Bethenny Frankel believes a rival journalist might be involved with the recent abduction of Savannah Guthrie’s mom, Nancy Guthrie, from her Arizona home.
The “Real Housewives of New York City” alum, 55, took to Instagram Wednesday night to share the baffling theory as the race to find the missing 84-year-old approached its 12th day.
After reflecting on how investigators think “the ransom note was written by someone extremely articulate” and “who has connections to TV stations in Arizona,” Frankel noted that Savannah worked at a TV station in Arizona years ago.
The Skinnygirl founder then mulled over the fact that the suspected kidnappers claimed Nancy would be returned to her home in Tucson “in a matter of hours” if the ransom was paid.
“So is it some competitive journalist that Savannah won, got the gig, broke out, and made all the big bucks, and that person has resentment and wants to get their payday that they deserve?” Frankel asked her more than four million followers.
“I have not heard anything like that, and why does that type of thing sound logical to me?” she added.
However, the reality star also acknowledged that she’s “probably missing many pieces” regarding the mystifying case and “could use” the help of her fans because they’re “part-time reporters.”
“Help me with the missing details please,” she captioned the video.
Frankel’s fans then rushed to the comments section, with many agreeing with the Bravo darling’s post. Others shared their own interesting theories on the kidnapping case.
“I don’t think you’re wrong,” one person wrote. “Any theory at this point is plausible.”
“Oh I’m all over this one,” commented another.
“That’s a good one, haven’t heard that one yet. Hopefully FBI is investigating all that type of stuff,” shared a third. “The poor woman.”
Frankel’s reps did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.
Nancy was last seen around 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 31 after being dropped off at home by her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, following a family dinner.
She was officially reported missing the following afternoon on Feb. 1 after not attending her usual virtual church service.
Investigators believe Savannah’s mom was kidnapped in her sleep and “harmed” because a trail of blood, which authorities later confirmed to be hers, was found outside the front door of her Catalina Foothills home.
The alleged ransom note that Frankel mentioned in her Instagram video was sent to TMZ and several Tucson news organizations demanding that the Guthrie family pay $6 million in bitcoin by Feb. 9 at 5 p.m. MT.
One day after the Feb. 9 deadline came and went, Page Six confirmed that about $152 worth of bitcoin appeared in the account.
Savannah, who worked as a reporter and anchor for Tucson’s local NBC affiliate KVOA-TV earlier in her career, has since stepped away from “Today” to focus on her mom’s disappearance.
She has filmed several emotional videos with her siblings, Camron and Annie Guthrie, appealing to her mom’s suspected abductor and agreeing to pay the $6 million ransom.
“Someone out there recognizes this person,” Savannah said in one video, after authorities released pictures and videos of Nancy’s suspected abductor outside the 84-year-old’s home.
“We believe she is still out there,” the “Today” co-anchor added. “Bring her home.”
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