Bethenny Frankel Is Engaged! Everything to Know About Her Relationship with Fiancé Paul Bernon

Bethenny Frankel has found her happily ever after.

PEOPLE exclusively confirmed on Tuesday that The Real Housewives of New York City alum, 50, is engaged to Paul Bernon, whom she first began seeing in fall 2018 after the death of her on-off boyfriend Dennis Shields.

"Things are wonderful," Frankel told PEOPLE of her relationship with Bernon in late 2019, following the couple's one-year dating anniversary.

"He's a good person who I love," she continued. "I don't know if it's a yin to my yang, but he's really relaxed, he's mellow and he's very, very funny."

Added the Skinnygirl mogul, "He has a really nice family too; I'm very close to them."

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That September, Frankel had celebrated their one-year anniversary with a sweet tribute post on Instagram marking the relationship milestone.

"Having such a supportive and loving partner makes me a better person & inspires me to achieve the impossible," she wrote alongside a photo of them sitting on the edge of a boat. "Happy Anniversary! I love you and thank you for the most beautiful year! ♥️❌⭕️♥️."

Frankel also sang Bernon's praises while celebrating his birthday in July 2019, saying in part that he was "a brilliant, sweet, beautiful, kind, hilarious person" who has "enriched my life immeasurably."

Likewise, Bernon only had kind words for Frankel on her birthday in November 2019, writing on his personal Instagram, "You have brought me true happiness, and I'm so lucky to have you in my life."

Frankel and Bernon have been open about showing affection for each other on social media since, with the film producer and real-estate developer even leaving his then-girlfriend a flirty comment after she posted a steamy ad for her Skinnygirl Sensuality Supplements on Instagram back in February 2020.

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This past fall, the pair split briefly, according to multiple reports. While appearing virtually on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in October, the former Bravo star addressed her relationship challenges, saying, "You know, not everything works out and so many people have tried to define my life — our lives — with, 'When are you getting engaged?' 'When are you having a baby?' 'When are you getting married?'"

"And I've just realized more in life, with people being more open and honest about their lives and what they want, that everything doesn't have to sort of end in a blue box and a bow," continued Frankel.

She added, "We've had a great, great relationship and I'm really happy. Not everything has to end badly; some things just don't continue and it's not negative, it's just life."

But less than three months later, the duo were spotted spending time together in early January, when they were seen holding hands during a trip to Miami. Later that month, they were photographed holding hands in Boston.

Alongside learning that Frankel and Bernon were engaged on Tuesday, PEOPLE also confirmed that the bride-to-be has finalized her contentious divorce from Jason Hoppy. According to the New York Post's Page Six, a judge signed off on their divorce on Jan. 20.

Hoppy, 50, and Frankel wed in 2010 and separated in December 2012; Frankel filed for divorce a month later. Though they reached a financial settlement in July 2016, the exes remained at odds over custody of their 10-year-old daughter Bryn for years.