The kids are all right
How a ‘Real Housewife’ reclaimed her mojo hanging with millennials nials
T RASH millennials if you must, but don’t do it in front of Kelly Killoren Bensimon.
The 49-year-old socialite, who starred on Seasons 2 through 4 of “The Real Housewives of New York City,” adores the younger set. In fact, she tells The Post, 20-somethings were the central source of inspiration for her new novel, “The Second Course” (Gallery Books, out now).
In the book, four middle-aged friends who’ve lost their mojo head to Brooklyn to hang with the Instagram generation. Groove regained!
“I think millennials get a bad rap,” the former model says. “[Older] people think they’re uneducated and can’t speak to things that are important.”
Bensimon’s real-life encounters have proved otherwise. “Every assistant I’ve worked with has been in their 20s and went on to great jobs,” she says. “I’ve learned so much from them!”
For book research, Bensimon, who publishes under her birth name of Killoren, shadowed an “amazing” Brook- lyn woman named Cadi Storm, who owns Williamsburg bar the Twenty.
“She’s this beautiful girl in her 20s who has her own bar and is bartending at others,” Bensimon says. “That’s what I love about millennials. They’re not
waiting for an opportunity — they’re really going for it. They have this incredible passion and a huge life ahead of them, which inspires them to be unconventional. And they’re not afraid.”
From today’s new wave of It girls, Bensimon has selected three — along with one It guy — she admires for their unapologetic confidence and ability to make bank in ways their elders never dreamed of.
GIGI HADID, 22, model
“She’s not your typical supermodel. Whether she’s wearing pajamas with heels or walking in Tommy Hilfiger’s runway show or [horse] riding in the Hamptons next to me, she’s dynamic and has a lot of confidence.”
LENA DUNHAM, 31, ‘Girls’ creator
“Some people love the way she writes, but I like her shape. Shapes that were considered unconventional are now in style. I like the way she dresses, I like her haircut. She’s an unconventional beauty, like my character in the book.”
WHITNEY WOLFE, 27, Bumble founder
“She’s a rock star. She was born in 1990, [helped found] Tinder, and now has Bumble, one of the biggest dating sites of all time. On Bumble, women have control — they say hi first. I actually went on it when I was researching ‘The Second Course.’ Not gonna lie: It’s a little scary.”
TYLER HENRY, 21, clairvoyant medium
“He’s 21, and he’s taking Hollywood by storm with his show, ‘Hollywood Medium.’ It’s not produced — it’s not four housewives in a room screaming at each other with hair extensions all over the place. It’s about who he’s connecting with. Remember, he forecast the death of Alan Thicke. He’s shown how talented he really is, over and over again.”