Rachel Zoe Opens Up About Divorce and Jennifer Garner's Crucial Support
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Rachel Zoe has publicly discussed the aftermath of her decision to leave her husband of 26 years, Rodger Berman. The celebrity stylist and entrepreneur revealed intimate details about the emotional toll and key moments during her separation process.
Jennifer Garner's Immediate Empathetic Response
During an appearance on the Inside Edit Podcast with Maeve Reilly, Zoe disclosed that her first call after deciding to end her marriage was to longtime friend and Hollywood actress Jennifer Garner. Garner's immediate reaction, "You must be so tired," resonated deeply with Zoe, who instantly understood the reference to the exhaustion of trying to salvage a failing marriage.
Garner, who famously divorced Ben Affleck after more than a decade of marriage and two children together, provided not just emotional support but practical advice. She recommended her own divorce attorney, Laura Wasser, a 57-year-old Los Angeles-based lawyer known as "The Disso Queen" for her high-profile clientele including Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, and Britney Spears.
The Breakdown of a 33-Year Relationship
Zoe joined the fifteenth season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills amid her divorce proceedings and candidly shared what went wrong in her marriage to Berman. The couple had been together for 33 years, marrying in 1996 after seven years of dating, and share two sons: 14-year-old Skyler and 12-year-old Kaius.
"There's a lot of reasons that our relationship was strained," Zoe admitted during the December fourth episode. "In hindsight, if I had to say a great regret — greatest regret — would probably be working together."
The Rachel Zoe brand was created with her estranged husband, and both served on the board of Rachel Zoe Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm. Berman also costarred with Zoe on The Rachel Zoe Project for its entire five-season run from 2008 to 2013.
The Final Straw and Divorce Filing
Zoe recalled what she described as an "insane" moment that prompted her to officially file for divorce. During a conversation with castmate Erika Jayne, she explained that Berman planned an unannounced meeting to introduce their sons to his girlfriend just as the children were about to leave for camp.
"My kids are leaving, about to get on a plane to camp, literally she f***ing appears," Zoe recounted. "She's there with him, shows up and says hi to my sons. What the f***?"
Berman has been romantically linked to Bree Jacoby, whom he was seen with just four months after his split from Zoe. The TV personality filed for divorce that same day, citing "irreconcilable differences" and listing the separation date as June 27, 2024 in documents obtained by the Daily Mail.
Financial and Custody Arrangements
The couple did not sign a prenuptial agreement before marrying. Zoe expressed that she didn't want to receive or give spousal support, stating: "I feel that this is a new beginning and if we are separating and living separate lives and are separate people, I don't see why I should be paying for that or he should be paying for mine."
She requested joint legal and physical custody of their two children. In a joint statement released in September 2024, the former couple said: "After 33 years together and 26 years married, Rodger and I have come to the mutual decision to end our marriage. We are incredibly proud of the loving family we have created and our countless memories together."
Moving Forward and New Beginnings
Zoe revealed that her relationship with Berman changed significantly after having children. "I think we've outgrown each other; we became very different people," she told Kathy Hilton during a conversation on the show. She described the person she had been with her entire adult life as "in many ways, unrecognizable" and broke down in tears admitting, "Ultimately, that person didn't feel right around me or around my kids."
The designer has since returned to the dating scene, telling People magazine late last year that the experience has been "incredibly fun." "To be honest, that wasn't hard for me to get into. It really wasn't. I think this era for me is just freedom," she expressed optimistically about her new chapter.
The former couple emphasized their commitment to co-parenting and continuing to work together within their shared business ventures despite the personal separation.
