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Look, if you’ve followed Bethenny Frankel for more than five minutes, you know her life moves at roughly 200 miles per hour. She doesn't just "date." She launches, she iterates, and sometimes, she pivots. After the dust finally settled on her six-year saga with Paul Bernon, the internet went into a tailspin trying to figure out who the mystery man was in her Instagram stories.
Enter Tom Villante.
He isn't some reality TV wannabe or a thirsty influencer looking for a tag. Honestly, he’s the kind of guy who probably has more spreadsheets than followers. While the tabloids were busy dissecting her breakup in early 2024, Bethenny was quietly recalibrating. By September, she was spotted hand-in-hand with Villante in Santa Monica, sporting a white dress and looking... well, surprisingly chill.
Who Exactly Is Tom Villante?
If you aren't in the fintech world, the name might not ring a bell. But in the world of payment processing, the guy is a heavyweight. Tom Villante is the co-founder and CEO of YapStone. Basically, if you’ve ever paid rent online or booked a vacation rental on VRBO or HomeAway, there’s a massive chance his technology was the "plumbing" making that transaction happen.
He’s a Princeton grad. He’s an investment banker by trade. He’s a guy who built a company that processes billions—with a B—of dollars annually.
But for Bethenny, the appeal seems to go beyond the LinkedIn profile. Villante is a father of three. He's been through the marriage and divorce ringer himself (he was previously married to Caitlin Anastasia Meeha). There’s a level of "grown-up" energy there that seems to mesh with where Bethenny is at 54. She’s mentioned on her Hot Mess and Just B podcasts that she’s tired of the "adjacent or competitive" energy she often finds with successful men. Villante isn't in entertainment. He’s in the "unsexy" business of moving money, which might be exactly the palate cleanser she needed.
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The Timeline: From Santa Monica to "Instagram Official"
The transition from "who is that?" to "oh, they’re together" happened faster than a Skinnygirl margarita goes down on a Tuesday.
- September 2024: The first real sighting. They were caught by paparazzi at Giorgio Baldi—the celeb-dense Italian spot in Santa Monica. They were color-coordinated in white, which is very "Hamptons-coded," and they didn't exactly hide the hand-holding.
- November 2024: The public debut. They showed up at the Yellowstone Season 5B premiere in New York. While Bethenny walked the carpet solo (she’s a pro, she knows how to get her shots), they were joined at the hip once inside, hanging out with Jay Cutler and his fiancée.
- Late November 2024: The "soft launch" ended. Bethenny posted a TikTok with the viral "Thank you to my man" sound, showing Villante stoking a fire in a fireplace while she lounged under a luxury throw. It was the digital equivalent of a press release.
- New Year’s Eve 2025: They hit the beach in Miami. Paparazzi caught them soaking up the sun, looking like a couple that had been together for years rather than months.
The Kelly Bensimon Twist
Because it’s the Real Housewives of New York universe, nothing can ever be simple. In late 2025, Kelly Bensimon—Bethenny’s legendary "Scary Island" rival—dropped a bomb on a live podcast taping.
Kelly claimed she had actually been talking to Tom Villante on the dating app Raya right before he popped up with Bethenny. According to Kelly, they were supposed to meet up in the Hamptons, but kept missing each other. Two days later? He was on Page Six with Bethenny.
Is it true? Who knows. But it adds that delicious layer of NYC social circle incestuousness that fans live for. It also proves that Villante was definitely active in the dating scene before things got serious with the Skinnygirl mogul.
Why This Relationship Feels Different
Usually, when Bethenny is in a relationship, it’s high-octane. We saw the highs and literal lows with Jason Hoppy. We saw the long, winding road with Paul Bernon where she famously said she "didn't want to sign a contract" (aka a marriage license).
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With Tom Villante, there’s a different vibe. She’s being more "DL," as she puts it. Part of that is likely the Miami factor—she’s moved there partially to escape the intense NYC paparazzi, though they still find her. But she’s also talking about "letting the wine breathe."
Basically, she’s trying not to over-manage the narrative.
The Challenges of Dating a Mogul
Bethenny has been vocal about how hard it is to find a man who isn't intimidated by her. She’s a machine. She has the B-Strong foundation, the podcasts, the TV deals, and the business empire. She’s admitted that even very wealthy men start questioning their own success when they see her work ethic.
Villante, however, seems to have his own lane. He’s a "Mindful Thought Leader" (his words) who serves on boards for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and focuses on philanthropy. He has his own legacy. He’s not living in her shadow; he’s running a parallel race.
What Most People Get Wrong
People assume that because Bethenny moves on, she hasn't "done the work." But she was pretty transparent about the Paul Bernon split. It happened right around the time she lost her mother, Bernadette Birk, in April 2024. That kind of trauma makes you reevaluate everything.
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She didn't just jump into Tom Villante's arms to avoid being alone. She spent months mourning and doing therapy. The relationship with Villante seems to be a result of her deciding what she actually wants in her fifties: peace, someone who builds a fire for her, and someone who isn't competing for the spotlight.
Actionable Takeaways from the Bethenny/Tom Saga
Whether you’re a fan of her or just watching the business of celebrity, there are a few things we can learn from how this pairing has played out:
- The Power of the Pivot: Bethenny didn't stay stuck in a relationship that wasn't working just because it had lasted six years. When the "math" didn't add up anymore, she exited.
- Vertical Independence: Finding a partner in a completely different industry (Fintech vs. Entertainment) reduces the "power struggle" that kills many high-profile relationships.
- Controlled Transparency: You don't have to share everything. Bethenny showed the "fireplace Tom" but didn't give a 45-minute monologue on his childhood. Keeping some things private actually builds a stronger foundation.
If you’re looking for a lesson here, it’s that it’s never too late to start over, and you don’t have to settle for a "contract" if a partnership is what actually makes you happy.
Keep an eye on the Miami social scene. If the beach photos from this past month are any indication, Tom Villante might be the one who actually keeps up with the Frankel whirlwind without getting blown away.
Next Steps: If you're following Bethenny's latest business moves alongside her personal life, you might want to look into her recent "B-Strong" initiatives in 2026, as she often integrates her personal stability with her philanthropic output.