Key Takeaways
- Bethenny Frankel has joined the dating industry with her venture The Core, which hosted its inaugural and uber-exclusive in-person dating event in January.
- Frankel made waves in the dating industry when she called matchmaking a scam on social media, prompting backlash from professional matchmakers.
- Frankel claims matchmakers “trap you with money,” yet access to her own dating platform reportedly costs around $1,200 at its higher tier.
Bethenny Frankel has officially joined the dating industry with the launch of her new uber-exclusive dating platform, The Core.
And “exclusive” is putting it mildly: The entrepreneur and reality TV star hosted an invite-only dinner date event in Miami for just 25 elite guests ranging from “athletes, A-list actresses, comedians, tech moguls, and very high-profile plastic surgeons, to say the very least,” she told The Hollywood Reporter.
Back in October, Frankel described how her initial “dating concept” turned into “a not-for-profit dating community where likeminded, aligned, intentional individuals want to meet a life partner now.”
If you take Frankel’s word for it, The Core is the hottest date spot in town (metaphorically speaking; for now, the only dating event has taken place in Miami, though Frankel has plans to bring The Core community to other cities).
“I need there to be real couples, real connections.”
She claimed that “hundreds of people [were] begging to come” to the Miami event, and emphasized The Core’s dedication to finding true diamonds in the rough.
“Every single person was vetted,” Frankel said. “There could have been 10 more people in the room to fill the space, but … it had to be curated.” Frankel explained how the platform is more of a members-only club than a dating app — for now.
Despite investors “throwing money at me,” as Frankel put it, she’s focused less on the platform’s infrastructure and more on brand awareness. Last year, she told Alex Cooper on the Call Her Daddy podcast that she’s planning on implementing “white label” tech down the line.
“I’m not trying to rush tech or scam people,” she told THR. “We’re building the brand first. But the money always comes. I need to preserve the brand. I need there to be real couples, real connections.”
Frankel Called Matchmakers “A Complete Scam”
Frankel hasn’t shied away from controversy throughout The Core’s rollout. She told the Hollywood Reporter that the word “matchmaker” isn’t welcome anywhere near The Core. “We don’t use that word,” she said. “Apps trap you — they want you to stay. Matchmakers trap you with money.”
Frankel has a history of criticizing dating industry professionals. In September 2025, she referred to matchmakers as a “complete scam” and “a waste of time” in a video posted to Instagram.
“Not that they are criminals,” she clarified. “Just that [matchmaking is] overall a broken model that makes people feel soulless, soulcrushing, miserable, lonely, alone, undesirable …. It’s a terrible model,” she said.
Some matchmakers did not take kindly to Frankel’s words. Matchmaker and founder of Met By Nick took to Threads with a tongue-in-cheek response.
“Matchmakers trap you with money.”
“Bethenny is a hero because she charges for… well, also her time and brand, but it’s different because she has a Skinnygirl brand that just came out with a low calorie, fat free, zero sugar, Zesty Balsamic Avocado oil salad dressing.”
Matchmaker Anna Morgenstern also spoke out about Frankel’s comments. “I’m so happy that she’s helping people, but I definitely don’t love her bashing matchmakers, dating apps, meeting people in person,” she said in an Instagram reel.
In yet another video, Frankel responded to the backlash. “There are exceptions to every rule,” she said, and went on to describe a positive experience she had with matchmaker Patti Stanger.
Frankel’s comments may have ruffled feathers in the industry she’s trying to join, but anyone who has engaged with the entrepreneur’s content in the past knows that ruffled feathers are her status quo. “I’m about to disrupt the matchmaking/dating app space,” she emphasized in a video.
The Core Membership Reportedly Starts At $1,200
So, how exactly does The Core stand apart from the matchmakers and dating apps of the world? Frankel says matchmakers “trap you with money,” yet membership for The Core’s highest “connection” tier begins at $1,200/year, according to Bloomberg. The lower-tier “community membership” is around $50.
For Frankel, the biggest difference between The Core and traditional dating or matchmaking platforms is The Core’s ability to make sure only the highest-quality people with crystal-clear intentions are involved. “People are obsessed with the community aspect of it,” she told the Hollywood Reporter.
“Because you’re part of this community, it doesn’t matter if you go on a date and don’t like someone — you still know they’re a good person,“ she said of The Core’s inaugural dating event. “Nobody has any hard feelings … Everybody wants everyone else to win. That community aspect was what was so amazing.”
Matchmaker Maria Avgitidis of Agape Match said she shares Frankel’s enthusiasm for the community matchmakers provide for their clients.
“There’s enough singles to go around.”
“I think it’s great whenever someone wants to join the matchmaking space and gather community with them,” Avgitidis told DatingNews. “It’s so important to have community, and I know Bethenny is fantastic at that!”
Frankel’s disillusionment isn’t just with matchmaking, but with apps and modern dating culture in general. “If you don’t have money, you are your own matchmaker,” she said in a video. “You’re not trying to check a box, fill a quota, and just shove somebody in a table to make somebody think you matched them up … I don’t believe in the model.”
Frankel may not believe in the matchmaking model, but Avgitidis says there’s room for everyone in the dating industry. “If [Frankel] ever wants to see the cool tech we have behind the scenes, I would be more than happy to show her!” Avgitidis told us. “The industry has some really collaborative people.”
As far as competition goes, Avgitidis chose diplomacy over disparagement. “At the end of the day, singles will choose the dating company — be it a dating app, a traditional matchmaker, or singles community — that they feel will have the kind of person they’re looking for,” she told us. “Luckily, there’s enough singles to go around.”
