Rachel Zoe Called Jennifer Garner First for Divorce Lawyer Advice

Published on : Mar 11, 2026 17:39 UTC

By: Michelle Dobbins

5 min read

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The fashion designer called the actress who has been her close pal since 2003 to ask for a good divorce attorney. The two friends are pictured here in 2019. - Penske Media

Only in Hollywood do you phone an A-list friend for her A-list lawyer, and tell the story with poise to a microphone the next day.

Rachel Zoe says the first person she called after separating from her husband, Rodger Berman, wasn’t a publicist or a therapist. It was Jennifer Garner, her longtime friend, because Zoe needed a great divorce attorney, and Garner knew one: Laura Wasser.

My take? This isn’t a stunt. It’s an honest peek at how women in the fame economy triage a life pivot: protect the kids, protect your sanity, then protect your assets. Efficiency is the new glamorous.

The Moment

On the March 9, 2026, episode of the Inside Edit podcast, fashion designer and RHOBH newcomer Rachel Zoe shared that her first post-split call was to Jennifer Garner, whom she’s known since styling the actress for the 2003 Emmys. Garner’s opening line, “You must be so exhausted,” landed like a permission slip to stop pretending this was fine.

Garner recommended famed family-law attorney Laura Wasser, the same lawyer who handled Garner’s divorce from Ben Affleck. Zoe also reiterated what she’s hinted at on camera: She knew her 26-year marriage was over when sadness outpaced happiness, and she started attending life’s events without Berman.

Attorney Laura Wasser speaks at the 2018 Girlboss Rally. — Photo: Garner ended up recommending celebrity divorce attorney Laura Wasser (pictured here in 2018), whom she used in her divorce from Ben Affleck. – Girlboss

Zoe and Berman, who share two sons, announced their separation in September 2024. On RHOBH in January 2026, Zoe said she officially filed in July 2025 and cited “a myriad of bad decisions” as the final straw, while keeping the specifics private.

“I knew it was over because I was spending more time sad than happy.”

Rodger Berman and Rachel Zoe sitting on a couch. — Photo: Zoe also shared that she decided to end her 26-year marriage to Berman (seen above with Zoe in 2019) because she was “spending more time sad than happy.” – Prabal Gurung

The Take

Let’s strip the glam: calling Garner wasn’t about celebrity clout; it was about institutional knowledge. In Hollywood, your most precious resource isn’t a stylist’s rack; it’s a friend who’s already done the paperwork.

Zoe’s framing of divorce as an energy audit (“exhausted” versus “happy”) is deeply adult. When the emotional math stops working, you find a pro who speaks spreadsheet. That Garner’s pro is Wasser, the Gucci loafer of family law, just underscores the lesson: expertise is self-care.

Culturally, this lands like a counterprogram to the messy, public splits of the 2000s. Instead of scandal breadcrumbs, Zoe offers boundaries, therapy-speak clarity, and a lawyer recommendation. It’s less tabloid opera, more home-organization show: label the bins, call the plumber, mop up with dignity. Or put another way, this is phoning the friend with the good contractor when the foundation cracks.

Also notable: Zoe admits that working with her spouse blurred lines she couldn’t unblur. That’s not shade; it’s a common hazard for creative couples. The rare part is saying it out loud, on a mic, without venom.

Receipts

Confirmed

Zoe said her first call post-split was to Jennifer Garner, who told her, “You must be so exhausted,” and recommended attorney Laura Wasser, Inside Edit podcast, March 9, 2026.
Zoe stated she filed to end the marriage in July 2025 and cited “a myriad of bad decisions”-The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills episode airing January 2026.
Jennifer Garner retained Laura Wasser in her divorce from Ben Affleck, as reflected in Los Angeles County court filings in 2018.
Zoe and Berman announced their separation in September 2024; they share two sons, acknowledged by Zoe on RHOBH and reiterated on the March 2026 podcast.

Unverified/Not Publicly Detailed

Whether Laura Wasser currently represents Zoe (no active case details disclosed by Zoe beyond the recommendation).
Specifics of the “myriad of bad decisions” Zoe referenced (she has not elaborated on-camera or in the podcast).

Backstory (For the Casual Reader)

Rachel Zoe, 54, is the stylist-turned-designer who helped define late-2000s red-carpet boho glam and fronted the reality series The Rachel Zoe Project. She married Rodger Berman, 55, in 1998; he later became her business partner, blurring the lines between personal and professional as the brand scaled. Zoe has styled dozens of A-listers, including Jennifer Garner, with whom she bonded in the early 2000s. Garner’s recommended attorney, Laura Wasser, is a high-profile divorce lawyer whose client list has included Britney Spears, Kim Kardashian, and Johnny Depp. Zoe and Berman announced their separation in 2024; on RHOBH and in recent interviews, Zoe has emphasized protecting her kids, keeping specifics private, and choosing a quieter, cleaner exit over headline drama.

When a long relationship ends, is the smartest first call a confidante with lived experience, or a specialist who can keep things calm and fair from the jump?

Sources:

Inside Edit podcast, interview with Rachel Zoe, March 9, 2026.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Bravo), January 2026 episode featuring Zoe discussing her filing timeline.
Los Angeles County Superior Court records in the Garner-Affleck matter, 2018.