Benito Skinner and Terrence O’Connor have officially called it quits after nearly a decade together.
The Overcompensating star and creator shared the news on Wednesday during an episode of his podcast RIDE, which he co-hosts with co-star Mary Beth Barone. “Terry and I are no longer together,” Skinner said, explaining that their breakup was “amicable.”
“We both just love each other so much and have so much love and respect for each other, and we treated each other with love and respect until the end,” he added.
Skinner, 31, reflected on their relationship with sincerity and humor, telling listeners that he and O’Connor “grew up together in so many ways” as they navigated their twenties side by side.
O’Connor, a photographer and creative director, previously told NYLON that the pair met at a party in 2016 and felt an instant connection. “I really had a That’s So Raven moment where I was immediately like, ‘I’m going to marry him,’” he said.
While that may no longer be the case, Skinner said he is very grateful for the time he spent with O’Connor. “I feel so unbelievably lucky to have met him and to be a part of his family,” he said. “If anything, you should believe in love, because I really had it and I really feel so lucky to have met him and to have been around his genius.”
Throughout their nine-year relationship, the couple often collaborated on creative projects and shared glimpses of their love online. O’Connor even helped shape the marketing for Skinner’s hit series Overcompensating, which debuted earlier this year.
Acknowledging how invested fans have been in their relationship, Skinner shared a heartfelt message for listeners who might be taking the news hard. “Over the years, I’ve seen comments that say, ‘If you break up, I’ll stop believing in love,’” he said. “I think it should be the opposite because I was with someone so special to me for nine years in a committed relationship with my best friend.”
Of course, Skinner couldn’t resist ending on a joke. “Yes, I did make him promise that he will never date an actor younger than me,” he laughed. “That was my one request, and he spit-shook on it.”
For now, Skinner asked for privacy and respect for them both.
