New York PR executive Anna Rothschild has warned Sydney socialite Dina Broadhurst after Broadhurst was spotted kissing German artist Niclas Castello during a getaway in Ibiza on August 9. Rothschild told the Daily Mail that her own 2024 relationship with the 48-year-old artist was a "disaster" after she discovered messages between him and American reality television star Bethenny Frankel.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail last week, Rothschild advised any woman dating the German painter to keep her "eyes wide open." Rothschild explained that she had remained silent about her breakup for over a year but decided to come forward after news of Castello's blossoming relationship with Broadhurst became public.
The romance between Broadhurst, an Australian artist and socialite, and Castello was revealed when the pair were photographed kissing on a beach in Ibiza. Castello boasts a colourful romantic past, having previously been married to Dutch television personality Sylvie Meis before his relationship with Rothschild.
Rothschild and Castello were first introduced in Saint-Tropez by skincare entrepreneur Peter Thomas Roth. Their romance became public in August 2024 when Page Six reported that they had been dating for approximately eight weeks, with Rothschild publicly describing Castello as "extremely interesting and talented."
Allegations over Saint-Tropez text messages
However, the timing of their relationship raised questions among observers. Just weeks before their romance was confirmed publicly, Castello had been photographed spending a day at the beach in Saint-Tropez with former Real Housewives of New York City star Bethenny Frankel, who was 53 at the time. Photographs showed Frankel swimming and chatting with Castello, sparking widespread media speculation about a potential romance.
At the time, a representative denied any romantic connection to Page Six, insisting that Castello was attending the beach as part of a group of ten people and was actively dating Rothschild. Rothschild now offers a contrasting account of the timeline surrounding those photographs.
Rothschild revealed that she and Castello had holidayed together in Saint-Tropez two weeks prior to the emergence of the photos with Frankel. Rothschild subsequently returned to New York to attend to her public relations business, while Castello remained in France for an additional two weeks. It was during this period that he was photographed on the beach alongside Frankel.
When Castello returned to New York to reunite with Rothschild, she questioned him about the images. Rothschild stated that Castello assured her there was no romantic involvement, swearing that he was not in contact with Frankel and had no plans to see her. To smooth things over, Castello sent Rothschild a bouquet of long-stemmed white roses and professed his love before moving into her New York apartment.
Flirtatious messages during Hamptons trip
The couple subsequently traveled to the Hamptons accompanied by a mutual friend. However, tension mounted when Rothschild began receiving phone calls from media reporters inquiring about her relationship with Castello and his ongoing connection to Frankel. Feeling that something was amiss, Rothschild requested to look at Castello's mobile phone.
Upon inspecting the device, Rothschild reported finding text messages between Castello and Frankel that she described as "unmistakably flirtatious." According to Rothschild, the exchange showed that the pair were actively making arrangements to meet while Castello was residing at her apartment and vacationing with her in the Hamptons.
Rothschild claimed that while Castello was reassuring her that nothing was happening, he was allegedly telling Frankel that he needed to remain in the New York area "for clients." Rothschild stated that the discovery of the messages directly caused the end of their relationship.
Breakup announced to German media
Shortly after their relationship became public, Rothschild and Castello were photographed together attending SummerFest at the Southampton Arts Centre on August 17, 2024. Despite the public appearance, the relationship deteriorated rapidly over the following weeks.
By October 2024, Rothschild officially confirmed their separation to the German publication Bild. At the time, she attributed the split to the logistical challenges of managing a long-distance relationship between her New York PR business and Castello's career in Germany, noting that it was difficult for two busy individuals to spend quality time together. She added then that they had agreed to remain very close friends.
Reflecting on the relationship now, Rothschild admitted that she suspected Castello was drawn primarily to women with high public profiles who attract significant media attention. She added that she was not seeking that type of publicity for her personal life.
Past marriages and new romance in Ibiza
Castello's relationship with Rothschild followed the end of his marriage to Dutch television personality Sylvie Meis. Castello and Meis officially separated in February 2023, and their divorce was finalized in June 2024.
More than a year after his split from Rothschild, Castello embarked on his latest romance with Broadhurst. The beach photographs of Broadhurst and Castello kissing in Ibiza also put to rest ongoing speculation regarding Broadhurst's relationship with her most recent former partner, German entrepreneur Danny Tchalaby.
Rothschild stated that she has never met Broadhurst and bears no ill will toward the Australian socialite, saying that she genuinely wishes her well. However, she emphasized that her decision to speak out was driven by a desire to share her experience. Rothschild concluded that after staying quiet for a long time, she was done being quiet, offering her simple advice for anyone dating Castello: eyes wide open.
The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for both Niclas Castello and Bethenny Frankel for comment regarding Rothschild's claims.
