1 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:12,480 Speaker 1: Welcome everyone. I'm Amy Robots and I'm TJ. 2 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:13,080 Speaker 2: Holmes. 3 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 3: And we ain't said that in a year. It's been 4 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:17,120 Speaker 3: a hell of a year. 5 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 2: Two. 6 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 3: We have not introduced ourselves in any broadcast form in 7 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:21,079 Speaker 3: a year. 8 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 1: We haven't spoken to many people in a year. 9 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:25,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, just each other. 10 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: And here we are again, tight circle. 11 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 3: I should have done this podcast with somebody else, just 12 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:32,640 Speaker 3: to branch out a little bit. You're the only person 13 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 3: I've talked to intimately in a year. 14 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 1: So seriously, you say the nicest things to me. No, 15 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: we're I don't. I can't speak for you, but I 16 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 1: am nervous. And we've been doing this for a long time, 17 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 1: almost three decades, and I can't remember the last time 18 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 1: I was nervous in front of a microphone, but I 19 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:49,840 Speaker 1: am today. 20 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 3: Why you're ned because we haven't spoken. 21 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: We haven't said anything, and other people have had our story. 22 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 1: They've told our narrative. And I shouldn't say our they've 23 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:04,760 Speaker 1: told a narrative. It isn't our narrative. And this is 24 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 1: the first time that we actually get to say what 25 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:12,839 Speaker 1: happened and where we are today. 26 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 3: Well, you mean what happened? You have something on your mind? 27 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 3: Switness no, to your point, how many years you've been in. 28 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:20,200 Speaker 1: This business, twenty seven. 29 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:23,840 Speaker 3: And I've got what twenty four, twenty three, twenty four 30 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:26,839 Speaker 3: and in the past, so you for twenty seven years, 31 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 3: me for twenty three have not gone probably more than 32 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 3: two weeks without being in broadcast, without in some way, 33 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 3: form or fashion, being on television broadcasting in some way. 34 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 3: And we haven't done it for a year, and today 35 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:42,319 Speaker 3: is the first time in a year. 36 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 1: And today is actually a special day. You want to 37 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 1: call it that, well, it's it's almost apropos that we 38 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 1: would have this podcast air on December fifth, because December fifth, 39 00:01:55,800 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 1: last year, exactly one year ago, today was the day 40 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: we were told not to come into work. 41 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, we never got a follow up call to say come. 42 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: Back, that's true. In fact, yeah, it was the opposite. 43 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 3: And this wasn't planned. This is very it's strange, but 44 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 3: I mean, what a hell of a coincidence. Though it 45 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 3: was December fifth, we got a call that sealed our 46 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 3: fate and it's pretty much assured that we wouldn't be 47 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 3: going back on the air at ABC. We can get 48 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 3: into that a little more and just a little bit, 49 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 3: but I. 50 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 2: Mean, we're here. 51 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 3: Look there's a lot been said about us, and for 52 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 3: those that might be some who are we're familiar with 53 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 3: us a little bit, maybe a lot, maybe not at all. 54 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:37,000 Speaker 3: But I guess the best way to sum us off 55 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 3: Amy and TJ is that we are the We're the 56 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 3: folks who lost the jobs we love because we love 57 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:46,080 Speaker 3: each other and that is bottom line, and that is 58 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 3: why we are here now. And this is why, I mean, 59 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 3: it's been a hell of Look, you never know, there 60 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 3: are a lot of people listening wherever you are right now, 61 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 3: where there. Maybe you're running on the West Side Highway 62 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:56,919 Speaker 3: right now, maybe you're at home taking care of whatever, 63 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 3: maybe on a drive, whatever you might be doing. But 64 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 3: for us, this journey has a lot of you understand 65 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:10,359 Speaker 3: that life, love, marriage, relationships can be messy and usually are. 66 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 3: So I think, how did you put it? You wanted 67 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:16,800 Speaker 3: to thank people who suspended judgment, I think is what 68 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:17,240 Speaker 3: you said. 69 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 1: Well, I think we want to thank everybody who's listening 70 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 1: right now, any one of you out there who decided 71 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 1: to say hey, let me hear what they have to say. 72 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 1: We just want to say thank you because we haven't 73 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: had that opportunity yet. So yes, we're hoping and hopeful 74 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: that many of you have suspended judgment, that you haven't 75 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: believed everything you've read or seen or heard. We've even 76 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: been shocked and surprised at what's been said and what's 77 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: been written. But we want to thank you for sticking 78 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 1: around and giving us a chance to tell our side 79 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 1: of the story. And we have had the incredible pleasure 80 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 1: of running into people sometimes daily who have said the 81 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:01,839 Speaker 1: kindest things to us over this past and it might 82 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: have just been a moment or or a passing thought, 83 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 1: but it meant the world to us in those moments 84 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 1: where we had people come up to us and say 85 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: we support you, we love you. When are you coming 86 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:16,719 Speaker 1: back on the air, And it was a boost, And 87 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:18,920 Speaker 1: we had some specific, really fun ones. 88 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 2: One of them was just a few minutes ago. 89 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:22,160 Speaker 3: We happen to be talking to you right now from 90 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:27,640 Speaker 3: a actually a hotel. We are sitting on a couch 91 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:29,680 Speaker 3: here with several people in the room staring at us, 92 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 3: hearing the story. But on our way this moment to 93 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:39,039 Speaker 3: this room to sit down for this podcast, the doors 94 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 3: open to the elevator. We step in and a woman says, 95 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 3: I know who you are. This just happened and she 96 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:49,560 Speaker 3: starts going in I am such a fan of you, guys, 97 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:52,719 Speaker 3: I am rooting for you. Congratulations. You look low and 98 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 3: as nervous as we are and have been all day 99 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:57,160 Speaker 3: and getting this together. That woman just put us at ease. 100 00:04:57,279 --> 00:04:59,799 Speaker 3: It is just it was the last thing that happened 101 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:01,599 Speaker 3: to us before we walked in here to do this. 102 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 3: But the couple at Bill's barn Burgery in downtown New 103 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 3: York that came up to us at the bar and said, guys, 104 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:13,479 Speaker 3: you should hear our story. The flight attendant who was 105 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 3: so sweet to us say, guys, I fell in love 106 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:19,920 Speaker 3: at work as well. The truck driver downtown brother rolled 107 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 3: his winded down, big tough guy. Hey, I'm a fan 108 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 3: of love. Congratulations. Those things have been incredible. And the 109 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:29,200 Speaker 3: woman at Barnes and Noble. 110 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:33,840 Speaker 1: A Noble, she actually got tearful and she just told 111 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:36,599 Speaker 1: us she missed us and she loved us, and to 112 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:38,640 Speaker 1: keep on loving each other. There was a woman on 113 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 1: the escalator who just said, I am so happy that 114 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:43,720 Speaker 1: y'all are still together and that y'all love each other. 