Rachel Zoe Reveals Ex’s Proposal Came Just a Day After Her Encounter with a Model

Rachel Zoe recently opened up about the origins of her relationship with Rodger Berman, following their 2024 separation after spending 33 years together.

During a new episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, the 54-year-old fashion icon reminisced about the moment Berman, now 57, asked her to marry him. The discussion also touched upon the dissolution of their marriage.

Zoe recounted how Berman proposed just a day after she confessed to having a brief romance with a model.

Over dinner in the Hamptons with fellow cast members Kyle Richards and Dorit Kemsley, Zoe shared that her encounter with the model took place four years into her relationship with Berman.

The designer, who shares sons Skyler, 14, and Kaius, 12, with Berman, described the model as “the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen in my life.” She admitted to revealing the incident to Berman because she “felt so bad.”

‘I told him that I fooled around with this guy, and I’m not joking, he proposed to me the next day,’ she said. ‘True story.’ 

Rachel Zoe, 54, offered a candid look at the early days of her relationship with Rodger Berman, 57, following their split in 2024 after 33 years together

The fashion designer reflected on the day Berman proposed to her on a new episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on Thursday; The former pair pictured in 2022

Zoe then recalled the moment that led her to being ‘done’ with Berman.

‘Whatever happened, happened and then I just split open,’ she said, adding, ‘I just remember literally being on the ground.’ 

She said the two had gotten into ‘a big fight.’ When her co-stars asked how she found out what Berman had done, she replied, ‘Well, he told me.’

She recalled having just gotten home from designer Brian Atwood’s birthday when she got ‘a call’ from Berman, who was in Aspen.

‘Honestly, it’s like I saw red and just hung up. People have always asked me over the years what’s the secret to our success. The first answer was always trust. It’s like, when that trust is broken, it’s broken. There’s no going back.’

‘The way that we were married, I never looked at his phone, not once. Never in my life — not even thought about, talked about, considered,’ she said.

Zoe also said people have asked whether Berman told her ‘because he wanted to hurt’ her.

‘You don’t think he told you because he felt guilty?’ Kemsley asked.

‘Yes, because he’s never lied to me a day in his life, so I think it’s partly that. I think it’s also, like, “I want to see if you still give a s**t. I want to see if you care even this much.” My reaction is: “I can’t come back. I can’t un-hear, I can’t unsee, I can’t un-know.”‘

She said her ex proposed to her just a day after she told him she had ‘fooled around’ with a model, whom she called ‘the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen in my life’

The fashion mogul said she told Berman about the encounter because she ‘felt so bad,’ adding, ‘I’m not joking, he proposed to me the next day’; The two seen in 2022

The TV personality also previously said during a past episode of RHOBH that her relationship with Berman changed after having children; Zoe pictured on January 20

Zoe went on to say that Berman ‘was a secure person’ but that in the last six to seven years of their marriage ‘it just went down.’

‘He was so secure. Everyone would ask him, “How do you let her do that? She’s going and styling all these huge male celebrities, these big male supermodels, these guys are hitting on her all the time.” He was always like, “If they can get her, they can have her.” It worked because I never cheated on him.’

Zoe admitted she ‘would flirt with guys,’ and ‘they would flirt with me,’ but said it ‘was nothing.’

The star, who tied the knot with Berman in 1996, initially announced their split in September 2024.

In a previous episode Zoe recalled the ‘insane’ moment that led to her filing for divorce.

During a conversation with castmate Erika Jayne, Zoe explained that her ex planned an unannounced meeting so he could introduce their sons to his girlfriend – although her name was not disclosed in the episode.

However, Berman has been romantically linked to Bree Jacoby, whom he was seen cozying up with just four months after his split from Zoe.

Her children were about to go off to camp at the time as the TV personality added, ‘She’s never met the kids.’

The star added, ‘My kids are leaving, about to get on a plane to camp, literally she f***ing appears. She’s there with him, shows up and says hi to my sons. What the f***?’

The star, who tied the knot with Berman in 1996, announced their split in 2024. They have sons Skyler, 14, and Kaius, 12, together; Seen in 2024

During a confessional, Zoe revealed that she had officially filed for divorce that same day.

‘Just a typical day. I mean, it’s not one thing,’ she said, referencing what had prompted her to take the step to end the marriage.

‘It’s an absolute myriad of bad decisions that have been over the last month, the last weeks, the last f***ing hour that would trigger me to move things forward.’

The mom-of-two and Berman did not sign a prenup before marrying.

The TV personality also previously said during a past episode of RHOBH that her relationship with Berman changed after having children.

‘I think we’ve outgrown each other; we became very different people,’ she stated during a conversation with her pal Kathy Hilton.