Kelly Killoren Bensimon: From Model and Housewife to Real Estate Mogul and Author
Kelly Jean Killoren Bensimon, born on May 1, 1968, is a multifaceted American personality. She has built a diverse career as a real estate agent, author, former editor of Elle Accessories, and former model. Her journey is marked by a blend of academic pursuits, media appearances, and entrepreneurial ventures.
Early Life and Education
Kelly Bensimon's academic journey began at Keith Country Day School, a college preparatory academy in Rockford, Illinois. After graduating from there, she enrolled in Trinity College in Connecticut, but she left after a year. Later, she graduated in 1998 from Columbia's School of General Studies with a degree in Literature and Writing. During her time at Columbia, she was known as Kelly Killoren, a name she later reclaimed as she transitioned into writing novels.
Modeling and Media Career
Bensimon's early career was marked by success in the modeling industry. She appeared in prominent magazines such as Elle, Cosmopolitan, and Harper's Bazaar. She also served as the face of Clarins. In March 2010, she was featured on the cover and in a six-page pictorial in Playboy, photographed by her ex-husband, Gilles Bensimon.
Beyond modeling, Bensimon hosted various events, including IMG fashion week and IMG swim shows in Miami. In 2006, she served as a spokesperson for Wool through Test Marketing Productions (TMP). She also hosted and modeled in menswear events with GQ magazine.
Bensimon's television career gained prominence with her appearance on Bravo's The Real Housewives of New York City from 2009 to 2011 (seasons 2-4). Her time on the show included a memorable trip to the Virgin Islands in Season 3, which fans dubbed "Scary Island." She later appeared on Bravo's Odd Mom Out and WEtv's Million Dollar Matchmaker.
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Recently, fans of The Real Housewives of New York City were excited to see Kelly Killoren Bensimon returning in The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: RHONY Legacy.
Jewelry and Entrepreneurial Ventures
Kelly Killoren Bensimon has also ventured into jewelry design, launching several collections. Her first line was sold exclusively at Barneys New York, followed by a second line at Bloomingdale's in fall 2007. In June 2010, she launched her fourth jewelry collection, Kelly by Kelly Killoren Bensimon, to support Feeding America. Her jewelry collections have been sold at Wink, W Hotels, Dash, and HSN. In 2013, she expanded her entrepreneurial endeavors with a fragrance, In the Spirit of, and a candle line called Baiser Rose.
Author and Literary Works
Bensimon is also an accomplished author, having produced several books. She has written three books for Assouline Publishing: In the Spirit of the Hamptons (2 volumes), American Style, and The Bikini Book. A portion of the author's proceeds were donated to the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her fourth book, I Can Make You Hot, was published by St. Martin's Press in April 2012, with a portion of the proceeds donated to Generositywater.org. In June 2016, Simon & Schuster published Bensimon's novel, A Dangerous Age, followed by its sequel, The Second Course, in August 2017. The novels are loosely based on her life in New York City and experiences.
She is also a style columnist for AM New York and serves as the editor at large for Hamptons Magazine and Gotham Magazine, both owned by Niche Media.
Real Estate Career
Transitioning into real estate, Bensimon has made a significant impact in the industry. She is a licensed real estate broker with Douglas Elliman, holding licenses in multiple states, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Virginia.
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Kelly shared with her Instagram followers that she was taking a real estate class in Miami, Florida, and was getting her license in the Sunshine State soon. Kelly and her client also appeared on Million Dollar Listing New York’s May 13, 2021 episode, as Fredrik Eklund showed them around his $28.75 million West Village listing. Page Six reported Kelly sold $50 million worth of real estate in just three months of 2021. Her real estate career is still thriving, as she shared in a June 6, 2023 Instagram story that she had a client coming in from Asia and was showing them a building.
Personal Life
Kelly was married to fashion photographer Gilles Bensimon until their divorce in 2007. They have two daughters: Sea Louise, born in 1998, and Thaddeus Ann, born in 2000. In the summer of 2023, she announced her engagement to her boyfriend, Scott Litner.
Philanthropy
In her free time, Kelly supports organizations across Manhattan, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. Since 2010, she has worked with the Food Bank for New York City, fighting food poverty.
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