115 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 1: I think in the end, all of us are always 116 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:48,800 Speaker 1: rooting for love, and it doesn't always happen when you 117 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 1: want it to happen where you wanted to happen, and 118 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:56,480 Speaker 1: it's undeniable, when it's real, and it's something you have 119 00:05:56,520 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 1: to navigate, and it's not easy. And anyone who's lived 120 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:01,919 Speaker 1: enough life, I think, if they're really honest with themselves, 121 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:07,160 Speaker 1: can attest to the fact that relationships are hard, they're messy, 122 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: they're not perfect. But we have fought for love and 123 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 1: I can say that I've never been happier I am 124 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:18,599 Speaker 1: with my best friend. I'm not going to get cheesy, 125 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:22,160 Speaker 1: I promise, although that was kind of cheesy, so I apologize. Sorry, Sorry. 126 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:25,040 Speaker 3: More cheese. 127 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 1: Yes, let's delveda this. I we have gone through I 128 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: think it's fair to say a year of hell, but 129 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:37,200 Speaker 1: we have had each other through it all and had 130 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 1: a lot of support from our family, from a tight 131 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 1: circle of friends, and we have hopefully gotten through the 132 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:48,720 Speaker 1: really tough stuff. And we have more work to do, 133 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:53,720 Speaker 1: as all relationships will require. But it has been the 134 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:56,599 Speaker 1: most beautiful relationship I've ever had in my life. 135 00:06:56,720 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 3: So we say it's been a hell of a year. 136 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:03,599 Speaker 3: And look, it's it's odd to say it when people ask. 137 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:05,599 Speaker 3: It was even my mom was on the phone, I 138 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:08,000 Speaker 3: had her own speaker. This was several months ago, and 139 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 3: she asked me how I was doing, and I said, 140 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:13,040 Speaker 3: I'm the healthiest and happiest I've ever been in my life. 141 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 1: And she said, really, have you seen this magazine or 142 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 1: this stuff really possible? 143 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 3: You're doing good? But we are. And look, there's there's 144 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:28,160 Speaker 3: not a We're going to get into some stuff here 145 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 3: what happened over the past year, But the bottom line 146 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:32,520 Speaker 3: is a lot of people are curious, and I know 147 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 3: some stuff is still being written, and I know we 148 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 3: still get Cheese Boy a photographer, so I know stuff 149 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 3: is out there. But bottom line, we have not said this. 150 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 3: I am in love with this woman and she's in 151 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 3: love with me, and we are planning a life together. 152 00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 3: So anywhere you read anything that says a source close 153 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,200 Speaker 3: to the couple says, or a friend of the couple says, 154 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:59,680 Speaker 3: is a one fabrication because there is no one who 155 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 3: knows what has been going on between the two of 156 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 3: us and the conversations we've been having. So I'm not 157 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 3: accusing some publication of lying. Maybe they depending on a 158 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 3: source who wasn't really a source, but there is no 159 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:14,880 Speaker 3: one who can say they know what had been happening 160 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 3: with us the past year except for us. 161 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:19,200 Speaker 2: And here we go. 162 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:23,360 Speaker 1: Yes, we have spent a lot of time together you 163 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 1: and I have we not over these past almost well 164 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:28,320 Speaker 1: twelve months now. 165 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:29,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, and so. 166 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 2: I guess we talked about we were into. 167 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:33,880 Speaker 3: The why of this anniversary is so odd, but this 168 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:38,000 Speaker 3: really goes back to I guess really, November thirtieth is 169 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:41,440 Speaker 3: the day. November thirtieth, twenty twenty two, was the day 170 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 3: that we were and this is very important. We were 171 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:48,640 Speaker 3: out it. We were outed, We were outed. We were 172 00:08:48,679 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 3: not caught by a publication that outed us. And so 173 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:56,360 Speaker 3: to be clear, we were out at as being in 174 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:59,680 Speaker 3: a relationship, but everyone else thought we were being outed 175 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:04,599 Speaker 3: at as adulters, being outed as cheating on our spouses, 176 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 3: and it wasn't the case. Because the odd thing is 177 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:12,520 Speaker 3: that the day those pictures were taken and the day 178 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:16,280 Speaker 3: that article was released that outed us, we had both 179 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 3: at that point been were in divorce proceedings. 180 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 1: Yes, we had attorneys, mediators, We were in the middle 181 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 1: of divorces. I believe the first day the first picture 182 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 1: was taken, unbeknownst to us, was November tenth, and my 183 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:37,240 Speaker 1: ex had already moved out of the house three months earlier. 184 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 1: And you pointed out pretty interestingly anyone who thinks we 185 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:44,400 Speaker 1: were still in our marriages when those pictures were taken, Well, 186 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:46,319 Speaker 1: the pictures actually tell the truth, don't they. 187 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:48,720 Speaker 3: They confirm it is, so I don't know why we 188 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:52,720 Speaker 3: didn't put this together. The pictures that quote unquote outed 189 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 3: us the day I started being followed. The first day. 190 00:09:56,360 --> 00:09:59,360 Speaker 3: The first pictures that were taken were me coming out 191 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:04,560 Speaker 3: of my apartment, my home in New York. That home 192 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 3: is where I reside by myself, and I have been 193 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:13,560 Speaker 3: residing by myself since last summer. So the picture that 194 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:19,160 Speaker 3: shows me that they're saying these two are cheating, the 195 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:21,720 Speaker 3: picture actually confirms that I was out of my marriage, 196 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:24,320 Speaker 3: because I'm coming out of a building which is not 197 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:28,240 Speaker 3: where I shared a home with my ex wife now. 198 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:30,760 Speaker 3: So it's funny to put it that way and to 199 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:32,240 Speaker 3: say it that way, and to see it that way, 200 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:35,880 Speaker 3: but that's actually true. But November thirtieth was a rough day. 201 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:37,320 Speaker 3: You happen to be off work that day. 202 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:40,120 Speaker 1: I was actually giving a speech in Washington, d C. 203 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:42,720 Speaker 1: A breast cancer speech. It was a little bit of 204 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:46,480 Speaker 1: a later Breast Cancer Awareness Month speech, a little bit 205 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:50,800 Speaker 1: later in November, and I was at the podium and 206 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:53,520 Speaker 1: I always have a phone up there just in case 207 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 1: for whatever reason. But it was buzzing NonStop, and everyone 208 00:10:57,160 --> 00:10:58,800 Speaker 1: who knew me knew I was giving a speech, so 209 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:01,840 Speaker 1: I just thought it was strange and it wouldn't stop buzzing. 210 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:06,320 Speaker 1: And it was. It was TJ. It was also I 211 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:10,320 Speaker 1: think our executive producer. It was ABCPR, it was my 212 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:14,640 Speaker 1: daughter's it was a number of people. I had no 213 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:18,160 Speaker 1: idea that this article had been released and pictures had 214 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:20,320 Speaker 1: been released while I'm standing in front of about five 215 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:24,120 Speaker 1: hundred people. And I believe by the time I finished 216 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:26,160 Speaker 1: the speech and was able to look at my phone, 217 00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:28,600 Speaker 1: I think it's fair to say I was probably the 218 00:11:28,679 --> 00:11:33,480 Speaker 1: last person to know what had just been released. And 219 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:38,559 Speaker 1: you also were in a very uncomfortable position when your 220 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 1: phone started ringing. 