Ryan Seacrest makes his girlfriend Aubrey, 26, pay her half of travel, dinners

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When Ryan Seacrest was announced as the next host of Wheel of Fortune I had the same lackluster response as when he was announced as Kelly Ripa’s cohost in 2017: eh. At least with Kelly Ripa I could see a connection with his E! News red carpet work. But why does he need to do Wheel? He’s a multimillionaire! Well according to In Touch, Ryan does not act like a millionaire. He’s so miserly with his money that he makes his girlfriend Aubrey Paige — a model 23 years his junior — pay for her half of everything they do together. He also apparently gives crappy birthday presents. What a catch.

TV mogul Ryan Seacrest is rich beyond belief — but he’s so incredibly frugal that he makes his model girlfriend Aubrey Paige split the check, say sources exclusively to In Touch.

Ryan, 49, is worth a whopping $450 million thanks to his multiple hosting gigs and producing credits, and he now stands to further bolster his bank account with his upcoming children’s book, The Make-Believers, which he wrote with his sister, Meredith.

“Ryan has more cash to play with than ever, but he’s not sharing his good fortune with his friends, or even his girlfriend!” squeals an insider.

As In Touch previously reported, Seacrest’s cheeseparing is well known among his pals and associates. Meanwhile, brunette beauty Aubrey, 26, has had to live with her parsimonious lover’s penny-pinching since they started dating in 2021.

“He’s the least likely to pick up the check among friends, and he even makes Aubrey pay her own way,” blabs the insider. “Ryan’s rule is they go Dutch. If they’re going away on vacation, there’s always an awkward conversation about her needing to make her own travel arrangements.”

And special occasions apparently warrant no extra outlays! “His presents for birthdays are meager, to say the least,” reveals the insider. “He thinks one of his cooking creations is a gift when Aubrey’s expecting jewelry. It’s crazy because Ryan’s got more money coming in all the time, but he still feels the need to guard every nickel. People around him think it’s pathetic.”

[From In Touch]

There’s going Dutch and then there’s going Douche. So Ryan expects a 26-year-old to split the costs of fine dining and luxury vacations? I want to know how this actually pans out, practically speaking. If Ryan flies on a private jet, does he invoice Aubrey for the ride? Or do they fly commercial, him in first class and Aubrey in coach? Can she afford to stay at the same hotel as him? That language about her “needing to make her own travel arrangements” was so weird, not to mention off-putting. All I’ll say is I sure hope Aubrey is making the connections she wants to, cause I’m struggling to see what else Ryan is bringing to the table. That and watch out Wheel contestants, I wouldn’t put it past Ryan Scroogecrest to raise the price of vowels when he takes over next season.

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50 Responses to “Ryan Seacrest makes his girlfriend Aubrey, 26, pay her half of travel, dinners”

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  1. Tuesday says:

    I’m fine with this? He’s upfront about it. I assume it’s his way of making sure women are dating him and not his bank account. As long as everyone agrees, I see no problem here.

    • Harla A Brazen Hussy says:

      I kinda agree and kinda disagree, mostly due to the disparity between ages and wealth. If Ryan was dating someone who was about his age and had had the ability and opportunity to accumulate similar wealth, then yeah go Dutch but Ryan habitually dates women much younger than him, who without having generational wealth behind them probably have a difficult time keeping up financially. But as you said, if this is known ahead of time and the woman is fine with it, then who am I to judge?

    • ML says:

      Well, it’s certainly honest.
      They’ve been dating for almost three years now, according to the internet. By now he might be able to decide whether or not she’s dating him for his bank account and his comfort level on that? By this point, she shouldn’t always be splitting the bill or arranging her own travel. He’s not bringing much to the table.

    • Christine says:

      I would be applauding if we were talking about Mackenzie Scott. I do think the age difference changes this conversation.

      • Smart&Messy says:

        The age and economic difference (I guess) makes it weird. And really how does it go down? “Oh babe we’re gonna have such a great time on Bora Bora. See you there when you land, eventually.” Thqt’s how it comes accross to me with the separate travel arrangements.

    • Nicole says:

      Run for your life. Major red flag when a guy is nickel n diming girls he dates, especially if he’s wealthy. I have some male friends who became super wealthy but made their wives work full time throughout pregnancy and child raising years n expected them to never ever gain a pound of fat. Creepy.

      • Tuesday says:

        And if he wined and dined her and left her with nothing when he decided to move on, we would all say he was awful for that, or that she should never have let herself be financially dependent on him.

