Bethenny Frankel responds to Travis Kelce’s dad calling her troll after Taylor Swift criticism

‘I do actually understand and admire a parent coming to their child’s defence,’ Bethenny Frankel says on her podcast

Bethenny Frankel has hilariously responded to Travis Kelce’s father Ed calling her a “troll,” after she criticised the Kanas City Chief star’s relationship with Taylor Swift.

The 53-year-old reality star shared an episode of her podcast, Just B With Bethenny Frankel, on 27 February to react to Ed’s remark. His comment also came in response to Frankel’s thoughts about Travis and Swift, in which she argued that they were both a “peacock,” meaning they both liked to be in the spotlight.

In the new episode, titled “Just B Rant: Trol Call”, Frankel noted that while Travis Kelce’s dad “called [her] a troll,” she wasn’t necessarily criticising Ed for speaking up. However, she did acknowledge that she wished he’d responded to her claims about the couple in a different way.

“I do actually understand and admire a parent coming to their child’s defence, particularly when they’re asked about it,” she said. “I’m sure he was asked about it. I’m sure he didn’t just come out of the gate. I  just wish he would have expressed an opinion versus just a verbal insult, because I think, you know, as we teach our kids, it’s better to express yourself than to just criticise.”

The Real Housewives of New York star expressed that when she says “something about someone or someone’s actions or behaviour,” she’s doing that to explain “something that [she] doesn’t agree with”. She then poked fun at how Ed’s one remark towards her was still quick to make headlines, while questioning how he seemingly chose to defend his child.

“I think back on Housewives was the last time and maybe the only time that I would actually just say something that’s a verbal insult,” she said. “So I’m a Mama bear, and I get that, but calling me a troll, which of course is amazing clickbait and yay for Travis Kelsey’s dad, but it seems like he’s defending his son.”

She also clarified that she “wasn’t even criticising” Travis and Swift’s relationship in her initial comments, and that she was just claiming that there’s usually “only one peacock in a relationship”, which she doesn’t believe is the case for the beloved couple. She then added that she “stood by” her thoughts about the singer and athlete both being “peacocks”, before referring to a viral moment at the Super Bowl where Travis sparked criticism for yelling at coach Andy Reid.

“Just like loud and gregarious and like needed to be the centre of attention,” Frankel said about someone she previously dated. “I think that’s who Travis is. I did not mention him pushing his coach, which is a physical expression versus using your words and having a conversation, which is kind of like what his dad did.”

After claiming that Ed “used an insult instead of using his intellect” when calling her a troll, she emphasised that she wasn’t taking back what she’d said about the Travis and Swift, who’ve been dating since the summer of 2023.

“So the Swifties can come for me. But I’m going to defend myself when I have said that they were in my mount rushmore of couples, the two of them,” she said. “I mean, they’re on top of the world.”

She continued to defend her thoughts about the pair, claiming that “there are two peacocks in this relationship, and it usually doesn’t work”. She noted that she doesn’t have to think the pair will “get married and spend the rest of their lives together,” even though she hopes they do if that’s what they wanted.

She concluded her remarks by expressing her amusement over Ed calling her a troll, and once again standing by her comments regarding the “Anti-Hero” singer and NFL star.

“But also for his dad to kind of get into, it is also just funny,” she concluded. “Now it’s just a little absurd, but it’s making headlines. So, sorry not sorry.”

In a post shared to her Instagram Story earlier this month, Frankel first shared her thoughts about Swift and Kelce being in the spotlight, with claims that they were both “peacocks” in the relationship. Based on Frankel’s experience, there can only be one “peacock” in a romance.

“When you get into real life and you get into kids and marriage and things like that — it’s not easy. Relationships take work,” she said. “And it’s hard, because Taylor Swift is certainly a peacock. So there really, usually, can only be one peacock in a relationship.”

Frankel used her past partner as an example of how them being a “peacock” didn’t work out. “This person just wanted to party and take it to a 10, and often I just wanted to take it to an eight,” she said.

When Ed first spotted the comments that Frankel made, he took to Facebook to call her out, commenting on a post: “Who TF is this troll?”

Frankel’s remarks came as Kelce and Swift have been navigating their relationship while in the spotlight. Last week, the athlete even flew to Sydney, Australia to see one of Swift’s concerts for her Eras Tour leg. Last month, Swift went to Las Vegas to see Kelce play in the Super Bowl, one night after performing in Tokyo, Japan.