The Real Housewives Blog: Kelly Bensimon

Showing posts with label Kelly Bensimon. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Kelly Bensimon Is Now an Empty Nester

Kelly Killoren Bensimon's daughter Sea has started her second year of college and now her youngest daughter Teddy is off to college too, which leaves The Real Housewives of New York City alum (and new real estate agent) back at home with their dog, Fluffy.

"Empty nester vibes," Kelly posted on Twitter. "First night without my kids at home..."

That's a completely common parental sentiment, and it's often accompanied by a river of tears and sad emotions, but since Kelly accompanied it with a photo of herself beaming in a bikini (click here to see), she seems to be rather okay with the new normal.

Kelly has been anticipating the empty nest for a while now. She told New York Post in February 2018 that "it’s off to the races” when it comes to her dating life once both her daughters are out of the house. She even teased her potential online dating profile: “I’m an empty nester and I’m ready to do almost anything!”

Sunday, August 5, 2018

Kelly Bensimon Calls Out Bethenny Frankel

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Where Did It Go Wrong With Luann de Lesseps' Marriage To Tom D'Agostino?

The Forgotten Real Housewives of New York: Where Are They Now?

Friday, January 19, 2018

Jill Zarin Reacts to the "Overwhelming Love" From Her Real Housewives Family After Husband Bobby's Death

EOnline.com:

Jill Zarin is expressing gratitude for the love and support she continues to receive from family and friends.

After Bobby Zarin passed away at 71 from a long battle with cancer, several members of the Real Housewives franchise have touched the family with their acts of kindness.

"Overwhelming love," Jill shared with E! News exclusively when describing the outreach from her reality TV family. "Ramona Singer has been incredible. She texts me, she e-mails me, she showed up at the hospital early on. All the Housewives."

The reality star continued, "I've gotten flowers from Vicki Gunvalson. I got an e-mail today from Melissa Gorga. Cynthia Bailey wanted to come [to the funeral]. Andy Cohen gave a shout out to Bobby [by] giving him the Mazel of the Week."

Jill also expressed gratitude to many other friends including Wendy Williams for her "beautiful tribute" during "Hot Topics" earlier this week.

Another thing that left the Zarin family feeling grateful was the amount of people who showed up to remember Bobby at his funeral service Monday morning in New York. Patti Stanger, Dorinda Medley, Sonja Morgan, Danielle Staub, Bethenny Frankel and Kelly Bensimon were just some of the familiar faces who paid their respects.

"It was very surreal to walk in and have all these people around me," Jill shared with E! News. "People who I haven't seen in 20 years showed up. People flew in from as far as Ghana, Florida, California, Chicago, all over the place. They all dropped what they were doing and they came."

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Jill Zarin Pays Tribute to Late Husband Bobby Zarin: "I Will Never Forget You"

BravoTV.com:

Jill Zarin paid tribute to her late husband Bobby Zarin in a touching post on Instagram following the news of his passing on Saturday, January 13.

The Real Housewives of New York City alum said goodbye to her husband, with whom she celebrated her 18th wedding anniversary on January 4, in the post, which also included several sweet photos of the couple through the years. "Rest In Peace my love. Words cannot express the hole in my heart. Bobby taught me what true and deep love is," Jill wrote. "Thank you my love for sharing your life with me.. for raising [Jill's daughter] Allyson as if she was your own, being an amazing father and grandfather and teaching me how to be a better person. You inspire those around you to be the best they can be. I will never forget you... your legacy lives on through your beautiful children and grandchildren."

Bobby passed away at age 71 after a battle with cancer. He was first diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2009. Jill confirmed in November 2016 that Bobby's cancer had returned. He was hospitalized in July 2017 due to complications from his illness. "I will continue to raise money and awareness for ITOG (International Thyroid Oncology Group) so maybe this won’t happen to the next guy who draws the proverbial short straw," Jill also shared in her message. "I will continue to honor you and make you proud. You taught me so many lessons. I will turn the lights off when I leave a room and try not to lose my keys! Lists! Yes, I will make lists now that you can’t remind me."