        My bottom line is she is an adult woman making a lot of money in the entertainment industry and choosing a relationship with a wealthy partner who doesn’t pick up the expenses and she is earning money and (apparently) fine with it. Seacrest isn’t dating a kindergarten teacher making $30k a year and expecting them to pay for frequent international travel.

    • Monica says:

      Beard.

    • bisynaptic says:

      Why would anyone date a man who hoards half a billion dollars, if not for his wealth and status? His fabulous character/scintillating personality? 😄

    • Just me 2 says:

      @Tuesday – Lol, what you said that “everyone agrees” reminds me of a Seinfeld episode “The Wigmaster” where Elaine dated a sales clerk who offered to get her a discount on a Nicole Miller dress. Kramer said about this “Now see the two of you need to work on trust… and then and only then will there be a free exchange of sex and discounts.. Cornerstones of a healthy relationship…”

      The point is yeah he is a mega-millionaire but she offers youth and beauty. If she initially started dating him partly because of his status and wealth, it’s equally likely he first became interested because of her youth and beauty (a model). Anyway, to me this is just an extension of women making sure the guy has ‘prospects’ if they want to have children. Because if you have 2-3 children and the guy is not pulling his weight in some manner it is a sucky situation.
      I have a male friend who, approaching his 40th birthday and divorced, was looking for a wife because he wanted kids. He ended up picking a woman in her early 20s as in she is more likely fertile than a 35 year-old. He has a very, very good income (in the tech industry) and she was a cashier with just a high school education. She quit her job after they married. He has his 2 little ones even though the marriage isn’t that great.

      But I guess a very young woman can fall in love with an old guy … but older guys can have some ways … maybe it’s just an aging brain. In the couple of cases I know of personally, where an older man married a much, much younger woman, there was financial incentive.

      • Just me 2 says:

        Just wanted to add that I am not a proponent of purely transactional relationships but that this sort of thing happens all the time. Certainly not something I would want. The best situation is love, of course, with mutual respect, support and reciprocity in a relationship.

  2. TIFFANY says:

    If he is doing this, there is no way he is opening his rolodex of connections to help her career. No way.

  3. Izzy says:

    I can’t believe she’s still dating him. The bar is in he11.

  4. AT says:

    Tbh why would anyone date him then

  5. LooneyTunes says:

    Yeah, no. If he’s this miserly with money (bc he thinks she may be a gold digger), no doubt he’s miserly with connections. Not worth the price of admission.

  6. Amy Bee says:

    This can’t be true.

  7. BeyondTheFringe says:

    This really has nothing to do with this report (though it certainly doesn’t help) but he’s always annoyed me. Gives me the ick, as the kids say, and never really understood the appeal. But to each their own.

    • Harla A Brazen Hussy says:

      Same here. He seems too fastidious for my taste.

    • WiththeAmerican says:

      Same. He’s so gross to me, having him shoved down our throats at every turn is so weird.

      If he does this to his girlfriend, he’s a complete jerk.

    • Chaine says:

      Same. The pix are giving big dad and daughter energy. I don’t think he has ever had chemistry with any of his bland interchangeable “girlfriends.” Always recall those painfully posed photos years ago of him trying and failing to look macho by smooching someone, I think Terry Hatcher?

      • Torttu says:

        I cannot stand him and I don’t understand why he’s everywhere all the time. Also, I will never forgive him for giving the horrid Kardashians a platform. Blech this guy. Go dutch if you want to, but then be on the same level with your partner and don’t make them pay half of a hundred dollar yacht weekend. I find him creepy.

    • tealily says:

      Yeah.

  8. JustBitchy says:

    Does she pay half for the needed male companionship too?

  9. Stephanie says:

    I hope he doesn’t expect her to meet him at his level, then and go places or stay in places she can’t afford. How cheap!

  10. Emme says:

    There’s frugal, and there’s downright mean. He’s in the mean category. What’s going to happen to all that wealth when he dies? He can’t take it with him, cheap arse.

  11. TurbanMa says:

    I’m just tired of him as a public face or host. Sorrynotsorry I’ve seen enough mediocre white men in these positions and I don’t believe there’s no one else out there qualified or “likeable “ enough for the target audience. Let him turn the letters and have a non cis non white male host pls and thank you. The future of America is not majority white, represent other folks now.

    • equality says:

      I wish WOF had gone with anybody else. An unknown would have been my preference.

    • Torttu says:

      I really do not understand why he is always hired. I don’t understand it. I’m going to start a petition, get Seacrest off my TV and radio.

      • WiththeAmerican says:

        I Will sign, he makes me physically sick. There’s just something creepy about him. I will not be surprised if he is accused of certain things some day.

