Bethenny Frankel has stated that she was a victim of a startling ‘trend’ in New York City that sees women harassed on the street.
The 53-year-old Real Housewives star stated in a comment on a viral TikTok video about a similar incident that she was in the Big Apple when a man slapped her in the face.
Mikayla Toninato, a fashion student, reported that she was strolling along looking at her phone when she was unexpectedly slapped in the face by a guy, prompting several comments from her friends and TikTok followers highlighting similar instances from the city recently.
‘I turned the corner and I was looking down at my phone and texting, and then out of nowhere this man just came up and hit me in the face,’ Toninato said in the video.
‘I just texted my friends like: “Hi, I just got punched in the face,”’” and then they sent me a TikTok of this other girl in New York who got punched in the face.
‘I don’t know if this is like a thing that’s going around,’ she continued. ‘But I guess if you’re in New York right now and you’re walking while looking at your phone, maybe don’t do that.’
Frankel wrote in the comment section: ‘This is insane [because] this happened to me a few months ago but I was embarrassed to say. I was on the UWS. Insane. I was taking video of a bakery.’
Her comment is now not visible on the video, but TMZ were told she did not delete it herself.
Other tales like Frankel’s appeared in the clip’s comments section, with many pointing to two other popular videos featuring other women who had similar experiences.
Tiktokker Olivia Brand took to the site earlier this month and shared: ‘I literally just got punched by some man on the sidewalk. He goes, “Sorry,” and then punches me in the head.’
Meanwhile, influencer Halley Kate Mcgookin posted a video just after her experience, in which she claimed in between tears: ‘You guys, I was literally just walking and a man came up and punched me in the face. Oh my god, it hurts so bad. I can’t even talk.
‘Literally I fell to the ground and now this giant goose egg is forming and I’m like, oh my god. It’s so crazy.’
Mcgookin reported the alleged incident to police, who filed a complaint on Monday, according to a Deputy Commissioner Public Information spokeswoman. On Wednesday, the NYPD arrested 40-year-old Stora Skiboky on charges of assault.
A DCPI representative stated, “There is a report on file for assault within the 10th Precinct.” A 23-year-old female told police that on Monday, March 25, 2024, at around 1020 a.m., she was walking between West 16 Street and 7 Avenue when she was hit in the head by an unknown man.
‘The victim fell to the ground and had injuries to the left side of her face. The victim received treatment at a local medical institution.
An investigation is underway.