221 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:43,840 Speaker 3: Well, it rang in between segments because I was still 222 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:47,480 Speaker 3: in studio tape in the show, and in between segments, 223 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:50,960 Speaker 3: I got a call from a PR person asking and 224 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:54,000 Speaker 3: saying this article was about to be released, and I 225 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:59,360 Speaker 3: didn't have time to put a thought together. I didn't 226 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:02,600 Speaker 3: have time to do any PR, I didn't have time 227 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:07,319 Speaker 3: to handle any crisis at the time, because I literally 228 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:10,560 Speaker 3: had to get back on set and continue taping a show. 229 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:12,839 Speaker 1: Were you doing deals and steals or something? I believe 230 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:15,760 Speaker 1: I think that's what you told me. So how you're 231 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:18,480 Speaker 1: going on and doing the show, You're continuing with your 232 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:22,160 Speaker 1: mind racing what is happening. We got no warning. I 233 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:25,320 Speaker 1: think you got maybe there was a five minute work. 234 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:28,920 Speaker 1: There was no opportunity for comment, There was no opportunity 235 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 1: to refute what they were saying. It was just going 236 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:35,680 Speaker 1: to be released no matter what, and it was, and 237 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:40,560 Speaker 1: then we had a lot of work to do that 238 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:43,000 Speaker 1: day to try and figure out what the next best 239 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 1: step was. I don't know if we made the next 240 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:46,840 Speaker 1: best step, but the first thing we did when I 241 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:50,960 Speaker 1: flew back and we got together, we were putting together 242 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:54,480 Speaker 1: a press release acknowledging that we were in a relationship. 243 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:58,440 Speaker 1: Because it was one of those things where everyone in 244 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:01,960 Speaker 1: my tight circle knew I was divorced. I took my 245 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:05,640 Speaker 1: ring off early August. It was very clear to anyone 246 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:07,319 Speaker 1: who knew me that I was in the middle of 247 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 1: the divorce. TJ is a much more private person than 248 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:14,880 Speaker 1: me and just chose to keep that to himself. But 249 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:18,440 Speaker 1: it was hard because anyone who was a viewer, anyone 250 00:13:18,559 --> 00:13:21,960 Speaker 1: outside of a very small circle, didn't know that either 251 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:23,719 Speaker 1: one of us were getting divorced. So that was one 252 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:25,600 Speaker 1: of the challenges we had in the beginning. So we 253 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:27,960 Speaker 1: were trying to clear everything up, and we actually had 254 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:29,200 Speaker 1: a press release ready to go. 255 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:32,640 Speaker 3: Yeah with the audience, and that's look, our viewers, fans. 256 00:13:32,679 --> 00:13:34,520 Speaker 3: I know there are plenty of people who followed us 257 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:37,000 Speaker 3: for a long time, and for that, I mean, we 258 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 3: were trying to make the best call we could. But 259 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 3: we we shouldn't have allowed I can say that in hindsight, 260 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,840 Speaker 3: but for folks to find out about our relationship before 261 00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 3: they found out about our divorces. If people would have 262 00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:51,320 Speaker 3: heard earlier, okay, they're out of their relationship, now they're dating, 263 00:13:51,679 --> 00:13:53,760 Speaker 3: maybe an eyebrow would have been raised or something, but 264 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:58,120 Speaker 3: it wouldn't have become what it became. And look at 265 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:02,360 Speaker 3: that point, my daughter, I mean, she's ten. I was 266 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:05,480 Speaker 3: still trying to get her adjusted to her new reality 267 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:08,120 Speaker 3: of her parents not being together, and I've been working 268 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:11,240 Speaker 3: on that for the past three four months. So I 269 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:15,600 Speaker 3: didn't want to spring on her in that early that 270 00:14:15,679 --> 00:14:18,040 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, by the way, you know that Amy Robock, 271 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:20,040 Speaker 3: who's actually you've known since you were one, has been 272 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:22,200 Speaker 3: a part of the well I'm dating her now. I 273 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:25,040 Speaker 3: didn't want to do that to her at the time, 274 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:27,640 Speaker 3: but I hadn't even told my mom about the divorce, 275 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:29,400 Speaker 3: So why the hell am I thinking about telling an 276 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:32,440 Speaker 3: executive that the network about it. So that's just where 277 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:35,600 Speaker 3: our heads were and hindsight, sure, and maybe we screwed up, 278 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:38,000 Speaker 3: but in the immediate crisis of it all, and I 279 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 3: have it in my phone still saved a draft from 280 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:46,160 Speaker 3: November thirtieth, the day this happened. Our statements, our draft 281 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:50,520 Speaker 3: statements that have never been released that said, you made 282 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:53,080 Speaker 3: a statement about what you were in your marriage. I 283 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 3: made a statement about my divorces proceeding, and those statements 284 00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 3: were never released. 285 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:03,120 Speaker 1: You don't know what to do. I don't think anyone 286 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:06,680 Speaker 1: can prepare themselves to be in this type of a situation. 287 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:11,440 Speaker 1: And like you, I also felt awful that my family 288 00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:14,840 Speaker 1: found out about us through a tabloid, which was difficult 289 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:17,920 Speaker 1: for the exact same reasons that you mentioned. It's enough 290 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:20,200 Speaker 1: to go through a divorce privately, for a family to 291 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 1: have to restructure and regroup and figure out what this 292 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 1: new normal is to then on top of all of that, 293 00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:29,480 Speaker 1: spring a new relationship on them. So we thought we 294 00:15:29,480 --> 00:15:32,240 Speaker 1: were protecting our children and our families, and we thought 295 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:35,320 Speaker 1: we had time, and we thought we had a right 296 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:38,720 Speaker 1: to privacy. And maybe that was foolish and silly. I 297 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:41,640 Speaker 1: always used to say that doing what we did, we 298 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:46,040 Speaker 1: had a beautiful amount of fame. It was just enough 299 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:48,960 Speaker 1: to be fun and it wasn't too much to be 300 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:51,560 Speaker 1: where you felt like you were being followed everywhere. So 301 00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:54,440 Speaker 1: I think I was naive to think that. I just 302 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:56,600 Speaker 1: didn't think anybody would care that much. I didn't think 303 00:15:56,600 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 1: that it would be that big of a deal. I 304 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:01,480 Speaker 1: didn't think I needed to put on Instead, my husband 305 00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:05,000 Speaker 1: and I are uncoupling, are consciously uncoupling, and we're going 306 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:06,800 Speaker 1: to do the best we can for our families, and 307 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:09,120 Speaker 1: we ask for your privacy. I know a lot of 308 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:13,240 Speaker 1: celebrities do that. I just didn't think that it mattered 309 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 1: that much, that that was the level we were at. 310 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:18,360 Speaker 1: In hindsight, yes that should have happened, that would have 311 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 1: made things better and easier, But we had no reason 312 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:24,040 Speaker 1: to believe we were being followed. We were being photographed, 313 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 1: and there was an agenda we just had no idea 314 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:30,120 Speaker 1: that that was even happening. And we were friends. We've 315 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:33,840 Speaker 1: been friends for at that point eight years, so it 316 00:16:33,880 --> 00:16:37,000 Speaker 1: wasn't unusual for us to go out hang out at 317 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:40,040 Speaker 1: O'donaghue's next door to Time Square Studios, which is I 318 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:42,840 Speaker 1: think where the first pictures were taken. It's a place 319 00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:44,840 Speaker 1: we had gone to for eight years and hung out 320 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 1: and had a beer and talked about work. So it 321 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 1: was not unusual for us to be out and about. 