  12. Sass says:

    Yeuuugh. I can’t stand this foot lookin motherfcker.

    • elle says:

      He looks like a chihuahua to me. No offense to chihuahuas out there, who surely give more to their owners than he gives to his female companion.

  13. Murphy says:

    “But why does he need to do Wheel? He’s a multimillionaire! ”

    For me it’s more like…why does he need to do it, he’s already doing like EVERYTHING else, give someone else a bone.

    • Torttu says:

      Could not agree more. This post has made me super irritated. I don’t want to see him ever.

  14. mycatlovestv says:

    Look at that smug mug…is anybody surprised he’s a douche? I imagine people around him (including the person sharing his bed) are considered staff just there to serve his needs. My guy and I split tabs but it was ME who suggested it. Hell, we’re retired and we have an agreement. But I dang well know that if I said, “I don’t think I can cover the condo this year,” he’d say, “Don’t worry…I got ya!” Somehow I don’t see Ryan being that kind.

  15. Amy says:

    Is it just me or do they look like father and daughter? It’s creeping me out.

  16. Constant says:

    Clearly Seacrest is not courting her. She’s a ninny.

  17. Pita b says:

    If this is real, then i think some sunk cost fallacy applies here too. Who would leave him easily if they have already spent so much to be with him? They lose both only time but also money. It’s a smart; in a manipulative way; to increase connection fast by making them invest early maybe under the pretense of gold digger worries.

  18. freddy says:

    She’s an idiot.

  19. Rnot says:

    Anyone else reminded of that Simpsons episode?

    Selma : Are you gay?

    Troy McClure : Gay? I wish! If I were gay, there’d be no problem. No, what I have is a romantic abnormality, one so unbelievable that it must be hidden from the public at all costs.

  20. K says:

    Nothing wrong with teaching the kids fiscal responsibility. Weird ass little creep. I have always side eyed him. He looks like he uses puppets in intimate situations or something.

  21. bisynaptic says:

    Would love to know how he broke that news to her. She’s really willing to slog for it.

  22. Aubrey says:

    Here to shout out my name, Aubrey!

  23. Eliza says:

    There’s a difference between underwriting somebody’s entire life and expecting to be a fully bank rolled, vs. having the uber rich person pay for the shared luxuries. That’s insane. If he wants to do things out of her budget than he has to pay for them. Otherwise, ONE trip to Bora Bora for two weeks would wipe a normal person out for months.

  24. tealily says:

    I can understand he might not want to pay someone else’s way for worry that they are with him for the wrong reason, but at the same time it seems crazy to expect a “normie” (I don’t know anything about her) to try to keep up with a multi-millionaire’s spending habits. I know that as I’ve started to make a little more, I’ve started to spend a little more, but I’m talking about occasionally going to a nicer restaurant or something, not jetting off to the Virgin Islands or something. This seems insane to me.

  25. Matilda says:

    Run. Girl. Run. He’s not proving anything here especially with a young woman who has such a wide pay gap. If you invite someone to dinner and/or trip the person who invited should pay as they are requesting your company. If he doesn’t know by now how to figure out if someone is using him for his money by his age then shame on him. My husband was horrified when I showed this to him as when we first started going out I could barely survive living in NYC. I made up by paying for movies, cooking dinner and paying for fun things to do on vacation. Plus it’s SO expensive to be a woman. I’m sure he wants her to be as groomed and dressed up as possible. That takes $$$.

  26. Flamingo says:

    Ryan was ‘mentored’ by Merv Griffin so I assume Ryan is getting a piece of ownership. To follow in his footsteps.

    For Ryan it’s all about money.

  27. Mina_Esq says:

    Sounds like a Reddit AITA post and, reader, he is the AH.

  28. Hell Nah! says:

    It hurts my eyes to look at him and his smarmy sounding voice is the opposite of music to the ears. On top of the woeful aesthetics, he’s clearly a mean cheap-ass. If this is truly their arrangement, and she’s been with him this long, she must not mind but it doesn’t mean she isn’t a fool to put up with this level of unkindness.

  29. Claire says:

    Honestly, I always assumed this was more of a fake / PR relationship. I wouldn’t even be surprised if they had some sort of contract in place and she might be getting paid already for essentially pretending to be his girlfriend, so maybe certain types of expenses like travel or dinners are outside of their contact and that’s why she’s expected to pay for those. Seems kind of weird though, even for a transactional relationship you would think it would benefit him to make it seem like he has a real girlfriend to pay for these types of things.