The Singer Stinger always makes amends. Ramona Singer apologized to the late Dennis Shields’ estranged wife and daughter for discussing his alleged drug use on The Real Housewives of New York City.
“I actually apologized to the family and they forgave me,” Singer, 62, told Us Weekly exclusively at Hasty Pudding’s Order of the Golden Sphinx Gala, which honored Marc Anthony, on Monday, April 15. “I got on the phone with Dennis’ wife and I apologized for my unedited comment which I wasn’t thinking because that happens. I’m a good person, but I don’t think before I speak which makes for good TV but sometimes hurts people’s feelings, which I realize, so I immediately got on the phone and spoke to her.”
The Bravo star faced backlash after she asked costar Sonja Morgan, “How smart can Dennis be? I mean, he was on drugs,” during the March 20 episode of RHONY. Singer told Us on Monday, however, that Dennis’ estranged wife, Jill, knew she didn’t mean what she said.
“She said, ‘Ramona, I know you didn’t come from a place of badness, I know it came out the wrong way, I know what a great person you are and don’t worry about it,’” the Ageless by Ramona creator explained. “And his daughter said the same thing.” (Shields and his wife shared daughters Kelsey, Darien and Tyler and son Zachary.)
Shields was found dead of an alleged prescription drug overdose at the age of 51 in August 2018. The late businessman, who dated Bethenny Frankel on and off, proposed to the Skinnygirl CEO before his untimely passing.
While Singer apologized to Frankel, 48, hours before the episode aired, the Shark Tank guest star called her costar’s remarks “despicable” during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen on Wednesday, April 10.
“It was in really poor taste,” Frankel said. “It was actually fairly despicable — I mean, that would be a pretty bad word. People have come up to me and said over the course of the last 10 years she’s done some pretty nasty things, but that was by far the worst.”
The Real Housewives of New York City airs on Bravo Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET.
With reporting by Nicki Gostin
