Kelly Bensimon on “Red Flag” That Led Her to Call Off Wedding

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Kelly Bensimon is speaking out about the reason behind her decision to suddenly end her engagement to Scott Litner just four days before they were set to tie the knot in Boston.

Just after revealing that she wouldn’t be moving forward with the nuptials, and would instead be focusing on her family, the 56-year-old Real Housewives of New York City alum confirmed the “ultimate red flag” that arose in regard to her now-ex-fiance, who just so happens to be a wealth management consultant.

“I haven’t come this far in business and life to start making poor decisions because of a man. He of all people should have understood the need to protect each other before we tied the knot. I’m truly shocked he refused a prenup,” Kelly admitted to Us Weekly on June 26. “[Scott] thought that I would enter this union without legal protections in place, that I would leave everything to faith.”

Following the announcement of her canceled wedding, Kelly’s rep told Us Weekly she was “taking a moment to herself” before speaking out. Shortly thereafter, the rep released a second statement.

“Kelly is disappointed by this turn of events. She was looking forward to an exciting new chapter in her life together with Scott when everything became clear to her late on Tuesday afternoon.”

Kelly, who shares daughters Sea, 26, and Teddy, 24, with ex-husband Gilles Bensimon, 80, who she was married to from 1997 until 2007, got engaged to Scott last year in Wisconsin after a year of dating.

“We hopped on a boat and I was driving him around [my hometown] and he was like, ‘Go to your favorite spot,’” she shared with Us Weekly at the time. “Then he asked me to marry him. I [was in] a pink bikini … totally not prepared. … It was very real and I think that there’s a lot of these weddings and proposals which are really Instagrammable and beautiful … but it was just very genuine.”

In a second statement in regard to her decision to call off her engagement, Kelly made it clear she was not going to go against her business smarts and get married with no prenup in place.

“He thought that I would enter this union without legal protections in place, that I would leave everything to faith,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “But I’ve worked really, really, hard as a single mother and have always made smart decisions for myself and my family, and that will continue.”

“It was a rough day for me but I could never start a life together under those circumstances. I wish him well,” she added.

Kelly Bensimon appeared in a full-time role on The Real Housewives of New York City from season two to season four and as a guest on seasons six and seven.