Jerry O'Connell quit smoking after Rebecca Romijn's saucy deal-breaker
The actor has been married to the "X-Men" star for nearly two decades.
Edward SegarraA good marriage is all about compromise, but for Jerry O'Connell and Rebecca Romijn, a little tough love goes a long way.
During an appearance on the "Work in Progress with Sophia Bush" podcast earlier this month, the actor and Emmy-nominated host opened up about how his relationship inspired him to quit his longtime smoking habit.
"I struggled with nicotine for decades," O'Connell, 52, told host and fellow actor Sophia Bush on the Feb. 13 episode. "My wife said she would not touch me if I smoked."
O'Connell and Romijn have been married since 2007. The couple met in 2004 during the production of Romijn's documentary "Wet Dreams," according to People magazine. The actors welcomed twin daughters, Dolly Rebecca Rose and Charlie Tamara Tulip, in 2008.
While O'Connell thought Romijn was joking about the marital deal-breaker, he said the "X-Men" actress soon followed through on her word. "That lasted about two months," he added. "There was no physical contact."
But it took more than Romijn's ultimatum to get O'Connell to turn over a new leaf.
The "Stand by Me" alum said he turned to a friend who had recently quit smoking, and she recommended the actor see a hypnotist. According to Cleveland Clinic, hypnotherapy is a practice in which someone is guided into a "state of deep relaxation and focused concentration" through the use of verbal cues, repetition and imagery.
In a hypnotized state, a person may be more open to "suggestions about making healthful changes" regarding their "perceptions, sensations, emotions, memories, thoughts or behaviors," per Cleveland Clinic.
"She said, 'I'm going to give you the number of this lady,'" O'Connell recalled. "I went to see her, and I had to bring a photo of my children and my wife, and I sat down on her recliner. And she put her headphones on me, and there was like spa music, and she was like, 'I'm going to count to 10.' … And I fell asleep."
O'Connell, who hasn't smoked in about 14 years, said he was initially skeptical of the hypnosis' effectiveness, describing the session as "baloney" and a "waste of money."
However, "The Talk" host said he noticed a drastic change in his smoking behavior after visiting the hypnotist.
"I walked to my car; I got in it. I had a pack of Marlboro Mediums," O'Connell said. "[I] put the [cigarette] in my mouth, brought the lighter up and I couldn't light it."