Bethenny Frankel’s Skinny Girl Margarita Dropped by Whole Foods?

it's skinny, but is it healthy?

Bad news for Bravo reality television star turned SkinnyGirl mogul, Bethenny Frankel. After discovering an undesirable preservative in Frankel’s SkinnyGirl Margarita blend, Whole Foods has allegedely decided that the low-cal concoction did not meet its high standards, and they would not continue selling it.

In an official statement, Whole Foods said, “After discovering that SkinnyGirl Margarita contains a preservative that does not meet our quality standards, we have had to stop selling it.”

Bethenny Frankel fired back at Whole Foods, insisting that it was she who decided to pull SkinnyGirl Margarita from Whole Foods shelves. Though what motive would Frankel have in turning her back on the organic retail giant? Frankel’s explaination doesn’t seem plausible.

This was certainly a weighty blow for Fortune Brands, Inc., who acquired Bethenny Frankel’s SkinnyGirl Margarita back in March of 2011 (Reuters) for its Fortune’s Beam Global Spirits & Wine division. Fortune’s made the acquisition for an undisclosed amount that has been speculated to be anywhere from $8 million to $120 million.

Fortune Brands stands behind its new product, explaining that SkinnyGirl Margarita “contains very low levels of Sodium Benzoate (a preservative), so it can stay on the shelves (AOL Huff Post).”

As if being dropped by Whole Foods wasn’t enough, AOL Huff Post is now coming down hard on the reality star, claiming that Bethenny Frankel has misrepresented her level of financial success to the public by allowing the general public to believe that she sold SkinnyGirl Margarita to Fortune Brands, Inc. for an astronomical $120 million, when in fact the figure is allegedly nowhere near that figure.

Bethenny Frankel has never confirmed that she made $120 million from the sale of her SkinnyGirl Margarita, but she hasn’t denied the number either.

“As for Fortune Brands, Inc.,” states AOL Huff Post, “the company says that they do not disclose how much money they purchase brands for, stating, ‘As a matter of company policy, we do not disclose the financial details of our transactions.’”