A veteran TV star recently opened up about her divorce and being able to finally “just be me.”
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Julie Benz, a fan favorite for her roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Dexter, shared with Jennie Garth on the July 16 episode of Garth’s I Choose Me podcast why she made the “difficult decision” to divorce. She described it as her first time “choosing herself.”
“The first time I really chose myself was deciding to get divorced,” the Hawaii-Five-0 actress told the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum of her 2007 split from actor John Kassir, who famously voiced the Crypt Keeper on Tales from the Crypt. She added that it was a “very difficult decision” for her to make because she “grew up in a very devout Catholic family[where] divorce was very much looked down upon.”
However, the actress knew the divorce was the right choice.
“I honestly felt like I was suffocating… like I was just… I couldn’t breathe,” she told Garth in a clip shared on Instagram.
Realizing she was falling into a pattern of unhealthy choices, she knew it was time to make a change.
“I was going location and I would smoke cigarettes and drink and like all this bad behavior,” she recalled. “I was like, it’s because I’m not able to just be me!”
Fans Show Their Support After Julie Benz Opens up About Her Divorce
Of course, fans jumped to the comments section to show their support for Benz’s taking the bold step to get a divorce.
“This is so beautiful and inspirational! Love you, Julie,” one fan gushed. “Stories of truth inspire us,” another onlooker added. “You are wonderful, I love you so much, Rita,” a Dexter fan wrote, referencing Benz’s character on the Showtime series.
Meanwhile, at least one fan had a pitch for a potential project for the two blonde actresses.
“Love Julie and love you, Jennie – and you two should play sisters in some movie or tv series, you look so much alike,” they suggested.
Benz eventually found love with Rich Orosco, the Chief Brand Officer of Los Angeles Football Club, and the two tied the knot in 2012. In May 2025, they joyfully celebrated 13 years of marriage.
“13 yrs later and I’m still the best decision you ever made,” she gushed alongside a collage of photos and knick-knacks from their relationship. “Happy Anniversary @lafcrich. Still, always and forever.”