How did Bethenny Frankel get a bacterial infection? Reality star shares details from St. Barths vacation

Bethenny Frankel came back home after her vacation from St. Barths with a bacterial infection. The Real Housewives of New York City star took to TikTok to show her followers a huge rash on her face caused by the infection. She wrote on the video:

"POV: you left St. Barths 3 days early & brought home a bacterial infection"

She also wrote in the caption of the TikTok video:

"Allergic to St. Barths #bye"

TMZ has revealed that Bethenny Frankel was treated with a topical medication, and the infection is already starting to clear up at the time of writing.

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What did Bethenny Frankel have to say about vacationing in St. Barths?

After spending the holidays partying in St. Barths with big names like Glen Powell, Alix Earle, Tom Brady, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, and more stars, Bethenny Frankel had a few things to say.

She took to Instagram to post a photo dump of her time at St. Barths. It included photos of herself with her daughter, bikini pics, sunset views, photos with her friends, as well as the bacterial infection that she caught.

She captioned the post:

"Despite leaving early because of some heartbreaking news, dealing with a bacterial infection, and St. Barths being the Hunger Games of holiday socialization, I still found moments that really mattered."

Bethenny Frankel elaborated:

"I spent special time with friends and my love, Bryn, and rang in the new year in a way that felt genuinely meaningful, surrounded by good people. This trip reminded me of something I've always known but sometimes forget: it's not about what you're doing, it's about who you're with. And real happiness doesn't come from the setting, the plans, or the noise, it comes from within."

Frankel also posted a video of herself speaking to the camera with the caption:

"Don’t believe everything on social media…#yourewelcome #stbarths"

She wrote on the video:

"The real St. Barths over Christmas"

Bethenny Frankel began by saying:

"Here's the real tea about St. Barths over Christmas. So, I've only ever been once. I've been to St. Barths dozens of times, off-season. I booked it to bring my daughter, because we went once before, we like the food, the beaches, the shopping."

She explained how different it was this time. Bethenny explained how they would go to beaches or beach clubs every day. She called it the "Hunger Games of fashion and money."

She noted how people did not dress casually. She also mentioned the "disco lunches," where celebrity DJs would play their sets. Since the DJs are renowned, people often worry about missing out. She said:

"People don't know where to be, and that's all anyone's talking about, is where they should be versus being where they are. The lunches are... the price of a bar mitzvah."

She added how the people around her were vaping, and the people in their 20s were spending tens and thousands of dollars, which did not sit well with her and her parenting values. She did not like having her daughter there because, according to Bethenny Frankel, this was not "reality."

She further explained how the only meaningful time she had with her daughter was when they would go on beach walks, and on New Year's Eve, while they were on a boat.

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Bethenny Frankel returned from St. Barths with a bacterial infection but is already recovering. She said the trip was flashy and stressful, not as enjoyable as it looked on social media. In the end, she valued quiet moments with her daughter and learned that true happiness comes from people, not places.

Also read: Bethenny Frankel and Kelly Osbourne pay tribute to makeup artist and reality star Jasen Kaplan following his death