Henry Winkler explains why he stopped daughter Zoe from joining a reality show with Kim Kardashian

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Henry Winkler, the iconic 'Happy Days' actor, recently shared how he intervened to prevent his daughter, Zoe Winkler, from becoming involved in reality television—an action he believes was in her best interest.

In a candid conversation on Zoe's podcast, 'What in the Winkler?!', Zoe opened up about the time she was close to joining 'The Bachelorette', a popular dating reality show. "Do you remember when I was in the running to be ‘The Bachelorette?'” she asked her father.

Henry Winkler prevented daughter Zoe from joining 'The Bachelorette' and a VH1 reality show with Kim Kardashian

“Oh, my goodness. And we put a stop to that … and only for your protection,” Henry replied with a laugh. He then cheekily requested a "thank you" from Zoe, which she half-heartedly gave. But the conversation didn’t end there. Zoe revealed that Henry had also prevented her from joining another reality show—a VH1 series titled 'Quarter Life Crisis' which was set to feature Kim Kardashian and Sarah Howard.

According to Zoe, the show was pitched to her without her father’s knowledge. "Matt Hanna came to the house and you met him outside," Zoe recalled. “I did,” Henry confirmed. “I said, ‘It is so lovely that you’re here, I can suggest some really good restaurants, but my daughter is not doing your show,’” she added.

Zoe Winkler reflects on father’s intervention

Though Zoe Winkler was disappointed by her father’s intervention at the time, she later realized it was for the best. “I became a teacher, which was the best job and what I always truly wanted to do,” she explained. Henry, proud of his daughter’s decision, added, “If I were a young parent, at the time that I saw the way you parent and the way you taught, I would have stolen your technique and used it as my go-to.”

Zoe, who has been married to Robert Reinis since 2009 and shares three sons with him, also spoke passionately about her role as a mother. She revealed that she is "obsessed" with her husband and is equally dedicated to her nonprofit, This is About Humanity, which she founded in 2018. The organization advocates for families and children separated at the US-Mexico border.