More than 20 years after his relationship with Giuliana Rancic ended, Jerry O’Connell is taking ownership of one of the most infamous celebrity breakup stories of the early 2000s.
The actor recently reflected on the split during an appearance on Kelly Ripa‘s “Let’s Talk Off Camera” podcast, admitting he was “a terrible boyfriend” while revealing he couldn’t dispute Rancic’s long-standing account of how their relationship came to an end. His comments also offer a new perspective on a breakup that first made headlines again in 2015, when the entertainment journalist detailed the painful split in her memoir “Going Off Script.”
During the podcast, Ripa asked O’Connell about one of the most memorable moments from Rancic’s memoir, in which she claimed he ended their relationship over his condominium’s intercom system. In “Going Off Script,” Rancic recalled O’Connell allegedly telling her, “Nope, sorry, homegirl. Things change, but you take care, OK?”
While O’Connell admitted he doesn’t remember the exact exchange from their 2004 breakup, he also wasn’t prepared to say Rancic got it wrong. “I can’t deny that I said that,” the “Jerry Maguire” actor admitted. “It doesn’t sound like something I would say, but again, if I was writing a memoir, it made for a good quote.”
Rather than criticizing his ex, O’Connell praised the way she told the story. “I applaud her for using colorful dialogue and everything,” he said.
O’Connell Explains Why The Relationship Was Already Falling Apart
While acknowledging the breakup was handled poorly, O’Connell also offered additional context that wasn’t widely known when Rancic first shared the story in her memoir. Calling himself “a terrible boyfriend” during their 2003-2004 relationship, the actor apologized before revealing another woman was inside his condominium when Rancic unexpectedly arrived.
“[Another woman] was inside my condominium,” he admitted. “Giuliana Rancic wanted entry into my condominium. Thank goodness, buzzer, gate, security. I paid a pretty hefty homeowners’ fee for these things. Cameras and everything.”
Although O’Connell declined to identify the woman, Ripa speculated it could have been either former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell or O’Connell’s future wife, Rebecca Romijn.
Jerry O’Connell Explains The Context Behind Their Infamous Breakup
The actor also insisted the relationship had already begun unraveling before that moment. “Our relationship was already in trouble,” he explained, adding that he hadn’t expected Rancic to stop by.
“I said, ‘I did not know you were coming. You can’t come here unannounced,’” O’Connell recalled. “Notice no one had a key, so the relationship was not like that. There was no warning, and I didn’t want someone coming in because I didn’t want any confrontation.”
Giuliana Rancic’s Memoir Kept The Story Alive For Years
Although O’Connell and Rancic split more than two decades ago, the breakup became part of Hollywood lore after the television personality revisited the relationship in her 2015 memoir.
Along with recounting the intercom incident, Rancic accused O’Connell of cheating on her with Geri Halliwell and compared his reaction during the breakup to an airline employee delivering bad news. “[He gave me] as much emotion as the customer service representative who tells you your bags missed the flight,” she wrote.
Rather than push back against that characterization, O’Connell again complimented Rancic’s storytelling during the podcast.
When Ripa referenced the cheating allegations, O’Connell called Rancic “a smart girl” and described her writing as “great,” suggesting he appreciated the colorful way she recounted their relationship despite being at the center of it.
Jerry O’Connell Also Looked Back On Dating Sarah Michelle Gellar
Elsewhere during the interview, O’Connell reflected on another famous relationship from his younger years, joking about going on “literally one date” with Sarah Michelle Gellar before she decided not to pursue things further. “We were kids, and Sarah Michelle dumped my ass,” he joked. “She was the smartest one. Sarah Michelle took one look at me and was like, ‘I’ve got to get away from this drunk. One and done.’”
O’Connell quickly added that he has no interest in revisiting that chapter, joking that he doesn’t “want any beef” with Gellar’s husband, Freddie Prinze Jr., while praising the couple’s longtime marriage and “beautiful family.”
Today, O’Connell has been married to Romijn since 2007, and the couple shares twin daughters.
