Bethenny Frankel Reflects on Her Relationship with "Cheerleader" Dennis Shields as She Embarks on a New Venture
The RHONY mogul opens up about losing her on-off boyfriend and longtime pal earlier this summer.
Bethenny Frankel is currently celebrating her latest professional milestone with the launch of her Skinnygirl Jeans. She kicked off the brand at a splashy event at Macy's Herald Square — and it was there that she reflected on the loss of her longtime pal and on-off boyfriend, Dennis Shields, who passed away earlier this summer.
“It’s definitely been a different kind of summer. I am thinking about Dennis today because he would have been so happy about this launch," she told Extra in NYC this week. "He was the most excited when I was working and successful and he was a cheerleader, so he would have been counting the numbers and looking on the website and asking how many pairs of jeans and jean jackets we sold… he's definitely with me here tonight.”
Dennis passed away in August, and Bethenny recently reiterated on Twitter just how supportive he was of her and and her ventures — including her life on The Real Housewives of New York City, sharing he was by her side during the Season 10 reunion taping earlier this summer. "He was with me at the reunion & the years prior. He was a genius who could talk about the show minutiae all day. He was my greatest supporter," she shared.
Following Dennis' passing, Bethenny took to Twitter to thank fans for their support in the wake of her loss. "It’s hard to breathe & I appreciate you giving me the space & support to try to do so. It’s excruciating-sudden death is no closure & constant [questions] & memories. Our relationship is current so it’s painfully raw," she said in late August. "Trying to stay healthy & move through it [with] tears & close friends. Xo."
