It's On! Bethenny Frankel Feuding With 'RHONY' Co-Star Heather Thomson — Why They're Fighting

The claws are out in Manhattan! Filming for The Real Housewives of New York City is finally heating up as Bethenny Frankel and co-star Heather Thomson trade barbs in a bitter feud — and RadarOnline.com has all the dirty details.

Desperate to be portrayed as the victim and not the villain this season​, Frankel "did everything possible to make Heather look bad in front of the other ladies," an insider told Radar. "According to Bethenny, Heather is a total fraud, and has had no success in the business word. Heather's status as one of the most popular cast members really irked Bethenny, and she set out to convince everyone that she was actually a phony mean girl."

But Thomson wasn't willing to go down without a fight.

"Heather was warned that Bethenny had it out for her, and she fought back during filming," the source said. "She is no shrinking violet and wasn't going to put up with Bethenny's antics."

Meanwhile, Frankel is banking big bucks for her bad behavior: Returning to RHONY scored her a $1million payday.

An insider previously explained, “producers needed to shake up the cast because the ratings have just plummeted," and “told Bethenny she could return as a special guest star, which wouldn't require as much filming."