American TV personality Giuliana Rancic has spoken out following her ex-partner actor Jerry O’Connell’s comments on their relationship.
The pair dated briefly in 2003 and 2004. Now, Stand By Me star O’Connell has spoken about their relationship 22 years later on the Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa podcast, admitting to being a “terrible” boyfriend.
The couple first met in the early 2000s and began dating in 2003 before their split in 2004. Evan Agostini
Following O’Connell’s podcast appearance, Rancic shared a pointed video to Instagram, enjoying her holiday and sipping on a cocktail while addressing her former partner’s comments. She captioned the clip, “Hey Jerry, care to join us?”
In the video, she claimed that, based on O’Connell’s recent comments, she believed his memory to be “a little fuzzy”.
Rancic shared that she had received emails from several entertainment news publications, all wanting her comment on O’Connell’s podcast appearance.
“I could give two sentences, like, blah, blah, blah, ‘I wish him all the best.’ Or I could just take a deep dive and make it a 40-minute podcast,” she said.
“So, tune in next week – Bill & Giuliana: The Podcast. And Jerry, you are so invited. We’d love to have you.”
Appearing on Kelly Ripa’s podcast on July 19, O’Connell was asked if he was made aware ahead of the release of Rancic’s 2016 memoir, Going Off Script, that details about their relationship would be included, to which he confirmed he was not.
“Now listen, in Giuliana Rancic’s defence of this memoir, I was a pretty terrible boyfriend. Hand up, I was not a good boyfriend,” he said.
“Let me take this moment to apologise to Giuliana Rancic. I’m not kidding about being a terrible boyfriend. I was the worst. I wasn’t the worst boyfriend. I was just a bad boyfriend. I was just not a great boyfriend.”
In her memoir, Rancic claimed that O’Connell had broken up with her via his complex’s intercom, which he confirmed during his podcast appearance
“I was not expecting Giuliana Rancic to come to said condominium,” he said.
“Someone was inside of my condominium, and Giuliana Rancic wanted entry into my condominium. Thank goodness, buzzer, gate, security. I paid a pretty hefty homeowner’s fee for these things.”
He added that she had given no warning that she was going to arrive, and that he didn’t let her in to avoid “any confrontation”.
Rancic sipped on a cocktail as she teased the details she’s soon set to release. Instagram/@giulianarancic
According to Rancic’s memoir, O’Connell said to her, “Nope. Sorry, homegirl. Things change. But you take care, okay?” O’Connell could not confirm nor deny the wording.
“I don’t recall exact wording, so I can’t deny that I said that,” O’Connell said.
“It doesn’t sound like something I’d say, but, again, if I was writing a memoir, it made for a good quote. So, you know what, I’m gonna applaud Giuliana for using colourful dialogue and everything.”
