‘RHONY’ Star Bethenny Frankel Says She And Dennis Shields Are Not A Serious Relationship

Season 9 of Bravo TV’s The Real Housewives of New York City premiered last night. Self-made Skinnygirl cocktail mogul and star of the show, single girl Bethenny Frankel conducted a press tour all day yesterday to promote the show’s season premiere. The biggest question Bethenny fans have of the renowned reality TV star is, what is Bethenny Frankel’s relationship status?

For The Real Housewives of New York City fans, the answer is one of life’s big mysteries. At least until now.

Bethenny Frankel has made statements in the press recently, and in yesterday’s press tour and post-show interview that make her single girl status very clear. Last week, Bethenny Frankel told People Magazine that she likes her life right now, and she’s “not in a serious relationship.”

She also joked that she was giving up sex for lent, but wasn’t sure if she would make it, quipping, “I’m on a good run, but I don’t plan on making it.” After having gone solo for Valentine’s Day of this year, Bethenny Frankel had many fans wondering about her relationship status. She had long been associated to have a quiet relationship with banker Dennis Shields.

She even flashed a diamond ring on social media feeding speculation that an engagement was in the works. But in interviews within the past week, Bethenny has made statements about her relationship status that suggest there is no engagement in the works, and maybe there never will be. Although she is dating, she told People Magazine last week the following.

“I like my life right now. I like men and I am not in a serious relationship. I’m liking this! I don’t know that I’ve ever really, really known how to date and be single like this. I’m not stopping the car unless there’s something really great to get out for.”

In a new interview with People Magazine yesterday, prior to last night’s interview of Season 9 of The Real Housewives of New York City, Bethenny affirmed that dating is not her priority right now and another marriage is not likely. She also affirmed what she noted in the reunion show of last year’s season that a legal contract in a relationship, such as marriage, is likely not in the cards for her.

“I’ve been thinking about this a lot – especially since I’ve had a negative divorce. There are a lot of members of our cast that are divorced, and people have had their issues, and I don’t know that I would get married again.”

Bethenny Frankel is not only divorced, but her most recent relationship dramas have also been a very ugly divorce and lengthy custody battle. It has also been her second divorce. Her first marriage to one of her dearest friends Peter Sussman in 1996 lasted only eight months, and ended due to “lack of passion” reports Huffington Post.

Bethenny Frankel married Jason Hoppy in 2010, and the pair split in 2012. A four-year-long custody battle over their daughter Bryn Hoppy then ensued, only resolving in a settlement last year.

Legal documentation filed in Bethenny Frankel’s divorce to Jason Hoppy and ensuing custody battle and extraneous legal matters have also included the phrase “domestic violence.” It could explain why Bethenny Frankel is not “stopping the car” for anyone anytime soon.

Jason Hoppy is currently facing charges of stalking and harassment of Bethenny, and there is a long timeline of ominous actions taken by Jason Hoppy against Bethenny Frankel, going back as far as August 2016 on the record in the media.

Not only has Jason Hoppy allegedly harassed and stalked Bethenny Frankel, but also the person she was dating over the fall of this year, Dennis Shields. Page Six reports that on August 31, a text message from Jason Hoppy to Bethenny reads, “Despite your games, I’ll never let you do to me what your mother did to your father. I’ll never go away.”

By October, Jason Hoppy was penning what the New York Daily News described as “ominous email.” It read, “You left me no choice but to go to extremes and include your staff and current boyfriend to try and get through to you.”

TMZ reported in November that Dennis Shields threatened Jason Hoppy with harassment after a “torrent of disgusting, vicious emails” were sent from Jason to Bethenny, with Dennis Shields being cc’d. Dennis’ lawyer sent a letter to Jason Hoppy about emails that were “increasing frequency and hostility.”

TMZ says the “running theme” of the emails was that Bethenny is “ugly, old, and irrelevant.” Shields was told to run for the hills, with Hoppy suggesting that was what all of Bethenny’s previous boyfriends did. Hoppy told Shields that Bethenny had a revolving door of men, and that he’d be gone soon.

It was according to TMZ a series of emails that amounted to 49 emails in 70 days. A harassment suit was threatened at that point. But the situation escalated from there in January with Jason Hoppy now facing stalking and harassment charges.

Page Six reports that on Friday, January 29, Jason Hoppy appeared at his daughter’s school to threaten Bethenny Frankel. It came after a “series of abusive emails” and a number of text messages that NYPD say were “in the hundreds.”

“The complainant said Hoppy sent numerous emails and FaceTime calls numbering in the hundreds after a cease and desist letter was sent on November 22, 2016. On Friday, January 27, the suspect approached her and a friend at her child’s school at around 8:15 a.m. and tried to provoke a fight. He said, ‘I will destroy you, you can get all the lawyers you want, you’ve been warned.'”

Hours later, Jason Hoppy was charged with aggravated harassment in the first degree, harassment in the second degree, and stalking in the fourth degree.

On her relationship and divorce with Jason Hoppy, Bethenny Frankel said she has cried enough tears to fill the Hudson River. “How could this go on for so long? Four years on a two-year marriage!”

Jason Hoppy’s criminal attorney Robert C. Gottlieb has said that Jason Hoppy is “saddened” over the charges, and “intends to vigorously fight these false charges.” But the attorney for Bethenny Frankel, Barry Zone, describes “years of systematic bullying” and refers to Hoppy’s actions as domestic violence.

“[Bethenny] has undergone years of systematic bullying, harassment, stalking, and torment on an almost daily basis…These acts of mental and psychological abuse are domestic violence pure and simple. No woman deserves to have their allegations of such abuse taken lightly and we are grateful to the NYPD for their immediate action to protect Ms. Frankel.”

Hoppy reportedly even threatened Bethenny warning her he was “going to extremes” and asking for copies of her life insurance policy. US Weekly reports that in March, Jason Hoppy attended criminal court to face the charges. He was offered a plea deal by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office to plead down to a harassment violation and attend anger management counseling.

Jason Hoppy turned down the deal and will appear again in Manhattan court on April 26.

Since then, Bethenny Frankel has been focusing on herself and her six-year-old daughter Bryn. She’s also partnered with Dress for Success, a group that “empowers women in crisis by providing support, attire, and development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.”

This past Christmas Bethenny Frankel donated $150,000 to the cause and has been very vocal about it on social media. She also tweeted to and about Dress for Success several times yesterday ahead of the Season 9 premiere of The Real Housewives of New York City. After last night’s premiere, Bethenny appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Bravo host Andy Cohen.

The Daily Mail reports that when talking relationships, Bethenny Frankel said, “I don’t know how much I believe in the traditional relationship anymore.” It was a statement that echoed what she said to People Magazine earlier that day, that another marriage was likely not in the cards for her.

As for Dennis Shields, Bethenny Frankel says he is still in her life, but that the world has made that relationship out to be much more than it is.

The Real Housewives of New York City returns to Bravo TV Wednesdays at 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Whether fans will learn more about Bethenny Frankel’s relationship status remains to be seen.

[Feature Image by Diane Bondareff/AP Images]