Bethenny Frankel doesn’t have to search for six degrees of separation to connect with the royal family. In a radio interview on Monday, she revealed that she once dated Meghan Markle‘s ex-husband, Trevor Engelson.
“I met this guy as a romantic interest. His name is Trevor,” the Real Housewives of New York personality recalled while discussing her love life on Australia’s Kyle and Jackie O Show, as reported by Us Weekly.
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“I met him in Chicago and we were supposed to go out, and I ended up seeing him one time and he’d been texting me. He’s a producer in L.A. He told me that he was married before. He’s divorced [now]. He was married to this girl named Meghan Markle from the TV show Suits,” Frankel continued.
Frankel, 46, said she didn’t know anything about Markle, 36, at the time. But when Markle and Prince Harry went public with their relationship and subsequent engagement, Frankel said she was shocked at the news.
“Holy s–t! Your ex is going to be a princess. Is that crazy?” she said to Engelson, 41.
Engelson and Markle started dating in 2004, marrying in 2011 and divorcing in 2013.
While Frankel and Engelson’s relationship may have started out romantic, she insists it’s purely business these days and revealed they are now working on a TV series together.
“He pitched me a TV show idea to produce together about a bunch of businesswomen, which I think we are going to do,” she said.
“He looks a little bit like my ex, which scares me,” the Skinnygirl creator continued. “We bypassed the romantics and went into the business. But I don’t know there’s something there. There’s something salacious about doing a TV project with Meghan Markle’s ex.”
While it’s unclear when Frankel dated Engelson, she was previously married to producer Peter Susan from 1996 to 1997, and businessman Jason Hoppy from 2010 to 2016. She and Hoppy share 7-year-old daughter Bryn. Frankel was most recently linked to financier Michael “Mac” Cerussi III from 2014 to 2015.
Markle and Prince Harry are set to tie the knot at Windsor Castle in England on May 19 in a wedding that will defy some of the typical royal wedding rules. For example, the royal couple has revealed that they will be inviting more than 2,600 members of the public to share in their big day.
“Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle have said they want their Wedding Day to be shaped so as to allow members of the public to feel part of the celebrations too,” a March statement read from Kensington Palace. “This wedding, like all weddings, will be a moment of fun and joy that will reflect the characters and values of the Bride and Groom.”
Kensington Palace shared that Harry and Markle have invited 2,640 people into the grounds of Windsor Castle to watch the couple’s arrival, as well as their departure as they leave the castle on a carriage procession through the town of Windsor.
The lucky members of the public will be made up of 1,200 residents from “every corner of the United Kingdom” who will be nominated to attend by nine regional Lord Lieutenant offices. Harry and Markle have requested that those chosen represent a variety of ages and backgrounds and include young people who have displayed strong leadership and served their communities.
Also invited will be 200 people from various charities associated with the couple, 100 students from two local schools, 610 Windsor Castle community members and 530 members of The Royal Households and Crown Estate.