Jill ended her note by thanking all those who have given her and Bobby their love and support during this difficult time. "Thank you to all our friends, family and fans for the most incredible love you have shown our family. The messages bring tears to my eyes and will continue reading them all in the coming weeks," she wrote. "I will continue my tribute in the coming days and weeks and if you want to share anything please leave messages. Tomorrow is the funeral so I will sleep now. Love Jill."

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Kelly Bensimon and Claudia Jordan To Appear On WE TV’s ‘Million Dollar Matchmaker’ with Patti Stanger!

ESSENCE.com:

Sometimes love is hard to find and that's the case for former Real Housewives of Atlanta star Claudia Jordan.

Jordan, who appeared on the seventh season of RHOA, has turned to matchmaker Patti Stanger. Stanger currently acts as host and executive producer of WE TV's Million Dollar Matchmaker, where we see her working her magic to find the perfect pairings.

In an exclusive clip, Jordan opens up to Stanger about her difficulty finding love and always attracting the wrong men. The former model and pageant winner reveals past trauma that's keeping her stuck and with Stanger's help confronts the man who is keeping her from moving on.

New York housewife Kelly Bensimon appears in the episode too, seeking Stanger's help to get over her reality show reputation.

Monday, July 31, 2017

Jill Zarin and Ramona Singer Reunite Over Bobby Zarin’s Cancer Battle: ‘We'll Always Have Each Other's Backs'

People.com:

Real Housewives of New York stars Jill Zarin and Ramona Singer haven’t exactly seen eye-to-eye over the years, but they put their famous feud behind them now that Jill’s husband, Bobby Zarin, is in the hospital fighting for his life.

“It’s a whole new relationship for me,” Jill revealed to PEOPLE at her 5^th Annual Luxury Luncheon in the Hamptons on Saturday, which raised money for the International Thyroid Oncology Group, which is researching cutting-edge treatments for advanced thyroid cancer.

“Ramona and I have gotten really close again,” she says. “We’re in a whole different place now. Boy, I never predicted that. I never thought that was coming, ever.”

Their once-tumultuous friendship made an 180-degree turn when Singer reached out to Jill as soon as she heard Bobby was hospitalized for complications in his fight against thyroid cancer — and told her that nothing from the past mattered now that he is so sick.

On Thursday, Jill revealed to PEOPLE exclusively that Bobby was recovering from a recent procedure at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City after his cancer took an unexpected turn last week. “We’re hoping for a miracle,” she said.

Saturday, February 11, 2017

Kelly Bensimon Talks Playboy, Cindy Crawford, Her Jewelry Line & The 2.0 On Her Next Book w/ In the DollHouse with Lina

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Kelly Bensimon Says Something Reasonable About 2016 Election and Gets Attacked on Twitter

Inquisitr.com:

Kelly Bensimon hasn’t been on The Real Housewives of New York for a couple of years, but it sounds like she can’t escape the label that was placed on her during her time on the show. Bensimon filmed with Bethenny Frankel and things quickly escalated between them. Because Frankel is a bit more aggressive and outspoken, people quickly felt that something was wrong with Kelly. While her Real Housewives of New York co-stars said that she had suffered a mental breakdown while filming the show, Bensimon called it a “mental breakthrough” as she said she had been bullied on the show.

According to a new tweet, Kelly Bensimon can’t seem to escape the harsh comments from her Real Housewives of New York viewers. Some people still call Bensimon delusional from what happened on the show, so when Kelly started talking about the presidential election results and how people could move forward from Donald Trump winning, people quickly called her delusional and privileged.

“All I can say is change starts at home. There is no crisis! Work on building strong communities. Its OUR country,” Kelly Bensimon revealed on Twitter, talking as if she’s sharing her opinion about the recent presidential election, to which one person replied, “You are privileged. Own it. Then use it to help those who feel it IS a crisis. Don’t minimize half the country’s feelings.”

