Jerry O'Connell comments on Giuliana Rancic's memoir account of their 2004 breakup

Jerry O’Connell said he does not dispute the blunt portrayal of their 2004 breakup in Giuliana Rancic’s memoir "Going Off Script," though he could not remember his exact wording at the time. Speaking on the "Let’s Talk Off Camera" podcast, the actor admitted he might have said the line quoted in the book, adding that it "doesn’t sound like something I would say, but again, if I was writing a memoir, it made for a good quote." He complimented Rancic for using "colorful dialogue" in her account.

O’Connell described the split as “poor,” noting that he had called himself a “terrible boyfriend” during that period. He said a woman was in his condominium when Rancic tried to enter, and he cited security measures such as a buzzer, gate and cameras. He did not identify the woman, and co-host Kelly Ripa speculated it could have been Spice Girls member Geri Halliwell or O’Connell’s current wife, Rebecca Romijn.

When asked about Rancic’s claim that he cheated, O’Connell said he appreciated the way she described his infidelity, calling her a "smart girl" and quoting her line that compared his emotional response to a customer-service representative. Rancic’s publicist did not respond to a request for comment.

O’Connell also recounted a brief early-career date with actress Sarah Michelle Gellar, describing it as a single meeting that ended quickly, and noted he holds no ill will toward her and her husband, Freddie Prinze Jr.