322 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:52,080 Speaker 1: We didn't think it would raise eyebrows. 323 00:16:53,320 --> 00:17:02,080 Speaker 3: And true, and it's on that we have been. Look, 324 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:03,520 Speaker 3: a lot of people know. I used to call his 325 00:17:03,560 --> 00:17:05,840 Speaker 3: brother's sister, almost peasing the pot and all this stuff 326 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:08,679 Speaker 3: to the point where when people would accuse us I 327 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 3: shouldn't say accused, when they would make any kind of 328 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 3: joke about what's going on with you two, and we 329 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:16,280 Speaker 3: would almost go ill. It's like my sister, that is 330 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:20,800 Speaker 3: actually true. But even not now I catch you every 331 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:22,680 Speaker 3: once in a while you'll say honey or something like that. 332 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:26,080 Speaker 3: This is so weird because we were friends for so long, 333 00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:29,800 Speaker 3: I mean truly genuinely friends for a long long time, 334 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:33,240 Speaker 3: and then look, I've gone through some troubles personal trouble 335 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:37,359 Speaker 3: over the past several years that you helped me out 336 00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:39,600 Speaker 3: of that. You helped pull me out of whether it 337 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:43,399 Speaker 3: was the running, whether it was meditation, whether it was 338 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:45,840 Speaker 3: books to read. So we actually, of course we got 339 00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:48,679 Speaker 3: closer during that time because I was I was in 340 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:51,320 Speaker 3: bad shape in a lot of ways. That's for another episode, 341 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:53,360 Speaker 3: but you helped me out of that. So we did 342 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:55,680 Speaker 3: over the past couple of years, started getting closer and 343 00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:58,640 Speaker 3: spending more time, and you've been my best friend through 344 00:17:58,680 --> 00:17:59,000 Speaker 3: all that. 345 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:01,480 Speaker 2: But still didn't see this coming. 346 00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:07,080 Speaker 1: We would lean on each other when we were having 347 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:09,600 Speaker 1: tough times. When we started anchoring our show together, we 348 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:13,120 Speaker 1: got even closer, and we were traveling together. We were going 349 00:18:13,160 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 1: everywhere together, and we shared where we were in our 350 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:19,399 Speaker 1: lives together, and it just this bond that was just 351 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:24,160 Speaker 1: truly and completely friendship. I mean we have been. There 352 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:27,360 Speaker 1: have been rumors about us since the moment we met. 353 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:30,200 Speaker 1: People kept saying, oh, those two, what are they really 354 00:18:30,280 --> 00:18:34,879 Speaker 1: up to? And it was all false. We genuinely like 355 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:36,800 Speaker 1: we're just good for its right. 356 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:38,320 Speaker 3: To the point it freaked me out because I was 357 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:40,879 Speaker 3: still fairly new at ABC. But there was some rumor 358 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:45,320 Speaker 3: going around and it reached such a level. I freaked 359 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:49,119 Speaker 3: out and went to management myself and said, hey, I 360 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:53,040 Speaker 3: don't know if you heard, but it ain't happening. I 361 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:55,160 Speaker 3: guess this time we should have gone and say, hey, 362 00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:57,600 Speaker 3: maybe you haven't heard, but we want you to know 363 00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:01,439 Speaker 3: what's happening. They're going to steal to that point. Well, 364 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 3: I'm had told my mama, why are you thinking about 365 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:04,880 Speaker 3: an ABC executive? 366 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:05,480 Speaker 2: About it? Again? 367 00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:08,320 Speaker 3: Maybe a mistake in hindsight, but we had. 368 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:12,320 Speaker 1: A plan though, because once, once we became a couple 369 00:19:12,359 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 1: and we were in a relationship, and I want to 370 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:21,160 Speaker 1: point out that happened after we left our marriages. We 371 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:26,200 Speaker 1: had a plan to get our divorces finalized, to get 372 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:29,640 Speaker 1: them agreed upon and signed and filed, and we thought 373 00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:32,320 Speaker 1: the timeline was going to be around end of the year, 374 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:34,359 Speaker 1: and so we thought, in January, we're going to go 375 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:37,840 Speaker 1: and walk in and explain to management that we are 376 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:39,560 Speaker 1: a couple and how should we figure this out. We 377 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:42,480 Speaker 1: had actually even talked about doing it earlier. Remember, right 378 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:45,960 Speaker 1: before the pictures came out, we thought should we should 379 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:48,360 Speaker 1: we tell them what's going on, and we thought, let's 380 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:53,000 Speaker 1: just get these divorces cleaned up, and then let's do it. 381 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:55,399 Speaker 1: But we had every intention of doing it, and we 382 00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 1: we didn't believe and I don't think we still do 383 00:19:59,119 --> 00:20:02,040 Speaker 1: believe we were doing anything technically wrong. 384 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:09,200 Speaker 3: Technically, I mean, it's just look what we failed at 385 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:14,840 Speaker 3: being good crisis managers. We failed at being or understanding 386 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:17,440 Speaker 3: some level of celebrity that neither one of us thought 387 00:20:17,520 --> 00:20:20,160 Speaker 3: we had. And I'm not saying we do, but in 388 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:23,480 Speaker 3: that world affiliated with the show we were affiliated. That's 389 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:26,960 Speaker 3: just a sexy fricking story. And I just don't think 390 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:29,920 Speaker 3: we thought about it in that way that anybody would 391 00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:32,080 Speaker 3: give a damn what we were doing. And look, we 392 00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:35,959 Speaker 3: were I think threatened is the right way to put this. 393 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:40,359 Speaker 3: Days before the first pictures were taken of us, well, 394 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:46,240 Speaker 3: second week of November, we were directly threatened. I don't 395 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:49,679 Speaker 3: want to get into where it came from, but someone 396 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:53,439 Speaker 3: was something was being demanded of us, and it was 397 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:57,359 Speaker 3: if you don't do this, then we are going to 398 00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:01,200 Speaker 3: make it bad for you. It was directly said to us. 399 00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:05,159 Speaker 3: At that time, we didn't see any urgency to it 400 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:07,919 Speaker 3: and weren't thinking along these lines. But two days after that, 401 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:11,280 Speaker 3: sure enough, there was somebody unbeknownst to me, parked outside 402 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:15,680 Speaker 3: my home, following me to work starting at four am, 403 00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:19,560 Speaker 3: and following us out of town for hours, following us 404 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:23,880 Speaker 3: all around. And I don't know how you prepare for 405 00:21:24,119 --> 00:21:27,399 Speaker 3: something like that, but it it was an awful that 406 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 3: November thirtieth, and then going into that weekend, and I 407 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:35,760 Speaker 3: didn't remember that. Look, a lot of people will look 408 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:39,119 Speaker 3: and say, look, you're rich, you're famous in your I 409 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:42,400 Speaker 3: don't feel sorry for you guys, and not asking for that. 410 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:45,840 Speaker 3: I think you were right to say suspend judgment. But 411 00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:50,000 Speaker 3: a lot of people can relate to just a just 412 00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:52,439 Speaker 3: a human state of having the experience we were having. 413 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:55,160 Speaker 3: And your parents came to town. 414 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:58,560 Speaker 1: What on the So I was in d C on 415 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:01,720 Speaker 1: the thirtieth win it. My parents were at mid air 416 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:04,960 Speaker 1: coming to New York from Atlanta to come up to 417 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:08,640 Speaker 1: my dad's work. They were having a Christmas party, and 418 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:13,920 Speaker 1: I remember thinking, oh my god, I have my parents 419 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:16,880 Speaker 1: coming to town and they were in the air when 420 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:20,040 Speaker 1: this dropped. So I'm trying to text them while they're 421 00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:23,800 Speaker 1: on the plane to say, please don't believe everything you're reading. 