Bethenny Frankel Confirms Mystery Illness, Hopes to Set Positive Example

As hinted at in the first trailer for The Real Housewives of New York City Season 8, Bethenny Frankel is battling a pretty serious medical issue at the moment.

But that’s all the reality star will really say about her condition at the moment.

“I’m facing a women’s health issue that many women can relate to,” Frankel told People this week, refusing to divulge anything further.

Despite offering few details, Bethenny says she hopes those who watch The Real Housewives of New York City online or on television will learn from her example.

“I’m dealing with it head on and viewers will understand how I personally deal with matters such as this,” Frankel says. “I hope women can relate, learn and support each other in life moments like this.”

We sincerely hope Bethenny is okay.

But is she using her illness as a way to tease new episodes of her reality show?

Because that’s pretty low, even for a Real Housewife of Bravo.

In the aforementioned trailer for The Real Housewives of New York City, Frankel was seen reacting to frightening news related to this topic, tearfully saying, “I have to do surgery” and that she needs to explore a “living will.”

The Real Housewives of New York City returns April 6 at 9/8c on Bravo.

Does Bethenny using her medical condition as a promotional tool make you more or less likely to tune in?

View Slideshow: 20 Really Big Real Housewives Scandals

Michelle & Jim Bob Duggar Send Birthday Wishes to Josh Duggar in Rehab

It’s been six months since Josh Duggar checked into rehab to be treated for addictions to sex and pornography, and the troubled father of four is still receiving in-patient care at the Reformers Unanimous facility in rural Illinois.

Yesterday, was Josh’s 28th birthday, and while we don’t know if his family visited him in rehab as they did around Christmas, we do know that he was on his parents’ minds, thanks to a heartfelt birthday wish Jim Bob and Michelle posted to Facebook:

“Today is our son Josh’s birthday. The heartache of the past year cannot surpass the joy 28 years ago on this day when we first became parents!” the couple wrote on their family’s official Facebook page.

“We love you Josh and believe your best days can be ahead of you. We continue to pray for you every day.”

While the Duggars have continued to acknowledge Josh’s misdeeds on social media and in other public forums, it’s rare to hear them speak favorably about their eldest son.

Josh’s many sexual indiscretions led to the destruction of his once-beloved family’s reputation, and even resulted in the cancelation of 19 Kids and Counting, the TLC reality series that made the Duggars famous.

Now, after a successful three-episode run of their spinoff series last year, Josh’s sisters are preparing to return to TV with a full season of Jill and Jessa: Counting On.

Initially, there were rumors that Josh would make an appearance on the series, but now that it’s been confirmed that he’s still in rehab, we’re guessing his family and the network are taking an “out of sight, out of mind” approach to Josh and his many scandals.

View Slideshow: Josh Duggar Sex Scandal Timeline: How His Family’s Empire Crumbled

Bobbi Kristina Brown: Official Cause of Death Confirmed

Today, Bobbi Kristina Brown would have turned 23.

Instead, the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office in Atlanta, GA released Brown’s official cause of death.

On January 31st, 2015, Brown was found face-down in a bathtub in the home she shared with boyfriend Nick Gordon.

Marijuana, alcohol and well as prescription sedatives were involved in Brown’s death, according to the medical examiner’s office.

“The underlying cause of death is the condition which starts the downhill course of events leading to death and in this case is the immersion associated with drug intoxication,” the official statement read, according to ABC News.

After being found unresponsive that day, Brown was put in a medically induced coma, and died nearly six months later on July 26th, 2015. 

She is buried next to her mother, Whitney Houston in New Jersey.

Media outlets filed a request to have the autopsy results sealed, which a judge granted on March 3rd, 2016.

Gordon has been accused of murdering Brown by her family members in a civil suit, who claim he injected the then-22-year-old with “poison.”

Attorneys for both the Brown and Houston families claimed that Brown “died following a particularly violent altercation with [Gordon] that left her battered and bruised, with a tooth knocked out.”

Brown’s fatal circumstances were eerily similar to her mother’s, who passed away in February 2012 when authorities found her face-down in a bathtub inside the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA

View Slideshow: Bobbi Kristina Brown: Mourned, Honored on Twitter

Grey"s Anatomy Season 12 Episode 12 Recap: She"s a Screamer!

Think a lot went down on Grey’s Anatomy Season 12 Episode 12?

Let’s recap:

Watch Grey’s Anatomy Season 12 Episode 12 Online

We learned more about April and Jackson’s troubled relationship…. Richard got into the way of Maggie and Andrew’s romance… Arizona took a step forward in her love life… Alex sort of received an answer to his proposal… and Meredith discovered the truth about Owen and Nathan’s feud.

Got all that? No?

Okay, let’s really recap:

April to Arizona that she wanted to enjoy being “happy for the first time in a year” before dropping the baby bombshell on Jackson because she had no idea how that would change things.

Then there was Katie Bryce, a former patient of Derek’s who was readmitted to Grey Sloan and Meredith’s first surgery as an intern. Yes, we went way back in the day for this one.

Bryce openly expressed shock that a “train wreck” such as Meredith could be a doctor, while also wondering (right to Amelia’s face) whether Amelia was as reliable a surgeon as her brother.

This jolted her confidence, to the point where she tried to call things off with Owen, but he assured her that she could handle the procedure.

As for Jo and Alex? The former asked the latter what he was going to do with the engagement ring she found in the drawer.

The latter asked for an answer; the former still refused to give one; and then she later told Stephanie that she doesn’t want the ring “right now.”

Pretty annoying way for Grey’s Anatomy Season 12 to keep dragging out this storyline.

View Slideshow: 24 Heartbreaking Shondaland Deaths… Ranked!

Richard, meanwhile, kept giving Andrew assignments to keep him away from Maggie, prompting Maggie to reveal to her lover that Richard is her dad.

Oh, and Arizona mentioned to Richard that Andrew’s girlfriend, who he brought up once, is a “screamer.”

Toward the end of the hour, we saw that Katie made it through her surgery, but that Meredith and Nathan lost their patient.

After pressing from Meredith, Nathan finally explained that he allowed his sister, Meg, to board a helicopter that disappeared because there was only room for one doctor and it was her patient on board.

“I don’t go asking about your dead husband, do I?” he finally snapped at Meredith after all the questioning.

Can you blame the guy for getting so upset?

Finally, Jo told Alex that she isn’t ready for the ring. But that she doesn’t want it “gone” either. Sigh.

Go watch Grey’s Anatomy online to relive the best moments from the episode and sound off in the Comments below.