Giuliana Rancic Fires Back at Ex Jerry O'Connell After Actor Revisits Their Nasty Split and Admits He Was a 'Terrible Boyfriend'
Giuliana Rancic and Jerry O'Connell broke up in 2004.
July 24 2026, Published 2:22 p.m. ET
Giuliana Rancic admitted her relationship with Jerry O'Connell wasn't glamorous behind the scenes.
After O'Connell commented publicly on the breakup, Rancic hit back, seemingly frustrated at him for dredging up old drama decades later, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Giuliana Rancic Claps Back at Ex-Boyfriend Jerry O'Connell
Rancic saw O'Connell's recent comments on their relationship.
While Rancic, 51, is now happily married to Bill Rancic, she dated O'Connell, 52, up until 2004. He spoke publicly about their split while appearing on SiriusXM's Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa, admitting they "broke up poorly."
"Let me take this moment to apologize to Giuliana Rancic – I'm not kidding – for being a terrible boyfriend," he said. "I was the worst. I wasn't the worst. ... I was just not a great boyfriend."
Nonetheless, Rancic wasn't happy to hear from her ex.
"Have you guys heard? Apparently my ex-boyfriend has been talking about our breakup publicly after 22 years," she said in a video on Instagram. "Hmm. Imagine that."
O'Connell Denies Aspects of Their Break Up
O'Connell made a shady comment about Rancic's memoir.
O'Connell also pushed back against one wild claim made by Rancic in her memoir.
The 51-year-old alleged he broke up with her via an intercom.
According to the book, she came over to his apartment unannounced. In response, he allegedly told her, "Nope. Sorry, homegirl. Things change. But you take care, okay?"
O'Connell told Ripa he didn't think that's something he would say.
"If I was writing a memoir, it made for a good quote," he said.
Rancic, in response, suggested his memory must be a bit "fuzzy."
Rancic Accuses O'Connell of Cheating
Rancic claimed O'Connell was a total cheater.
Rancic also accused O'Connell of being unfaithful during their relationship. In fact, she alleged he cheated on her twice – both times with high-profile individuals.
As it turns out, the cheating was allegedly what led to the fateful night they broke up. Rancic was heading to his apartment, but there was reportedly another unnamed individual inside. As a result, O'Connell didn't want to open the door for her.
Rancic claimed O'Connell expressed "as much emotion as the customer service representative who tells you your bags missed the flight" during the breakup.
In the end, both Rancic and O'Connell moved on to someone new, marrying their respective partners in 2007.
Bill proposed to Giuliana in 2006 during a helicopter ride over Chicago. They merged their personal and professional lives and created a reality TV show two years after their marriage. In 2010, they co-authored a book together about their values.
Since then, the pair took a small step away from the public eye, giving them more time to focus on their young son, Edward Duke Rancic, born on August 29, 2012.
Rancic Extends O'Connell a Podcast Invite
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Rancic plans to address the controversy on a podcast episode with her husband.
Dedspite their past, Rancic is still allowing O'Connell a chance to unpack their relationship. Rather than respond through a statement, Rancic revealed she's planning to explain her side of the story in a 40-minute podcast.
"Tune in next week, Bill and Giuliana: The Podcast. And Jerry, you are so invited," Rancic said. "We'd love to have you."
