Honestly, if you were watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills back in 2013, you probably remember the collective gasp when Adrienne Maloof introduced her new guy. It wasn't just that she had moved on from the legendary, albeit chaotic, marriage to Dr. Paul Nassif. It was the fact that the person standing next to her looked like he could still be in grad school. That guy was Jacob Busch.
He was 24. She was 52.
The math was mathing for the tabloids, but for the rest of us, it was just fascinating to see a Beverly Hills titan like Adrienne Maloof basically say, "So what?" to the critics. People love to talk about age gaps, especially when it involves a woman in her 50s and a guy who isn't even 30 yet. But there was a lot more to this pairing than just a "cougar" narrative. This was a merger of two massive American dynasties: the Maloof business empire and the Anheuser-Busch brewing legacy.
The unexpected connection between Adrienne Maloof and Jacob Busch
It wasn’t some random meeting at a club. Their families actually knew each other for generations. Adrienne has mentioned in interviews that their great-grandfathers were buddies in the liquor industry. If you think about it, it makes sense. The Maloofs built a chunk of their fortune on liquor distribution before the Palms Casino and the Sacramento Kings. The Busches? Well, they’re the beer family.
They had "common ground," according to Adrienne. She told E! News at the time that when you meet someone, they don't have a number on their forehead. It felt natural. Organic.
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Jacob wasn't just some kid either. He was (and is) worth a cool $100 million in his own right. He’s an heir to the Anheuser-Busch fortune, sure, but he was also busy launching his own brands, like Barrels & Sons Brewery. He had that "old school" charm that Adrienne seemed to appreciate after the constant bickering fans saw during her marriage.
Why the public was obsessed with the 28-year gap
The internet was ruthless.
People called him her "boy toy." Some fans on Reddit theorized it was a PR stunt to make Paul Nassif jealous after their messy 2012 divorce. You remember that divorce—the one with the restraining orders and the "Botched" stars and the accusations that flew faster than a private jet to Vegas. After that kind of drama, a quiet, younger guy who treated her like a queen probably felt like a vacation.
But let’s be real. If a 52-year-old man dates a 24-year-old woman in Hollywood, nobody blinks. When Adrienne did it, it was a "scandal." She leaned into it, though. She brought him on Season 5 of RHOBH. He filmed three episodes. Seeing him interact with the other housewives—who were naturally nosy—was TV gold. Lisa Vanderpump even made one of her signature quips about Adrienne "running around with that little Busch between her legs."
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Classic LVP.
Timeline of a high-profile romance
Their relationship wasn't a two-week fling. It actually had legs.
- Late 2013: They start dating shortly after Adrienne's brief stint with Sean Stewart (Rod Stewart’s son).
- 2014: They are inseparable. They’re seen at the Elton John Oscar party, various charity galas, and of course, filming for Bravo.
- January 2015: The first breakup. Reports surfaced that they had "grown apart." Some rumors suggested Jacob was spending time with Paris Hilton, but his PR team shut that down fast.
- 2017: They get back together. It turns out the spark hadn't totally fizzled.
- 2019: Adrienne posts a "Happy Birthday JB" tweet in May. They seemed solid, or at least very friendly exes who still hung out.
By the time 2020 rolled around, Jacob moved on to a very high-profile relationship with Rebel Wilson. That's when the "Adrienne Maloof's ex" headlines started popping up again. It confirmed one thing: Jacob has a type, and that type is successful, powerful women who are older than him. Rebel is 11 years his senior. He seems to prefer maturity over the typical LA influencer scene.
What we can learn from the Maloof-Busch era
Looking back, the Adrienne Maloof and Jacob Busch era was a turning point for how we viewed the "Real Housewives" dating lives. Adrienne didn't hide. She didn't apologize. She showed that a woman in her 50s can be the one doing the choosing.
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The Reality Check:
Relationships with large age gaps often face a "life stage" problem. While Adrienne was raising three sons and managing a multi-billion dollar conglomerate, Jacob was still figuring out his first major business ventures. Even with a $100 million safety net, the pressure of a public relationship is heavy.
Key takeaways for anyone in a similar spot:
- Own the Narrative: Adrienne didn't let the "cougar" label bother her. She defined the relationship on her own terms.
- Family Approval Matters: Part of why they lasted as long as they did was the family connection. If the parents and siblings are on board, the outside noise matters a lot less.
- Transition Gracefully: When they finally ended things for good, it wasn't a tabloid war. They stayed respectful. In the world of reality TV, an "amicable split" is rarer than a Maloof hoof.
If you're following the lives of these two today, Adrienne is still the queen of her domain, and Jacob continues to be a fixture in the social and business scenes of LA and St. Louis. They proved that sometimes, a "scandalous" age gap is just two people from similar backgrounds finding a connection when they both needed it most.
Keep an eye on their social media—you never know when a "friendly" reunion might pop up. Adrienne is nothing if not loyal to those in her inner circle.