Rishia Haas is an American administrative assistant best known as the ex-wife of celebrity chef and television host Andrew Zimmern.
She built her own career in the nonprofit healthcare sector long before her marriage to Zimmern brought her into the public spotlight.
Who is Rishia Haas?
Rishia Haas is an American administrative professional who works at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, one of the most respected addiction treatment organizations in the United States. She is also a beekeeper at the University of Minnesota Bee Lab.
Despite being a private individual, Rishia gained public attention through her marriage to Andrew Zimmern, the Emmy-winning and four-time James Beard Foundation Award winner behind the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods franchise.
The two were married for 16 years before separating in 2018. Their divorce was finalized in 2020.
Rishia has consistently stayed out of the media. She does not maintain any public social media presence and rarely grants interviews.
Rishia Haas and Andrew Zimmern’s Divorce
Rishia Haas and Andrew Zimmern married on December 26, 2002, and separated in 2018 after 16 years together. Their divorce was finalized in March 2020.
Andrew Zimmern has spoken openly about his responsibility for the breakdown of the marriage.
In an interview with The New York Times, he said that his demanding travel schedule kept him away from home too often.
He acknowledged that Rishia gave him many chances to be more present for their family.
Zimmern said of their split: “I wasn’t present for my wife, and I wasn’t present for my son. My wife gave me a thousand opportunities to put things right.”
Despite the divorce, the former couple shares joint custody of their son, Noah. Both have been respectful in public about each other since the separation.
Early Life of Rishia Haas
Rishia Haas grew up in the Anoka area of Minnesota. Her father is Bill Haas and her mother is Amy Dickinson.
Her father worked as an employee benefits broker and was also a former mayor of Champlin, Minnesota. Her mother’s professional background has not been publicly confirmed.
Rishia grew up in a family-oriented environment in the American Midwest. Little is publicly known about her childhood interests or siblings, as she has always kept her personal background private.
Her upbringing in Minnesota shaped her career path in health and social services, fields in which she has worked for many years.
Rishia Haas Age / Birthday
Rishia Haas’s exact birth date has not been publicly confirmed. She grew up in the Anoka area of Minnesota and has been active in her professional career since the late 1990s.
Her zodiac sign is not confirmed given the absence of a verified birth date. She is believed to be in her early-to-mid 50s as of 2026, based on her career timeline and public records.
Rishia Haas Ethnicity and Nationality
Rishia Haas holds American nationality. She is of White Caucasian ethnicity. Her family roots trace to the Minnesota area, where she was born and raised.
Her background reflects a typical Midwestern upbringing, grounded in community and professional values.
Rishia Haas Height and Weight
Rishia Haas stands at 5 feet 6 inches, or approximately 167 centimeters tall. Her weight is reported to be around 57 to 58 kilograms, or roughly 130 pounds.
She has dark brown hair and light green eyes. Rishia maintains a fit physique and carries herself with a quietly confident presence.
Rishia Haas Education
Rishia Haas attended Anoka High School in Anoka, Minnesota, where she completed her secondary education.
After graduating, she went on to study at Augsburg College (now Augsburg University) in Minneapolis, where she earned her undergraduate degree.
Her Augsburg education provided a solid foundation for her career in healthcare administration and nonprofit services.
Beyond her undergraduate degree, no further educational details have been publicly confirmed.
Rishia Haas Career
Rishia Haas has spent her professional life in healthcare administration and social services.
Her career took shape through a series of meaningful roles in the nonprofit sector, particularly in addiction recovery and treatment organizations.
Cooking School and Early Work
Rishia began her working life at a cooking school in Minnesota. She worked in the school’s store while Andrew Zimmern taught cooking classes there. This is where the two first met, in 1999.
Her time at the cooking school was an early chapter in a career that would shift toward healthcare administration.
The experience gave her an introduction to the food world, though her professional focus ultimately moved in a different direction.
The Retreat: Alive with the Spirit of Recovery
After her cooking school role, Rishia joined The Retreat: Alive with the Spirit of Recovery as an Admissions Coordinator.
