Dennis Shields Suicide Rumors: Friend Speaks Out About ‘Accidental’ Drug Overdose

Dennis Shields’ death was “100 percent” an accident, according to a Radar Online source.

On August 13, Gregory Broccoli, who had known Shields for 20 years, made it clear that the New York banker would have never committed suicide and noted his sudden passing as a total “shock.”

“There’s no way that this was intentional,” he said. “It’s impossible. There was too much on his agenda.”

Before news of his death was shared, Broccoli said he and Shields were scheduled for a meeting. Although multiple outlets have reported the death as a drug overdose, Broccoli said the medication Shields was taking was meant to treat the pain he was suffering from in his back for the past several years.

“Way back in the early 2000s, he was a big golf player,” Broccoli told Radar Online. “But then he really couldn’t play golf for a while. He used to play tennis a lot, too. He was always in shape and in the gym. But once in a while he would complain about his back.”

“If he was sitting down for going to get up he’d say, ‘Oh, my back is killing me,'” he recalled.

At the time of his death, Shields was involved in an on-and-off relationship with Real Housewives of New York City star Bethenny Frankel. However, according to the report, Frankel ended her relationship with Shields just days before his death.

Broccoli went on to tell the outlet that he will remember Shields for having “impeccable character, no judgment on rich, poor or what an individual looked like, and the most amazing individual.”

On Monday, as she said her final goodbyes to Dennis Shields at his funeral in Long Island, New York, Bethenny Frankel shared the photo below on her Instagram page. In addition to honoring her late boyfriend, Frankel also honored her late dog, who passed away months ago.

Frankel and Shields’ relationship was spotlighted on last week’s episode of The Real Housewives of New York City and, at the time, Frankel was seen telling her friend and co-star, Dorinda Medley, that she was planning to take a break from their on-again, off-again relationship. She even said that she was planning to cut ties with Shields for at least 90 days.

For more of Bethenny Frankel, tune into The Real Housewives of New York City Season 10 on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo TV. No word yet on whether Dennis Shields will be seen on any further episodes.