‘RHONY’ Star Bethenny Frankel Says Late Boyfriend Dennis Shields ‘Wanted to Marry’ Her Before His Death

On August 10, 2018, Dennis was found dead at his apartment in Trump Tower in New York City at 51. The cause of his death was never determined because of a “religious objection.”

Bethenny and Dennis were friends for 30 years, meeting when they were teenagers. At the time, Dennis was dating one of Bethenny’s high school friends so they didn’t start a romantic relationship until later in life.

Over the years, Bethenny and Dennis kept in touch and had mutual friends.

They officially started dating in 2016 after Dennis was separated from his estranged wife, Jill.

Bethenny and Dennis dated off and on until his death in 2018.

It seems like the couple stayed very close even during the times that they were broken up, and Bethenny turned to Dennis for comfort during a scene that aired later in season 10 when they were off.

At the time, Bethenny was under a lot of stress from her restraining order against her ex-husband Jason Hoppy, and she wasn’t getting along with Carole Radziwill.

“Come get me, pick me up,” Bethenny said once she got Dennis on the phone. “You don’t understand I’m crying nonstop, I’m like a crazy person. I had a breakdown last night, I don’t understand what’s going on. I have no relationship with Carole whatsoever, and I don’t know. I’m not welcome here.”

Later, she revealed why she called Dennis. “Speaking to Dennis calmed me down for a second. He said, ‘Come home if you wanna get out of there, you should come home,'” she said in her confessional. “But I decided to stay.”

During a dinner party that aired on season 10, Dennis told Bethenny’s co-star Luann de Lesseps that they met in 1988.

It then turned into an awkward moment because Luann realized that she dragged Bethenny for dating Dennis during the season 8 reunion. Luann had claimed that Dennis was still legally married and not separated from his ex-wife when he started dating Bethenny in 2016, even though they really were separated. Luann apologized to Dennis for spreading the rumor.

On the season 11 premiere, it had been three weeks since Dennis’ death and Bethenny was still very deep in her mourning process.

Bethenny’s 8-year-old daughter Bryn was grieving the loss of Dennis as well, and they both sent one final text message each to his phone after his death.

“I love you Dennis. I always will. You’re the most beautiful man in the whole world and I’m sorry you [were] in so much pain and now you can really sleep,” read Bethenny’s message.

Bryn’s message read: “I miss you, I wish you were here today.”

Bethenny opened up about her heartbreaking loss in her confessional. “I’ve never in my life experienced this moment, this feeling, this hysteria,” she said. “He wrote me 15 texts, he wanted to marry me, I had a ring on my finger — he’s dead. It doesn’t matter. He’s gone. There’s nothing to say.”