The Retreat is a rehabilitation center in Wayzata, Minnesota, that provides an alternative alcohol treatment program for individuals and families.
Her work there required empathy, organizational skill, and a clear understanding of recovery support systems.
She built real expertise during this period, working directly with people seeking help for addiction. This role was particularly meaningful given Andrew Zimmern’s own history.
Zimmern had battled severe drug and alcohol addiction before moving to Minnesota in 1992 and entering recovery himself.
Rishia’s work in that field made her deeply familiar with the recovery process.
Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
Following her time at The Retreat, Rishia moved to the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, where she serves as an Administrative Coordinator.
The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, formed in 2014 through the merger of the Minnesota-based Hazelden Foundation and the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California, is among the most prominent addiction treatment organizations in the United States.
Rishia’s role there places her at the center of a national organization known for its research programs and graduate school focused on addiction recovery.
Her years of experience in this sector reflect a genuine commitment to the work. She continues to work at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation as of 2026.
Beekeeper at the University of Minnesota Bee Lab
Rishia also works as a beekeeper at the University of Minnesota Bee Lab. The Bee Lab, part of the University’s Department of Entomology, has operated since 1918 and is one of the oldest honey bee research programs in the country.
This role sits outside her professional life in healthcare and shows a different side of her interests.
The Bee Lab focuses on honey bee health, conservation, and research, and Rishia’s involvement reflects her broader interest in environmental and community work.
Andrew Zimmern’s Ex-Wife Rishia Haas: Their Relationship
Rishia Haas and Andrew Zimmern first met in 1999 at a cooking school in Minnesota.
She was working in the school’s store; he was teaching a food course. Their connection grew from there.
After roughly two years of dating, Andrew proposed during a trip to Mexico in late 2001.
They married on December 26, 2002, in a private ceremony held at St. Paul Judge Roseanne Nathanson in Minneapolis, attended by close family and friends.
A month later, in January 2003, the couple held a larger reception for the extended family members who could not attend the original ceremony.
The pair had a 20-year age gap, with Andrew born in 1961 and Rishia believed to have been born in the early 1970s.
That difference did not hold them back, and for years the couple appeared together at food and travel events.
Andrew told the Star Tribune around the time of their marriage: “We couldn’t wait to get married.”
Despite a long and outwardly stable union, the pressures of Zimmern’s career eventually wore on their relationship.
Andrew’s heavy travel schedule for his TV work kept him away from home for long periods. In 2018, after 16 years of marriage, the two separated.
Zimmern has said he takes full responsibility for the divorce. Their split became public knowledge in 2018, and the legal process concluded in early 2020.
Rishia Haas Kids
Rishia Haas and Andrew Zimmern have one son together. Noah Zimmern was born on February 25, 2005, three years after the couple married.
Andrew has been vocal about his love for Noah on social media over the years. In June 2016, he posted a Father’s Day photo with Noah, writing: “Father’s Day can also be the sweetest of days. Great weekend with the kid.”
Since the divorce in 2018, Rishia and Andrew co-parent Noah together. Both remain committed to his upbringing. Noah is 21 years old as of 2026.
Rishia Haas Net Worth
Rishia Haas’s estimated net worth is $5 million as of 2026. Her income comes primarily from her years of work in healthcare administration, including her roles at The Retreat and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.
Her husband during their marriage, Andrew Zimmern, built significant wealth through his television career and business ventures.
Zimmern reportedly earned around $35,000 per episode of Bizarre Foods and also founded Food Works and Intuitive Content, a full-service production company, in 2014. His personal net worth stands in the range of $8 to $10 million.
Rishia’s own financial standing reflects a career built in the nonprofit and healthcare sector rather than entertainment.
Her Ivy-adjacent education at Augsburg University and her sustained professional career in a demanding field have contributed to a comfortable financial position.
Conclusion
Rishia Haas is a Minnesota-based administrative professional whose private, community-focused life stands in contrast to the fame of her former husband.
Her years of work in addiction recovery, combined with her role at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and her beekeeping work at the University of Minnesota, reflect a life built on quiet purpose rather than public recognition.