Tiktok's Dior bags: What does Bethenny Frankel's code word mean?

(NewsNation) — Scrolling down your TikTok "For You" page, you might stumble across former "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Bethenny Frankel's posts about "Dior bags" — with anything but fashion being discussed.

Instead, the videos are talking about a flurry of drone sightings across the United States in December 2024, which sparked nationwide conspiracy and concern.

Bethenny Frankel: 'Dior bags' a code word for drones

So, what does Frankel — and the thousands of other users posting under #Diorbags — mean by the code word?

Coined by Frankel, the phrase is a way to discuss mysterious drone sightings across the states while avoiding getting "shadowbanned" by the app.

She made waves on "DroneTok" for her consistent posts questioning the unidentified flying objects, but the reality show star claims the app's algorithm stopped favoring her content when the topic grew controversial.

In one clip, Frankel said she received "only 500 views" on her drone content, so she created a plan to avoid any perceived content suppression, one luxury handbag at a time.

And it caught on, with "Dior bags" confusing the comment sections across the app.

Drones spotted across American skies

A flood of sightings led to a federal probe, primarily in New Jersey and New York. But foreign objects were reported flying across much of the nation, with sightings cropping up from coast to coast.

The FBI previously said they do not believe the drones are the property of the U.S. military or foreign governments.

The federal agency told NewsNation it does not have any new information about where the drones may be coming from. But on a call with reporters, the FBI said it largely dismisses many of the reported 5,000 sightings as manned aircraft.

“Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and stars mistakenly reported as drones,” the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Defense said in a joint statement on Dec. 16.

NewsNation's Jeff Arnold contributed to this report.