But Kelly took great offense to that comment, as she didn’t see herself as privileged. Bensimon has been vocal about growing up in the midwest, as she said she grew up eating meat and potatoes while filming The Real Housewives of New York. Kelly Bensimon didn’t come from money, but she claims she’s self-made. So comments about her status these days is highly offensive.

“I’m from Rockford, Illinois. I worked really hard to get where I am. Please don’t tell me about the Midwest and middle class,” Kelly Bensimon replied to the person, sharing that she was born and raised in the midwest and she understands where Trump supporters are coming from, as she is from these states.

“I have the privilege of an incredible education, and a strong work ethic. Give me solutions to help others…,” Kelly Bensimon asked her Twitter followers, but sadly the tweet didn’t give her the answers she was looking for.

But some people feel that Kelly’s previous marriage to a famous and rich photographer and her luxurious life, which includes a Manhattan apartment and a Hamptons home, has influenced her position. One person even argued that Bensimon was completely out of touch with reality, especially out of touch with what these states really wanted in a leader.

“You’re out of touch because of your privilege you need to understand the actual needs and struggles people face,” one person wrote to Bensimon, who replied with, “Please don’t ever tell me I’m out of touch. You have no idea what I see/know. I don’t judge you, don’t judge me. Be the best version of YOU!”

Even though Kelly kept getting some harsh tweets from people, she tried to keep it cool, talking about how she was a single mother of two, trying to raise her daughters. Bensimon also talked about how she really wanted to help people and they just needed to tell her what she could help with.

“You can be nice and get attention, too. I’m not a real housewife. I’m a single mother raising kids in America. How can I help you?” Kelly Bensimon replied to various people who reached out to her, but sadly things took a turn for the worse. This morning, Kelly Bensimon tweeted out that she would only write about business-related things on social media, as people had simply been too mean to her, writing, “Tweeters. I had some very bad news. I will not be tweeting unless Its work oriented. I’m happy I was here for you during your time of fear.”

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Jill Zarin and 'Real Housewives' Past and Present Attend Southampton Charity Luncheon

Newsday.com:

This weekend, former "Real Housewives" from around the country gathered at Jill and Bobby Zarin’s Southampton Estate for the annual Luxury Luncheon. The yearly event’s mission is to support The Eric Trump Foundation for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. The housewives, who are generally known for their crazy antics on the television screen, came out to support a good cause, and had a "drama-free" day.

In attendance was Cynthia Bailey of Atlanta who got a couple of days off from filming the show to attend the event with her accessories line. Similarly, Kristen Taekman of New York made an appearance with her brand, Pop of Color. Other housewives who came out to show their support included Vicki Gunvalson of Orange County, California, Kathy Wakile from New Jersey and Kelly Bensimon, Cindy Barshop and Ramona Singer of New York.

This was the fourth year that the Zarins hosted the annual event that helps children who are suffering with cancer. Bobby Zarin is a two-time cancer survivor.

“We know what it’s like to have a beautiful life together which we’re so lucky to have but children are innocent, said Jill Zarin. "Anything I can do to raise money -- I know I’m good at socializing, networking and introducing people.

She did just that in bringing together celebrities and brands to fundraise for the important cause.

Zarin also shared her thoughts about being in another reality TV show: "Never say never. People said I was fired, but the truth is Bobby said I was done. It was a great four years but we had enough.”

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Alex McCord Questions Why Former 'RHONY' Co-Stars Would 'Give Up' Kids, Husband for 'Crazy Women'

DailyMail.com:

She was one of the controversial stars of The Real Housewives of New York before being unceremoniously fired in 2011 after four successful seasons.

But these days, Alex McCord and her Australian husband Simon Van Kempen are living a much quieter life away from the spotlight, trading in the bright lights of the Big Apple for Byron Bay.

During a rare public appearance on morning show Sunrise this week, the 42-year-old insisted she's much happier away from the reality series, stating: 'All the women who stayed on the show have lost their marriages and their family.'

