The real reason Henry Winkler refused to let his daughter become just another Hollywood nepo baby

During a special appearance on his 44-year-old daughters podcast What In The Winkler?! on Wednesday, the 79-year-old actor opened up about the time she was vying for a spot on The Bachelorette.

The doting father explained that he didn’t jump at the opportunity because of how ‘protective’ he is over his little girl. 

When Zoe asked the Happy Days star if he remembered the Bachelorette offer, he said, ‘Oh, my goodness. And we put a stop to that and only for your protection.’

Zoe then recalled a time when she, Kim Kardashian, and Sarah Howard were previously approached to appear on a show called Quarter Life Crisis.

Which of course, Henry declined the offer on her behalf.

Zoe said: ‘I’ll never forget Matt Hanna [an executive producer]. He worked at VH1 at the time, he flew out to LA and did a sizzle reel of us. 

‘And I don’t even think like I mentioned it to you… I was living at home at the time because I was just done with college. He came to the house and you met him outside.’

The Click actor responded: ‘I did. I said, it is so lovely that you’re here, I can suggest some really good restaurants, [but] my daughter is not doing your show.’

Even though he shot down her aspirations of becoming a reality star and of being ‘the most famous person in the world’, she knows it was for the better and finds solace as a teacher.

‘I became a teacher, which was the best job and what I always truly wanted to do,’ the brunette beauty said.

To which the actor responded: ‘I’m not kidding, [it’s] not because I’m your dad.’ 

He quipped, ‘I’m just objectively telling you I saw it happen. If I were a young parent, at the time that I saw the way you parent and the way you taught, I would have stolen your technique and used it as my go-to.’ 

Upon graduating from Loyola Marymount University, Zoe started teaching at a nursery school.

In 2018, she co-founded the nonprofit organization This is About Humanity, taking on a humanitarian role. 

This is About Humanity raises awareness and provides support to immigrant families and children who were separated at the border between the United States and Mexico.

In 2018, he opened up THR about feeling heartbroken over seeing the separation of families and the conditions detained immigrants live in at the detention facilities.

She recalled: ‘I could not get the images out of my head of these children.

‘I have a one-year-old, a three-year-old, and a six-year-old, and having them separated from me would be, I don’t know that they would make it. 

‘I mean it’s so damaging and we’re living in such a scary time as it is right now that I feel like I never in my life thought I would become an activist, but I don’t have any other choice,’ she finished.