Photo: Instagram
That was fast.
By Amy Lamare — Written on Nov 18, 2019
Kelly Dodd, star of Bravo's "Real Housewives of Orange County", split from plastic surgeon ex-boyfriend Brian Reagan this summer, and she's not only rebounded with a new guy — she's now engaged!
Dodd, 44, made her breakup with Reagan Instagram official back on August 15, only to reveal the very next day that she'd begun dating Fox News senior correspondent Rick Leventhal.
And just days ago, the two surprised everyone when RHOC's Dodd shared a photo of her brand new engagement ring with her followers.
How did they meet, how did rebound so quickly, and what are the details on the her new diamond ring?
Here are 7 facts to know about RHOC's Kelly Dodd, her whirlwind relationship with Rick Leventhal, and their romantic engagement.
1. RHONY's Ramona Singer played a role in their initial meeting
Shortly after ending her nine month relationship with Reagan, Dodd met Leventhal at a barbeque hosted by Leventhal while she staying at the Hampton's home of one of the original Real Housewives, the infamous Ramona Singer.
At the time, Singer didn't even know Dodd was single, telling Bravo's Daily Dish, "I had no clue she had just broken up with her boyfriend until I saw it in the media," Ramona said.
2. He's a well respected reporter
Leventhal, 59, is a New York-based reporter who's been with Fox News since 1997.
He's reported frequently from war zones frequently, and was notably "one of the first reporters on the scene at the World Trade Center on 9/11 and the first to go live, before the towers fell to the ground."
3. He grew up in Maryland
He was born in Kentucky but grew up in Maryland, the son of retired psychologist, Dr. Allan Leventhal and Carol Leventhal, the retired director of Greenbelt Cares. He's He has an older brother, Scott and a younger sister, Leigh.
After graduating from Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Springs, Maryland in 1978, he attended American University in Washington D.C., graduating with a BA in Broadcast Journalism.
4. He spent a decade moving all over for work
Before joining Fox News, Leventhal spent a decade in local news. During that time, he worked and lived in a number of U.S. cities including Chicago, Miami, West Palm Beach, Spartanburg, S.C., Columbia, S.C. and New York.
5. He's been married and divorced twice
Leventhal and his first wife, communications consultant and former news anchor Penny Daniels, have two adult daughters — Veronica, 28, and Shoshana, 23.
In 2016, he eloped to Las Vegas with professional poker player Beth Shak only four months after the two began dating. She filed for divorce nine months later, citing irreconcilable differences.
Dodd had one child of her own, daughter Jolie, 13, whom she shares with ex-husband, Michael Dodd.
6. Dodd says Reagan was cheating and only used her for publicity
Four-times engaged Dodd certainly rebounded quickly from her prior relationship with Dr. Brian Reagan, who plastic surgery practice has offices in La Jolla and Newport Beach, CA.
“We’ve been on and off for 9 months and I couldn’t take it anymore," she said of Reagan at the time she first began dating Leventhal. “He wanted his business on the show. I was just a means to get there. And I only realized that after I caught him cheating on me and realized he’s been seeing someone else all along."
7. She may have said she can't believe she's engaged, but she picked out the ring
On November 13, Dodd took to her Instagram account to reveal the big news that Leventhal had popped the question.
But while the caption on her post may have made it appear that his proposal was a surprise, that's only partially the case.
“I mean, I knew it was going to happen because I picked out the ring but I didn’t know when [he would propose],” Dodd said. "I thought it was Christmas. I didn’t know he was going to buy it. I just said, 'I like that ring!' It’s four carats and he got it here in New York ... I don’t know much about it! I just saw what I liked!"
Congratulations to the happy couple!
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.