Rishia Haas is an American administrative professional who became widely known through her relationship with celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern. She has also built her own career while maintaining a relatively private lifestyle.
She gained public attention after marrying Andrew Zimmern, the chef, writer, and television personality behind Bizarre Foods. Their long relationship, family life, and eventual divorce created curiosity about Rishia.
This article explores Rishia Haas’s early life, education, professional career, marriage to Andrew Zimmern, divorce, son Noah, and current lifestyle. It also covers her family background and personal details.
Who Is Rishia Haas?
Rishia Haas is an American administrative assistant who became a familiar name because of her marriage to Andrew Zimmern. She was born on July 29, 1973, in Minnesota and grew up there.
Away from her connection with Andrew, Rishia developed her own professional career. She worked in administrative positions and was associated with organizations focused on addiction treatment and recovery services.
Rishia and Andrew eventually ended their marriage after spending many years together. They share one son, Noah Zimmern, and Rishia has continued living a largely private life in Minnesota.
Rishia Haas’s Early Life
Rishia Haas was born on July 29, 1973, in Minnesota, United States. She spent her childhood in the state and grew up in a family that remained mostly outside public attention.
Her parents are Robert Haas and Karen Haas. Rishia grew up alongside two siblings, including her sister Jennifer Haas and her brother John Haas.
Unlike Andrew Zimmern, Rishia did not build her life around television or entertainment. Her early years were relatively private, and she later followed an educational and professional path focused on administrative work.
Rishia Haas’s Age
Rishia Haas was born on July 29, 1973. Based on this birth date, she is 53 years old in 2026.
Her zodiac sign is Leo. Although her marriage brought her public recognition, Rishia has generally avoided turning that attention into a celebrity career.
Her private personality has remained an important part of her public image. Instead of regularly appearing in entertainment media, she has concentrated largely on work and family life.
Education and College Life
Rishia attended Anoka High School during her younger years. Her education provided the foundation that would later help her establish a professional career outside the entertainment industry.
After completing high school, she continued her studies at Augsburg College, now known as Augsburg University. She pursued her undergraduate education there before entering the professional world.
Her career eventually centered on administrative responsibilities. This professional direction was very different from Andrew Zimmern’s career in restaurants, television, writing, food journalism, and international travel.
Rishia Haas’s Professional Career
Rishia Haas has worked as an administrative professional. One of her earlier positions was at a cooking school, where she worked as an administrator while Andrew Zimmern was involved in teaching cooking classes.
She later worked as an admissions coordinator at The Retreat, also known as The Retreat Alive with the Spirit of Recovery. The organization focuses on helping people dealing with alcohol-related problems.
Rishia also joined the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation in 2004 as an administrative assistant. Her professional history therefore included work connected with organizations involved in addiction treatment and recovery.
How Did Rishia Haas Meet Andrew Zimmern?
Rishia Haas and Andrew Zimmern first crossed paths in Minnesota. Their meeting happened through a cooking school where their professional lives brought them into the same environment.
Rishia worked in the school store, while Andrew worked there as a cooking instructor. Their workplace connection gradually developed into a personal relationship.
The couple dated before deciding to marry. Their relationship eventually placed Rishia beside one of America’s most recognizable food and travel television personalities.
Rishia Haas and Andrew Zimmern’s Marriage
Rishia Haas married Andrew Zimmern on December 26, 2002. Their wedding took place in Minnesota, beginning a marriage that would continue for many years.
The couple had a noticeable age difference because Andrew was born in 1961 while Rishia was born in 1973. Despite that difference, they built a family and spent years together.
As Andrew’s television career expanded, his professional schedule became increasingly demanding. His work involved television production, food projects, writing, restaurant activities, and extensive travel.
Who Is Andrew Zimmern?
Andrew Zimmern is an American chef, writer, television personality, and food expert. He was born on July 4, 1961, in New York City and later became internationally recognized through his television career.
He is particularly famous for hosting Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. The program followed his travels as he explored different cultures, traditions, cuisines, and unusual foods around the world.