She boldly added: 'Why would you ever give up your children and your husband for crazy women?'

Alex, who was previously fixated on climbing the social ladder in New York and even once declared she didn't 'ever want to live in the suburbs', now insists she's content in a small town.

'We’re now five minutes from all of Simon’s family,' she explained, adding that his siblings also relocated from around the globe to move back to where they grew up in recent years.

'I’m so happy we’re here,' Alex says.

Alex now lives worlds away from the bright lights of New York City in a stunning two-story rural home with a pool and picturesque views of the Australian countryside.

She resides there with husband Simon and their two children, Francois and Johan.

Simon said it's been a 'massive change' for their sons, but he's happy they are now surrounded by extended family.

The former model is now studying psychology, while Simon runs his own law firm in Tweed Heads. (Alex says her experience on the show is good 'fodder' for her studies.)

They recently celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary.

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Kelly Bensimon on Her Struggles with Postpartum Depression: ‘I Was Petrified’

People.com:

The celebrity moms who participate in PEOPLE’s Mom Talk series aren’t afraid to tackle some hard-hitting subjects, and the newest edition is no exception.

“I had postpartum really bad [with my first child],” Real Housewives of New York City star Kelly Killoren Bensimon, 48, shares. “I couldn’t drive, I had anxiety, I didn’t want to be by myself.”

Killoren Bensimon — whose two daughters, Sea Louise and Thaddeus Ann, are now in their teens — also confesses she didn’t have the support she wishes she could’ve had.

“My ex-husband had just left to go traveling, and I was with this child by myself,” she says. “I was so young and none of my friends had kids, and I just … I was petrified.”

“It was on and off for like two years,” Killoren Bensimon replies candidly when popular YouTuber and mom of six Mindy McKnight, 37, asks how long her postpartum depression lasted.

She also adds that on top of the depression she felt after her first daughter’s birth, she was physically sick during her pregnancy, and that she tried a patch that doctors said would help balance out her hormones.

“That was the worst,” she says of her experience, adding, “Postpartum is really, really horrible.”

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Kelly Killoren Bensimon Opens Up about Her Two-Year Battle with Postpartum Depression

DailyMail.com:

Kelly Bensimon has revealed that her two-year struggle with postpartum depression left her so anxiety-ridden that she was terrified to be left alone with her daughter.

The 48-year-old, who gave birth to her first child Sea Louise in 1998, explained in the newest installment of People Mom Talk that she struggled with postpartum depression on and off for two years until she became pregnant with her second daughter, Thaddeus Ann, who was born in 2000.

'I had postpartum really badly — like really bad,' she recalled. 'I mean I couldn't drive. I had so much anxiety. I didn't want to be by myself.'

The former Real Housewives of New York star went on to say her struggle was exacerbated by the absence of her then-husband, renowned fashion photographer Gilles Bensimon.

Kelly was the third wife of the famous photographer, who was also the first husband of supermodel Elle Macpherson. The former couple divorced in 2007 after ten years of marriage.

'Like I literally gave birth to a child and my ex-husband just left and went traveling and I was this child by myself,' she said. 'I was so young, and none of my friends had kids.

'I was petrified. I loved her so much but I was literally petrified. I couldn't drive. It was really, really bad.'

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Kelly Bensimon's New Novel Sounds Eerily Familiar

NYDailyNews.com:

“The Real Housewives of New York” star Kelly Bensimon’s new work of “fiction” rings eerily familiar.

The 48-year-old reality star’s foray into novel writing, “A Dangerous Age,” hits stores on Tuesday.

And what it lacks in originality, it makes up for in subtext and innuendo.

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before.

The book — which is, to say the least, inspired by “Sex and the City” and the “Real Housewives” franchise — is set within the decadent inner circle of the art-world bubble.

Bensimon’s story revolves around a quartet of desperate fortysomething women struggling to compete with younger, hotter newcomers for the attention of art stars and the billionaires who buy their work.

