Bethenny Frankel Responds to Dina Manzo’s Daughter in Shoe Promotion Debate
Bethenny Frankel has responded to Alexia Iannou, the daughter of Dina Manzo, after being labeled a “weirdo” for not giving credit to Iannou’s shoe brand, Nou, in a recent social media post.
In a TikTok video shared on Friday, Frankel explained the situation. Her team had posted a “fit check” featuring the shoes, but tagged a different brand because the Nou shoes were sold out. “The audience gets frustrated when they can’t buy something immediately. Why would I wear and talk about it if they can’t buy it?” she stated.
“I sent her a pair of shoes from Nou almost a year ago because I look up to her,” Iannou remarked in her own video, expressing her disappointment after Frankel wore the shoes multiple times online without tagging her brand. Iannou’s frustration peaked when Frankel’s recent post featured a link to a different pair of heels instead.
In her TikTok post, Frankel took a firm stance, suggesting that “whining and being a crybaby about something that didn’t go your way in business means you’re not a real business person.” She emphasized her lack of obligation to promote brands that send her gifts. “There are other lovely things on this person’s site and there are about a hundred brands that will watch this video and will message her to tell her how much product I move,” she explained, referencing her own success in promoting various brands.
Iannou responded, highlighting that by not linking to her brand, Frankel directed her followers to a dupe shoe linked with an affiliate program, thus potentially profiting from her audience’s interest. Manzo joined the discussion by posting her support for Iannou on Instagram, criticizing Frankel for not acknowledging her daughter’s entrepreneurial efforts.
The controversy underscores the complexities of social media endorsements and brand loyalty, particularly in the realm of celebrity influence. Frankel ultimately tagged Nou in a later post, but the incident has sparked a wider conversation on the expectations of influencers towards emerging businesses.
