Jerry O’Connell Apologizes to Giuliana Rancic for Being ‘a Terrible Boyfriend’

Jerry O’Connell has publicly apologized to former girlfriend Giuliana Rancic, admitting he was “a terrible boyfriend” during their brief relationship in 2003 and 2004.

Speaking on SiriusXM’s Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa, O’Connell said the pair “had a lot of fun together” but acknowledged their breakup was handled poorly. “Let me take this moment to apologize to Giuliana Rancic,” he said. “I was just not a great boyfriend.”

Addressing a story from Rancic’s 2016 memoir Going Off Script, O’Connell confirmed they ended their relationship through the intercom at his condominium after she arrived unannounced. He explained that he refused to let her in because he did not expect the visit and wanted to avoid a confrontation.

When Kelly Ripa read a memorable line from Rancic’s memoir—“Nope. Sorry, homegirl. Things change. But you take care, okay?”—O’Connell said he could not recall his exact words and neither confirmed nor denied saying it, adding that it made for “colorful dialogue” in the book.

Both have since moved on. O’Connell married actress and model Rebecca Romijn in 2007, while Rancic married businessman Bill Rancic the same year.