Who Is Jenna Lyons' Girlfriend? All About Cass Bird

The Real Housewives of New York City star revealed in June 2023 that she's dating photographer Cass Bird

Meet Jenna Lyons' girlfriend, Cass Bird.

The Real Housewives of New York City newcomer, who stars on season 14 of Bravo's long-running reality series, made her latest romance known in a New York Times feature published in June 2023.

Lyons, who is regarded for her work in the fashion industry and rose to fame as the lead designer for J.Crew, had previously dished in April 2023 that she had a "massive crush on someone." That someone was Bird, however, it's unknown how the pair first met.

News of Lyons' relationship came as a surprise to many, specifically fans who tuned into the RHONY episode that aired on July 23, 2023, when the reality star made it clear that she wouldn't be discussing her partner on the show.

Related: All About the 'Real Housewives of New York' Cast and Their Partners

Asked by a producer during a confessional why she had to keep their identity a secret, Lyons' said, "My life has put me in the public eye for my job and other things I've done. And that is my choice. And someone does not want to be in that with me, then I have to respect that."

However, when speaking to the New York Times, she revealed that she told her castmates before the end of the season. “The words come out of your mouth, and you’re like, I can’t take those back,” Lyons said of talking to her costars. “It has not been the part of my life that I have been very successful in."

Lyons was married to artist Vincent Mazeau for nine years before their split in 2011. Following her split from Mazeau, Lyons began dating Courtney Crangi, who is the sister and business partner of jeweler Philip Crangi. The couple were together for six years before breaking up in 2017.

Read on to learn about Lyons' partner, Cass Bird.

She's a California native

Bird is a California native who was born and raised in Los Angeles, prior to moving to the east coast. She graduated from Smith College in Massachusetts in 1999 before moving to New York City, where she is now based.

Related: Jenna Lyons Says She Won't Show Girlfriend on 'Real Housewives of New York City': 'I'm Very Quiet About That'

She's an acclaimed photographer and filmmaker

While at Smith College, she took a variety of art-related courses. Among them were glassblowing and photography. "I didn’t show any natural gifts for photography at the time, but I did like the mechanics of it," she said in an interview with Communication Arts.

“The thing that came naturally to me was the relationship,” she recalled. “I grew up in close proximity to actors, and people who are interesting subjects, and so I guess there was a familiarity or a comfort.”

She practiced her photography by taking pictures of her actor friends, which would then go on to be published. Despite her "early notion that [photography] was easy," Bird said that it took her "at least ten years" to feel like she "was really finding opportunities."

Her first commercial assignments included jobs for Nike, Urban Outfitters and Converse. In 2005, her photographs began to appear in gallery shows, and soon after, appeared in Brooklyn Museum's permanent collection.

As Bird's art continued to amass recognition, she nabbed more editorial and commercial clients, from The New Yorker to Vogue. “My earlier work was all about this female masculinity,” she told the outlet. “I was attracted to these women that postured or embodied masculine traits and that had a real handsome-ness or a real physical strength or an androgyny.”

She collaborates with A-list talent

"I had the most un-glamorous start," Bird told young creatives during in a 2016 talk at Red Hook Labsin Brooklyn. The statement would come as a surprise to many, especially those who've scrolled through her Instagram feed that features photographs of Hollywood's biggest names.

Some of her frequent collaborators include Margot Robbie (who she's shot for Wall Street Journal Magazine), Hailey Bieber (who she's shot for Vogue Hong Kong) and Michael B. Jordan (who she's shot for Vanity Fair).

She was previously in a longterm relationship

Bird was formerly in a relationship with Ali Bird, her then-partner and Wall Group director who she first met in 1997. "After numerous false starts, they forged a partnership that has flourished for 14 years," reported Vogue in 2017.

Ali told The Daily Front Row about Bird in November that year: "It was love at first sight." The duo went on to work together, with Ali as Bird's longtime studio manager.

Despite sharing a surname, Vogue clarified that they were not married. According to the outlet, the couple viewed it as “too easy.” In Bird's words: “Till death do us part? Try eternity.”

“We wanted to start a family and buy a house,” Ali told the outlet. “We saved money. We did it. When gay marriage became legal, we had already made the biggest commitment.” Bird added, “It is important that we have the same dreams. What does it mean to be a good partner, a good citizen . . . two big, big things.”

Details on how their relationship ended remain unclear, though, Bird's last appearance on Ali’s Instagram was in August 2022.

Related: Jenna Lyons Revisits Her Iconic 2011 Met Gala Dress During Epic Home Tour: ‘I Might Bury Myself in It’

She has two kids

Bird is the mother of two kids, who she shares with Ali. She welcomed first child, son Leo, in 2008 — and 20 months later, she welcomed daughter Mae in 2009.

"I thought a baby would just be a rad human accessory," Bird said with a laugh during a Mother's Day interview with Coveteur in 2017. She often posts photos of her children on Instagram.

She bought Lyons an engagement-like ring

In September 2023, Lyons sparked engagement rumors when fans spotted a large ring on that finger in a cozy picture alongside Bird.

"So basically, here’s the story. My girlfriend, who I adore, kept telling me that I had to button my shirt, and I said ‘If you want me to button my shirt, you have to put a ring on it,’ " the reality star told Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live in October 2023. “We’re just really happy and she gave me the ring that I wanted.”

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