422 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:26,399 Speaker 1: Please let me talk to you when you land. We 423 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:31,600 Speaker 1: need to talk. And I was actually so afraid of 424 00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:33,240 Speaker 1: my parents and what they were going to think and 425 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:36,119 Speaker 1: what they were going to experience. I knew we were 426 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:39,120 Speaker 1: going to be splashed all over the New York papers, 427 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:42,720 Speaker 1: walking by newsstands. It was just going to be one 428 00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 1: of those moments where I didn't want my parents in 429 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:48,359 Speaker 1: the city with all of this happening. And yet it 430 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:51,120 Speaker 1: turned out to be one of the most amazing things 431 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:54,359 Speaker 1: to have happened because they were there, They were supporting me, 432 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:58,879 Speaker 1: They asked me what they could do. They were my 433 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:02,520 Speaker 1: lifeline that moment, because my whole world fell apart. It's 434 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 1: so hard to think about just going through a divorce publicly, 435 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:07,679 Speaker 1: but now to have all of these accusations and all 436 00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:10,560 Speaker 1: of these pictures and trying to explain what was actually 437 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:13,520 Speaker 1: happening versus what people said was happening. It was awful 438 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:17,960 Speaker 1: and they were amazing, and they got me through those 439 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:21,040 Speaker 1: first few days. But TJ and I were apart. I mean, 440 00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:23,240 Speaker 1: you were at your apartment. I was at my apartment 441 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:27,959 Speaker 1: because I was moving to your point. My ex had 442 00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:30,840 Speaker 1: moved out months before, but I already had a move 443 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:34,600 Speaker 1: scheduled for that week to move to my new apartment 444 00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:38,119 Speaker 1: with my sixteen year old daughter. And so boxes are everywhere. 445 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:40,600 Speaker 1: I mean, it couldn't have been more chaotic and more crazy. 446 00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:42,800 Speaker 1: And so I was doing my thing, TJ. You were 447 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:43,800 Speaker 1: at your house. 448 00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:45,880 Speaker 3: And for me it was different because I was hold 449 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:49,600 Speaker 3: up alone. Yeah, I was in an apartment by myself. 450 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:52,760 Speaker 3: That look so you know this because right so being 451 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:54,360 Speaker 3: helped me set the apartment up right. 452 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:56,479 Speaker 1: I helped a little Ti. 453 00:23:56,800 --> 00:23:58,560 Speaker 3: You have to lie. No, no, no, no, you did kidding 454 00:23:58,640 --> 00:23:59,760 Speaker 3: up kidding, You're kidding. 455 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:00,040 Speaker 1: No. 456 00:24:00,480 --> 00:24:04,199 Speaker 3: I wouldn't have known what colored dishtiles did buy. I 457 00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:07,760 Speaker 3: had not been for you, Vevy. But I am in 458 00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:12,600 Speaker 3: my apartment in Saben when everything hits. I didn't want 459 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:16,080 Speaker 3: her around me because I was being we were being pursued, 460 00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:19,520 Speaker 3: being set chased. So that was essentially you didn't have it. 461 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:22,639 Speaker 3: You could go home, but you literally were moving, so 462 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:24,920 Speaker 3: you couldn't just close the door and hide. You had 463 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:28,400 Speaker 3: to manage a move. I went home and was alone 464 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:32,520 Speaker 3: all of that time. November thirty, again, that was the 465 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:35,520 Speaker 3: day this all came out, But that was a Wednesday, 466 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:37,679 Speaker 3: and we went to work on that Thursday and Friday, 467 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:41,760 Speaker 3: December first and second, But my only interaction with human 468 00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:45,840 Speaker 3: beings was going to the studio. We kept the doors closed, 469 00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:49,480 Speaker 3: came out, did the show, and bounced and then I 470 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:50,800 Speaker 3: was home alone. 471 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:53,120 Speaker 1: And it was interesting because when we got the call, 472 00:24:54,119 --> 00:25:00,760 Speaker 1: we were obviously managing work and what they were trying 473 00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:03,320 Speaker 1: to figure out what to do, how to handle us. 474 00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:06,879 Speaker 1: We had conversations and at that time everyone agreed we 475 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:09,520 Speaker 1: hadn't violated company policy, and so it was agreed upon 476 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:12,000 Speaker 1: by everyone that we should just come back to work. 477 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:14,920 Speaker 1: In fact, I believe I was asked, are you comfortable 478 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:16,639 Speaker 1: coming back to work, and I said, that's what I 479 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:18,160 Speaker 1: want to do. I want to come back to work. 480 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:20,800 Speaker 1: I want normalcy. I want to be able to hold 481 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:23,520 Speaker 1: my head up high and say, yes, I'm in this relationship. 482 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:26,760 Speaker 1: But we're doing everything the way we were supposed to 483 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:29,440 Speaker 1: be doing it. So it was agreed upon. So coming 484 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:33,280 Speaker 1: back into work, it was a little nerve wracking, but 485 00:25:33,359 --> 00:25:35,680 Speaker 1: it actually felt good. I felt like we had support 486 00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:39,600 Speaker 1: from our coworkers. For the most part. People were coming 487 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:41,680 Speaker 1: in and giving us hugs and telling us it was 488 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:43,960 Speaker 1: going to be okay and this too shall pass, and 489 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:47,439 Speaker 1: they were happy for us, and we were feeling okay 490 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:51,119 Speaker 1: about it all. And then as the news cycle goes 491 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:54,359 Speaker 1: everyone wants in on it, and so people start digging 492 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:56,960 Speaker 1: and they start reporting other things, and things start spiraling 493 00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:59,920 Speaker 1: out of control. And we had to get a price 494 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:01,959 Speaker 1: management team to try and help us field all these 495 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:03,840 Speaker 1: phone calls. We were talking to reporters, We were trying 496 00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:06,920 Speaker 1: to give them information so that they weren't printing misinformation, 497 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:11,280 Speaker 1: but that didn't work out perfectly well, and we got 498 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:15,600 Speaker 1: to a point on Thursday where you were in a 499 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:19,000 Speaker 1: pretty dark spot, pretty dark space. 500 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:23,680 Speaker 3: Look, look, I don't know what was going Look you 501 00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:26,119 Speaker 3: you let me read it this morning. You still have it, 502 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:29,120 Speaker 3: But that was Thursday, So it was the next day 503 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:32,359 Speaker 3: and I didn't even realize how I was talking to you. 504 00:26:35,119 --> 00:26:37,639 Speaker 3: But you were receiving messages that were from me in 505 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:40,080 Speaker 3: the past, tense, and I didn't realize I was sending 506 00:26:40,119 --> 00:26:43,200 Speaker 3: them and I was sending them to you. I didn't 507 00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:44,840 Speaker 3: know how it was sounding. I'm not sure where my 508 00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:48,879 Speaker 3: head was at that time. But that was Thursday. I 509 00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:51,040 Speaker 3: didn't realize. You reminded me that this morning, that it 510 00:26:51,119 --> 00:26:56,320 Speaker 3: was the very next day. Well then you had to 511 00:26:56,359 --> 00:26:58,720 Speaker 3: do a welfare check. I guess it's the best way 512 00:26:58,720 --> 00:26:59,000 Speaker 3: to play. 513 00:26:59,040 --> 00:27:01,879 Speaker 1: It was three four. That's very very understated way of 514 00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:04,919 Speaker 1: putting it. At three forty five pm that afternoon, you 515 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:11,200 Speaker 1: sent me a text basically saying I'm sorry. You were 516 00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:16,960 Speaker 1: the love of my life. I'm so sorry this has happened. 