Jerry O'Connell has revealed new details about a meeting with fellow actor John Stamos, the ex-husband of O'Connell's wife, Rebecca Romijn. The two actors, along with Stamos's current wife Caitlin McHugh, were photographed together at comedian Howie Mandel's 70th birthday celebration last year. O'Connell shared the photo on Instagram in November.
Appearing on SiriusXM’s “Andy Cohen Live,” O'Connell described an initial moment of tension when he decided to approach Stamos. "I was like, ‘I got to make a beeline for him. I got to go extend my hand,’" O'Connell recalled. He stated he offered a greeting and a hug, aiming to express goodwill.
To ease the atmosphere, O'Connell employed what he described as self-deprecating jokes. He and Stamos spoke for approximately 20 minutes before posing for the photo. O'Connell ensured McHugh was present, noting, "You want everyone to feel included."
Romijn married O'Connell in 2007, two years after her divorce from Stamos. Stamos and McHugh married in 2018.
The apparent coolness between O'Connell and Stamos was previously linked to remarks Stamos made in his 2023 memoir, “If You Would Have Told Me.” In the book, Stamos described his seven-year marriage to Romijn as “shattering” and expressed intense negative feelings toward her at the time. Later, Stamos appeared on “The Howard Stern Show,” where he acknowledged feeling “emasculated” by Romijn. O'Connell had previously addressed the memoir's reception on “The Talk,” stating he chose not to comment on Stamos's remarks to avoid fueling the situation.
More recently, Stamos admitted on the “Really Good Podcast” that his divorce from Romijn “broke my heart” and that he did not want the separation. He added that it took him a long time to get over the split.
O'Connell also mentioned on “Andy Cohen Live” that he keeps abreast of when Romijn's name appears in the news, even if his wife is less inclined to follow such reports. He described situations where he would inform Romijn of Stamos's media appearances and they would listen together, checking if the content was negative.