Dennis Shields' Pal Claims Death Was Accidental, Bethenny's Ex Took Meds For Bad Back

A pal of Dennis Shields claimed to RadarOnline.com exclusively that Bethenny Frankel's ex-boyfriend's death was "100 percent" an accident.

Gregory Broccoli, a friend and colleague of Shields for 20 years, told RadarOnline.com on Monday that he believes the New York businessman would have never taken his own life.

"There's no way that this was intentional," said the pal. "It's impossible. There was too much on his agenda."

Broccoli said he was supposed to meet Shields this week for a business meeting. Shields' sudden passing came as a "shock," he added.

As RadarOnline.com readers know, Shields was found dead at his sprawling apartment in Trump Tower on Aug. 10. The mogul overdosed on prescription pills, The New York Post reported.

He reportedly asked his assistant to administer Narcan, which treats opiate overdoses. But it was allegedly too late.

The longtime friend of Shields told RadarOnline.com that he believes the meds Shields allegedly overdosed on were for his bad back – something he complained about for years.

"Way back in the early 2000s, he was a big golf player," Broccoli told RadarOnline.com. "But then he really couldn't play golf for a while. He used to play tennis a lot, too. He was always in shape and in the gym. But once in a while he would complain about his back."

The friend added: "If he was sitting down for going to get up he'd say, 'Oh, my back is killing me.'"

On Monday morning, Frankel attended Shields' funeral in New York.

Sources told RadarOnline.com the Skinnygirl founder allegedly dumped Shields days before his death.

Broccoli said he'll remember Shields for having "impeccable character, no judgment on rich, poor or what an individual looked like, and the most amazing individual."