Who Is Gary Brody? Everything To Know About Jill Zarin's Boyfriend
Are they getting married?
Getty Images Last year, Jill Zarin surprised fans after teasing that she may be getting married to her boyfriend, whom she found love again with after losing her husband, Bobby Zarin, to thyroid cancer in 2018.
But who is Gary Brody, her new boyfriend? And are they getting married?
“Oh, you’ll have to watch and see what happens. Ask him, right?” the 56-year-old said when reporters caught her outside the Broadway opening night of Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations in NYC in March 2019.
"Wedding bells are good," Brody reportedly chimed in. "Why not?"
And while the pair have not yet gotten married, they're still very much going strong with their relationship.
So who is Jill Zarin's boyfriend, Gary Brody?
Here are some details to know about Zarin's relationship with him.
Brody and Zarin started dating in 2018.
Zarin and Brody haven't been together crazy long — as they reportedly started dating in 2018. And the timing of the start of their relationship was during a hard time in Zarin's life. Her late husband, Bobby Zarin, died in early 2018. He was 72 and had lost his battle with cancer.
Zarin and Brody got together after he helped her through this difficult time. “[He] has been an incredible friend to talk to,” she said. “He only wants the best for me and my daughter [Ally Shapiro].”
They made things Instagram official around Christmas 2018.
Zarin and Brody made their relationship Instagram official, if you will, in December 2018. The former Real Housewives star posted a photo of them playing tennis with the caption: "Trivia question. ‘What is the origin of the term Love in tennis?'"
Real RHONY die-hards will recall how much she loves tennis, so it only makes sense that Brody would too.
“We play tennis every day,” she told Us Weekly, adding that she's in “better shape that [she] used to be.” “She plays more than I do,” Gary added.
Brody works in fashion.
Brody is currently the owner and president of Marcraft Apparel Group, a men's clothing company. He has that in common with his new gal, Zarin, who co-owned Zarin Fabrics with her late husband. She still currently runs it.
Zarin said Bobby would approve of Brody.
Prior to his passing, Zarin said her late husband told her that he hoped she would meet someone special after he died.
"He told me what he wanted for me. It was very sad. But he wants me to move on, he wants me to be happy," Zarin said. "He wants me to work. He wants me to play tennis. He knows I love it and he knows that that's probably a good place for me to meet a nice guy and he doesn't want me to be alone. He's not selfish like that."
She also said that her daughter approves of Brody and that her late husband would have, too.
Fans criticized Zarin for her new relationship.
Rumors about Brody and Zarin first started swirling when they went to London in summer 2018 to attend Wimbledon together, which is adorable, considering their mutual love of tennis. Zarin left some cute, flirty comments on her new boo's Instagram photo and some Real Housewives of New York fans called her out for moving on to a new man so soon after her husband had passed.
"Wow. As a widow myself, I could never imagine dating/traveling overseas with another man within [six] months after my husband died. Poor Bobby," one fan wrote. Another commented, "[Already] dating, that's how much she loved Bobby."
Zarin came out about the details of her new relationship after it received so much initial backlash.
"I don’t typically comment on tabloid stories but I felt it was important to set the record straight and let you all know I haven’t been dating anyone for six months," she said. "I just started accepting a few dinner dates after much thought and support from my close friends and family. I felt Bobby would want me to start to live again."
Are Brody and Zarin getting married?
In summer 2019, Brody was reportedly seen at I. Friedman and Son Jeweler in the Diamond District ordering his love an engagement ring. However, nothing more ever came of the news and Zarin herself has never actually been seen wearing a ring.
So, for now, fans will have to just wait and see if the couple really do ever get married.
Brody and Zarin live together.
While the jury's still out on whether or not Zarin and Brody will tie the knot, they did take another big step in the relationship when they moved in together in summer 2019. The couple are currently renting a $9,995-a-month Sutton Place penthouse that was formerly owned by famous painter Georgia O'Keefe.
A friend of Zarin's reportedly said, “They’re really happy together, genuinely very happy. I’m so happy for her, she’s had such a tough time, and it’s so great to see her back on form again.”
They spent Passover together.
Zarin and her beau spent the 2020 Passover holiday together with family.
She shared some cute snaps on Instagram, with the caption, "Wishing everyone celebrating a Happy Passover! So lucky to be with Ally, Gary and my parents and to be able to connect with more family and loved ones through technology."
Emily Blackwood is a writer and editor living in California. She covers all things news, pop culture, true crime.
Editor's Note: This article was originally posted on March 26, 2019 and was updated with the latest information.