Between literally getting their vaginas rejuvenated at J Sisters and taking yoga classes with Uma Thurman’s younger brother, the women plot their survival in a Champagne jungle.

The specter of “Real Housewives” hangs over the novel like an aging party girl over a cosmo at closing time.

Lucy, the Bensimon stand-in, is a former model whose husband hasn’t touched her in ages. One character is a foodie trying to peddle a book and another is an actual socialite trying to claw her way onto a reality show.

At one point, Lucy warns the aspiring reality star: “Do you know how mean they can get on these shows?”

Or, as Bensimon told Andy Cohen on the 100th reunion special, after her three seasons on “RHoNY”: “I was toxic. You couldn’t touch me.”

Bensimon pointedly doesn’t mention “Real Housewives” in her intro or author bio, yet thanks Cohen and Bravo for “giving me so many opportunities."

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Kelly Bensimon Shares Thoughts on Possible 'Real Housewives of New York City' Return

FoxNews.com:

Kelly Bensimon appeared on "The Real Housewives of New York City" from season 2 through 4.

Now on its eighth season, FOX411 caught up with the former Bravo star to ask her if she would consider returning to the reality show.

"Everyone always asks me if I would do it again and I never say no just because I always tell my kids never say never because you don’t want to, you know, put yourself out of the game," she told us at Steven Tyler's concert event benefitting his charity Janie's Fund.

"I just would have to expect more from the producers, I would want them to want their talent to be genuine and authentic."

She added that she wasn't comfortable sharing a lot of details about her life on television.

"I won’t share my life with people that I don’t know and that I don’t trust… and that’s why I didn’t show my life. I was just like ok I’ll hang out with these girls and I’m going to go home.

"[I] rarely did things with my kids, rarely did anything that was personal, rarely dated, like I went on one date, and I did that for a reason because...I didn’t feel like it was the right environment."

These days Bensimon's focus is on her new novel out next month called "A Dangerous Age" which she describes as "Sex and the City meets "Housewives."

"[It's] all about the publishing world, the art world, television world, modeling world, everything that I know a lot about...it’s jam-packed and a very, very, very sexy book. Very sexy."

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that I think it's pretty safe to state that no one and I mean no one is clamoring for Kelly Bensimon to return to 'RHONY'.

RELATED: All 89 Real Housewives, Ranked

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Aviva Drescher, Kelly Bensimon, Alex McCord and Cindy Barshop Talk About Being a 'Real Housewife'

NYPost.com:

During Aviva Drescher’s two seasons on “Real Housewives of New York City,” she was manipulated by producers, vilified by castmates, publicly shamed by her octogenarian father and berated as an “idiot” and “witch” by the Twittersphere.

And she’d do it all again.

“It helped me raise awareness for amputees, and opened up a lot of business opportunities for me that continue to come,” says Drescher, 45, who lost one leg as a child in a farm accident. Though dismissed from the franchise back in October 2014, she is vying to get back on the show.

“I have four children,” she says. “There’s never enough money in New York City.”

Since Bravo launched the “Real Housewives” franchise in 2006 with the Orange County, Calif., edition, it has produced eight spinoffs — including the NYC version, which has cycled through 14 stars since 2008. Over the past decade, the collective brand has tallied nearly 20 post-filming divorces, four arrests, one suicide and enough chatter about rehab stints, cheating and bankruptcy to occupy a year’s worth of Lifetime movies. The eighth season of “RHONY” premieres April 6 with a new sacrificial lamb: pin-thin Flatiron mom Julianne Wainstein.

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Once you make the cut, you better deliver.

“It’s not a show that celebrates women,” says Kelly Bensimon (“RHONY” seasons 2-4).

“But that’s just the nature of the beast: He who barks the loudest gets the bone."

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Alex McCord, a star of the first four seasons of “RHONY,” says the show quickly turns “ ‘Hunger Games’-ish,” with women going more and more overboard to increase their airtime and secure spots for the following season.

“It’s about who can throw the biggest, best party,” she says.

