Jenna Lyons spoke about her relationship with photographer Cass Bird.
The Real Housewives of New York City star Jenna Lyons is wearing a ring on that finger, but she's not ready to say if she's engaged or not.
The 55-year-old has been romantically linked with photographer Cass Bird for nearly a year, confirming their relationship publicly in an interview with The New York Times in June 2023 with Lyons admitting to having "a massive crush" on Bird.
However, it wasn't until a recent appearance on NBC News Daily anchor Kate Snow's online series, The Drink With Kate Snow, that Lyons hinted at a significant milestone in their journey together.
During the conversation, Lyons coyly teased about her blossoming love life, affirming that she is "happily" involved with someone. While she remained tight-lipped about the identity of her partner during season 14 of RHONY, she assured Snow that the unnamed individual discussed in the show is not her current flame, Bird.
Although Bird won't be gracing the screen in the upcoming 15th season, Lyons revealed that her partner will be referenced throughout the episodes. "She's not on the show," Lyons clarified, "but I talk about her. I'm open about that. Yes, for sure."
Lyons then added, "I don’t want to make her part of the conversation. But I mean, it is hard to ignore the thing on my finger."
Lyons couldn't resist flaunting a sparkling ring during the interview. When Snow probed about a possible engagement, Lyons playfully deflected but hinted at a future walk down the aisle.
Engagement rumors initially ignited in September 2023 when Lyons shared a captivating black-and-white photo featuring the couple, prompting fans to flood the comments section with congratulations. Subsequent posts featuring Bird further fueled speculation, especially when Lyons showcased a tattoo session seemingly in celebration of her birthday.
In March, it was confirmed that Lyons and all of her season 14 castmates -- including Sai De Silva, Ubah Hassan, Erin Lichy, Jessel Taank and Brynn Whitfield -- are in for season 15.
However, the former J. Crew beauty executive had some non-negotiable demands that needed to be met before she agreed to return.
Rumors started swirling about whether Lyons would return to RHONY after she skipped out on BravoCon 2023. When ET asked her about missing the event, she simply said she "had some things to do."
"I had an event and I had some other things that I had to do that were personal," she shared in November, just after BravoCon. "...It didn't work out."
In a new interview with The New York Times, Lyons says that Bravo was "very amenable" when it came to her requests.
One big condition involved Lyons' romantic life. "I have a relationship, but I would like to not name her. I want to keep her out of the press," she says of what's off limits on the show. "That is my commitment to her. It's off the table. I joined this process. She did not."
The style-savvy star also said that she wanted to ensure she had time for her new romance while filming the show. "There was some concern about my ability, just time-wise, to commit to it, and that was a big deal," she explained. "I also have a new relationship and wanted to maintain privacy. It was not just me. We all had to figure out, like, can this work? I wasn't sure. Definitely not sure."
Regarding rumors that she's engaged, Lyons played coy, telling the outlet, "This is a very serious answer. She kept telling me, 'Jenna, your shirt is buttoned down too low.' And I was like, 'If you want me to button my shirt, you have to put a ring on my finger.'"
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