Kelsey Swanson is already bringing plenty of intrigue to The Real Housewives of Rhode Island — and her relationship is getting people talking.
The former Miss Rhode Island winner, who now works as a makeup artist, has been in a long-term relationship with a wealthy Rhode Island businessman — who also happens to be 23 years older than her.
Despite the age gap, Kelsey made it clear she doesn’t see it as an issue.
“He’s very handsome. This isn’t some, like, I’m dating an old, disgusting man,” she said. “He is very attractive. He takes care of himself. He’s active. He’s, like, 25 at heart.”
The two have reportedly been together for about a decade after meeting in an unexpected place — a tanning salon, according to Swoon. It has yet to be announced who her boyfriend actually is.”
“I met him through visiting [my best friend],” Kelsey explained. “There was a little smoothie/protein shake bar inside the tanning salon… he would go there and get one, and I would go there and get one.”
Their connection quickly escalated after reconnecting at a party.
“I think we made out for two hours straight, and the rest was history,” she said. “Maybe two months later, he was like, ‘Wanna go to London? Wanna go to Spain?’ And I’m like, ‘Sure!’ Been together ever since.”
But their relationship hasn’t been without questions — especially from her co-stars.
In the season premiere, fellow cast member Rosie DiMare suggested Kelsey may be in a non-traditional setup, questioning whether her boyfriend had other girlfriends.
Kelsey addressed the speculation directly, denying that label.
“I feel like that’s such a dramatic term for my relationship,” she said. “I think there were times where we had a don’t ask, don’t tell relationship… it was a weird dynamic.”
Another layer to the relationship? Her boyfriend is a father — and his children are close in age to Kelsey.
“He has kids that are three years younger than me,” she revealed, adding that she’s built a positive relationship with them over time.
“We are totally fine. As they got older and I got older, it just grew normal.”
With a luxury lifestyle, a major age gap, and a relationship dynamic that’s already raising eyebrows, Kelsey is shaping up to be one of the most talked-about new faces in the Housewives universe.