Aurora Culpo Says She Was ‘Dumped’ by Bethenny Frankel’s Ex Paul Bernon

Aurora Culpo, star of The Culpo Sisters, has confirmed her breakup with Paul Bernon after two months of dating. Addressing the public revelation of their split by Paul’s ex-fiancée, Bethenny Frankel, Aurora spoke out on the July 17 episode of her Barely Filtered podcast.

“Usually, I always like to keep the men in my life anonymous,” Aurora, the older sister of Olivia Culpo, explained. “Unfortunately, because Paul told Bethenny that he was breaking up with me, and then Bethenny went on her podcast and leaked it and gave her reason behind our breakup, it put me in a position to have to respond.”

Aurora and Paul began their relationship a few months after the film producer ended his six-year engagement with Bethenny. However, the relationship drew public attention around the time of Olivia Culpo and Christian McCaffrey’s wedding, leading to its end.

Aurora noted that Paul, who values his privacy, was uncomfortable with the paparazzi spotting them in Rhode Island for the wedding. This, combined with a podcast episode in which Olivia jokingly referred to Paul as Aurora’s “latest flavor of the month,” ultimately contributed to their split.

“I would’ve preferred it to go longer, but unfortunately, he dumped me,” Aurora recalled. “The next day, he calls me and he says, ‘It’s not working.’ I was disappointed. It never feels good to be broken up with. It’s a bruise to the ego.” She also addressed Bethenny’s claim on her Just B podcast that the actions of Paul’s new partner—without naming Aurora—had “cost them their relationship.”

“It’s not a good look to announce the breakup of your ex-boyfriend with his new girlfriend,” Aurora emphasized. “It’s not your story to tell, but she did.”

Aurora, who shares two children, Remi, 5, and Solei, 3, with her ex-husband Michael Bortone, admitted there were other issues with Paul.

“There were things,” she noted. “He does not want any more kids. I do probably want more kids. Our communication style was just so different.”

Reflecting on the relationship, Aurora added, “We’re not compatible and I would have known that had I just let the relationship move at a logical pace, but that’s not how I operate. Right off the bat, we were like, ‘We like each other so much. Let’s make a show together. Let’s move in together. Let’s do all the things.’ It was too much too soon.”

Bethenny and Paul started their relationship in 2018 after meeting on a dating app. They got engaged in 2021, with Bethenny sharing the details of Paul’s sweet proposal in the Florida Keys two years later. 

“We went to dinner and he walked me to a beautiful private table on the beach as private and romantic as a fantasy date on The Bachelor,” she shared on Instagram, with a pic from the night. “The intimate details of the story are private but it was a beautiful proposal, in a beautiful setting, with a beautiful ring, to a beautiful man.”

Bethenny was previously married to entertainment executive Peter Sussman from 1996-97. She wed pharmaceutical sales executive Jason Hoppy in 2010, and while the couple separated in 2012, their tumultuous divorce wasn’t finalized until January 2021. She and Jason share a 13-year-old daughter, Bryn.

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