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What Ever Happened to ‘The Real Housewives of New York City’ Odd Couple, Alex McCord and Simon van Kempen?
It’s been a long four years since Real Housewives of New York City fans have seen Alex McCord and her husband, Simon van Kempen, grace Bravo reality TV screens. That said, the eccentric duo left behind a lasting impression as one of the franchise’s most bizarre couples that could never be forgotten — no matter how hard we try.
Between Simon’s undying love affair with Speedos and Alex’s misplaced sense that she was destined to be a model, the pair was reality TV gold. But, as it turns out, they just couldn’t hang with the rest of the “Bravolebrities.”
According to Page Six, Alex, 44, and Simon, 54, packed up their belongings, as well as their two children, and moved to The Land Down Under. "When we made the move to Australia, we both thought, ‘OK, this is really kind of burning the house down and walking away. What do we want to do? What did we always sort of want to do all our lives that we haven’t done yet?'" Alex recently told the publication.
Fortunately, the former New York City socialites have made quite the life for themselves outside of the States. Alex pursued her passion for geriatric neuropsychology, while Simon earned his associate’s degree in law. We wonder if he’ll be the first practicing attorney to wear a Speedo in court?
Interestingly enough, neither Alex nor Simon chose to continue their illustrious career in penning parenting books. Who could forget the couple’s joint April 2010 memoir, Little Kids, Big City, wherein they gave a very graphic description of the first time Alex gave birth. So graphic, in fact, it’s a wonder how it never became a storyline during the six seasons the couple was on RHONY. Here’s an excerpt, per Jezebel, for posterity:
"Simon was sitting behind me at the point of birth, and later when we untangled ourselves he discovered he'd actually ejaculated though hadn't felt any of the normal lead-up to that. It may seem distasteful to some, and definitely neither of us was thinking of sex at the time, but with the rush of emotion and my lower nerve endings going crazy, it's not too far a stretch to say that it's a profound experience."
So, yeah, that happened. It’s a damn shame fans of the show no longer get that kind of entertainment. Instead, they’re stuck watching Dorinda Medley drink herself into a coma, Sonja Morgan rehash a marriage that’s been over for 100 years, and Bethenny Frankel continue to be the only sane woman to ever be featured on the network.
