Giuliana Rancic exposes brutal high-profile split with Jerry O’Connell, 22 years on
Giuliana Rancic has delivered on her recent promise, releasing a podcast episode detailing her side of her 2004 split from actor Jerry O’Connell.
Their relationship was brought back into the spotlight when O’Connell appeared on Kelly Ripa’s podcast on July 19, and spoke about their separation 22 years on.
The couple first met in the early 2000s and began dating in 2003 before their split in 2004. Evan Agostini
Following his appearance, Rancic made an Instagram video claiming his memory seemed “fuzzy”, and that she would be clearing things up on her podcast with husband Bill Rancic.
During O’Connell’s podcast appearance, he implied that his relationship with Rancic wasn’t incredibly serious. Rancic denied that claim on her podcast, saying they were essentially together “every day”.
The story that had so far been confirmed by both Rancic and O’Connell was that he broke up with her over the intercom of his apartment. But, according to Rancic, there’s plenty more to tell.
On the latest episode of Bill and Giuliana: The Podcast, Rancic claimed that O’Connell cheated on her with Geri Halliwell of the Spice Girls while the pair were in London filming a movie, and Rancic had returned to Los Angeles for work.
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Why everyone is suddenly talking about Jerry O’Connell’s brutal split from TV host 22 years on
Halliwell and O’Connell were photographed holding hands, walking out of a restaurant, “around a week or two” after Rancic had left London. She recalled seeing the images as “the most shocking moment of my life so far”.
Rancic eventually took O’Connell back, and the couple resumed their public relationship.
She recalled that O’Connell began to “act weird”, saying he was leaving Los Angeles, where they both lived separately, to go to Las Vegas. Rancic remembered then not being able to get a hold of him.
She called and texted and couldn’t get through before eventually saying she was going to call the police out of concern. To which O’Connell responded and told her not to call the police and that he was now back in Los Angeles at his apartment.
Jerry O’Connell and model Rebecca Romijn have been married for 19 years. Together they have two daughters Charlie and Dolly. Instagram/@mrjerryoc
At this point, she hadn’t seen him in five days. She drove over to his house, ringing his intercom until he eventually answered, and instead of opening the door, he walked onto the balcony to speak to her.
“We kind of go back and forth. I don’t remember every detail, but he was very dismissive,” she said.
“And he goes, ‘Sorry homegirl, it’s over’.”
During O’Connell’s appearance on Kelly Ripa’s podcast, he confirmed that he had not let Rancic into the building, explaining that he had “someone” inside with him, and he wanted to avoid “any confrontation”.
Ranic said she had no idea there was someone in the apartment with O’Connell until he confirmed it on the podcast. She said that thought hadn’t crossed her mind “even for a second”.
Giuliana has since married entrepreneur Bill Rancic. The couple share a 12-year-old son, Duke. Instagram/@giulianarancic
“I really just thought that he was on the balcony, breaking up with me. And I knew obviously he’s met someone, something’s going on,” she said.
“But I didn’t think for a second until he said that on the podcast last week. I was like, ‘wait a second, there was someone in there?’”
Rancic and O’Connell first met in the early 2000s and began dating in 2003 before their separation in 2004. Both are now happily married, Rancic to entrepreneur Bill Rancic, and O’Connell to actress Rebecca Romijn.
