Bethenny Frankel is facing backlash from a small business owner who claims the former Real Housewives of New York City star accepted a custom birthday cake worth thousands of dollars without properly thanking or crediting the bakery.

The owner of SugarHi Boca in Boca Raton, Florida, took to TikTok to share her experience with Bethenny, alleging that her team reached out last year for a massive custom cake for Bethenny’s birthday party in Miami.

According to the bakery owner, she had been debating whether to share the story publicly.

“I have debated telling this story for so long. I have a story about Bethenny Frankel,” the owner said.

She explained that after opening SugarHi in Boca, Bethenny’s assistant allegedly contacted the bakery about creating a large custom cake for the event.

“Last year, after we opened SugarHi in Boca, Bethenny’s assistant reached out asking us to make a huge custom cake for her birthday party in Miami,” she said.

The owner claimed that while Bethenny’s team suggested they would pay, she felt the offer was not genuine.

“And they did that classic, ‘Oh, we’ll pay!’ but in the way where you know they don’t mean it,” the owner continued. “So I took the gamble as a business owner. I said it was an honor, which it was. ‘Just please tag us if she posts it.’ And they said no guarantees. Okay, fair enough.”

The bakery owner said the project became a major undertaking for her small business.

She claimed they flew in their lead cake decorator from New York and spent thousands to complete and deliver the cake.

“We spent, give or take, $4,000, including the cost of the cake, and we drove four hours round trip to deliver it,” she explained.

According to the owner, Bethenny did end up posting the cake across her social media platforms, but the bakery was not initially tagged.

“The next day, Bethenny posted the cake everywhere, stories, reels, carousels, posts. Daily Mail picked it up. Food God posted it. She tagged the venue, photographer, the glam team, the videographer, everybody except us,” the owner claimed.

She said the bakery was eventually tagged, but only after people began asking where the cake came from.

“Eventually, we got tagged in like slide 5 of a carousel after tons of people were asking where the cake was from. And honestly, we got no business from it, no followers. But the part that bothered me the most wasn’t even losing the money. It was the lack of acknowledgement, not even a thank you.”

The SugarHi Boca owner said what bothered her most was not just the alleged lack of promotion, but what she viewed as a lack of appreciation from Bethenny.

@sugarhi_official 🍿Bethenny asked for a cake, and then this happened… #sugarhi #bethennyfrankel #customcakes #supportsmallbusiness #influencersinthewild ♬ original sound – sugarhi_official

She also compared the experience to working with other high profile clients, claiming they handled things very differently.

“What’s interesting to me is that we have made cakes for a president’s granddaughter twice. They use an alias. They paid in full. They never asked for anything for free, and they were incredibly gracious,” she said.

The owner clarified that she understands influencers do not owe businesses free promotion just because they receive products. However, she argued that the situation feels different when a celebrity allegedly reaches out to a small business asking for free product.

“And before people say influencers don’t owe free promotions, I agree with you. This is how they make a living and it can’t all be for free. But when you reach out to a small business asking for free product, isn’t that different?” she asked.

The bakery owner also brought up Bethenny recently praising a Publix cake online for free, saying the moment felt frustrating given her own alleged experience.

“Especially because last week, Bethenny walked into Publix, bought a chocolate cake, loved it, and posted it for free,” she said. “Publix doesn’t need Bethenny Frankel. Small businesses do.”

The owner then claimed Bethenny recently reached out again, this time asking for a gift for billionaire friends who had a granddaughter.

“Plot twist, two weeks ago, she DMs me again asking for a gift for billionaire friends who had a granddaughter. This time, instead of offering delivery, I said, ‘When do you want to pick it up?’ Oh, surprise, she ghosted me, which tells you everything you need to know.”

