Howie Mandel has opened up about the moment his wife, Terry Mandel, finally reached her breaking point after more than four decades of marriage. The America’s Got Talent judge revealed on Hoda Kotb’s Joy 101 podcast that Terry insisted he seek professional help for his OCD and severe germaphobia. “Finally, my wife just went, ‘I can’t do this, this is really tiring, go talk to somebody,'” Howie recalled. Terry’s ultimatum was clear: get help or she couldn’t go on living that way.
Howie called his wife a “hero” for enduring the difficult period and pushing him toward therapy. He explained that people with OCD often create rituals to feel comfortable. For him, germaphobia became one of those overwhelming rituals. The condition even became part of his public persona. He joked about it during stand-up routines, but behind the laughs, he described living with it as “hell.”
His anxiety once became so intense that he built a separate space behind his home. “It’s not really a guest house,” he said. “I built a place in our backyard.” If one of his children sneezed, he would retreat there for a week. He also recalled asking others to disinfect phones when he considered them unsanitary.
Howie married Terry in 1980. Their marriage endured through the rough patch, but the COVID-19 pandemic made things worse. He revealed that he “almost died” after self-medicating during that frightening period. Now, he relies on prescription medication, therapy, and professional support. Terry’s firm boundary ultimately helped him recognize that he needed help.
Today, the couple remains together and shares an entertainment venture. Howie co-hosts his Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast with their daughter, Jackelyn Shultz. After more than 40 years of marriage, Terry’s ultimatum may have been the push Howie needed.