During the debut season, her husband, Simon van Kempen, shelled out $5,000 to charter a yacht for her birthday.

“I’m sure he thought, . . . ‘Wouldn’t it look great on camera?’ ” admits McCord, who says that, during “RHONY’s” early years, Bravo didn’t put “a dime” toward events the “Housewives” threw.

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Meanwhile, Cindy Barshop (“RHONY” Season 4) directly reached out to producers about joining the show to get some press for her laser hair-removal business (she now owns VSpot, a vaginal rejuvenation spa on the Upper East Side).

After an interview at her West Village apartment, Barshop was sent to hobnob with series Queen Bee Ramona Singer.

“They wanted to see how we interacted. I could talk to a wall, but there just wasn’t chemistry,” says Barshop, who adds that Singer “had her own agenda” for acting mute.

On her way out, Barshop and a producer got stuck in the elevator, and the beauty maven turned on the charm.

“They taped me in the elevator and sent the reel to Los Angeles, and a week later they called and said, ‘You got it.’ ”

Saturday, September 19, 2015

LuAnn de Lesseps, Ramona Singer Break Down Over Splits on Real Housewives of New York 100th Special

USmagazine.com:

Cat fights, friendships — and heartbreak. Ramona Singer and LuAnn de Lesseps looked back at their past splits during a Watch What Happens Live special with Andy Cohen on Thursday, Sept. 17. The longtime friends and costars dropped by the Bravo show in honor of The Real Housewives of New York City's 100th episode.

Singer, in particular, shed her fair share of tears on RHONY during her marriage woes with now ex-husband Mario Singer. Ramona split from him after 22 years together (and one child, daughter Avery, 19) amid his cheating scandal last year.

"He had a midlife crisis. That's the only way I can rationalize it," she told Cohen Thursday night. "He turned 60, and something snapped."

Ramona, 58, has tried to get back in the dating game since the breakup. In Season 7 of RHONY, she even annoyed her costars when she flirted too heavily with a bar owner named John — completely ignoring her pals in the process — during a Turks and Caicos getaway. Although she has moved on, the winemaker and jewelry designer still gets emotional thinking about her failed marriage.

"Oh my God, we were like that a few years ago. How the hell did this happen?" she asked Cohen after watching old footage of the exes. "I don't know if I can sit back and watch it, because the man he is today — I don't really know who he is anymore."

The Countess could relate to Singer's devastating blow. Married for 16 years, de Lesseps' marriage abruptly ended when her ex-husband, Count Alexandre de Lesseps, told her via email that he had met someone else. The couple called it quits in 2009.

"I feel very lucky that I have this living photo album [from RHONY]. I have those moments forever," she told Cohen of her ex, with whom she shares two children, Noel and Victoria. "Because, I had a wonderful marriage. A beautiful marriage."

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Kelly Bensimon Left $50K Worth of Jewelry in a Car....and Of Course It Got Stolen

PageSix.com:

Kelly Bensimon is desperately searching for her stolen jewels.

She reached out to us in a panic after $50,000 worth of jewelry was stolen from her while she was on a work trip on Martha’s Vineyard last weekend.

“It’s all Hermès, Rolex and Cartier. I’m so upset,” the former “Real Housewife” wrote.

Bensimon told us she was on the island to discuss fintech startup opportunities with an investor. Her jewelry was in her Black Dog tote bag and was stolen from the investor’s Cadillac Escalade. The bag contained “Hermès bracelets to Cartier tricolor gold bangles to my incredible Daytona watch and Mauboussin diamond ring.”

Bensimon says all of the items are irreplaceable and sentimental.

“It’s devastating. As a single mom, who was on a work trip, it’s particularly upsetting. I was saving these for my girls,” she said.

Bensimon also posted about the theft on her Facebook account. She has contacted the Edgartown, Mass., police and is offering a reward to anyone who returns her jewelry and bag.

Monday, April 27, 2015

Kelly Bensimon Can't Stop Having Nip Slips During Risqué Photo Shoot