Sometimes the best relationships sneak up on you when you’re not looking—and for Bethenny Frankel, it seems that’s exactly what’s happened with investment banker Shane Campbell.
The Real Housewives of New York City alum has moved on from her past relationships with renewed energy, and she’s not shying away from showing it. After admitting in a vulnerable 2025 TikTok post that she was afraid to date, Frankel has clearly found her confidence again. She hard-launched her relationship with Campbell on Instagram on May 9 with a kiss-while-roller-skating photo that said everything words couldn’t—the kind of carefree, genuine moment that suggests this isn’t just another headline romance.
The timeline tells a story of something real developing. The pair were first linked romantically in April and made their public debut at the 2026 Global Champions Arabians Tour in Miami Beach, Florida that same month. By Thursday night, May 15, they were comfortable enough to share PDA at the Sports Illustrated 2026 Swimsuit Issue launch party at NYC’s Hard Rock Hotel Times Square. In a clip from the event, you can see Frankel leaning in for a hug while Campbell responds with a kiss to her head—the kind of understated affection that reads as genuine rather than performative.
This matters because Frankel’s romantic journey has been anything but smooth. She was engaged to Paul Bernon before they split in May 2024, and before that she was linked to businessman Tom Villante, though they haven’t been spotted together since late 2024. Her marriage history includes a year-long union with entertainment executive Peter Sussman between 1996 and 1997, followed by her longer marriage to Jason Hoppy, with whom she shares daughter Bryn, that lasted from 2010 to 2021. A pattern of openness, vulnerability, and the willingness to try again runs through her story.
What’s refreshing here is how unbothered Frankel seems. She’s not hiding, not playing it cool—she’s roller skating and kissing her boyfriend, attending red carpet events, and living out loud. That’s the energy of someone who’s genuinely moved past fear and into something that feels worth celebrating. Sometimes the best comebacks aren’t about reinvention. They’re about finally, quietly, finding something that works.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.