Bethenny Frankel is mourning the loss of her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Dennis Shields.
Shields, 51, was found dead on Friday at his Trump Tower apartment in New York City. The Office of Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York spokesperson told E! News that police were called to Shields' apartment on Friday morning and discovered him unconscious. Emergency medical service workers later pronounced Shields dead. The cause of his death remains under investigation.
A source tells E! News that Frankel is "heartbroken" by Shields' sudden death.
"This is really bad. It's dreadful. She's known him for over 20 years," the insider says. "She's heartbroken."
Shields' estranged wife Jill Schwartzberg Shields said in a statement to E! News Friday, "Dennis' family is devastated by this terrible news. He was a loving father and friend. We ask that the media respect our privacy during this time of loss."
The New York Post and TMZ reported Friday that Shields had suffered an apparent overdose. According to the outlets, Shields' assistant had administered Narcan, used to reverse opioid overdoses, but was unable to revive him. A New York Police Department spokesperson told People on Friday that "preliminarily," they are investigating the death "as a possible overdose."
Frankel's former Real Housewives of New York City co-star Carole Radziwill reacted to Shields' death on Twitter Friday.
"I just heard the sad news about Dennis," she wrote. "He was a good man. My condolences to all his family and friends. So tragic."