Rishia Haas is an American professional who became publicly known through her marriage to celebrity chef, author, and television host Andrew Zimmern. Although her former husband built an international profile through Bizarre Foods, Haas largely remained outside the entertainment spotlight.
Beyond that connection, Haas has pursued her own professional interests. Her background includes administrative work and involvement with organizations focused on addiction treatment and recovery.
She is also a mother to one son, Noah Zimmern. Following the end of her marriage, she has continued to maintain a comparatively private life in Minnesota, with beekeeping becoming one of her interests.
This biography explores Rishia Haas’s background, education, professional life, family, marriage to Andrew Zimmern, motherhood, divorce, personal interests, and reported financial standing.
Quick Bio
| Full Name | Rishia Haas |
| Date of Birth | July 29, 1973 |
| Birthplace | Champlin, Minnesota, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 5 feet 5 inches (165 cm) |
| Parents | Robert Haas and Karen Haas |
| Siblings | Jennifer and John |
| Education | Anoka High School; Augsburg College |
| Profession | Administrative professional; addiction recovery work; beekeeper |
| Known For | Former wife of Andrew Zimmern |
| Former Spouse | Andrew Zimmern |
| Marriage Year | 2002 |
| Separation | 2018 |
| Relationship Status | Divorced |
| Children | One son, Noah Zimmern |
| Reported Residence | Edina, Minnesota, USA |
| Estimated Net Worth | Around $3 million |
Childhood and Family Background
Rishia Haas was born on July 29, 1973, in Champlin, Minnesota. She was raised by her parents, Robert and Karen Haas, alongside her two siblings, Jennifer and John.
Growing up in Minnesota played an important part in Haas’s early life. Rather than pursuing a highly public career, she eventually established a lifestyle centered on family, work, and service to others.
Haas has remained relatively private despite her later connection to a well-known television personality. As a result, much of her identity has remained separate from the celebrity world associated with her former husband.
Education
Haas attended Anoka High School in Minnesota. After completing her secondary education, she continued her studies at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, where she earned a bachelor’s degree.
Her education was followed by a professional path that largely involved administrative and support-oriented positions. Instead of entering entertainment or seeking public recognition, Haas pursued work that allowed her to contribute behind the scenes.
Professional Career
Rishia Haas’s career has included administrative responsibilities as well as work connected to addiction treatment and recovery.
Earlier in her professional life, she reportedly held administrative positions associated with cooking schools. This environment would later become significant for another reason, as it was through a cooking school that she met Andrew Zimmern.
Haas subsequently became an Admissions Coordinator at The Retreat, a Minnesota organization focused on helping people dealing with alcohol and drug addiction. Her responsibilities placed her in an environment where individuals were seeking assistance with recovery.
She later worked with the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, another organization associated with addiction treatment and recovery services. These roles represented a substantial part of her professional identity outside her marriage.
Her work in this field also gave her personal familiarity with the realities of addiction and recovery—subjects that were particularly relevant to Zimmern because of his publicly discussed history with addiction.
Interest in Beekeeping
In a later stage of her life, Haas developed an interest in beekeeping. According to the information available, she became involved with the University of Minnesota Bee Lab.
Beekeeping represents a very different environment from the television and celebrity world connected to Andrew Zimmern. It also reflects Haas’s reported interest in nature and a quieter lifestyle.
Her life after marriage has been described as increasingly centered on family, cooking, gardening, nature, and caring for bees.
How Rishia Haas Met Andrew Zimmern
Rishia Haas and Andrew Zimmern reportedly met in Minneapolis in 1999. At the time, Zimmern was teaching at a cooking school, while Haas worked in a store connected with the school.
Their relationship developed during a significant period in Zimmern’s life. Before establishing himself as a successful chef and television personality, he had experienced serious problems involving addiction and homelessness.
Haas’s professional exposure to addiction recovery meant that she was familiar with some of the challenges associated with rebuilding a life after addiction. Their relationship grew over the following years, eventually leading to marriage.
Andrew Zimmern and His Public Career
Andrew Zimmern became widely recognized as an American chef, writer, television personality, and food-focused traveler. He achieved considerable public recognition through Bizarre Foods, a television series built around food, travel, and different culinary traditions.
His television work frequently involved traveling to destinations around the world and sampling foods that were unfamiliar to many viewers. His career eventually made him a prominent personality in food and travel television.
Zimmern has also publicly discussed difficult periods from earlier in his life, including addiction and homelessness, before rebuilding his personal and professional life.
His growing television career became an important factor in the lifestyle he shared with Haas because production required substantial amounts of travel and time away from home.
Marriage to Andrew Zimmern
Rishia Haas and Andrew Zimmern married in 2002. Their wedding was described as a private occasion attended by family members and close friends.
Their marriage began before Zimmern reached the height of his television fame. As his career expanded, the couple’s daily lives increasingly had to accommodate filming schedules, travel, media commitments, and family responsibilities.
Haas generally stayed away from the publicity surrounding her husband. Although she occasionally appeared with him at events, she did not attempt to establish herself as a celebrity or television personality.
Instead, she continued working while also contributing to the couple’s home and family life.
Becoming a Mother
Rishia and Andrew welcomed their son, Noah Zimmern, in 2005.
Motherhood became a major part of Haas’s life. While Zimmern frequently traveled for his television projects, Haas took on significant responsibilities at home and focused on providing stability for their son.
