Fellow Former 'New York Housewive' Bethany Frankel Comments On Fired Four

An ex-"Real Housewives of New York City" cast member who got out while the getting was good claims her four former castmates' firings didn't catch her off-guard.

Bethany Frankel wasn't among the four housewives that Bravo recently let go before the show starts filming its fifth season. She left voluntarily after the fourth season, developed her own successful spin-off(s) and went on to have considerable success in business with her Skinny Girl brand of cocktails, which she successfully sold to Fortune Brands.

Frankel feels that Bravo letting go of Cindy Barshop, Jill Zarin, Alex McCord and Kelly Bensimon Sept. 18 wasn't just inevitable because of the nature of the show, but also a savvy business decision, she told E!Online.

"I'm not surprised only because it's been the same cast for so many years and Bravo…likes to make changes," she said. "They probably just felt like it was time for a change. People do that in relationships, they do that in work strategy.

"I did leave on top. It was all very planned out. I knew this was the type of place you don't want to overstay your welcome," Frankel said of her own exit. "I always say, 'You don't want to be the one in the nightclub at two in the morning where everyone looks pretty scary.' The girls are probably a little nervous and scared, because it's change. It can be lucrative when you get a lot of attention, but I also think it's very tiring. They'll get to relax a little more and not be scrutinized all the time."

Zarin and Barshop have both made statements since the firings expressing their gratitude to the network for the exposure. Zarin claims she'll next be touring the U.S. promoting her slimwear and leggins line Skweez Couture. Barshop hinted that she has spin-off of her own in the works, and that the show gave her a national platform for promoting her national Completely Bare spa and her favorite children's charities.