More than 20 years after their relationship ended, Jerry O’Connell has finally weighed in on one of Hollywood’s most awkward breakup stories — and he isn’t exactly denying Giuliana Rancic’s version of events.
Appearing on Kelly Ripa’s Let’s Talk Off Camera podcast, the 52-year-old actor was asked about a memorable passage from Rancic’s 2015 memoir Going Off Script, in which she claimed O’Connell ended their relationship over his apartment intercom with the unforgettable line: “Nope, sorry, homegirl. Things change, but you take care, OK?”
O’Connell admitted he doesn’t remember the exact conversation from their 2004 split, but stopped short of calling the story fiction.
“I can’t deny that I said that,” he said. “It doesn’t sound like something I would say, but again, if I was writing a memoir, it made for a good quote.”
Rather than challenge Rancic’s account, the Jerry Maguire star praised the former E! News host for leaning into colourful storytelling, saying he applauded the way she used dialogue throughout the book.
He also accepted plenty of the blame, describing himself as a “terrible boyfriend” during their relationship, which lasted between 2003 and 2004. O’Connell revealed the split unfolded while another woman was inside his condominium and Rancic unexpectedly arrived wanting to come in.
“Thank goodness, buzzer, gate, security,” he joked, explaining he had no intention of letting the situation turn into a confrontation. He added that nobody had a key to the apartment, insisting their relationship had already been struggling by that stage and suggesting things were far from settled between them.
When Ripa later mentioned that Rancic had also accused him of cheating with Spice Girls star Geri Halliwell in the memoir, O’Connell again declined to argue with her version of events, instead complimenting the way she told the story.
Rancic memorably wrote that O’Connell delivered the breakup with about as much feeling as “the customer service representative who tells you your bags missed the flight” — a line that has followed the actor ever since.
Two decades on, O’Connell seems happy to let the story stand, admitting he wasn’t the ideal boyfriend and leaving one of celebrity gossip’s more infamous breakups exactly where it belongs: in the history books.
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Last modified: July 24, 2026
