Amanda Frances is not your typical Real Housewives newcomer, and she’s not shy about saying so.
Appearing on Entertainment Tonight, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills newcomer opened up about what really matters to her. On camera, she was blunt about her priorities: when asked what defines her life, Amanda said matter-of-factly, “work and raising my kids … that is my life and there’s really nothing else.”
It was her response to the interviewer that set Housewives fans buzzing — when the host admitted they “couldn’t figure her out” and called her a “new type of housewife,” Amanda leaned into it with one of the season’s most talked-about quotes:
“I am one of the, I think first self-made, one of the first bread winning (housewives).”
She said it with confidence — and die-hard Bravo devotees immediately took to social media to debate what she meant by “first.”
Is she really the first self-made Housewife?
Strictly speaking, Amanda isn’t the very first Real Housewives star to be self-made — but her pathway is undeniably of the digital age.
Legendary Real Housewives of Orange County star Vicki Gunvalson built her wealth long before reality TV made Housewives famous. Vicki founded Coto Insurance & Financial Services, becoming one of the franchise’s original businesswomen and longest-running cast members.
Then there’s Bethenny Frankel, arguably the gold standard for Housewives who built a brand on her own terms. Bethenny founded the Skinnygirl empire — from margaritas to lifestyle products — and negotiated a massive sale of her company while retaining control of most of her business interests.
From the Real Housewives of Atlanta, Kandi Burruss turned her own music fame and business instincts into a diversified entrepreneurial empire — everything from Bedroom Kandi to restaurants and Broadway producing credits.
There are plenty of other Housewives with notable businesses — like Meredith Marks’ jewelry and caviar ventures.
Amanda graduated with a psychology degree and then earned a master’s in counseling before deciding to drop out of a Ph.D. program to start her own business — a move that eventually unlocked her entrepreneurial path.
Amanda built her first website from scratch while still in grad school, and over the last decade that vision has grown into Amanda Frances Inc., a global brand offering digital courses, coaching, a podcast, and bestselling books that empower women around the world.
Her signature book Rich as F*ck: More Money Than You Know What to Do With — yes, that’s really the title — became a financial self-help hit and cemented her as a voice in the money mindset space.
On RHOBH, she’s leaned into her branding as the Money Queen, a self-made multimillionaire whose identity — she says — is as much about work as it is about family.
“That’s what I am living,” she told producers — and her confidence in that claim is exactly what’s shaking up the Bravo hierarchy this season.
Why fans are talking
Some viewers have embraced her bold self-description, while others think Amanda might be overselling her place in Housewives history.
Love her or roll your eyes, Amanda’s entrance has sparked debates about what self-made even means — and where she fits among Housewives legends like Vicki, Bethenny, and Kandi.