If you were glued to the TV in 2008, you remember the bangs. The blunt, platinum, almost-covering-the-eyes fringe that became the unofficial uniform of the Los Angeles fashion scene. Taylor Jacobson wasn't just an assistant on The Rachel Zoe Project; she was the sharp-tongued, overworked, and arguably more grounded foil to Rachel’s "I die" and "bananas" energy.
She was the one in the trenches.
👉 See also: The Fault in Our Stars Still Hurts: Why This Movie Defined a Generation
While Rachel was swooning over vintage Chanel in Paris, Taylor was back in LA, lugging trunks, steaming gowns, and managing the literal chaos of a celebrity stylist’s office. But then, she just... disappeared. The Season 3 premiere of Taylor on Rachel Zoe Project didn't open with a chic red carpet. It opened with a firing that launched a thousand tabloid headlines.
Honestly, the drama felt like the end of an era. One minute she’s the right-hand woman who knows where every sample is hidden, and the next, she’s being accused of things that would make any fashionista's blood run cold.
The Shocking Exit: Why Taylor Was Fired
The transition between Season 2 and Season 3 was jarring. Fans expected to see more of the "Team Zoe" dynamic—Taylor, Brad Goreski, and Rachel. Instead, the cameras rolled on a very somber Rachel and her husband, Rodger Berman, discussing "financial discrepancies" and "betrayal."
It was messy.
Rodger, who often acted as the business brains of the operation, claimed he noticed suspicious activity in the company’s financials. The accusation wasn't just about a bad attitude or being "short" with coworkers. They hinted at much deeper issues. Specifically, the couple alleged that Taylor was pilfering designer samples and perhaps even trying to sabotage Brad Goreski.
Brad, who had been promoted to senior status, even chimed in on camera, claiming Taylor had been "stealing clothes" from the sample closet. Watching it back now, the editing was brutal. They literally showed photos of Taylor being ripped out of frames and tossed aside.
The Other Side of the Story
Taylor, of course, had a different take. She was bound by a pretty intense NDA, which meant she couldn't exactly go on a late-night talk show and spill everything. But she didn't stay completely silent.
In an interview with TV Guide shortly after the premiere, she called the show "faux reality." She pointed out that she’d worked her tail off for four years. Her take? It was just time for her to move out of the shadow of "the woman I am not allowed to talk about."
She famously told People that "there are always two sides to a story." She also threw a little shade, suggesting that most people who work for Rachel eventually end up "supposedly fired."
The Paris Dilemma and the Brad Rivalry
The seeds of the breakup were planted way back in Season 2. Remember the Paris Fashion Week debacle? Rachel could only take one assistant. She basically forced Taylor and Brad to "figure it out" themselves instead of being a boss and making a decision.
Taylor ended up staying in LA. She was miserable.
👉 See also: Why sex scenes desperate housewives Still Spark Debate Twenty Years Later
- She felt stagnant in her career.
- She was doing the "grunt work" while Brad got the glamour.
- The resentment was visible in every scene.
Brad was the "yes man" who brought the pep. Taylor was the realist who knew that if a dress didn't arrive by 5 PM, the client was going to fire them. That friction made for great TV, but it was clearly toxic for a real-life workplace.
Life After Team Zoe
Most reality stars fade away after they get the boot. Taylor didn't. She leaned into her "rocker chic" reputation and actually built a solid career as a solo stylist.
She didn't just crawl into a hole. She started styling A-listers like Kate Beckinsale, Mena Suvari, and Ashley Benson. She even landed a collaboration with the denim brand Kasil, creating the "Minx" and "Geek" jeans that were actually pretty popular at the time.
She also popped up on L.A. Candy (the Oxygen show) and did some judging on hair competition programs. Kinda proves that while Rachel gave her the platform, Taylor had the actual skill to stay in the game.
Where is Taylor Jacobson Now?
It’s been over a decade. The bangs are gone (usually), and the drama has cooled. Interestingly, Taylor and Brad Goreski actually made amends. Despite the accusations Brad made on the show, they were spotted together and even appeared on a podcast together years later.
It seems they bonded over the shared experience of surviving the "Zoe-land" pressure cooker. Brad eventually left Rachel too, which led to another round of "betrayal" talk from the Zoe camp. Seeing them move past the TV-fueled rivalry was the closure fans didn't know they needed.
Taylor has since moved away from the spotlight to focus on her family. She’s a mom now and keeps a much lower profile on social media. She still styles, but she’s not chasing the "reality star" fame anymore. She’s basically living the quiet, successful life of a veteran fashion pro.
Lessons from the "Zoe" Era
Looking back at the Taylor on Rachel Zoe Project era, it’s a masterclass in how blurred lines in a small business can lead to disaster.
- Get it in writing. Whether it's a promotion or a job description, verbal promises in a high-stress environment are worthless.
- NDAs are powerful. Taylor’s silence for years shows just how much "the juice" is protected by legal paperwork in Hollywood.
- The "Work Family" trap. When your boss is also your mentor and your TV costar, "betrayal" feels like a divorce. Keep professional boundaries, even if you’re picking out gowns for the Oscars.
If you’re ever feeling nostalgic, you can still find old clips of Taylor’s deadpan delivery online. She was the heart of that show's early success, even if the exit was anything but "bananas."
💡 You might also like: Why Everyone Wants to Watch In Time Movie Free and Where It's Actually Streaming
To follow Taylor's current path, you can look for her occasional styling credits on red carpet archives or check out Brad Goreski's older podcast episodes where they discuss the "good old days" of 2000s fashion.
Next Steps for Fashion Fans:
- Research the NDA impact: Look into how non-disclosure agreements shaped early 2000s reality TV culture to understand why many stars never "spilled the tea."
- Track the "Zoe Alum" network: Follow the careers of other former assistants like Joey Maalouf or Jeremiah Brent to see how they navigated the post-Rachel landscape.
- Audit your boundaries: If you work in a high-intensity creative field, use the Taylor/Rachel fallout as a prompt to review your own employment contracts and professional boundaries.