RHONY: What Happened To Simon van Kempen After Season 4

On The Real Housewives of New York City, Simon van Kempen was the controversial husband of Alex McCord, and it’s time to let fans know what he’s been doing since his appearances on the show. The van Kempen family moved from Brooklyn to Australia, and the former luxury hotel manager decided to go back to school while living abroad so he could pursue a law degree. Simon and Alex are still happily married, and their sons Francois and Johan van Kempen are teenagers.

On RHONY, Simon caused a lot of drama with the women in Alex’s circle of friends. The housewives were confused by Alex’s codependent relationship with her husband and the pair’s obsession with social climbing in New York City. RHONY housewives often mocked the couple’s decision to reside in Brooklyn instead of Manhattan. This made them outsiders on a show filled with socialites from the Upper East Side. Simon and Alex’s parenting skills were questioned when, in front of the women, their sons showed disruptive behavior at a restaurant. However, in 2010, Simon still co-wrote a parenting book with Alex, which is called Little Kids, Big City. Like many Bravo stars, Simon’s leveraged his reality fame by releasing a pop song called “I Am Real” in 2011.

Simon was a memorable househusband on RHONY, and he went from one of the most disliked characters to a fan favorite. He crashed the infamous season 1 dinner party at Jill Zarin’s apartment, which was supposed to be a “girl’s night.” In season 2, Simon was RHONY‘s Jill’s surprise partner in a tennis match against Ramona and Mario Singer, because Jill’s professional tennis player friend dropped out. There were RHONY scenes where viewers rooted for Simon, especially because they loved seeing his rivalry with Ramona. Simon grabbed everyone’s attention when he came onscreen, due to his bold fashion choices, his interesting conversations with Alex, and more.

After exiting RHONY following season 4, Simon left the big city and relocated to Australia to be closer to his relatives. In 2015, according to Simon’s LinkedIn, he attended Southern Cross University in New South Wales, receiving an Associate and Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) Degree. He continued his studies at The College of Law in Sydney, Australia, earning a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice. After graduating from law school, the RHONY alum and lawyer Simon opened a firm with his brother Adam van Kempen, where he works as a Solicitor and Director.

Although Simon, who is living a quieter life these days, doesn’t post on Instagram very often, the majority of his grid is filled with photos of food, nature, and examples of political activism. His followers can also see how much the van Kempen boys have grown and stay updated on their lives. Francois is 18 years old and Johan is 16, and they are no longer the children who acted out at fancy eateries. Of course, Alex is frequently featured on Simon’s social media as well. The former RHONY couple’s relationship is stronger than ever, and they celebrated 21 years of marriage last year. Like Simon, Alex furthered her studies in Australia with a Masters of Professional Psychology Degree.

Bravo cameras made Simon van Kempen a household name on The Real Housewives of New York City. However, fans are happy to see that Simon has chosen a simpler life in Australia. He is an established lawyer who runs his own firm and speaks his mind when it comes to politics. Alex and Simon have a solid marriage and are raising their teenage boys in a new country. Simon’s time away from reality TV has only improved his life and steered it in a positive direction.

About The Author