Bethenny Frankel Says She Was Punched in Face Amid Random NYC Attacks on Women

In a since-deleted comment on a TikTok video of fashion design student, Mikayla Toninato, detailing her own assault, The Real Housewives of New York City alum revealed she too was randomly punched on a Manhattan street earlier this year.

"This is insane bc this happened to me a few months ago but I was embarrassed to say," Frankel wrote. "I was on the UWS [Upper West Side]. Insane. I was taking video of a bakery."

Frankel later addressed the incident in a TikTok video of her own Thursday, in which she

"I actually recorded my reaction to it that day but felt embarrassed or weird to post it," Frankel told her followers. "Here's what happened: I was in New York City looking for an apartment, and I stopped at this cute little deli/bakery tiny place. And I walked in and I was shooting the baked goods, and as I turned around -- I mean, the place was the sized of a bathroom -- turned around to walk out the door, was walking out the door and this guy punched me. Hit me, it wasn't like a closed fist. Just hit me in the face, and I was completely stunned."

The former reality star said she got her security involved but quickly left the area, and ultimately put the kibosh on apartment hunting for the day after being so put off by the attack she just experienced.

"I attributed this to the crime that was happening during the pandemic. Little did I know, that this would become this trend of people getting hit. And even when I commented in that post, I didn't know it had been multiple people," she went on to say. "... It's a crazy crime spree and I don't understand it."

She also claims that she did not delete the comment she left on Toninato's post, and is not sure why it disappeared from the video.

Frankel's revelation comes after more than 25 women have come forward and shared their stories of being attacked in NYC in broad daylight in recent months.

One woman said she was assaulted walking home from class. Another said she was assaulted on her way to work. A third woman said she was attacked walking her dog. At least two of the women described suspects with similar characteristics.

Influencer Halley Kate shared her story as recently as Monday, showing off a huge bump on her forehead after telling her followers that a man came up and punched her "in the face."

"You guys, I was literally just walking, and a man came up and punched me in the face," she said through tears. "Oh my God, it's so bad. I can't even talk."

In a subsequent video shared to her account, Kate said that she went to urgent care after the assault, and revealed that the attack was reported to police.

While not confirmed, the attacks appear to be part of a alleged trend emerging in NYC called the "knockout game" in which young people dare each other to sucker-punch a stranger.

The NYPD released a statement Thursday following Kate's viral video, informing citizens that the individual that attacked her has been arrested and charged and is a "criminal recidivist" with an "extensive" criminal record.

"Your NYPD detectives were able to identify this man after he was previously arrested for similar attacks, only to be released back onto our streets," the statement read. "This incident will be his third arrest in the past six months. Your officers will continue to remain resilient in their efforts to stop violent criminals, ensuring the safety of our communities."

While this arrest comes as welcomed news, many women online have expressed that seeing the videos of other women sharing their alleged experiences have left them feeling uneasy.

"I have never felt so unsafe in the city than I do now," reality TV personality Melinda Melrose, who was on the show Too Hot to Handle, said in a TikTok video of her own. "This is another reason why I packed all my things out of my apartment, put them in storage and I'm moving. I do not got time to end up on the news and become someone's victim."

See more videos of women who have come forward below:

TooFab has reached out to Frankel's reps for comment.