Bethenny Frankel Keeps Her Sense Of Humor Amid Nasty Face Infection

Bethenny shared her experience with a bad facial infection contracted on vacation, handling the situation with humor and honesty.

By JJ FlowersOn Jan 6, 2026

Real Housewives of New York alum, Bethenny Frankel isn’t looking her best after contracting a nasty-looking infection on her face. Still, the bravolite did manage to keep her sense of humor. Read on for more details.

The Face Infection

Over the last few days, Bethenny shared posts on TikTok about St. Barths where she visited for the festive holiday season. Well, it’s popular with people who have a lot of spare cash, and she talked about folks lashing out “tens of thousands of dollars.” But, she got more than she bargained for.

Follow-up posts revealed that she got a nasty “bacterial skin infection.” On January 5, the Real Housewives of New York alum shared a reel that showed her face looking extremely blotchy with an ugly rash. In her overlay, she wrote, “POV: you left St. Barths 3 days early & brought home a bacterial infection.”

Oh, and she shared about how she wasn’t sad to leave St. Barths, saying, “Allergic to St. Barths #bye.”

@bethennyfrankel
Allergic to St. Barths #bye
♬ original sound – Bethenny Frankel

Bravo Fans React

Plenty of people watched the reel and it doesn’t seem all that uncommon to contract a nasty infection. Someone guessed that Bethenny Frankel had picked up “perioral dermatitis.”

Then, another one thought perhaps the reality TV star also had it “Mixed w staph,” adding, “I have it right now.”

Here are a few more responses from the discussion:

I love how you are so honest no matter what…this is why I’ve been watching you for 20ys.
I love that you show us how it is. Love you Bethenny.
Please wash with a bar antibacterial soap. Moisturize like crazy . Repeat. Ughh hun.
contact dermatitis.. doxycyline should clear that up if it’s bacterial.

Keeping A Sense Of Humor

When one follower posted about not being able to afford St. Barths as a vacation destination, they wrote, “Poverty has saved me once again!”

Well, it didn’t escape Bethenny Frankel, who showed that she survived the infection with her sense of humor intact.

In her reply to the poster, she said, “Best comment of 2026!”

Actually, other fans also liked the comment, and they replied. So, it made people say things like “LOLOL” and “I’ll second that.”

What Causes Bacterial Skin Infections?

There’s actually a big range of bacteria that can cause infections, and according to Dermnet, it can invade if you have an injury, scrape, or other abrasion on your skin. The most common ones are caused by the “Staphylococcus and Streptococcus species.”

If you ever get one, it’s best to get it treated by a medical professional, because severe cases can lead to bad things like “Tachycardia.”

Did you ever suffer from a bacterial skin infection like Bethenny? Are you glad that she’s maintaining a sense of humor? Let us know in the comments below, and come back here often for all your celebrity news and updates.