She also continued managing her professional commitments. Balancing employment, parenting, and the demands created by a spouse with an increasingly busy public career formed an important part of her life during the marriage.
Life Behind Andrew Zimmern’s Television Success
As Andrew Zimmern became increasingly recognizable, Rishia Haas remained largely outside the public eye.
Zimmern’s work required frequent international travel, television production, appearances, and other professional obligations. Haas, meanwhile, maintained a much more private routine centered on her work and family.
Her professional background in the addiction recovery field also gave her experience with issues that had affected Zimmern earlier in his life. She supported him while he continued building his career, but the demands associated with his professional schedule placed pressure on their family life.
Despite being married to a television celebrity, Haas never developed a highly public profile of her own. Her preference for privacy has remained one of the most consistent features of her public story.
Separation and Divorce
After many years of marriage, Haas and Zimmern separated in 2018.
Their relationship had faced the practical challenges associated with Zimmern’s demanding career and frequent travel. Zimmern has spoken publicly about the effects that his schedule and personal circumstances had on his marriage.
Their separation did not become known for a highly public conflict. Instead, both continued to focus on their son and maintaining their responsibilities as parents.
Following the end of their marriage, Haas largely continued the same preference for privacy that she had maintained while married.
Rishia Haas and Her Son Noah
Noah Zimmern, born in 2005, is Rishia Haas’s only child with Andrew Zimmern.
Haas has placed considerable importance on motherhood and providing her son with a stable family environment. Even after the relationship between Haas and Zimmern ended, parenting remained an important connection between the former couple.
The available information describes them as continuing to cooperate in raising Noah after their separation.
Because Haas values privacy, detailed information about her son and their everyday family life has generally remained outside the public spotlight.
A Private Life After Marriage
Following her separation from Andrew Zimmern, Haas continued living away from celebrity attention. She has been reported to reside in Edina, Minnesota.
Rather than using her connection to Zimmern to establish a media career, she has maintained a quieter lifestyle. Her interests reportedly include cooking, gardening, spending time with family, and beekeeping.
Her involvement with bees and the University of Minnesota Bee Lab has become one of the more distinctive aspects of her later life.
Haas is also described as having no major public social media presence, consistent with the privacy she maintained during her marriage.
Rishia Haas’s Net Worth
Rishia Haas’s net worth has been estimated at approximately $3 million. This figure should be understood as an estimate rather than a confirmed financial disclosure.
Her finances have been associated with her professional career as well as her former marriage to Andrew Zimmern. The provided information does not offer a detailed breakdown of her assets, income, divorce settlement, investments, or other financial holdings.
For that reason, the reported $3 million figure cannot provide a complete picture of her personal finances.
Where Is Rishia Haas Now?
The available information describes Haas as continuing to live in Minnesota and maintaining a life largely removed from public attention.
Beekeeping, gardening, cooking, family life, and an interest in nature have been associated with her more recent years. Her involvement with the University of Minnesota Bee Lab is also cited as part of her connection with beekeeping.
Unlike her former husband, whose television career naturally places him in the public eye, Haas has consistently chosen a more private existence.
She also remains connected to Zimmern through their son, Noah, with their post-marriage relationship described primarily in terms of cooperative parenting.
More Than a Celebrity Spouse
Public interest in Rishia Haas largely originated from her relationship with Andrew Zimmern, but her biography includes a professional and personal identity beyond that marriage.
Her career included work related to addiction recovery, including positions associated with The Retreat and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. She has also developed an interest in beekeeping and has remained closely connected to Minnesota throughout much of her life.
Haas’s story differs from that of many people connected with television celebrities because she has not pursued fame for herself. Even while married to an internationally recognized food personality, she generally kept her professional work and family responsibilities separate from his television career.
Final Thoughts
Rishia Haas is primarily recognized publicly as the former wife of Andrew Zimmern, but her life extends well beyond that association. Born and educated in Minnesota, she developed a professional background involving administrative work and organizations dedicated to addiction recovery before later becoming involved with beekeeping.
Her marriage to Zimmern began in 2002, and the couple welcomed their son, Noah, in 2005. As Zimmern’s television career expanded, Haas maintained a comparatively private life while balancing work and motherhood. Their relationship eventually ended after they separated in 2018.
In the years since, Haas has continued to avoid extensive public attention. Her reported interests in family, nature, gardening, cooking, and beekeeping reflect the private lifestyle she has consistently preferred.
FAQs About Rishia Haas
Who is Rishia Haas?
Rishia Haas is an American professional best known as the former wife of celebrity chef and television personality Andrew Zimmern. She has also worked in administrative and addiction recovery roles.
When and where was Rishia Haas born?
Rishia Haas was born on July 29, 1973, in Champlin, Minnesota, United States.
Does Rishia Haas have children?
Yes. She has one son, Noah Zimmern, whom she shares with her former husband, Andrew Zimmern. Noah was born in 2005.
What does Rishia Haas do for a living?
Haas has worked in administrative positions and with organizations involved in addiction recovery, including The Retreat and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. She has also developed an interest in beekeeping.
What is Rishia Haas’s net worth?
Her net worth has been estimated at around $3 million. However, this is an unverified estimate, as detailed information about her personal finances is not publicly provided in the source material.
