Bethenny Frankel Says Dennis Shields' Sudden Death Is 'Excruciating' In New Message to Fans

The "Real Housewives of New York City" star has been mostly off of social media since the sudden death of her "on-and-off" boyfriend Dennis Shields earlier this month. In her newest post, Frankel described her relationship with Shields as "current," adding that "it's painfully raw."

Shields was found unconscious and unresponsive by the NYPD on the morning of August 10. According to TMZ, he had taken his prescribed oxycodone, Vicodin and a sleeping pill for back pain, resulting in his accidental death.

Frankel first spoke out about his death three days later via an Instagram post where she said Shields gave her "endless unconditional love." Since that time, she had remained mostly quiet, save a simple "Thank you" on the 17th, and condolences Saturday night for Meghan McCain after the passing of her father, Sen. John McCain.

This morning, she tweeted:

Shields and Frankel began their "on-and-off" relationship in 2016. Since that time, he had made numerous appearances and been mentioned many times on "The Real Housewives of New York," including the current season. In a recent episode, Frankel lamented that she and Shields may never come together fully as a couple.

"It's a really hard thing to realize that someone you love just doesn't mean they're the right person, and I wish he was," she told co-star Dorinda Medley in her new townhouse. "I may live here forever alone, and I'm okay with that."

Bethenny previously described her relationship with Dennis as "a little bit like business" while appearing on Steve Harvey's daytime talk show.

"I've been with someone on and off for years," she said. "It's like a partnership where if we're not being teammates and it's not working and one man is down, then the other man is down. We're trying to really kind of be good partners and be good teammates, and I think relationships oddly are -- and this sounds cold -- but a little bit like business."