Rachel Zoe Reveals The Trigger That Led To Divorce

Rachel Zoe gets candid about the straw that broke the camel’s back for her marriage.

The “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star spilled the beans on the nitty-gritty details and happenings leading up to her decision to end her 26-year marriage to Rodger Berman.

With over three decades together, Rachel Zoe and her estranged husband spent most of their adult life with each other. They built businesses and a family with their two sons. The reality star has been part of the Bravo network since 2008, before appearing on season 15 of “RHOBH.”

On an episode this season of the “RHOBH,” Zoe did not hold back as she delved into the details of her split from long-time lover, Berman. The show’s episode aired on Thursday, and she is captured sharing that she had filed for divorce in the morning.

The TV star explained that her reason for calling it quits was not tied to a particular thing but to a bundle of reasons that triggered her decision. The mother of two explained:

“It’s not one thing, an absolute myriad of bad decisions that have been made over the last month, the last weeks, the last fu-king hour that would trigger me to move things forward.”

An unaired scene from her dinner party last week showed Zoe confiding in her cast mate, Erika Jayne, sharing something Berman had done. She disclosed that he brought his girlfriend, who is literally a stranger to her sons, to say hi as they were about to get on a plane to go to camp.

The Bravo star was pissed and expressed total frustration over the incident. She previously also shared that, through the years, their relationship had hit rock bottom. In many ways, her estranged husband had become unrecognizable, and her biggest regret was working together.

The former lovers had a thriving relationship for 26 years before they announced their separation in September 2024. US Magazine shared that Zoe filed for divorce in July of the following year, and months later, Berman hard launched his new girlfriend, Bree Jacoby.

Zoe did not want much drama around the divorce and intended to keep public intervention and media coverage to the barest minimum.

When news that she filed for divorce made the headlines, she was shocked at how fast it went viral but was grateful she was able to keep her sons from seeing it spread everywhere, as they were at camp at the time.

The former couple did not have a signed prenup, and Zoe admitted that she wanted the divorce process to signify a fresh start of separate lives for both of them. She had no desire to request for spousal support, nor did she intend to pay any to Berman.

“I don’t want to give spousal support, and I don’t want to get spousal support. I feel that this is a new beginning, and if we are separating and living separate lives with separate people, I don’t see why I should be paying for that. Or he should be paying for mine,” she disclosed. 

Zoe has been spotted holding hands with a new man, and previous reports shared that the TV personality is giving herself another shot at romance.

The Bravo star attended the premiere for Paris Hilton’s “Infinite Icon: A Visual Memoir” in Los Angeles. She was captured on the red carpet, holding hands with relationship coach Sascha Haert. 

The two were seen all smiles, walking hand in hand together down the carpet, making heads turn in their stunning outfits.

The Blast shared that since her separation, the 54-year-old has gotten back into the dating scene and is loving it. As per an insider, she is just focused on having fun and not taking anything seriously yet.

Her dating adventures are not tied to Haert. She is actively exploring this new phase of her life, and her friends support her. Zoe previously shared that dating again after so many years was not a difficult venture for her.

Berman and Zoe started out dating as college students in 1991 while attending George Washington University. They tied the knot seven years later at the Rainbow Room in New York City. At the time, Zoe worked full-time as a stylist while her former lover worked in finance as they both strived to build their lives.

The mom of two rose to fame in 2008 after her show “The Rachel Zoe Project” kicked off on Bravo. It centered around her job with her husband featuring actively as her business manager and support system.

The show aired till 2013, and two years before the final curtain call, they founded Rachel Zoe Inc., a fashion and lifestyle brand for luxury clothes, bags, and jewelry.

In March 2011, the lovebirds’ simple family grew to a family of three as they welcomed their first son, Skyler, and two years later, it became a party of four after Kaius was born.

The former couple made many public representations of their love as a couple on birthdays and anniversaries before announcing the mutual decision to separate in September 2024 after 26 years of marriage.

After the end of her show in 2013, Zoe continued to work as a stylist but off-screen. That went on for over a decade until she joined “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” for season 15 last year.

PEOPLE covered the story announcing her return to reality TV after she confirmed it on June 6 and also shared a statement on Instagram. She shared a video stating that a lot of fans have been asking her to come back to television, and she was really excited to be back.

She described her prompt to return as a time “when the stars align” for her to take that step. Being away from reality TV does not translate to zero media presence for the mom of two. She remained active in the fashion and lifestyle space, in part through her newsletter “The Zoe Report,” which launched in 2009.

Cheers to Rachel Zoe on this new chapter of life!