The mystery surrounding Sutton Thurman Stracke’s boyfriend is officially over, but the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star’s new romance comes with a complicated chapter from her new man’s past.
Stracke, 55, recently went public with New York City resident John C. Kelly, also identified as Johnny Kelly, after the pair attended Aerosmith’s “California Dream On” benefit concert at the Hollywood Bowl on Nov. 1.
A day later, the Bravo star shared photos from the night, including one showing Kelly kissing her cheek beneath falling confetti. While the pictures offered fans their clearest look yet at Stracke’s new romance, Page Six soon revealed Kelly’s identity, along with details about legal trouble from more than a decade ago.
Sutton Stracke Hard-Launches Her New Romance
According to Page Six, Stracke and Kelly met on Bumble and have been “spending time together since the summer.” PEOPLE reported that Kelly was described as Stracke’s “new rock ‘n’ roll man” in connection with their Hollywood Bowl appearance.
Stracke attended the event as a guest of Janie’s Fund, Steven Tyler’s organization supporting girls and young women who have experienced abuse and neglect. Her social media photos quickly drew attention to the mystery man at her side, particularly the shot of Kelly planting a kiss on her cheek.
Followers celebrated the apparent new relationship and began asking Stracke to reveal more about the man making her smile. The romance does not appear to have happened overnight.
Page Six’s source said the pair have been seeing each other since the summer. This came months after Stracke publicly acknowledged that she was ready to date again.
Who Is Sutton Stracke’s New Boyfriend John Kelly?
Kelly previously worked as a wealth manager at Morgan Stanley in New York. His past, however, includes a criminal case stemming from allegations that he secretly recorded women during sexual encounters without their knowledge.
Kelly was arrested in November 2013 after three women accused him of recording them between 2011 and 2012, according to DNAinfo. He was later indicted on multiple charges related to unlawful surveillance. Kelly’s defense argued that the camera involved was intended to monitor his dog and had accidentally recorded the encounters and the case ultimately ended without a trial.
In August 2016, Kelly pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of attempted unlawful surveillance involving two women and was sentenced to 10 days of community service, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, as reported by Patch.
His attorney said at the time that there were problems with the evidence and credibility issues surrounding the complaints. On the other hand, prosecutors said the plea agreement also prevented the women involved from having the recordings shown publicly during a trial. The legal case occurred roughly a decade before Kelly was publicly linked to Stracke.
Sutton Stracke Had Already Opened the Door to Dating Again
Stracke had been giving hints for months that romance was becoming part of her life again. EntertainmentNow reported that the “RHOBH” star confirmed she was dating in March after going on what she described as a great date in New York.
At the time, the 55-year-old socialite said she enjoyed splitting her life between Los Angeles and New York and liked the idea of having a boyfriend based on the East Coast. “I’d like to have a boyfriend, but a boyfriend in New York sounds pretty good,” she said during an interview cited by EntertainmentNow.
She also made it clear that finding a relationship was not something she felt desperate to accomplish. “The dating life comes and goes,” Stracke explained. “Sometimes I feel like it, and sometimes I don’t.” It has not been confirmed whether Kelly was the New York man Stracke discussed earlier in the year.
Her New Chapter Follows a Painful Annulment
Stracke’s romantic reset follows a difficult period involving her ex-husband, Christian Stracke. The former couple divorced in 2016 after 16 years of marriage and share three children.
Years after their civil divorce, Christian sought to have their marriage annulled by the Catholic Church, something Sutton revealed during Season 15 of “RHOBH.” “I got the notice that it was annulled. My marriage has been eradicated from the Catholic Church,” she said on the show, according to Bravo.
Sutton explained that she had initially received an email notifying her that Christian had applied for the annulment, a development she found particularly painful after their long marriage and family life together. The situation became even more complicated when Christian began dating someone Sutton said had previously been her friend.
Still, by late 2025, the Georgia-raised TV personality said their relationship had improved. She told Bravo that she and Christian had finally reached the “friendship part of divorce”, acknowledging that their three children would always keep them connected. Now, Stracke appears to be moving forward with a new relationship of her own.
Kelly may have only just entered the public side of her life, but after months of quietly spending time together, the Hollywood Bowl kiss suggests Stracke is no longer interested in keeping her new chapter completely private. Stracke is currently filming Season 16 of “RHOBH”, though it has not been confirmed whether Kelly will appear. Whether viewers will eventually see that romance unfold on “RHOBH” remains to be seen.
Sutton Stracke’s New Man Comes With a Complicated Past