Bethenny Frankel burst into tears Wednesday while recounting her bitter breakup with a husband who vowed to “destroy” the fallen reality TV star.
The canceled talk show host and former “Real Housewives of New York” star said estranged husband Jason Hoppy wanted to inflict maximum damage on her public persona.
“He said, ‘I’m going to destroy you,’ ” Frankel testified through tears in Manhattan Supreme Court during the couple’s acrimonious child-custody battle.
“’I’m going to have you and your publicist crumbling and crying in the corner.’”
Hoppy, a pharmaceutical sales rep, wasn’t pleased when Frankel told him — via a letter in 2012 — that she wanted a divorce.
He allegedly responded by threatening to turn their made-for-TV marriage into a real-life nightmare.
Frankel quoted Hoppy, a part-time personal trainer, as threatening: “You told me to buckle up and I’m buckling up and now you’re going to see what I was like on the basketball court.”
Hoppy also hit the pseudo-celebrity where it hurt most, telling the former “Skating with the Stars” contestant that she was “already losing fans.” He promised to “ruin” her.
The domestic drama unfolded off-camera with Frankel calling the Hazleton, Pa., native “white trash,” the sniffling 43-year-old told the judge.
She called him “disgusting” for allegedly getting an investor to finance his divorce.
“I thought that was a trashy thing to do,” Frankel cried, glancing at her soon-to-be ex from across the courtroom.
Dressed in patent leather Manolo Blahniks, a red slit pencil skirt and a black and white silk blazer, Frankel had remained stoic throughout three hours of testimony on Wednesday before breaking down.
She is seeking sole decision-making authority and primary custody of the couple’s 4-year-old daughter, Bryn.
Hoppy is asking for shared time with the child.
Frankel filed for divorce in January 2013, three years after selling her “Skinnygirl” products for $100 million.
After a break in testimony so Frankel could regain her composure, she recalled asking her husband for a quick, quiet divorce settlement.
She repeated her plea from the stand.
“I said, ‘Let’s make this go away quickly because we don’t want it to be a spectacle,’” said Frankel, whose marriage, honeymoon and even the birth of her baby were filmed and broadcast to millions of fans.
But Hoppy didn’t want to play ball.
“He said, `You’re a piece of s—t,’ he said, `You’re garbage,’ he said, `We’re going all the way baby. Buckle up!’ ” Frankel said, recalling her husband’s insults and threats.
Frankel will be cross-examined by her spouse’s attorney, Bernard Clair, Wednesday afternoon.