@sugarhi_official 🎂Everyone is entitled to their opinion and perspective. If you don't like the cake, or my take on it.. just keep it decent ❤️I have followed Bethenny for years. Loved her! I've bought tons of things because she influenced me!!! Jumped at the chance to make her cake. Truly disappointed me (il Bethenny liked the cake, or…she wouldn't have had it on display for the world to see AND she wouldn't have asked me again 2 weeks ago 🍭l will continue to work with influencers. Most of them are lovely, have so much integrity and respect for small businesses. 🎤One of my best friends is legitimately the sister of the billionaire that Ms. B named drop 🪬Any anti-Semitic comments will be deleted. So inappropriate and hateful #sugarhi #customcakes #bocaraton #bethennyfrankel ♬ original sound – sugarhi_official

The TikTok comes amid ongoing conversation about Bethenny’s influence in the consumer and product space. Bethenny has built a massive social media presence through her blunt reviews, brand recommendations, and product callouts, often saying that her opinion moves major sales.

But this latest claim has sparked a larger debate about celebrity gifting, small businesses, and whether influencers should be more mindful when accepting expensive products from brands hoping for exposure.

As of now, Bethenny has not publicly responded to the bakery owner’s allegations.

Bethenny Frankel is pulling back the curtain on just how much money she is making from her brand deals, and the number is massive.

The former Real Housewives of New York City star has built an empire far beyond Bravo, from Skinnygirl to real estate, licensing, product reviews, social media and major brand partnerships. And now, Bethenny is revealing that her influencer business alone brings in tens of millions of dollars.

While appearing on the Tuesday, May 19 episode of Emma Grede’s Aspire podcast, Bethenny shared just how lucrative her brand deals have become.

“It’s tens of millions of dollars,” Bethenny said, specifically referring to her brand deals. “[This is] not including my other businesses, my real estate, my licensing. We’re talking, like, $20-plus million.”

Bethenny, 55, said the reason companies are willing to pay her so much is because of the trust she has built with her audience. Known for her blunt product reviews and no nonsense delivery, Bethenny says she only promotes products she actually likes and does not want to be locked into deals that limit what she can say.

“I’m very trusted, and partners come to me for their marketing budgets. Like, multibillion-dollar companies come to me to figure out how they’re going to spend,” Frankel said. “[I can talk about] anything I want, and they want that because they know that I’m smart and I’m not going to jeopardize what we’re discussing together and the products that I’ve truthfully loved and endorsed of theirs because I truly love them, which is how we got here.”

Bethenny also explained that brands should not come to her expecting a basic scripted ad.

“If there’s an ingredient that I need to mention because it should be mentioned, of course, you’re going to do it,” she said. “You shouldn’t be coming to me to read a boring script. That’s not what I’m here for.”

The Skinnygirl founder admitted that she has never publicly shared this kind of number before and said part of the reason she kept it private was because she knew people would have strong opinions.

“I have never put the number out there until today,” Bethenny said. “I’m not that comfortable with it just because it’ll make people mad at me. … I believe that people shouldn’t work for free. Interns, I pay. I don’t believe in anybody working for free, and if you’re moving product and you’re affecting an outcome, honestly, then I believe you should be compensated. So, I don’t feel guilty about it.”

Bethenny also credited part of her success to the fact that she does not fit neatly into one audience category. While many influencers are placed into a specific demographic, Bethenny says her appeal crosses age groups.

“I just don’t fit into any singular mold, so people are not understanding what it is because it’s strange that I walk Sports Illustrated with 25-year-olds,” Bethenny said. “There’s nobody my age there, but it’s not like they’re giving me the ‘token grandma’ role. It’s landing because moms are saying, ‘Thank you for not disqualifying us as a group.’ I could be alienating moms, but I’m not.”

Bethenny’s business success has long been part of her public persona. During her years on RHONY, fans watched her build Skinnygirl into a household name, and after leaving the franchise, she leaned even harder into lifestyle, consumer products and social media.

Now, Bethenny says she is thinking even bigger.

“The Bethenny seal is something we’re talking about. Retailers are going to have sections with my stuff,” she teased of possibly creating a “seal of approval” for certain brands and products. “And, like I said, the equity deals that I’ve interested in … of things that I’m passionate about.”

For Bethenny, the takeaway is simple. Her opinion moves product, and she believes she should be paid accordingly.

And whether people love it or hate it, Bethenny is making it clear that her post Housewives empire is not just thriving. It is bringing in serious money.