Nate Berkus has a tale of lost love that’s like something out of a Nicholas Sparks novel, and he’s opening up about the role it plays in his new marriage in a new episode of Oprah‘s Where Are They Now?
Interior designer Berkus lost his late partner Fernando Bengoechea in a tsunami while on vacation in Sri Lanka.
Though Berkus survived, he had trouble dealing with the guilt of losing a loved one while still moving forward into a new relationship. As he told Oprah:
“I didn’t know how to articulate what I needed from a new relationship. I didn’t know how to articulate how to keep that and honor that, but still move forward without any guilt or any fear.”
When he met now-husband Jeremiah Brent, Berkus was struck by how open Brent was about dealing with his previous relationship:
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“[Jeremiah was] the first person to come into my life and not be threatened or afraid, not afraid to poke the damage and say, ‘That happened. Let’s talk about it. Let’s figure it out, and how can it be part of our world in a way that’s healthy?’ And so it is.”
The two have been married since 2014, and are new dads to daughter Poppy. Brent promises to ensure that Benogoechea will always be a part of their lives:
“[Poppy] will know who he was. We have pictures of him in the home.”
The season premiere featuring the two aired on OWN on January 23rd, and repeats are currently airing. Check out the trailer for the new season of Where Are They Now? below.
Xzamilio
Beautiful. Honestly, I wouldn’t have the first clue as to how to deal with the sudden loss of someone you wanted to share your life with, and especially being the one who has to follow that up. These are the kinds of things my generation and those before me needed to see to let us know that we were not alone and that we were just like everyone else.
Phillip Bernal
YAWN!
Stache
Amazing. He found a trophy boy husband who loves him. Well, that and his new lifestyle. What an uplifting story.
SpunkyBunks
Well, he does work for her company! She’s just trying to pull a fast one on the gays by building his brand up again for her pocketbook.
dean089
Kudos to Jeremiah for being such a great human being.
stranded
Id be pretty understanding but i personally don’t think I’d be ok with my partner telling our child stories of his lost love.