Key Points
-
Jerry O’Connell described a “physical” altercation that arose during a discussion about the 2024 election outcomes with his wife, Rebecca Romijn, and their daughters.
-
He conveyed their intense reaction to Bill Maher, stating, “They were filled with rage.”
-
O’Connell had publicly supported Kamala Harris and, previously, Joe Biden during his presidency.
A dispute concerning Jerry O’Connell and his wife Rebecca Romijn and their teenage daughters escalated into a physical confrontation.
The Stand by Me actor shared details on Monday’s Club Random With Bill Maher podcast about a small family skirmish triggered by his remarks on the 2024 presidential election.
Prior to recounting the event, O’Connell jokingly questioned, “If I say this, will I stay married?” yet he proceeded with his story.
He recounted, “On election night, this third election everyone understands, I was monitoring the results late. To be frank, I didn’t anticipate [Donald] Trump winning. Living in California, based on what I was hearing, I didn’t believe he would secure the victory.”
O’Connell elaborated on his comments, stating, “I mentioned something like ‘there was insufficient planning. This is the consequence. A primary should have been held.’ I was just throwing out ideas,” he explained, alluding to Kamala Harris’ delayed campaign entry after Joe Biden withdrew in July 2024. “It was quite a surprise.”
Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O’Connell, pictured in 2025
Source: Theo Wargo/Getty
Romijn and their 17-year-old twin daughters, Dolly Rebecca Rose and Charlie Tamara Tulip, “without uttering a word, physically confronted” the actor, O’Connell stated, misinterpreting his tone and manner. He added, “They were consumed by fury.”
He further commented, “Indeed, I reside in California with not just one, but three individuals who, should I attempt any jest, would, uh, become extremely upset with me, you understand.”
Bill Maher shared his approach to such situations: “Regardless of my domestic setting, I voice my genuine thoughts, and if that causes anger, I apologize. We’ll need to resolve it.
“However, I refuse to cower and simply stay silent,” he proceeded. “This is what you experienced as a child. Just sit quietly and don’t speak. Remain idle.”
Receive your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity happenings, and viewing recommendations via our EW Dispatch newsletter.
O’Connell publicly backed Harris in the 2024 presidential race. He was present at a Georgia State University event in Atlanta in late July. After the November election results, O’Connell shared an image of an exhausted Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher from Murder, She Wrote, seemingly as a reaction to Harris’ defeat.
The previous year, during the 2023 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, O’Connell and Romijn discussed with PEOPLE how Biden’s age was then considered an advantage.
Romijn stated, “As you age, you gain wisdom, a lesson I’m learning in my later years. Wisdom accompanies age,” with O’Connell chiming in, “One grows older, one grows wiser. We are significant admirers. He’s performing admirably.”
View Jerry O’Connell’s complete discussion with Bill Maher on Club Random With Bill Maher through this link.
Find the original piece on Entertainment Weekly