Bethenny Frankel Backtracks Taylor Swift Shade: 'I Was Baiting You'

Bethenny Frankel is baiting people online, but the heat seems too hot to handle!

The reality star, known for her unfiltered opinions, has come forward to clarify her recent eyebrow-raising comment about Travis Kelce owing his fame to Taylor Swift. The wrath from NFL fans must have been too much to bear, as the reality TV star now admits she was trying to provoke a reaction.

Less than a day after saying the professional athlete "was put on the map" by the pop sensation, the TV personality decided to quickly upload another video on her Instagram story retracting her words. Frankel started her apology, saying:

"I know some of you are mad at me, I'm sorry that I said that Travis was put on the map by Taylor Swift."

She also admitted, "I know that Travis was on the football map, and he's a 2-time Superbowl champion, I've learned. He is a very successful podcaster, and he's an incredible football player." 

The "Z Rock" guest star then explained that her controversial comment about the rumored couple was meant to be taken humorously. Taking back her words, she clarified:

"But I need you to know that I was just baiting you. You took the bait. I was just doing what they're doing over on that other app, the one that starts with a T, where I do have some friends, don't be jealous."

The mother-of-one disclosed that on the app, "they are doing something very humorous where they're saying to their life partner, 'Can you believe that Taylor put Travis on the map.'" 

She emphasized again that it was "just a joke, it's in jest," adding, "He's wonderful, he's amazing, he's a nationally famous football star, she happens to be a global icon, so all in good fun." 

Frankel struck the hornet's nest, in case you missed it, when she uploaded a video of herself pointing out that Kelce was unknown and credited Swift for making him famous. The actress stated:

"It's not only that she put him on the map, she drew the map, she charted the course that we're going to take when we utilize the map, and she took him like a claw in the arcade as a toy and put him on the map. That's how we really feel. Never heard his name in my whole life."

Even after she admitted that the 33-year-old was successful in his own right, NFL enthusiasts were far from amused by her post, with many vehemently disagreeing. An exasperated fan exclaimed, "Omg no, she didn't put him on the map!!!!"

They proceeded to list his impressive achievements, including being a "2× Super Bowl champion, 4× First-team All-Pro selections, 3×Second-team All-Pro selections and 8× Pro Bowler." The person capped off their argument by emphasizing, "if you were a football fan, you'd know he was a hall of famer long before this. Good grief 🤦🏽‍♀️."

Another user added, "Bethenny, he was already on the map! He is HUGE in the world of football!" One netizen even advised Frankel to "really delete this post." At the same time, someone else, who felt her comment was absurd, noted that "to say that Taylor put him on the map is giving her WAY too much credit." 

Little by little, more people realize that football fans do not play about their athletes. The latest trend on the platform had women playfully needling their football-devoted partners, all thanks to the buzz around Kelce's rumored romance with Swift. 

Notably, even his brother, Jason Kelce, joined the fun. On their recent podcast episode, he could not resist quipping, "Trav, how's it feel that Taylor Swift has finally put you on the map?" While it might have been recognized as a joke between the brothers, other die-hards were not thrilled about it, leading to comical reactions.

Luckily, The Blast shared one of the funny meltdowns. One TikToker @kelleylorraine_ jokingly told her husband that the singer was "helping him get his career going and put him on the map."

This shocked him so much that his initial reaction ranged from surprise to anger as he sarcastically quipped, "Because his career didn't explode when he was winning Super Bowls?"

His wife then made it worse by acting even more clueless and asking, "Did he win Super Bowls?" "No. Kelly. Stop," he exclaimed, rising from his chair heatedly before adding, "From the moment I walked through here until now. Don't ever repeat that again." 

The post garnered a lot of attention, with the NFL's page also commenting, "omgggg 😂😭." This prompted the creator to respond humorously, "Should I try and get some Travis Kelce concert tickets for him and the stress I caused?😏😂 wanna help??🤔"