517 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:19,600 Speaker 1: And you just kept saying you were sorry, but you 518 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:24,119 Speaker 1: were using past tense in the entire text. And I 519 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:27,280 Speaker 1: texted back and I said, you're scaring me. Please tell 520 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:31,919 Speaker 1: me you're okay. No response. I'm calling you ill. He 521 00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:36,240 Speaker 1: doesn't answer. I FaceTime him, he doesn't answer his face time, 522 00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:39,480 Speaker 1: and now I'm getting calls from work producers trying to 523 00:27:39,480 --> 00:27:42,119 Speaker 1: get in touch with him. He's not answering anybody. I 524 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:45,159 Speaker 1: start to panic, and my parents were there with me, 525 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:48,040 Speaker 1: and I didn't want to betray him by reading a 526 00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:49,879 Speaker 1: text that he sent to me to my parents, but 527 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:55,440 Speaker 1: I was so afraid that he had done something, and 528 00:27:55,800 --> 00:27:58,000 Speaker 1: I read it out loud to my mom and dad, 529 00:27:58,080 --> 00:28:00,840 Speaker 1: and I started to cry, and my mom looked at 530 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:01,960 Speaker 1: me and she was like, you have to go down 531 00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:03,720 Speaker 1: there right now. You need to go check. And my 532 00:28:03,800 --> 00:28:06,440 Speaker 1: dad said I'm coming with you, and so my dad 533 00:28:06,480 --> 00:28:08,280 Speaker 1: and I. It was two hours later after he sent 534 00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:12,159 Speaker 1: this text. We jumped into an uber and I was 535 00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:15,960 Speaker 1: pretty hysterical, and my dad was holding my hand and 536 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:19,080 Speaker 1: we got to his building and I knew the doorman 537 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:21,359 Speaker 1: and I said, I need to get up. He's like, 538 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:23,399 Speaker 1: I'm coming with you. I had a key, but he 539 00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:26,520 Speaker 1: said I'm coming with you because this was Robert and 540 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:28,800 Speaker 1: he loves you. And he came up with us, the 541 00:28:28,840 --> 00:28:31,720 Speaker 1: three of us, and I was shaking, and I remember 542 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:34,280 Speaker 1: going down the hall opening the door and my dad 543 00:28:34,320 --> 00:28:37,040 Speaker 1: came in with me and I saw you and you 544 00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:42,680 Speaker 1: were just splayed out on your bed and I ran 545 00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:44,920 Speaker 1: to you. I said, TJ, and you didn't move, and 546 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:47,440 Speaker 1: I remember this was the most awful thing, having to 547 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:50,640 Speaker 1: touch your body to see if you were warm. I 548 00:28:50,760 --> 00:28:55,680 Speaker 1: was so afraid. You were just incoherent. You don't really 549 00:28:55,720 --> 00:29:00,680 Speaker 1: even remember me coming, do you A kind of? I said, baby, 550 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:02,600 Speaker 1: tell me you're okay, tell me you're okay, And you 551 00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:06,120 Speaker 1: were kind of just making no sense. But I knew 552 00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:08,160 Speaker 1: you were alive, and I knew you were going to 553 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:10,640 Speaker 1: be okay. And I stayed with you for a little bit, 554 00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:13,120 Speaker 1: and my dad stayed with me, and he told me 555 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:14,840 Speaker 1: he was like, I was so afraid of what you 556 00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:15,520 Speaker 1: were going to find. 557 00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:16,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, that was the night. 558 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:19,040 Speaker 3: But the day was essentially me getting off work at 559 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 3: eleven AM, and I immediately started pounding vodka and I 560 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:26,840 Speaker 3: didn't stop for the several hours, and then I took 561 00:29:28,080 --> 00:29:33,320 Speaker 3: who knows how many weed edibles, and that's how I 562 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:34,480 Speaker 3: ended up in the state I was in. 563 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:40,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I that combination was terrifying. You weren't moving, 564 00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:45,040 Speaker 1: and my god, I will never forget that night. 565 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:48,000 Speaker 3: Now, this is something we need to and we'll talk 566 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:50,560 Speaker 3: about this down the road. Like after the night we 567 00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:52,920 Speaker 3: just had and everything that happened, we show up at 568 00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:56,200 Speaker 3: work and try to put on some brave face going 569 00:29:56,200 --> 00:29:59,160 Speaker 3: through the absolute worst hell either one of us had 570 00:29:59,200 --> 00:29:59,880 Speaker 3: ever experienced. 571 00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:04,160 Speaker 1: We're not asking for anything but just open minds and 572 00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:07,320 Speaker 1: open hearts. And I think it's another reminder we did 573 00:30:07,360 --> 00:30:09,840 Speaker 1: this for a living. We interviewed people who were at 574 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:12,920 Speaker 1: their worst moments or had had the most unimaginable things 575 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:15,480 Speaker 1: happen to them, and you can try to commiserate, and 576 00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:16,920 Speaker 1: you can try to imagine what it would be like, 577 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:19,400 Speaker 1: especially if you're then in the spotlight and you've got 578 00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:23,320 Speaker 1: cameras in your face and you've got journalists yelling things 579 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 1: at you. You can imagine what it feels like. Until 580 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:28,560 Speaker 1: the tables are turned and we experienced it, and I'm 581 00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:31,280 Speaker 1: hoping that that's just gonna make us more compassionate and 582 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:34,200 Speaker 1: empathetic for anyone who's been in whatever situation you find yourself, 583 00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:35,680 Speaker 1: and whether you're the cause of it or it happens 584 00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:38,200 Speaker 1: to you, whatever it is, we're all human beings here, 585 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:41,240 Speaker 1: and I think it was just a brutal reminder of that. 586 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:44,160 Speaker 1: I have described this, and I am not being dramatic. 587 00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:46,400 Speaker 1: I think a lot of people might know. I know 588 00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:48,040 Speaker 1: I do tend to be but I think a lot 589 00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:50,760 Speaker 1: of people know that I'm a breast cancer survivor and 590 00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:54,400 Speaker 1: I just celebrated ten years. So I used to always 591 00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:57,880 Speaker 1: say that twenty thirteen was the worst year of my life, 592 00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:01,000 Speaker 1: the hardest year of my life. I look back now, 593 00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:04,360 Speaker 1: and it's interesting. When you go through cancer, Yes you're 594 00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:06,760 Speaker 1: afraid that you're going to die, but you're fighting to live, 595 00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:09,000 Speaker 1: and you've got all these people around you supporting you 596 00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:11,080 Speaker 1: and cheering you on and saying you've got this, and 597 00:31:12,120 --> 00:31:15,200 Speaker 1: you feel this collective hug from people who are lifting 598 00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:17,400 Speaker 1: you up when you're scared and you're going through all 599 00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:21,360 Speaker 1: of these treatments. But this year, I wanted to die. 600 00:31:21,760 --> 00:31:24,040 Speaker 1: There were days where I wanted to die, and that 601 00:31:24,280 --> 00:31:27,080 Speaker 1: was something I had never experienced before in my life. 602 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:30,520 Speaker 1: I just didn't want to get up. I didn't want 603 00:31:30,760 --> 00:31:33,040 Speaker 1: to see what new headline was going to be out there, 604 00:31:33,520 --> 00:31:37,080 Speaker 1: and that has been such an eye opening experience. And 605 00:31:37,120 --> 00:31:41,160 Speaker 1: then to feel like, you know, who is still behind me, 606 00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:44,600 Speaker 1: who supports me? Will I work again? Will I be 607 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:49,520 Speaker 1: ever trusted again? Will people believe what really happened versus 608 00:31:49,520 --> 00:31:53,200 Speaker 1: what people have written happened? And those were all things 609 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:55,640 Speaker 1: that we had to go through and deal with. I 610 00:31:55,680 --> 00:31:58,360 Speaker 1: will say that I just felt extremely lucky. 611 00:31:58,440 --> 00:32:02,240 Speaker 3: That we had each other, and folks are wondering why. 612 00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:05,960 Speaker 3: I guess we could have tried to clear this up, 613 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:10,920 Speaker 3: if you will, at some point earlier, but some folks 614 00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:12,920 Speaker 3: told us early on, well, if you don't get ahead 615 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:16,000 Speaker 3: of it, you're done. And so that train left the station. 616 00:32:16,080 --> 00:32:18,800 Speaker 3: There's nothing we could do to get people to stop 617 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:22,440 Speaker 3: saying what they were saying, and we saw things that 618 00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:26,479 Speaker 3: were one hundred percent wrong. They were fabrications, they were lies, 619 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:29,680 Speaker 3: they were mistakes sometimes, but we did not for the 620 00:32:29,720 --> 00:32:31,320 Speaker 3: past year. And a lot of this had to do 621 00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:34,600 Speaker 3: with us trying to get our own homes in order. Look, 622 00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:38,040 Speaker 3: a lot of damage was done. It's not even about marriage. 