Kelly Bensimon is revealing why she decided to call off her engagement to Scott Litner just four days before they were set to walk down the aisle.
The former Real Housewives of New York City star, 56, exclusively told Us Weekly that Litner, who works as a wealth management consultant, refused to sign a prenup, which she said was “the ultimate red flag.”
She added, “I haven’t come this far in business and life to start making poor decisions because of a man. He of all people should have understood the need to protect each other before we tied the knot. I’m truly shocked he refused a prenup.”
According to Bensimon, Litner “thought that I would enter this union without legal protections in place, that I would leave everything to faith.”
News broke on Tuesday, June 25, that Bensimon and Litner ended their relationship four days ahead of their wedding in Boston. Her rep told Us that she was “taking a moment to herself” before opening up about the breakup.
In a subsequent statement, the rep told Us, “Kelly is disappointed by this turn of events. She was looking forward to an exciting new chapter in her life together with Scott when everything became clear to her late on Tuesday afternoon.” (Us has reached out to Litner for comment.)
While she won’t be walking down the aisle, the Bravo alum is turning her focus on her family, including daughters Sea, 26, and Teddy, 24, with her ex-husband, Gilles Bensimon, from whom she split in 2007. “I have decided that my two daughters are my priority and I won’t be moving forward with this wedding,” she told Page Six on Tuesday.
Scott Litner and Kelly Bensimon. Jennifer Graylock/INSTARimages
Kelly and Litner got engaged during a 4th of July holiday vacation in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, last year. “We hopped on a boat and I was driving him around [my hometown] and he was like, ‘Go to your favorite spot,’” Kelly exclusively told Us of how her now-ex popped the question in August 2023. “Then he asked me to marry him. I [was in] a pink bikini … totally not prepared. … It was very real and I think that there’s a lot of these weddings and proposals which are really Instagrammable and beautiful … but it was just very genuine.”
The Real Housewives of New York City premiered in 2008, but not every Housewife has gone the distance. The season 1 cast of RHONY included Luann de Lesseps, Ramona Singer, Bethenny Frankel, Jill Zarin and Alex McCord. While Kelly Killoren Bensimon joined the cast during season 2, Sonja Morgan became a full-time cast member during […]
At the time, Bensimon noted that they were planning to take their engagement photos in Montauk, New York. “We just spent a lot of time there and we had a really great time there last summer. So I was like, ‘You know, that’s a really great spot to do it with good people and just like good vibes,’” Kelly added. “Not, like, being a wedding photo or an engagement photo but a memory of all of my friends. That’s really the core of who I am. It’s just really making these strong connections and continuing them on.”
Kelly Killoren Bensimon chooses a wedding gown at Kleinfeld on May 30, 2024 in New York City. Sara Jaye/Getty Images for ABA
The pair were set to wed in an intimate Massachusetts ceremony before hosting a larger celebratory event in the Hamptons. Kelly joked in a December 2023 interview with People that she was becoming a “total bridezilla” planning her nuptials. “When this first started I was like, I’m going to be so relaxed about this. I’m going to be like, the coolest bride ever.’ But then I started doing it,” she stated.
With reporting by Leanne Aciz Stanton
