Photo: Getty Images
She's a doctor.
By Amy Lamare — Written on Jun 03, 2020
In summer 2019, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft brought his new girlfriend, Dana Blumberg, to the big Apollo in the Hamptons party. The 78-year-old billionaire and his 45-year-old new love attended a fundraiser at fellow billionaire Ron Perelman's Hamptons estate.
Kraft and Blumberg were seen dancing to the entertainment, which included Dave Matthews Band, Jon Bon Jovi, The Black Eyed Peas, Pharrell Williams, The Isley Brothers, Run DMC, Patti LaBelle and Maggie Rogers.
They were also spotted back in June 2019, where Blumberg was seen holding hands with Kraft at the French Open final. The couple were also seen at the Women's World Cup soccer finals watching the USA beat the Netherlands. And, more recently, they attended the 2020 Oscars together.
But who is Dana Blumberg, Robert Kraft's girlfriend?
Here are some details to know about Robert Kraft's girlfriend.
She's a doctor.
Dana Blumberg is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology focusing on glaucoma at Columbia University.
According to her bio, "Her clinical interests include medical, laser and surgical management of primary open angle glaucoma, angle closure glaucoma, pigmentary glaucoma, and pseudoexfoliation glaucoma, as well as secondary glaucomas such as neovascular and inflammatory.
In addition to her clinical work, she is currently funded by the National Institute of Health for her work in screening and disease detection in community settings. Her research focuses on the potential reduction in glaucoma-related visual loss through novel screening methodologies."
They've known each other for years.
Kraft and Blumberg appear to have known each other for a number of years. In 2017, they both attended the event for the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
She's from New York City.
Blumberg was born in 1974 in New York City. Both of her parents are also doctors. She attended St. Louis University School of Medicine, where also did her internship.
Kraft and his girlfriend of seven years recently broke up.
Kraft and 39-year-old Ricki Lander were together from 2012 until recently. Lander is a former dancer, model, actress and fashion designer. The pair reportedly broke up after it was announced that Robert Kraft was a suspect in the Florida massage parlor prostitution ring.
She had a baby girl named Monarch in 2018. Kraft has publicly denied he is Monarch's father.
He was previously married for 48 years.
Kraft married Myra Hiatt in June 1964. The couple had four sons together and were married for 48 years. Myra Kraft died in July 2011 as a result of ovarian cancer. Eleven months later, Kraft started dating then-31-year-old Ricki Noel Lander.
What's going on with the prostitution charges?
Kraft is facing two misdemeanor counts of solicitation of prostitution in Florida. He issued an apology statement in March 2019, in which he essentially admitted he was guilty; however, he reportedly refuses to take a plea deal. He's facing possible NFL-imposed discipline, whether or not he's convicted in Florida.
In order to have the charges against him dropped, he would have to admit that he would have been convicted at trial. That's the plea deal he's been offered. He would also have to complete a course about prostitution, perform 100 hours of community service, get screened for STDs and pay court costs. So far, he's refusing to do any of that.
Due to coronavirus quarantine, Kraft's court hearing will take place via Zoom. On June 30th, the hearing will be available to watch live. The judges involved in the case wrote in a statement, “Given the evolving situation surrounding the COVID-19 virus, the oral argument will be conducted through Zoom video conference.”
Kraft and Blumberg attended the 2020 Oscars together.
In February 2020, the couple were seen together at another high-profile event: the Oscars.
They posed on the red carpet for photos together, and a friend of the couple said, “They’re serious. As the kids would say, ‘They’re going steady!’ They’ve been dating for almost a year now and they’re happy.”
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based freelance writer covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.
Editor's Note: This article was originally posted in August 2019 and was updated with the latest information.