Nearly a decade after her name appeared in headlines surrounding Michael and Jules Wainstein’s bitter divorce, Elyse Bensusan has built a very different professional life. But how she got there—and what she was doing along the way—raises intriguing questions. By the time Bensusan turns 47, almost ten years will have passed since her name became entangled in one of the messiest divorces associated with The Real Housewives of New York City.
Today, she presents herself as Dr. Elyse Bensusan, a clinical psychologist running a boutique neuropsychological practice on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Her practice specializes in evaluations for children and families dealing with ADHD, autism, and learning differences. In 2016, however, she was appearing in a very different set of headlines—as the alleged “other woman” in the explosive collapse of RHONY star Jules Wainstein’s marriage to Michael Wainstein.
The contrast between those two chapters is striking. And the years in between tell a story that is far from straightforward.
The Scandal That Shook RHONY
The drama erupted in the summer of 2016, with all the ingredients of a tabloid firestorm. Michael Wainstein filed for divorce from Jules in mid-May. By July, the Daily Mail had published exclusive photos of Michael holding hands with Bensusan while shopping for what sources described as their “love nest” at a HomeGoods on the Upper West Side.
The pair were also spotted at a burlesque show at Le Poisson Rouge in Greenwich Village.
The kicker? Bensusan was married at the time to nightlife impresario Tsion Bensusan, who owned Manhattan venues including The Blue Note and BB King’s. He told RadarOnline that he had filed for divorce because she cheated.
Bensusan denied the allegations, dismissing the story as “nonsense.” Michael also denied cheating on Jules.
The details were disputed. The headlines were not.
The Years In Between: A Series of Pivots
Then the spotlight moved on, and Bensusan began a remarkable series of career shifts.
First came interior design.
She launched Elyse Interiors, which she described as a high-end design firm with projects in New York, California, London, and Paris. Her website showcased a polished portfolio, although the firm’s public footprint remained relatively modest.
Then came Elysium Gives, a charitable organization she presented as a furniture-donation operation helping families transition from shelters into permanent housing.
It was a compelling narrative: a woman who had gone through tabloid scrutiny now giving back.
Through it all, Michael Wainstein never fully disappeared from the picture. In a later interview, Bensusan referred to him as her “fiancé” and said he helped navigate the legal and logistical aspects of running her charity.
The relationship that had generated so much attention in 2016 continued well beyond the original headlines.
The Psychology Pivot
By 2025, Bensusan was promoting a private psychology practice on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
Her professional biography describes her as a licensed clinical psychologist with post-doctoral training at Columbia University. Her practice, Bensusan Psychological Services, specializes in neuropsychological and psychoeducational evaluations.
She describes the practice as a “concierge-style, private-pay service” working with a small number of clients.
She also released a book in March 2025, Mindful Design, which combines her psychology background with her interior design expertise.
It is a striking professional transformation: from scandal to psychology, from tabloid coverage to a private professional practice.
But the timeline raises questions.
Her professional materials place her psychology training years earlier, meaning she was reportedly building that expertise while simultaneously running a design firm, operating a charity, and navigating the fallout of a very public divorce.
How did all those pieces fit together?
For now, the details connecting those chapters remain unclear.
From Tabloid Headlines to Private Practice
Today, someone searching for Elyse Bensusan is far more likely to encounter information about neuropsychological evaluations and school accommodations than the stories that once surrounded the Wainstein divorce.
Her professional materials now center on psychology and her work with children and families.
It is a very different chapter, and there is nothing inherently unusual about changing careers or rebuilding a life after scandal.
What makes Bensusan’s story notable is the sheer distance between the two public versions of her life—and the relatively little attention given to the years connecting them.
In less than a decade, her public narrative moved from the pages of New York’s celebrity tabloids to the world of private psychology on the Upper East Side.
The 2016 headlines told one story. Her current professional profiles tell another.
But what happened in between—and how she truly arrived at this moment—remains far less clear than her polished biography suggests.
And given the headlines that continue to follow her name, those questions are not going away anytime soon.
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