Kelly Bensimon left dumbfounded on learning the man she was talking to on Raya was Bethenny Frankel’s BF

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Kelly Bensimon made a startling revelation on the 'Virtual Reali-Tea' podcast. The former 'Real Housewives of New York City' star confessed to having conversations with a man on the celebrity dating app Raya, only to find out later that he was actually Bethenny Frankel's boyfriend.

Bensimon, 56, shared with Evan Real and Danny Murphy during the Monday, December 2, live show of 'Virtual Reali-Tea' at Chelsea Table & Stage in New York City, that she signed up for the exclusive app earlier this year, encouraged by her daughter.

Kelly Bensimon finds out the 'kinda cute' man she chatted with is Bethenny Frankel's BF

As she browsed through profiles, Kelly Bensimon stumbled upon a man she found attractive and initiated a conversation. The enigmatic man, known to her as "Tom", appeared eager to meet, leading to an exchange of messages between them for some time.

“I see this one guy, and I was like, ‘Oh, he’s kinda cute!’ He lives in California, and I was like, ‘Wow, what is he doing here?’ … He’s like, ‘Let’s talk. … Let’s meet,'” Bensimon recollected.

The 'RHONY' alum reported that she and "Tom" exchanged numerous texts. He repeatedly invited her to meet, but her packed schedule prevented them from arranging an actual date.

It was only after a trip to the Hamptons that Bensimon's friend shared an article with her, disclosing that 54-year-old Bethenny Frankel is in a relationship with Tom Villante, a businessman from California.

“It says Bethenny Frankel is dating this guy,” she made a revelation to the astonished audience at the event sponsored by Tri-State Cadillac. Bensimon was equally astonished, and she told Real and Murphy her reaction at that time was, “Wait, what?! Again?!” as such a thing had happened to her in the past too.

Bethenny Frankel goes public with her Tom Villante romance

'Real Housewives of New York City' alum Bethenny Frankel, 54, was captured in photographs smiling and holding hands with California-based businessman Tom Villante during a date night in Los Angeles on September 8, .

The couple did not seem to conceal their budding romance, opting to dine at Giorgio Baldi, the Italian restaurant known as a celebrity hotspot where paparazzi frequently take pictures.

Villante serves as the chairman and CEO of YapStone. This mobile platform is known for transforming traditional paper check payments into online electronic transactions.

His success is evident; in 2020, The Real Deal reported that he sold his Malibu mansion for $35 million, twice the amount he originally paid for the property.

Villante has become Frankel's first boyfriend following her split from fiance Paul Bernon in March. Frankel went Instagram official with him last month when she shared a short clip of Tom Villante lighting a fire for her as she held a white fur blanket up to her face.

She wrote, “POV: he buys you a luxury heated throw & builds a fire while you sip an overpriced latte."

Meanwhile, Bensimon ended her engagement to financier Scott Litner in June, merely four days before their planned wedding. By August, the real estate agent had resumed casual dating, Page Six reported.