever it is that you think you have, or someone said you have, or symptoms that you are experiencing. I think we are so thorough about restaurants, and shopping, and other things – and business! And I think we have to be very thorough about our health.
Bethenny Frankel ‘Happiest She’s Ever Been’ After Starting New Relationship in April
In April 2026, news broke that Frankel was dating Miami based finance expert Shane L. Campbell, and Page Six reported they learned from a source, “Bethenny is the happiest she’s ever been and is fully in her intentional dating era.”
The outlet pointed out the pair’s first public outing was to the to the 2026 Global Champions Arabians Tour in Miami Beach.
The pair “stayed close from the early evening into the night — laughing, whispering and appearing completely wrapped up in each other,” the outlet says an eyewitness recalled.
