Giuliana Rancic Says Ex Jerry O’Connell Helped Introduce Her to Husband Bill

Giuliana Rancic says her former boyfriend, Jerry O’Connell, played an unexpected role in her marriage to Bill Rancic.

On the July 29 episode of Bill and Giuliana: The Podcast, Bill recalled meeting O’Connell at the 2004 NBC Upfronts after winning The Apprentice. According to Bill, O’Connell joked that he would introduce him to his girlfriend, Giuliana, but feared they would "run off together." Giuliana then met Bill, and the couple began dating later that year before marrying in 2007.

The podcast also revisited Giuliana’s past relationship with O’Connell following his recent appearance on Kelly Ripa’s SiriusXM podcast. O’Connell responded to claims from Giuliana’s 2016 memoir Off Script, in which she wrote that he ended their relationship through an apartment intercom.

Giuliana clarified that the breakup actually happened on the apartment balcony, not over the intercom, and said she did not know another woman was inside O’Connell’s home at the time.

During his interview with Ripa, O’Connell admitted he was "not a great boyfriend" and acknowledged there was another woman in his home when he ended the relationship. He said security features at the building prevented Giuliana from entering.

Giuliana said her latest podcast discussion came from "a place of love" and noted that O’Connell had been invited to join the conversation. O’Connell has been married to actress Rebecca Romijn since 2007.