Henry Winkler is no stranger to fame thanks to his illustrious career. However, the unforgettable Arthur ‘Fonzie’ Fonzarelli from Happy Days wasn’t up for letting his daughter join reality TV. He addressed the reason behind his rejection in the latest episode of Zoe Winkler’s What in the Winkler?! podcast. Zoe asked her father if he recalled her running to be a part of The Bachelorette series.
The Hollywood veteran immediately replied, “Oh, my goodness. And we put a stop to that … and only for your protection.” He also asked his daughter for a “thank you” for saving her from the gig. Zoe half-heartedly thanked him before sharing that Henry also stopped her from working with Kim Kardashian. She noted she was approached to star in a reality TV show with the SKIMS founder and Sarah Howard. The program was called “Quarter Life Crisis.”
VH1 executive producer Matt Hanna had his heart set on Zoe for the show. He even created a viral reel with the trio without her father’s knowledge or permission. However, Henry eventually learned about the gig, which was a “no” for him. The TV personality’s daughter noted Hanna had visited their home to convince Henry about the project. Her father revealed he met the producer outside, and cooly sent him off, saying:
“It is so lovely that you’re here. I can suggest some really good restaurants, [but] my daughter is not doing your show.”
Although Henry stood between Zoe and her chances of becoming a reality TV star, she had no regrets. She declared that teaching has always been her dream, while her father claimed she was “born” for the job. Henry also praised Zoe as a fantastic mom. He claimed that if he was a young parent, he would have stolen her technique and used it. His daughter married Robert Reinis in 2009, and they welcomed three sons.
Henry Winkler Reveals the House Rules He Set for His Grandchildren
Henry has played numerous characters on TV and in films; however, his best role is being a grandpa. We covered the Hollywood icon’s conversation about his “six and three-quarters grandchildren“ in an August interview. The Emmy winner described his grandkids as his greatest joy, noting that being a grandpa differed from fatherhood. While it was different from being a parent, he claimed it involved “the same emotion.” Although he enjoyed doting on his grandchildren, Henry stressed that he was a stickler for rules. He explained that there were key house rules his grandkids had to follow in his home, saying:
“When the youngest granddaughter is sleeping, there is no fighting, there is no yelling. They are in charge of their friends to keep it down.”
Another important rule involved kids from 7 to 14. Henry noted that they had to clear their dishes themselves. Despite the rules, the actor loved to spoil his grandkids and even did TikTok videos with them. In a 2023 interview, Henry declared that he would never use social media platforms unless it was TikTok. He stressed that he would only hop on the video-sharing site to do dance challenges with his grandkids.
As a doting grandpa, will Henry Winkler stop his grandkids from venturing into reality TV like he stopped Zoe?