Before achieving television fame, Andrew gained experience in the restaurant industry as a chef. His interest in cooking eventually developed into a wider career involving television, journalism, books, restaurants, and food exploration.
Andrew Zimmern’s Addiction and Recovery Journey
Andrew Zimmern experienced serious struggles with substance abuse and alcoholism during his earlier life. These challenges affected his personal circumstances before he eventually entered recovery and rebuilt his professional direction.
Rishia became an important person in his life during his recovery journey. Their relationship developed as Andrew was rebuilding his life and moving toward greater stability.
His recovery eventually accompanied a major professional transformation. Andrew developed a successful career that took him from the restaurant world into television, publishing, journalism, travel, and other food-related ventures.
Becoming Parents
Rishia Haas and Andrew Zimmern welcomed their son, Noah Zimmern, in 2005. Noah is the only child of Rishia and Andrew.
Parenthood became an important part of their relationship. Even while Andrew maintained a demanding professional career, Rishia remained closely involved in their family life.
Their son also remained an important connection between them following the end of their marriage. Rishia and Andrew continued their responsibilities as parents after separating.
Who Is Noah Zimmern?
Noah Zimmern is the son of Rishia Haas and Andrew Zimmern. He was born in 2005, approximately three years after his parents married.
Unlike his famous father, Noah has not been primarily known for building a major public entertainment career. His name receives attention mainly because of his family connection.
Rishia has continued to play an important role in Noah’s life following her separation from Andrew. Their shared responsibility for their son remained significant after the marriage ended.
Why Did Rishia Haas and Andrew Zimmern Divorce?
Rishia Haas and Andrew Zimmern eventually experienced difficulties in their marriage. After approximately 16 years together as a married couple, their relationship moved toward divorce.
Andrew’s demanding career was described as one of the important factors affecting their marriage. His television work and professional responsibilities required considerable time and frequent travel.
Their marriage ultimately ended, but they continued co-parenting their son. Instead of remaining publicly focused on their separation, Rishia moved forward with a quieter personal life.
Life After Divorce
After separating from Andrew Zimmern, Rishia Haas largely stayed outside the celebrity spotlight. She did not use her former marriage as a platform for developing a highly visible media career.
She continued living in Minnesota with her son. Her lifestyle remained considerably more private than Andrew’s television-centered professional life.
Rishia has also not become widely associated with another public romantic relationship following the divorce. Much of the attention surrounding her continues to come from her previous marriage and professional background.
Rishia Haas and Andrew Zimmern’s Relationship Today
Although their marriage ended, Rishia and Andrew remained connected through their son Noah. Their role as parents continued after their romantic relationship came to an end.
Co-parenting became an important part of their post-divorce relationship. Both remained responsible for supporting their son while moving forward separately.
Their lives have since followed different public paths. Andrew remains associated with television, food, travel, writing, and culinary projects, while Rishia maintains a significantly quieter profile.
Rishia Haas’s Height and Appearance
Rishia Haas is around 5 feet 5 to 5 feet 6 inches tall. Her weight has been listed at approximately 65 kilograms.
She has dark brown hair and light green eyes. Her appearance became familiar to some viewers through photographs and occasional public appearances alongside Andrew.
However, Rishia never developed a career based primarily on celebrity appearances. Her recognition came largely through her relationship with Andrew and interest in her own professional and personal story.
Rishia Haas’s Life in Minnesota
Minnesota has played an important role throughout Rishia Haas’s life. She grew up in the state, studied there, developed her career there, and met Andrew there.
Her professional history also included positions with Minnesota-based recovery and treatment organizations. These roles allowed her to establish an identity outside her former husband’s television career.
Following her divorce, Rishia continued living in Minnesota with Noah. This quieter lifestyle differs greatly from the international travel and media attention frequently associated with Andrew Zimmern.
Rishia Haas’s Net Worth
Rishia Haas’s net worth has been estimated at around $5 million. Her professional background includes years of administrative work and positions within different organizations.
