After three seasons, Bethenny Frankel exclusively tells Us Weekly she is leaving the hit Bravo show.

“Last season was scary and painful,” she tells Us about why she’s rejected Bravo’s offers to return for season 4, which begins filming Sept. 20, according to a source. “It took all of the joy out of it.”

Last season, Frankel, 39, continued to fight with rival Kelly Killoren Bensimon, but it was her intense feud with former BFF Jill Zarin that hurt her the most. Zarin, 46, bad-mouthed Frankel to their castmates – and even tried to get some not to film with her (she has since apologized).

Frankel — who welcomed daughter Bryn in May with husband Jason Hoppy — tells Us she doesn’t “see any reason to go back.”

This summer, she debuted her own spinoff show, Bethenny Getting Married? The June 10 premiere attracted more than 2 million viewers — about the same as RHONY averaged in season 3 — the highest rated debut for a new Bravo show.

Though a Bravo insider reveals that Frankel is contractually bound to make a few appearances on RHONY next season, the network is still hoping that she’ll come back full-time. But Frankel (whose empire includes books, Skinny­girl margaritas and a Body by Bethenny DVD) tells Us, “My gut’s saying not to be part of this cast.”

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