Bethenny Frankel Says It's 'Hard to Breathe' After Death of Dennis Shields

Bethenny Frankel is opening up about the death of her on again, off again boyfriend Dennis Shields [...]

By Anna Rumer

Bethenny Frankel is opening up about the death of her on again, off again boyfriend Dennis Shields two weeks after his tragic death from a suspected overdose.

Sunday, The Real Housewives of New York City star, 47, took to Twitter to address his death and thank her fans for their support.

"It's hard to breathe & I appreciate you giving me the space & support to try to do so," Frankel wrote. "It's excruciating-sudden death is no closure & constant ?s & memories."

She continued, "Our relationship is current so it's painfully raw. Trying to stay healthy & move through it w tears & close friends. Xo."

Shortly before his death in early August, Frankel opened up about the two's nontraditional relationship to Steve Harvey on his talk show

"I've been with someone on and off for years," she said at the time. "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."

"If both people aren't happy about it but slightly uncomfortable and giving up something or giving in [to] something, it doesn't work," she went on. "So both partners have to say, 'All right, I'm in it for this.'"

On Aug. 13, she broke her silence about his death on Twitter, sharing a photo of Shields and her late dog cuddling in bed.

"Rest In Peace my sweet babies who gave me endless unconditional love," she wrote. "[now and forever]."

Shields also clearly thought highly of the Bravo star, talking about his relationship with the Skinnygirl mogul on Listen Up Show With Mitchell Chadrow on Aug. 5, just days before his death.

"She's great. She's a great mother. She's a great person," Shields said of Frankel. "She's really, really smart. She is terrific in every way."

Photo credit: Josiah Kamau/BuzzFoto via Getty Images

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