623 00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:40,840 Speaker 3: The marriages, right, that's tough enough to go through divorce, 624 00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:43,479 Speaker 3: But we were trying to get our kids so and 625 00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:47,080 Speaker 3: get our kids to understand why we didn't tell everybody 626 00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:49,400 Speaker 3: what was going on with us ahead of time. That 627 00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:53,200 Speaker 3: work continues, but that is in a much. 628 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:54,760 Speaker 2: Better place than it was. But that took a lot 629 00:32:54,760 --> 00:32:55,120 Speaker 2: of work. 630 00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:58,800 Speaker 3: And the i'm sorries and the apologies, the first ones 631 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:03,280 Speaker 3: went to Sabine and went to your daughter's for just 632 00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:04,160 Speaker 3: not telling them ahead of that. 633 00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:07,440 Speaker 1: I'm still saying I'm sorry because it's it's a very 634 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:10,880 Speaker 1: It's one thing for us to deal with the press 635 00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:16,000 Speaker 1: and to deal with the headlines and the honestly, the 636 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:22,160 Speaker 1: paparazzi that have been you know, they've they've become as 637 00:33:22,280 --> 00:33:25,400 Speaker 1: much a part of our lives as anything. They're there 638 00:33:25,520 --> 00:33:28,240 Speaker 1: all the time, and so when I'm with my children, 639 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:30,240 Speaker 1: when I'm with my daughters, they're there and their pictures 640 00:33:30,280 --> 00:33:33,000 Speaker 1: are being taken, and imagine, I just try to put 641 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:37,200 Speaker 1: myself in their shoes. It's it's their family, and they're 642 00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:40,680 Speaker 1: so young, they don't have the tools or the life 643 00:33:40,720 --> 00:33:43,240 Speaker 1: experience to even really be able to put it into perspective. 644 00:33:43,240 --> 00:33:46,560 Speaker 1: And it's just been a really hard, hard journey that 645 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:49,040 Speaker 1: will continue that. You know. I'm still can We're all 646 00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:53,640 Speaker 1: in therapy, all sorry, and you. 647 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:56,120 Speaker 3: Know, but I'm better equipped. We've talked about this as 648 00:33:56,160 --> 00:34:00,720 Speaker 3: well in what several years back twenty Can I go 649 00:34:00,800 --> 00:34:06,000 Speaker 3: back to seventeen eighteen, nineteen twenty those years I was 650 00:34:06,040 --> 00:34:09,480 Speaker 3: a mess, That was an absolute mess. But going through 651 00:34:09,520 --> 00:34:11,560 Speaker 3: what I went through at the time and putting good 652 00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:14,200 Speaker 3: practices in place made me better equipped to deal with this. 653 00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:15,880 Speaker 3: If that was if I was in the shape I 654 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:20,680 Speaker 3: was in back then when this happened, God knows what 655 00:34:21,239 --> 00:34:27,359 Speaker 3: would have come out of this, But I think I 656 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:32,080 Speaker 3: think it's very difficult to sit here now and imagine 657 00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:35,760 Speaker 3: being in a better place. It's hard to imagine because 658 00:34:35,760 --> 00:34:36,040 Speaker 3: we did. 659 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:36,480 Speaker 2: Now. 660 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:38,680 Speaker 3: This is fair to say those are dream jobs. That's not, 661 00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:42,160 Speaker 3: and it's not just a matter of I mean, it 662 00:34:42,239 --> 00:34:45,200 Speaker 3: was the dream job, and that we were doing some 663 00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:49,359 Speaker 3: hard news, some of the lighter stuff inspirational, aspirational as 664 00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:51,120 Speaker 3: you say, and you're sitting on the set with your 665 00:34:51,200 --> 00:34:54,879 Speaker 3: best freaking friend and your show is airing every day 666 00:34:54,880 --> 00:34:58,560 Speaker 3: on a network in the afternoon. Everything is that this 667 00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:04,319 Speaker 3: was the dream job. We lost those dream jobs, And 668 00:35:04,440 --> 00:35:06,360 Speaker 3: how in the hell can I sit here in a 669 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:09,160 Speaker 3: year later say I'm in a better place than I was. 670 00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:12,120 Speaker 3: That seems impossible, but it's the truth. 671 00:35:12,239 --> 00:35:14,400 Speaker 1: It's true if you think about it. That was one 672 00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:16,400 Speaker 1: of the concerns. I mean, it was on the list. 673 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:19,479 Speaker 1: Been doing this for almost three decades now, and we 674 00:35:19,840 --> 00:35:22,480 Speaker 1: haven't just been dabbling in it. We have been working 675 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:26,839 Speaker 1: around the clock, crazy weeks, such an investment of time. 676 00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:29,640 Speaker 1: But because we loved our jobs, we had genuine passion 677 00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:34,080 Speaker 1: for it, and we're so grateful for where we got 678 00:35:34,239 --> 00:35:36,520 Speaker 1: in our careers and what we had been able to accomplish, 679 00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:39,520 Speaker 1: and we're excited about what was next. I was really 680 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:41,520 Speaker 1: nervous about how we were going to handle the two 681 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:43,520 Speaker 1: of us not working. 682 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:45,719 Speaker 3: And it turns out it's not so bad. 683 00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:51,000 Speaker 1: We actually found a way to think, whoa WHOA. I 684 00:35:51,600 --> 00:35:53,759 Speaker 1: can do things, I can go places, I can spend 685 00:35:53,800 --> 00:35:57,319 Speaker 1: time with people who and on things. And we've watched, well, 686 00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:00,239 Speaker 1: we've watched a lot of television. I will say that what. 687 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:03,000 Speaker 3: Happened we watched any news watch news anymore. 688 00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:08,279 Speaker 1: That's true. It's been a reset, a total reset, And 689 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:10,880 Speaker 1: I think I always was a little concerned that my 690 00:36:11,040 --> 00:36:14,160 Speaker 1: job defined me in a lot of ways. Well, when 691 00:36:14,160 --> 00:36:16,759 Speaker 1: it was gone, you have to figure it out, and 692 00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:18,160 Speaker 1: we have a new definition. 693 00:36:18,239 --> 00:36:19,640 Speaker 2: Though you may tell you what it is. 694 00:36:19,719 --> 00:36:20,279 Speaker 1: Yeah, what is it? 695 00:36:23,239 --> 00:36:24,000 Speaker 3: Well, if you read the. 696 00:36:23,920 --> 00:36:27,600 Speaker 1: Papers, Oh oh yeah, no, I don't like that. But 697 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:32,799 Speaker 1: I think the opportunity to actually work on yourself as 698 00:36:32,880 --> 00:36:36,880 Speaker 1: a as a human has been amazing. And we've been 699 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:40,480 Speaker 1: able to work on our relationship. We have been in 700 00:36:40,520 --> 00:36:46,359 Speaker 1: the trenches together, actually, and we're stronger and better than 701 00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:48,640 Speaker 1: we've than I could have ever imagined. 702 00:36:48,719 --> 00:36:51,120 Speaker 3: Oh, people can't see us right now, so sweet, you 703 00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:52,320 Speaker 3: have your hand on my legs. 704 00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:55,719 Speaker 1: They see the way you're looking at me right now, 705 00:36:56,320 --> 00:36:58,279 Speaker 1: they would just smelt Oh my god. 706 00:36:58,640 --> 00:37:09,600 Speaker 3: Don't don't be creepy. This podcast yea star project here. 707 00:37:09,640 --> 00:37:13,400 Speaker 3: This podcast is dropping this first episode. It's launching on 708 00:37:13,400 --> 00:37:16,840 Speaker 3: December fifth, twenty twenty three. Sorry on this day. So 709 00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:20,640 Speaker 3: on December fifth, twenty twenty two, it was a Monday morning. 710 00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:25,480 Speaker 3: What had happened that whole weekend? We worked our asses 711 00:37:25,560 --> 00:37:30,200 Speaker 3: off all that previous weekend, talking to so many reporters, 712 00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:33,840 Speaker 3: talking to so many folks on background who were we 713 00:37:33,880 --> 00:37:35,560 Speaker 3: want to do an interview. We weren't going to do that, 714 00:37:36,040 --> 00:37:38,239 Speaker 3: but they wanted to understand or try to get more 715 00:37:38,239 --> 00:37:42,480 Speaker 3: details about what was happening, and some outlets were deciding 716 00:37:42,520 --> 00:37:45,640 Speaker 3: what they were going to do moving forward. It was 717 00:37:45,680 --> 00:37:49,800 Speaker 3: non stop that weekend. Once we explained to certain larger 718 00:37:50,280 --> 00:37:55,040 Speaker 3: mainstream I guess you could say traditional media outlets our story, 719 00:37:55,080 --> 00:38:00,560 Speaker 3: but there were several mainstream outlets, major outlets, more tradition outlets, 720 00:38:00,600 --> 00:38:04,839 Speaker 3: not tabloids and whatnot who were calling and we're asking questions. 721 00:38:05,160 --> 00:38:08,480 Speaker 3: And once we explained to them, like we just explained 722 00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:12,520 Speaker 3: here on this podcast what was going on where we 723 00:38:12,520 --> 00:38:16,480 Speaker 3: were in our divorces, and they dropped it. They did not. 724 00:38:16,560 --> 00:38:19,359 Speaker 3: They decided we are not doing the story because it's 725 00:38:19,400 --> 00:38:21,600 Speaker 3: not a story. Two people who are out of their 726 00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:25,480 Speaker 3: marriages are dating now, Okay, we're moving on, and they 727 00:38:25,560 --> 00:38:29,440 Speaker 3: did not write a story. So we go through Saturday 728 00:38:29,480 --> 00:38:33,520 Speaker 3: and Sunday, all of this crisis, managers on the phone, 729 00:38:33,640 --> 00:38:36,560 Speaker 3: pr people NonStop, still not seeing each other. We couldn't 730 00:38:36,719 --> 00:38:39,680 Speaker 3: reconnect yet, so I'm still hold up in that apartment, 731 00:38:39,719 --> 00:38:44,440 Speaker 3: no myself doing all this. So we got some Monday 732 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:50,560 Speaker 3: and thought, wow, we have put this thing to some dead, 733 00:38:51,040 --> 00:38:52,920 Speaker 3: to some rest, and we're going to be able to 734 00:38:52,920 --> 00:38:54,279 Speaker 3: go back into work and move forward. 735 00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:56,640 Speaker 1: That's all we wanted to do. We just wanted to 736 00:38:56,680 --> 00:38:59,320 Speaker 1: be able to do what we love. Hopefully the story 737 00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:02,160 Speaker 1: had run through enough cycles, that's what we were being told, 738 00:39:02,680 --> 00:39:04,799 Speaker 1: and it was wrapping up. They dug up everything they 739 00:39:04,840 --> 00:39:07,520 Speaker 1: thought they could try to throw at us, and it 740 00:39:07,640 --> 00:39:09,520 Speaker 1: was going to die out and peter out. And then 741 00:39:09,560 --> 00:39:12,359 Speaker 1: it was around six am on Monday morning. We were 742 00:39:12,520 --> 00:39:15,040 Speaker 1: both getting ready to go into work. I was excited 743 00:39:15,040 --> 00:39:17,879 Speaker 1: to go into work to put this behind us, and 744 00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:22,520 Speaker 1: we each got a phone call from our bosses saying 745 00:39:22,560 --> 00:39:26,000 Speaker 1: that they had made the decision. And they made it 746 00:39:26,040 --> 00:39:29,200 Speaker 1: again a point to say we hadn't violated any company policy, 747 00:39:29,239 --> 00:39:32,600 Speaker 1: but because we had become a distraction that they thought 748 00:39:32,640 --> 00:39:35,520 Speaker 1: it would be best if they temporarily took us off 749 00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:39,239 Speaker 1: the air to let things die down, quiet down. And 750 00:39:39,320 --> 00:39:43,120 Speaker 1: I remember I said, oh, please, no, please, if you 751 00:39:43,280 --> 00:39:47,280 Speaker 1: do this, I mean I was begging, if you do this, 752 00:39:47,280 --> 00:39:50,960 Speaker 1: this is going to create a whole new round of 753 00:39:51,080 --> 00:39:55,320 Speaker 1: articles and now the media, more of the trusted media, 754 00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:58,120 Speaker 1: I would say that passed on doing the story. Now 755 00:39:58,200 --> 00:39:59,839 Speaker 1: this is going to be a story if you take 756 00:39:59,880 --> 00:40:03,520 Speaker 1: us off the air, Please don't do this. And I 757 00:40:03,600 --> 00:40:05,279 Speaker 1: did ask. I said, if you're going to make an 758 00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:10,040 Speaker 1: announcement to the rest of our colleagues, can you please 759 00:40:10,080 --> 00:40:14,280 Speaker 1: at least acknowledge that we have not violated company policy. 