‘Real Housewives’ Star Kelly Bensimon Cancels Wedding Four Days Before Ceremony

Kelly Bensimon, former star of The Real Housewives of New York City, abruptly called off her wedding to financier Scott Litner just four days before the ceremony was scheduled to take place.

Bensimon, 56, announced the cancellation in a statement on Tuesday, citing her daughters as the primary reason for the decision. “I have decided that my two daughters are my priority, and I won’t be moving forward with this wedding,” she said.

The couple had planned to wed on June 29, less than a year after Litner proposed during a Fourth of July weekend getaway to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, in 2023. Their nuptials were to be a two-part celebration, beginning with an intimate ceremony at Litner’s mother’s home in Boston, followed by a more extensive gathering in the Hamptons at a later date.

Bensimon, who appeared on The Real Housewives from 2009 to 2011, had been actively preparing for the wedding. In late May, she visited Kleinfeld Bridal in New York City to shop for her dress, using the opportunity to offer encouragement to other mature brides.

“I just want everyone out there who’s getting married for the second time or third or fourth or fifth time, or however many times, to know that you can call me if you want someone to congratulate you. I will be here cheering for you,” Bensimon told People then.

This would have been the second marriage for Bensimon, who was previously wed to fashion photographer Gilles Bensimon from 1997 to 2006. The former couple shares two daughters, Sea and Teddy.

Litner, who has children from previous relationships, was also married twice.

The cancellation surprises many, as Bensimon had spoken enthusiastically about her relationship with Litner in recent months. In a December 2023 interview, she described being initially speechless upon meeting him, saying, “He blew me away. He’s just a really special human.”