Bethenny Frankel is known for being candid about her high-profile romances, from her rocky marriage to Jason Hoppy to engagement to Paul Bernon and more.
Frankel finalized her divorce from Hoppy shortly before she got engaged to Bernon in 2021, even though the pair initially split in 2012. Their divorce proceedings lasted eight years in court, fighting over assets and custody of their daughter, Bryn. In September 2020, the Bravo personality confirmed she was still legally married during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen.
At the time, host Andy Cohen asked her if she “and Paul were talking marriage?” She shocked the producer by answering, “I’m still married. Crickets again! And scene. And we’re back. And we’re walking.”
Despite previously declaring her intent not to get legally married again, Frankel seemingly changed her tune with Bernon. “It doesn’t mean that I would not commit to someone,” she said on WWHL in 2015. “I’m not jaded. I’m not bitter about love. I think there are amazing guys out there in the world, it’s none of that. Marriage is the Hotel California. You can check out any time, but you can never leave.” (The two eventually split after six years of dating in 2024.)
Scroll down to see Frankel’s romantic relationships throughout the years:
Peter Sussman
Frankel was briefly married to her former best friend and Hollywood producer, Sussman, for one year in 1996. She told Life & Style in 2010 (via New York Daily News) that they “were best friends for five years, and he always wanted to be more.” They dated for two years prior to tying the knot in Los Angeles.
Jason Colodne
Many Real Housewives fans remember Frankel’s first boyfriend when she joined the Bravo show. At the time, she was dating financier Colodne, who appeared alongside the Skinnygirl creator in several episodes in 2008.
Jason Hoppy
The “Just B” podcast hosted married the pharmaceutical sales executive in March 2010. Months later, they welcomed their daughter, Bryn. The duo announced their separation two years later.
“This was an extremely difficult decision that, as a woman and a mother, I have to accept as the best choice for our family,” she said in a statement to Us Weekly at the time. “We have love and respect for one another and will continue to amicably coparent our daughter who is and will always remain our first priority. This is an immensely painful and heartbreaking time for us.”
After an eight-year-long court battle, their divorce was finalized in March 2021.
Michael “Mac” Cerussi III
Frankel briefly dated the financier in 2014 before splitting in May one year later. At the time, an insider told Us that “they’re in different places in their lives” and “were headed down different paths.” The insider explained that "they were cohabitating for a bit, but are not anymore."
Marcus Lemonis
Months after her split from Cerussi, it was confirmed that she dated the star of CNBC's The Profit. An insider told Us in August 2015 that “they met over the summer and have been seeing each other. He’s really smart, successful, and so nice. They really like each other.”
Michael Toppel
In May 2015, it was rumored that the former Bethenny host dated Boca Raton businessman Toppel after the couple were spotted together in New York City and Miami Beach.
Eric Stonestreet
Frankel has played coy about her past relationship with the Modern Family alum. Sources told Us in 2015 that the pair spent time together after meeting that April and were “seeing where it goes.” While speaking with Cohen on his show in August 2015, the mogul said, “Eric Stonestreet and I are friends. He’s an awesome guy. I don’t confirm or deny dating rumors and that’s what I’m saying.”
Alex Rodriguez
Before the former baseball player dated Jennifer Lopez, he romanced the business mogul. In May 2017, Frankel came clean to Cohen on his show about their 2009 relationship. “I’ve been out — I was out with him twice. I went out with him on two dates," she said at the time.
Trevor Engelson
In April 2018, Frankel explained in an interview on the Kyle and Jackie O Show in Australia that she briefly went out with Meghan Markle’s ex-husband. “I met this guy as a romantic interest. His name is Trevor,” she told the radio hosts. “I met him in Chicago and we were supposed to go out, and I ended up seeing him one time and he’d been texting me. He’s a producer in L.A. He told me that he was married before.” However, she revealed their relationship ended being more professional than romantic as she worked with Engelson on a TV show pitch at the time.
Dennis Shields
Frankel dated the late entrepreneur on and off for two years before he proposed to her in April 2018. In August of that year, Shields died of a suspected overdose in a room at Trump Tower. At the time, a source told Us that the single mom was “absolutely devastated” over the loss. “She lost her best friend, her partner, her business partner,” the insider revealed. “He’s family. His family is her family. They’ve known each other over 30 years.”
Paul Bernon
Frankel was first linked to the businessman in 2018 and they dated on and off for three years. Us reported in October 2020 that the couple had split. The pair eventually reconciled in January 2021 before he proposed that March.
News broke in May 2024 that the two had called it quits for good after six years of dating. A source exclusively told Us at the time that “it just wasn’t going to work” for the pair, who had secretly split two months prior. “They are so different — he’s an under the radar kind of guy,” the insider added.
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