Nate Berkus has revealed why he and husband, Queer Eye’s Jeremiah Brent, are monogamous.
Last week, the renowned interior designer appeared on the We Met At Acme podcast to discuss his new book Foundations.
He also peeled back the curtain on his relationship with Brent, revealing that they first met through fashion designer Rachel Zoe.
“He worked for Rachel Zoe. He was on her show, and she called me and was like, ‘Oh my god, we just hired this guy. He’s so cute. We call him baby Nate in the office.’ And she was like, ‘I know that you would love him. Like I actually think you would really love him,” Berkus recalled.
“And I was like, ‘Wait, because I’m a narcissist. What’s the connection?… And also Rachel, I’m dating one of your really good friends.’ And she was like, ‘No, I know, but I’m just saying, I’m not saying you should do anything about. I just think, I don’t know, I think I’m right.”
The 54-year-old went on to reveal that he met Brent at Zoe’s 40th birthday party in New York City years later, but didn’t pursue anything romantic because they were both in relationships.
“We exchanged information, and then two years after that, we were both single and he was in New York because he lived in LA, and he reached out and we went on a date in the daytime, and we’re still together,” Berkus added.
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Elsewhere in the interview, the design author shared the one aspect of their relationship that’s a non-negotiable.
“Fidelity,” he said before explaining why he and Brent are not open to the idea of non-monogamy.
“Among our friends, we’re rare and that we don’t have an open relationship. It’s just something that we discussed very early on, and he’s all I need, and I’m all he needs,” Berkus explained.
“Also, I think we’re both so, well, I’m jealous, so that wouldn’t work at all. He doesn’t like to admit that he is, but I think he is, too. It just won’t work. It’s not how we define our relationship; it’s fine for anybody else.”
When asked whether he might change his stance on the idea, Berkus doubled down on his previous comments, adding that he didn’t see it as “being a thing.”
“It’s not something that’s ever been on the table for either of us or anything that either of us really has ever wanted,” he continued.
The HGTV star went on to discuss the importance of trust and of evolving as a couple over time.
“There’s an understanding of each other’s fundamental values not as it pertains to fidelity, but also as it pertains to everything, parenting, honesty, evolution and communication. So we work on that, it’s constant,” he added.
Berkus’ recent interview comes a few months after he and Brent celebrated their 11th wedding anniversary.
On 3 May, Berkus took to his Instagram to share a heartwarming video documenting their love.
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“Babe, happy 11-year anniversary. I thought it would be fun for us to look at mainly your hair over the last 11 years. But I loved you the day we met and I love you even more now. Thank you for the last 11 years,” the TLC star exclaimed.
Brent echoed similar sentiments in his own Instagram post, with a romantic photo of them dancing.
“Loving you – and being loved by you is the greatest gift of all,” his caption read.
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