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Bethenny Frankel breaks silence on death of on-off boyfriend: 'Unconditional love'

The "Real Housewives of New York City" star shared a touching tribute to her on-off boyfriend, who died last Friday.
/ Source: TODAY

Bethenny Frankel is mourning the death of her on-off boyfriend Dennis Shields.

The "Real Housewives of New York City" star took to Instagram on Monday to share a touching tribute to Shields, who died last Friday at age 51.

“Rest In Peace my sweet babies who gave me endless unconditional love. #nowandforever,” Frankel, 47, captioned a photo of the banker resting alongside her late dog, Cookie, who died in October 2017.

Shields, whom Frankel met nearly 30 years ago, was found dead of a suspected drug overdose in his Trump Tower apartment in New York City on Friday morning, People magazine reports.

Dennis Shields and Bethenny Frankel
Bethenny Frankel and Dennis Shields met nearly 30 years ago when Shields began dating (and later married) Frankel's high school friend Jill Schwartzberg. Alessio Botticelli / GC Images

The magazine also reported that Frankel attended Shields’ Long Island funeral on Monday.

The close friends dated on an on-again, off-again basis since 2016, the same year Frankel finalized her divorce from ex-husband Jason Hoppy, with whom she shares her 8-year-old daughter, Bryn. Their relationship was featured on several episodes of "RHONY."

The pair's romance began a few months after Shields separated from his wife of 26 years, Jill Shields (née Schwartzberg). In a statement to People on Friday, Jill Shields called her late husband the "love of my life."

“We are all heartbroken. Dennis was, and will always be, the love of my life. His spirit lives on in our children. Please respect our family’s privacy at this time,” she said.