Dennis Shields had nothing but kind words for his on-off girlfriend, Bethenny Frankel, during an interview five days before he was found dead.
“She’s great,” the businessman said on the Listen Up Show With Mitchell Chadrow on Sunday, August 5. “She’s a great mother. She’s a great person. She’s really, really smart. She is terrific in every way.”
Shields said he first met the Real Housewives of New York City star, 47, nearly three decades before they started dating in 2016 (the same year she finalized her divorce from Jason Hoppy, with whom she shares 8-year-old daughter Bryn).
“I’ve known Bethenny a very, very long time. I met her when we were both still in college, and my ex-wife [Jill Schwartzberg] and her were friends in high school,” the banker explained. “We remained friends the whole time that I was married — nothing but friends. And then right after Jill and I got separated, Bethenny and I started dating and we’ve been together on and off now for I think it was almost four years. That’s what she told me. … But we do break up a lot.”
In fact, the couple called it quits so often that Shields joked about turning to the internet for updates on their romance. “I Googled her or me and she said, ‘What are you doing?’ and I said, ‘I’m just checking to see how our relationship is doing,’” he said.
Five days after his interview, the 51-year-old was found dead in his room at Trump Tower in New York City. The medical examiner is investigating the cause of death.
The New York Post reported that Shields allegedly overdosed on prescription medication and asked his assistant to treat him with Narcan, which is used to reverse the effects of a narcotic overdose.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
