Doctors sometimes get it wrong, and Real Housewives of New York star Bethenny Frankel is learning all about that. She took to Instagram to share about her “pretty major” misdiagnosis, although she hasn’t gone into the latest details.
Earlier this year, Frankel had opened up about being diagnosed with stage 2 chronic kidney disease. It was a scary revelation, which has led to multiple medical appointments and lifestyle changes. However, in her recent checkup, she has learned that this may not be the issue, and it’s left her “very confused.”
The Skinnygirl founder shared on Aug. 3, 2026 via social media that she had been to see a network of medical specialists to review her biometrics. Only then did she get the update that she had previously been misdiagnosed. While she hasn’t fully confirmed that the misdiagnosis was linked to her previous kidney disease announcement, there are signs that it is.
While in the post, she made it clear that she didn’t go to see some “vanity concierge doctor.” She wanted to point out that the specialists are “legitimate” and went on to share that people shouldn’t believe everything they read on the internet or that they get from an AI chatbot.
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Frankel went on to share that she had been “operating with the idea that I have this…and it’s very confusing.” She doesn’t want to put the blame on one person, though, and refused to name any names or go into more details. In fact, she hadn’t even planned on sharing the update, but decided that she needed to make sure others were aware that this can and does happen, so that they can get the treatment needed.
This was the same reason the Real Housewives alum let everyone know about her chronic kidney disease diagnosis in the first place. In January, she shared that she wanted to make sure people got their bloodwork done. She wasn’t sure what it meant for her that she had received this diagnosis, and now it’s unclear what she’s living with.
It’s not the first time that the 55-year-old has shared her medical issues with her followers. She has raised awareness about multiple health conditions, including long COVID and POTS, through her social media channels. Her general advice is to get checkups and always turn to medical professionals rather than relying on AI.
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