Dennis Shields Proposed To Bethenny Frankel Before Death, She Didn’t Say No According ‘People’

As time goes on, more details are coming to light about Dennis Shields and the moments leading up to his tragic death.

Earlier today, Bethenny Frankel and Dennis’ family and friends gathered in New York City to bury the 51-year-old banker. Frankel was photographed looking somber as she attended the services and hugged friends. And while fans knew that she was very close to the former banker for years, nobody really knew exactly how close the couple really was.

A source tells People that Dennis proposed to Bethenny back in April and he even gave her an engagement ring though Frankel was not spotted out in public wearing it. But things were complicated for the couple says the source, who shared that they needed more time to think things though before jumping into a marriage.

“He proposed to her with a ring in April. She wasn’t wearing the ring,” the source told the publication. “There were some hurdles to overcome before she could make that level of a commitment. She loved him. He’s her family and her best friend and her confidante. Her partner and her business partner.”

The source also shared that Dennis had proposed prior to the second proposal in April but during the first one, he did not give Bethenny a ring. It was also kept under wraps and the source says that “very few” people knew about the engagement. And while the reality star didn’t say yes right away, she reportedly was thinking things through, according to the same source.

“She didn’t say no. She would have loved to have married him, but there were some hurdles to overcome first.”

As the Inquisitr previously reported, Shields was found deceased on Friday in his apartment at New York City’s Trump Tower after an apparent overdose. The 51-year-old’s assistant found him and tried to administer Narcan for an opiate overdose but he was unsuccessful. It’s well known that the RHONY star and Shields had known each other for upwards of 30 years but didn’t start dating until a few years ago when Frankel split from her now ex-husband, Jason Hoppy. Ever since then, they have had an on-again, off-again relationship.

Following his tragic death, Frankel remained silent until earlier today, when she posted a photo of Shields and her late dog, Cookie, both laying in bed together. In the sweet caption of the post, Frankel confessed that both Cookie and Dennis gave her “unconditional love” as she shared her hopes that they rest in peace.

The Real Housewives of New York City is currently airing on Wednesdays on Bravo.