Why Henry Winkler Barred Daughter Zoe, 44, From Starring in Show with Kim Kardashian: 'It Was For Your Own Protection!'
Henry Winkler 'put a stop' to daughter Zoe Winkler being on a reality TV show with Kim Kardashian.
Dec. 2 2024, Published 7:20 p.m. ET
Henry Winkler put his foot down when it came to daughter Zoe joining childhood friend Kim Kardashian on reality TV.
RadarOnline.com can reveal despite Winkler's career in entertainment, the Happy Days star wanted his daughter to stay far away from his industry for her "protection".
Winkler, 79, candidly shared his reasons for wanting his daughter to not follow in his Hollywood footsteps during a recent appearance on his daughter's podcast – What in the Winkler?! – which she hosts with her mom, Stacey, who has been married to the actor since 1978.
Winkler refused to let his daughter Zoe follow in his TV footsteps.
Like many celebrity children, Zoe was raised in Los Angeles, California, and thanks to her father's career was well acquainted with the entertainment industry.
Although many children of celebrities go on to have their own Hollywood careers – and in many cases much to the help of their famous parent's connections – the Barry star recently confessed he did not want the same for his daughter.
When Winkler appeared on Zoe's podcast, she pressed him on why he shut down multiple reality show opportunities.
Winkler said he 'put a stop' to Zoe being cast for 'The Bachelorette'.
Zoe asked her dad: "Do you remember when I was in the running to be The Bachelorette?"
Winkler quipped back: "Oh, my goodness, and we put a stop to that. But only your protection."
As it turns out, the popular ABC reality dating show wasn't the only time Zoe was tapped to star on TV.
She was also asked to join best friends Kardashian, 44, and Poosh COO Sarah Howard to film a reel for a proposed VH1 reality show, Quarter Life Crisis.
Zoe was also tapped to star on a reality show with best friends Kim Kardashian and Sarah Howard.
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Winkler's daughter recalled a VH1 executive meeting with her father while visiting LA to film the reel. At the time, she was living at home with her parents.
Zoe said: "I'll never forget Matt Hanna (an executive producer). He worked at VH1 at the time, he flew out to LA and did a sizzle reel of us. He came to the house and you met him outside."
Winkler added: "I did. I said, 'it is so lovely that you're here, I can suggest some really good restaurants, (but) my daughter is not doing your show.'"
Winkler once again refused to let Zoe star in the reality show with Kardashian.
On her father preventing her from starring in the show, Zoe replied in jest reality TV "worked out for Kim, because she went on to become the most famous person in the world".
Jokes aside, Zoe added: "I became a teacher, which was the best job and what I always truly wanted to do."
Winkler echoed his daughter, saying she was "born" to be a teacher and reality TV was "so not the right thing for you to do in your life" because "it would have just perverted your trajectory".
He confidently added: "I really believe that."
Following Winkler's appearance on his daughter and wife's podcast, Kardashian appeared as the show's "first real guest".
During the episode, Zoe opened up about her friendship with the Skims founder and their close-knit group of childhood friends, which they describe as the "Lifers".
Zoe revealed she even wears a necklace "that says 'Lifers' on it and all of our signatures are on the back".
She continued: "To me, the 'Lifers'are my lifeline. We talk all day long, there's a group chat that is constantly– I actually had to mute it. I just like return to it and there's like 30 text messages.
"And we have known each other our entire lives. We're 44-years-old, all of us, we're all the same year in school. We all have been there for the biggest moments, the most exciting moments, the saddest moments."
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