The women are both mothers and entrepreneurs!
Bethenny Frankel has a lot in common with the Real Housewives of New York cast member.
Following news that Frankel will not return to the Bravo show for its upcoming 12th season, a source told ET that Leah McSweeney will appear on the show. According to the source, McSweeney, who is a friend of fellow housewife Tinsley Mortimer, will either serve as a friend on the show or a full-time Housewife.
Whatever her role, McSweeney's involvement may lessen the disappointment of Frankel's fans, as the two women have a lot of unexpected things in common. Keep reading for all the ways Frankel, 48, and McSweeney, 36, are similar.
They are both writers.
While Frankel is a five-time New York Times bestselling author -- her books include Skinnydipping and I Suck at Relationships So You Don't Have To -- McSweeney also knows her way around a keyboard thanks to her work at Penthouse as a columnist. While at Penthouse, McSweeney penned an article titled "My Woke Boyfriend and I Almost Broke Up Over Jordan Peterson" as well as an interview with comedian Andrew Schulz.
They are both moms to daughters.
Frankel shares her 9-year-old daughter, Bryn, with her ex, Jason Hoppy, whom she split with back in 2016.
McSweeney, meanwhile, has a 12-year-old daughter, Kier, with her ex, Rob. According to essay McSweeney penned for Hypebae, she and Rob called it quits when Kier "was around 1" and split custody 50/50.
They are both entrepreneurs.
Aside from her Housewives fame, Frankel's notoriety comes largely from her company, Skinnygirl. According to its website, Skinnygirl is a "lifestyle movement," which features apparel, skin and hair care and food and alcohol products.
McSweeney's running her own brand too, having founded Married to the Mob, a street-inspired fashion line for women, back in 2004. The new RHONY cast member describes her brand as "bold, edgy, and unapologetically feminist" on its website.
They're both Instagram babes.
Both women love a good bikini pic on Instagram. In recent pics, Frankel sported a pink swimsuit writing that "less is more," while McSweeney quipped that she was "trying to spend as much time in a bikini as possible."
They are both involved in media ventures.
After news of her departure broke, Frankel told ET that part of the reason for the change was her "production partnership with Mark Burnett," which, according to her website, is "a multi-year deal" that will see her produce "unscripted television products." Additionally, Frankel has appeared on ABC's Shark Tank and started her own TV production company, B Real-ity.
McSweeney is clearly interested in media as well, something she demonstrates through her podcast, Improper Etiquette. On its website, McSweeney says the podcast, which she co-hosts with radio personality Laura Stylez, discusses "current events, mental health, sex and relationships" in an effort to show "what it means to be a boss woman."
Watch the video below for more on Frankel's RHONY exit.
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