Howie Mandel revealed that his wife, Terry Mandel, reached her breaking point during a difficult period involving his OCD and severe germaphobia. The America’s Got Talent judge said Terry eventually urged him to seek professional help.
After more than four decades together, Terry gave Howie an ultimatum that sent him toward therapy. The comedian said her patience had run out as his rituals increasingly took over their daily lives.
Howie Mandel says Terry Mandel urged him to seek help when his germaphobia became overwhelming
Howie opened up about the difficult period on Hoda Kotb’s Joy 101 podcast. He explained that Terry finally insisted he seek professional help.
“Finally, my wife just went, ‘I can’t do this, this is really tiring, go talk to somebody,’” Howie recalled. He said Terry’s ultimatum was to find help because she could no longer live that way.
Howie called his wife a “hero” for enduring the difficult period and encouraging him to seek therapy. The entertainer explained that people with OCD sometimes create rituals to make themselves feel comfortable.
For Howie, germaphobia became one of those overwhelming rituals. He said the condition had become part of his public persona, and he often joked about it during stand-up.
Behind the laughs, however, he described living with it as “hell.”
His anxiety once became so intense that he built a separate space behind his home. He said he would retreat there for a week if one of his children sneezed.
“It’s not really a guest house,” Howie explained. “I built a place in our backyard.” He also recalled asking others to disinfect phones when he considered them unsanitary.
Howie, who married Terry in 1980, said his struggles worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. He revealed that he “almost died” after self-medicating during that frightening period.
He said he now relies on prescription medication, therapy, and professional support. Terry’s ultimatum ultimately helped him seek the treatment he needed.
The couple remained together through the rough patch and now share an entertainment venture. Howie co-hosts his Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast with their daughter, Jackelyn Shultz.
After 40-plus years of marriage, Terry’s firm boundary ultimately helped Howie recognize that he needed professional support.
