Dennis Shields’ Wife Starts Drug Addiction Foundation

As Bethenny Frankel and Jill Shields both try to move forward after the sudden overdose death of Dennis Shields, Jill, his estranged wife has decided to come forward at the helm of a foundation against opioid addiction.

RadarOnline says that as a result of Dennis Shields’ accidental drug overdose, his widow Jill wants to bring attention to the epidemic. She has created the Dennis Shields Foundation as a source to help those at risk.

Jill Shields, along with other family members, have banded together to hopefully prevent other accidental overdoses. Shields explains that the foundation is in its creation stages, and more information will be available soon.

Jill and Dennis Shields were married for 26 years and split in 2016 (but had reportedly not yet divorced) and have four grown children. They released a statement to share that the foundation would be named after Dennis Shields.

“In memory of our loving father, husband, and friend, Dennis Shields.”

Dennis Shields initially met Bethenny Frankel as she was a college friend of his wife, but the two started dating after Shields and his wife separated. The friendship between Frankel and Jill Shields seems to be over.

Dealing with the sudden loss has been "painfully raw" for the #RHONY mogul.https://t.co/9IQN1IOHLJ

— Bravo (@BravoTV) September 1, 2018

Last week, it was announced that the Shields family had decided not to have the businessman autopsied per religious objections. New York Chief Medical Examiner Barbara Sampson released a statement to say that there was no foul play involved.

“An OCME autopsy was not performed in this case due to a religious objection, upheld by law in such instances where no criminality is suspected.”

Bethenny Frankel is still in mourning and coping with the aftershock of Shields’ death as her ex, Jason Hoppy, rushed back to court to file new custody trial documents. Hoppy is now saying that Shields’ overdose is proof of an ongoing drug problem that likely existed when he spent time with the elementary school aged child of Frankel and Hoppy (Bryn).

Frankel’s lawyer, Allan Malefsky, pushed back to say that this unfortunate event shouldn’t cast doubt on Bethenny’s parenting, and it just presented Hoppy with a new reason to harass her. He says he doubts the two can co-parent.

“This is a case where joint custody is just not viable. The harassment, the stalking, the 500 emails in 90 days, in which he called her a ‘sad, miserable, bitter old woman,’ and said, ‘I’ll pray for you,’ while asking about life insurance — a veiled threat — there’s no way these parties can be joint custodians.”

Frankel and Hoppy are due back in court later this year.