Former Real Housewives of New York star Bethenny Frankel has said she was randomly attacked on a New York City street amid a “viral” TikTok punching trend.
According to People, the reality star revealed the news in a comment left on a TikTok post made by a fashion student, who said she was walking home when a random man punched her.
“This is insane [because] this happened to me a few months ago but I was embarrassed to say,” Frankel wrote in the comments section. “I was on the UWS [Upper West Side]. Insane. I was taking video of a bakery.”
Frankel’s comment was later deleted, but Page Six took a screenshot of her statement before it was removed.
Tik Tok/Page Six
In recent weeks, other New York women have been posting videos about similar attacks.
“This is so nuts, there are a bunch of women getting punched in the face in nyc rn all over tiktok. I don’t know if it’s all the same guy some of the stories seem slightly different but some of them seem similar,” wrote an X (formerly Twitter) user, who shared a compilation of videos where victims explained what had happened.
this is so nuts there are a bunch of women getting punched in the face in nyc rn all over tiktok. i don’t know if it’s all the same guy some of the stories seem slightly different but some of them seem similar pic.twitter.com/2rE7iEudCH
— youngmi mayer (@ymmayer) March 26, 2024
On Wednesday night (March 27), the New York Police Department arrested a man who was supposedly involved in at least one of the attacks.
“The NYPD is aware of a viral video circulating on social media depicting a woman who was randomly assaulted in an unprovoked attack,” the NYPD posted on their official X account. “The individual has been arrested and charged and is a criminal recidivist with an extensive criminal record.”
pic.twitter.com/0oBRaqSZv0
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) March 28, 2024
“Your NYPD detectives were able to identify the man after he was previously arrested for similar attacks, only to be released back onto our streets. This incident will be his third arrest in the past six months,” the statement continued. “Your officers will continue to remain resilient in their efforts to stop violent criminals, ensuring the safety of our communities.”
Frankel is an entrepreneur and author best known as an original cast member on Bravo’s Real Housewives of New York City, having starred in eight of the 14 seasons. She also starred in the spin-off series Bethenny Ever After and Bethenny & Fredrik. In addition, she helmed the daytime talk show Bethenny from 2013 to 2014 and the Max reality competition series The Big Shot with Bethenny in 2021.