Aurora Culpo Calls Out ‘Bitter’ Bethenny Frankel for Revealing Her Own Breakup with Paul Bernon

On Wednesday’s episode of her Barely Filtered podcast, The Culpo Sisters star addressed her split from Bernon, 45, for the first time after Frankel revealed the news of their breakup on her own podcast.

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

Culpo, 35, said she and Bernon first connected after he saw her talking about a past relationship on her podcast, and he reached out and brought up the idea of them starting a podcast about dating.

“We recorded a pilot together, and we started to hit it off,” she recalled, adding that they “started falling for each other.”

The two reportedly started dating in the wake of Frankel, 53, and Bernon’s split. In May, it was reported that the former couple called off their engagement after six years together.

Culpo discussed the headlines surrounding her and Bernon’s first date in May, noting that some outlets brought up how Bernon appeared to move on quickly. According to the influencer, Bernon said he and Frankel called it quits in December.

She then explained that things took a turn during the week of her sister Olivia Culpo’s wedding in Rhode Island in late June, saying that she and Bernon had decided it was best that he didn’t come as her date because their relationship was still “new.”

However, Bernon ended up coming to Rhode Island, and the pair were photographed out together, with Culpo claiming that Bernon wasn’t happy about it because he prefers to be “private.”

The reality star said the situation then “got worse” after an episode of her Barely Filtered podcast dropped, in which Culpo and her sister mentioned Bernon not being invited to the wedding, with Olivia jokingly referring to Bernon as Culpo’s “flavor of the month.”

“I understand that feels s—ty. I asked my sister if I could bring my new boyfriend to the wedding, and she said no because she didn’t know him,” Culpo said, claiming that her sister’s comments resulted in Bernon ending their relationship.

“He was not the flavor of the month,” she continued. “He was the flavor of two months, and I would have preferred it to go longer, but, unfortunately, he dumped me.”

“Then the next day he calls me, and he says it’s not working. And, you know, I was disappointed. It never feels good to be broken up with, let’s be honest,” Culpo said. “Like it’s a bruise to the ego.”

However, she said that she realized she and Bernon weren’t “compatible,” noting that she wants more kids, while he doesn’t, and their “different” communication styles.

Culpo shares son Remi, 5, and daughter Solei, 3, with her ex-husband Michael “Mikey” Bortone, while Bernon has two teenage daughters from a previous relationship.

“We’re not compatible, and I would have known that had I let the relationship move at a logical pace, but no, that’s not how I operate,” Culpo explained.

The internet personality then got to what she described as her “favorite part of the whole story”: when the world learned of Culpo and Bernon’s breakup after Frankel shared the news on the July 7 episode of her Just B with Bethenny Frankel podcast.

“Bethenny comes out on her podcast saying, ‘My actions cost me my relationship’ and announces that her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend have broken up,” Culpo said. “PSA guys: It’s not a good look to announce the breakup of your ex-boyfriend with his new girlfriend. It looks petty, it looks bitter, and it’s not your story to tell, but she did.”

“You have to tell me I don’t want to be spoken about,” she continued, claiming it “wasn’t clear” to her that Bernon “wanted to be anonymous.”

As for Frankel, Culpo said she didn’t mean to “hurt her feelings” by talking about her “happy” relationship with Bernon.

“Am I sorry that my boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend listened to my podcast episodes from weeks ago where I was gloating about being happy with this guy and in a new relationship?” she said. “I can’t be sorry for that. Am I sorry that she felt bad and it hurt her feelings? Sure. I never want to make anyone feel bad.”

Culpo went on to recall her initial reaction when she first learned that Bernon’s ex was Frankel.

“When I first found out that [Frankel] was his ex-girlfriend, and I found out because I, obviously, looked at his Instagram and there were all photos of her, and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s cool,'” she said. “When I went to Fairfield University, I actually remember one time passing out her Skinnygirl margarita at a Whole Foods and I [thought that] she’s such a hustler. … I always really liked her.”

“Nothing was meant to hurt anybody’s feelings,” Culpo continued. “I never thought that she was gonna hear any of the things that I said. But, again, I can’t edit my podcast to the feelings of somebody that I’m dating’s ex girlfriend. And he was always supposed to remain anonymous. It didn’t play out that way.”

“He made the choice to not be in a relationship with me because he wants a private life, and that’s probably a good idea,” she added.

Culpo ended the podcast by noting that she’s on the dating apps again, and joked that maybe she should have a form asking if a potential partner is okay with not being anonymous or spoken about her on her podcast.

“When you date Taylor Swift, you know that unless you guys end up together, you’re probably gonna get a song written about you,” she said. “It comes with the territory. If you date me, I’m gonna talk anonymously about you on my podcast called Barely Filtered about dating. I can’t be sorry for that.”

Referring to Swift’s song, “We Are Never Getting Back Together,” Culpo jokingly singing, “We’re never ever, ever getting back together.”

“Unless you want to, maybe you could call me,” she joked. “No, he hates me now. I’m open, Paul! I’m still open. I’m here for you, babe.”