She developed her career separately from Andrew’s television success. Her employment history included administrative and admissions-related responsibilities rather than entertainment work.
Rishia has never been known for displaying an especially extravagant public lifestyle. She has generally maintained a private presence despite her former connection to a successful television personality.
Andrew Zimmern’s Career
Andrew Zimmern developed a successful career across several areas of the food industry. He worked as a chef, food critic, journalist, writer, television personality, and culinary explorer.
His greatest public recognition came through Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. The television series allowed audiences to follow him around the world as he explored foods and culinary traditions from different cultures.
His professional success increased his public visibility considerably during his marriage to Rishia. As his career expanded, travel and television production became major parts of his everyday professional schedule.
Does Andrew Zimmern Own a Restaurant?
Andrew Zimmern has also been involved in the restaurant business. In November 2018, he opened Lucky Cricket, a Chinese restaurant located in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.
Restaurant work was already familiar territory for Andrew because he had extensive experience within the culinary industry. His career began long before his rise as a television personality.
His restaurant projects formed only one part of his broader professional identity. Television, writing, food journalism, travel, and culinary education have also contributed significantly to his career.
Andrew Zimmern’s Books
Andrew Zimmern expanded his food career into publishing as well. His writing allowed him to share his knowledge and experiences beyond television programs.
His books include Andrew Zimmern’s Field Guide to Exceptionally Weird, Wild, Wonderful Foods. He also authored The Bizarre Truth, extending themes familiar to audiences of his television work.
In addition to books, Andrew has contributed to food-related publications and appeared on cooking and talk programs. These activities helped establish him as more than simply a television host.
Rishia Haas’s Private Personality
Rishia Haas became connected to a highly recognizable television personality, but she never appeared interested in developing the same level of public exposure. Privacy remained a noticeable feature of her lifestyle.
Even during her marriage, her professional identity remained centered on administrative work. She was not primarily pursuing television fame or trying to establish herself as an entertainment personality.
That difference became even clearer after the divorce. While Andrew continued his public culinary career, Rishia largely returned to a quiet lifestyle focused on her personal responsibilities.
Where Is Rishia Haas Now?
Rishia Haas has maintained a quiet life following her separation from Andrew Zimmern. She continued living in Minnesota and remained focused on her personal and family responsibilities.
Unlike many people who become connected with celebrities, she did not turn the attention surrounding her marriage into a major public career. Her presence in entertainment media has remained limited.
Her life after divorce therefore reflects the private personality associated with her throughout the years. She remains best recognized as an administrative professional, Noah Zimmern’s mother, and Andrew Zimmern’s former wife.
Final Thoughts
Rishia Haas became widely known because of her marriage to Andrew Zimmern, but her story extends beyond being a celebrity spouse. She built an administrative career and worked with organizations connected to recovery services.
Her relationship with Andrew lasted many years and resulted in the birth of their son, Noah. Although their marriage eventually ended, parenthood remained an important connection between them.
Today, Rishia continues to attract curiosity while maintaining a private lifestyle. Her professional career, long marriage, family story, and decision to remain outside the spotlight define much of her public biography.
FAQs About Rishia Haas
Who is Rishia Haas?
Rishia Haas is an American administrative professional best known as the former wife of chef and television personality Andrew Zimmern. She has worked in administrative roles and is the mother of their son, Noah.
How old is Rishia Haas?
Rishia Haas was born on July 29, 1973. Based on this birth date, she is 53 years old in 2026 and has the zodiac sign Leo.
Is Andrew Zimmern still married to Rishia Haas?
No, Andrew Zimmern and Rishia Haas are divorced. They married in December 2002 and ended their marriage after spending approximately 16 years together.
Does Rishia Haas have children?
Yes, Rishia Haas has one child. She and Andrew Zimmern welcomed their son, Noah Zimmern, in 2005 and continued their responsibilities as parents following their divorce.
Where is Rishia Haas now?
Rishia Haas continued living in Minnesota following her divorce. She has maintained a private lifestyle and has remained largely outside the entertainment spotlight associated with her former husband.
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