What Really Happened Between Bethenny Frankel And Eric Stonestreet?

There have certainly been some unexpected celebrity pairings over the years, but one that pretty much no one ever had on their Hollywood Love Connection bingo cards was Bethenny Frankel and Eric Stonestreet. The internet was buzzing when former "Real Housewives of New York City" star Frankel and "Modern Family" actor Stonestreet were rumored to be in a romantic relationship. E! News shared an exclusive about the potential couple in July 2015, claiming that they had been dating for a handful of months. Stonestreet and Frankel had been seen together at the CAA Upfronts Celebration Party in May 2015 as well as on various outings around NYC, including a baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Neither Frankel nor Stonestreet took the rumors too seriously. Frankel posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, after the baseball game date and relationship story was leaked and said, "Wow #somanyboyfriendssolittletime How did I manage to be at a @Dodgers game & be in the Hamptons at the same time?!!!" She tagged Stonestreet, who shared his own tweet: "Hey @Bethenny. [I'm] a big fan. Can I get a follow?" As it turns out, the pair has never been anything more than very good friends. 

About a year after the rumors began circulating about Bethenny Frankel and Eric Stonestreet's supposed romantic relationship, they sat down on her radio show "B Real with Bethenny" to discuss their relationship. The interview started with a joke about an engagement, and they told the story of how they met at an entertainment industry party. When they were first introduced, Frankel assumed Stonestreet was gay like his character Cam from "Modern Family." Stonestreet didn't realize who Frankel was at first. When he discovered she was the founder of Skinnygirl Cocktails, he said, "You've gotten me laid!"

They went on to reminisce about how Stonestreet made a quip about Vikings when he saw the leather skirt Frankel was wearing at that party, prompting her to still believe he was gay when they exchanged numbers.

On "B Real with Bethenny," Frankel encouraged Stonestreet to reenact what he said to her when she was about to leave the party with another guy. Stonestreet said, "Well, no, I came over to you and I tapped you and I said, 'Why are you talking to these guys? I'm the most interesting person here.'" Frankel's assistants helped her realize Stonestreet was straight, and the day after the party, she texted him and complimented his acting abilities. She also supposedly texted, "Take me to lunch," and their friendship went from there. Frankel ended their interview by raving about how much she loved being friends with Stonestreet.

Bethenny Frankel and Andy Cohen have had a rocky relationship, but she has made appearances on Cohen's show. In an August 2015 episode of "Watch What Happens Live!", Frankel was asked about the rumors that she and Eric Stonestreet were dating. Frankel said the duo were just friends and made a point to mention that she never publicly addresses rumors about her dating life either way. She said kind things about Stonestreet but couldn't resist having a little fun to confuse audiences, joking, "And we're sleeping together tonight, he's at my apartment right now."

Stonestreet did the same when he and Frankel were both on "Watch What Happens Live!" in May 2017. An audience member asked for a concrete answer about their relationship status, echoed by Cohen. Both Frankel and Stonestreet took sips of their drinks, and Frankel deferred to Stonestreet to respond. Stonestreet said, "I mean, we met, and I think we both decided we make much better friends... But she's a wonderful kisser!"

As of 2023, Frankel is engaged to Paul Bernon (though the timing of her engagement news raised eyebrows). Eric Stonestreet is engaged to Lindsay Schweitzer, and both Stonestreet and Frankel got engaged to their current partners in 2021. Clearly their so-called romantic connection is more of a platonic one.