Not so fast! Bethenny Frankel may have tweeted that she “is actually married” on Friday, August 23, but a source close to the former Bravo personality confirms to Us Weekly that she has not tied the knot again.
Two days after announcing that she was exiting The Real Housewives of New York City ahead of season 12, the reality star raised eyebrows with a tweet. “To my NY hwives: GO GET EM! I had to go since I’m the only one that is actually married…that’s how crazy this ride is,” Frankel, 48, wrote on Friday, August 23. “You are all amazing, beautiful and strong. Spread your wings and fly! Xoxo @ramonasinger @CountessLuann @TinsleyMortimer @SonjatMorgan @dorindamedley.”
Fans assumed that the tweet meant the Skinnygirl founder had secretly wed movie producer Paul Bernon, who she’s been dating since October 2018. However, Us can confirm that’s not true. In fact, she is still married to her ex Jason Hoppy, his lawyer Robert Wallack confirmed.
“They resolved custody in 2014 by agreement, and settled their financial issues in 2016, but the divorce was never finalized,” Wallack said in a statement on Friday. “While Jason has been pushing for years to have the judge sign the divorce judgment, Bethenny’s lawyers have objected.”
Frankel also took to Instagram to clear up her tweet. “I am not newly married,” she said. “Believe me, when there is something to tell you, I will tell you!”
The former Bethenny & Fredrik star was briefly married to producer Peter Sussman from 1996 to 1997. She then married Hoppy, a pharmaceutical sales executive, in 2010 but the two parted ways in 2016. They have been fighting for custody of their daughter, Bryn, 9, for years.
Following her split from Hoppy, she began dating banker Dennis Shields. The pair had an on-and-off relationship, but he died in August 2016 from a suspected prescription drug overdose. Shields had proposed to Frankel four months before his death. In March, she revealed on RHONY that their engagement “was on ice” before his passing.
“I said, ‘Well, I love you, and I can’t believe you did this, but we have to talk about some conditions and some terms and how things are going to change, issues I’ve had with partnership and consistency,’” the Skinnydipping author told her costars. “It was all very complicated, and it wasn’t what a natural engagement should be.”
The tweet comes just days after Frankel shocked her fans — and her costars — by announcing she wouldn’t be returning to RHONY. “She wants to focus on being a mom to Bryn,” a source told Us about her decision. “She’s also got other business things going on and doesn’t need the RHONY paycheck.”
In a statement to Us, Frankel explained her decision to exit the series.
“I have decided to leave the Housewives franchise to explore my next chapter. It’s time to move on and focus on my daughter, my philanthropy and my production partnership with Mark Burnett, producing and starring in shows which represent a shift in the conversation for women,” the former Apprentice star told Us. “With the changes in modern culture, I want to highlight the strength, confidence and unstoppable power that women have. My experience at Bravo has been an incredibly magical ride. I am so grateful to them for highlighting my entrepreneurialism and allowing me to pave the way for many women to achieve their goals. I am excited for my future. The best is yet to come.”