760 00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:17,480 Speaker 1: And that was the compromise that I reached. But I 761 00:40:17,600 --> 00:40:21,080 Speaker 1: was sick to my stomach because we knew what was 762 00:40:21,120 --> 00:40:23,319 Speaker 1: coming once that announcement was made. 763 00:40:23,400 --> 00:40:25,719 Speaker 3: Well, it's one thing to say, I mean, for anybody, 764 00:40:25,840 --> 00:40:29,240 Speaker 3: it's one thing to say that those two are dating, 765 00:40:29,280 --> 00:40:34,000 Speaker 3: now right. That's look, if this had gone the other way, 766 00:40:34,120 --> 00:40:36,840 Speaker 3: meaning if we had put out statements about divorces and 767 00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:39,279 Speaker 3: then people found out we were dating, they would raise 768 00:40:39,280 --> 00:40:43,960 Speaker 3: some eyebrows and go, wooh, okay, that's still an interesting 769 00:40:44,040 --> 00:40:48,640 Speaker 3: topic if you will, that somebody might talk about. But 770 00:40:51,120 --> 00:40:58,760 Speaker 3: doing it this way, it's a much more. The story 771 00:40:58,800 --> 00:41:03,439 Speaker 3: became mainstream when they're able to say two morning show 772 00:41:03,560 --> 00:41:09,600 Speaker 3: stars suspended. That's now a major story. And given the 773 00:41:09,640 --> 00:41:12,520 Speaker 3: brand we were attached to, that's a big, big deal. 774 00:41:12,640 --> 00:41:14,200 Speaker 3: And we knew that was going to be a big 775 00:41:14,239 --> 00:41:16,759 Speaker 3: deal as soon as they said we weren't coming, And 776 00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:19,480 Speaker 3: that was the day. That was the morning we knew 777 00:41:19,920 --> 00:41:22,719 Speaker 3: we would not be going back to that network. We 778 00:41:22,800 --> 00:41:26,600 Speaker 3: knew that phone call sealed it because it's you can't 779 00:41:26,640 --> 00:41:30,000 Speaker 3: come back from that. And so that was a very 780 00:41:30,160 --> 00:41:33,480 Speaker 3: very difficult morning, difficult day, and it did. It started 781 00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:35,480 Speaker 3: a whole new round of stuff that we were trying 782 00:41:35,480 --> 00:41:40,000 Speaker 3: to get to quiet down. And so to a certain degree, 783 00:41:40,040 --> 00:41:42,040 Speaker 3: this is a when we talked about names for this 784 00:41:42,800 --> 00:41:45,600 Speaker 3: for this podcast, like one of them we were going 785 00:41:45,640 --> 00:41:50,840 Speaker 3: to do go with was scandal less because this was 786 00:41:50,880 --> 00:41:55,600 Speaker 3: a scandal that wasn't and this was not what you've 787 00:41:55,640 --> 00:41:58,399 Speaker 3: been sold on to a lot of people. Look, we 788 00:41:58,480 --> 00:42:01,600 Speaker 3: take full responsibility. We've explained some of the decisions we 789 00:42:01,640 --> 00:42:04,000 Speaker 3: made that led to us sitting here right now. Maybe 790 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:05,799 Speaker 3: we should have put out a statement earlier, maybe we 791 00:42:05,800 --> 00:42:10,120 Speaker 3: should all these things. This is absolutely this is on us, 792 00:42:10,480 --> 00:42:14,920 Speaker 3: but we are We're sorry. We're only now being able 793 00:42:15,000 --> 00:42:17,840 Speaker 3: to talk to some of you and tell you and 794 00:42:17,880 --> 00:42:19,560 Speaker 3: you said it earlier and you correct it when people 795 00:42:19,560 --> 00:42:22,480 Speaker 3: say our side of the story, it's not our side. 796 00:42:22,520 --> 00:42:25,919 Speaker 3: There's just the story, and it's been wrong from day one. 797 00:42:26,080 --> 00:42:30,360 Speaker 1: It has been and it is cathartic and incredible to 798 00:42:30,360 --> 00:42:33,000 Speaker 1: be able to start to tell it and to live it. 799 00:42:33,560 --> 00:42:38,040 Speaker 1: We have not, gosh, we have not felt comfortable holding 800 00:42:38,040 --> 00:42:40,600 Speaker 1: our heads up high walking down the street. At least 801 00:42:40,640 --> 00:42:43,600 Speaker 1: we didn't initially, but we've started to now, and this 802 00:42:43,719 --> 00:42:48,439 Speaker 1: we're only hoping will create a new way forward where 803 00:42:48,440 --> 00:42:52,879 Speaker 1: we can at least say, here's what actually happened, and 804 00:42:53,040 --> 00:42:55,640 Speaker 1: here's what we wish we would have done better and differently. 805 00:42:55,719 --> 00:42:58,000 Speaker 1: I wish that we would have been more transparent. I 806 00:42:58,040 --> 00:43:02,040 Speaker 1: wish that I would have included my daughters more into 807 00:43:02,080 --> 00:43:04,120 Speaker 1: what was happening in my life. Those were all things 808 00:43:04,239 --> 00:43:09,319 Speaker 1: I certainly regret and I've learned from and I do 809 00:43:09,400 --> 00:43:11,719 Speaker 1: think that it's all about communication. We were in the 810 00:43:11,760 --> 00:43:17,000 Speaker 1: communication business, and still what happened happened. But I'm so 811 00:43:17,239 --> 00:43:21,840 Speaker 1: hopeful that there is a new path forward. And we 812 00:43:21,920 --> 00:43:25,480 Speaker 1: have so many people because as awful as it was, 813 00:43:25,640 --> 00:43:30,240 Speaker 1: we had so many people lifting us up and guiding us. 814 00:43:30,640 --> 00:43:31,760 Speaker 2: You did, no, I didn't. 815 00:43:32,280 --> 00:43:33,120 Speaker 3: Who are your people? 816 00:43:33,239 --> 00:43:34,719 Speaker 2: You should have passed some of your people to me. 817 00:43:36,160 --> 00:43:38,120 Speaker 3: You didn't hear I was in an apartment by myself, 818 00:43:40,600 --> 00:43:46,799 Speaker 3: trying to measure out edibles. Didn't go well, No, I 819 00:43:46,920 --> 00:43:48,759 Speaker 3: know what you're saying, and people say you find out 820 00:43:48,760 --> 00:43:54,000 Speaker 3: who your who your friends are in these times. I 821 00:43:54,080 --> 00:43:58,040 Speaker 3: don't know, it's been something about it that didn't I 822 00:43:58,080 --> 00:44:02,080 Speaker 3: didn't feel worse about people like there were people who 823 00:44:02,200 --> 00:44:05,080 Speaker 3: you know this, some we hadn't talked to in weeks, 824 00:44:05,480 --> 00:44:08,480 Speaker 3: in months, in six months and a year and years 825 00:44:09,520 --> 00:44:12,239 Speaker 3: that were calling and texting me every single day when 826 00:44:12,239 --> 00:44:15,960 Speaker 3: this went down every day, Then there were people that 827 00:44:16,200 --> 00:44:20,279 Speaker 3: I talked to and saw every single day that I 828 00:44:20,320 --> 00:44:22,320 Speaker 3: ain't heard from since exactly. 829 00:44:23,120 --> 00:44:25,279 Speaker 1: You know who your friends are, and you definitely find 830 00:44:25,280 --> 00:44:29,200 Speaker 1: out who your friends aren't in these types of moments, But. 831 00:44:29,200 --> 00:44:31,000 Speaker 3: No, who were your people? Who are you saying so 832 00:44:31,880 --> 00:44:32,799 Speaker 3: that lifted you up? 833 00:44:32,800 --> 00:44:35,000 Speaker 1: Are we are we naming names? 834 00:44:35,160 --> 00:44:35,800 Speaker 2: This is positive? 835 00:44:36,200 --> 00:44:38,480 Speaker 1: This is all positive, I would say. One of the 836 00:44:38,520 --> 00:44:42,279 Speaker 1: people who just started and wouldn't stop texting me even 837 00:44:42,280 --> 00:44:47,120 Speaker 1: when I didn't respond, Sarah Haynes. She was an absolute pleasure. 838 00:44:47,160 --> 00:44:48,920 Speaker 1: She said, I'm gonna keep texting you. I'm going to 839 00:44:49,040 --> 00:44:49,840 Speaker 1: keep checking in on you. 840 00:44:50,640 --> 00:44:51,120 Speaker 2: To fire her. 841 00:44:52,040 --> 00:44:53,560 Speaker 1: I know that's what I was afraid of. Mike. I 842 00:44:53,600 --> 00:44:55,960 Speaker 1: think it's positive, but maybe it won't be positive for her. 843 00:44:56,200 --> 00:44:59,280 Speaker 1: You also worry about, like, I don't know, being connected 844 00:44:59,280 --> 00:45:00,960 Speaker 1: to us, may somehow I'll bring you down. So I 845 00:45:00,960 --> 00:45:03,920 Speaker 1: don't want to necessarily do that, but she was incredible. 846 00:45:04,000 --> 00:45:06,480 Speaker 1: She and I have been friends for fifteen years. We 847 00:45:06,520 --> 00:45:09,960 Speaker 1: go all the way back to NBC, and she just 848 00:45:10,080 --> 00:45:12,480 Speaker 1: and honestly, someone who still works at that network, to 849 00:45:12,560 --> 00:45:15,040 Speaker 1: keep checking in, to keep calling, to actually be seen 850 00:45:15,080 --> 00:45:17,759 Speaker 1: in public with me. That is a statement. That is 851 00:45:17,840 --> 00:45:20,000 Speaker 1: something that does show incredible support. 852 00:45:20,080 --> 00:45:20,799 Speaker 2: Who else. 853 00:45:22,920 --> 00:45:26,080 Speaker 1: Putting me on the spot here? Well, my family. My 854 00:45:26,200 --> 00:45:29,080 Speaker 1: mom is one of nine, my dad is one of six. 855 00:45:29,200 --> 00:45:31,920 Speaker 1: I have a lot of aunts and uncles and some 856 00:45:31,960 --> 00:45:33,359 Speaker 1: of them are closer in age to me than they 857 00:45:33,360 --> 00:45:35,440 Speaker 1: are to even my parents. Because of the big families, 858 00:45:35,880 --> 00:45:41,120 Speaker 1: and my family showed up. My aunts, my uncles, my cousins. 859 00:45:41,280 --> 00:45:43,520 Speaker 1: They were texting me saying we love you. And I 860 00:45:43,560 --> 00:45:46,040 Speaker 1: remember my aunt Ann. She's only six years older than me, 861 00:45:46,120 --> 00:45:48,759 Speaker 1: so she's like my big sister Annie. I call her. 862 00:45:48,800 --> 00:45:51,000 Speaker 1: I named my I actually my little girl, I call 863 00:45:51,040 --> 00:45:54,040 Speaker 1: Annie because of her. But she sent me a text 864 00:45:54,120 --> 00:45:58,080 Speaker 1: and this really got me. She said, we know who 865 00:45:58,120 --> 00:46:02,520 Speaker 1: you are and we love you. And because you start 866 00:46:02,560 --> 00:46:05,160 Speaker 1: feeling like everyone else is saying you're something that you're 867 00:46:05,200 --> 00:46:08,280 Speaker 1: not and you can't deny it. You can't say, nahh, 868 00:46:08,360 --> 00:46:11,960 Speaker 1: I'm not like that, and she just sent me that text, 869 00:46:12,000 --> 00:46:14,359 Speaker 1: and I remember that meant the world to me. And 870 00:46:14,680 --> 00:46:16,080 Speaker 1: I don't even want to leave out all my other 871 00:46:16,080 --> 00:46:18,520 Speaker 1: aunts and uncles, but I still am getting texts like 872 00:46:18,560 --> 00:46:21,320 Speaker 1: we love you. They will tell me about people, especially 873 00:46:21,360 --> 00:46:23,759 Speaker 1: who had my last name. You know, someone came into 874 00:46:23,760 --> 00:46:26,680 Speaker 1: work and said, tell your niece that we love her 875 00:46:26,719 --> 00:46:28,840 Speaker 1: and we love TJ. And we're with them and we 876 00:46:28,880 --> 00:46:32,080 Speaker 1: support them. And they would just pass along those texts 877 00:46:32,160 --> 00:46:35,279 Speaker 1: or those moments of support from other people, just to 878 00:46:35,360 --> 00:46:37,719 Speaker 1: let me know there are more people out there who 879 00:46:37,719 --> 00:46:40,360 Speaker 1: are supporting you than who are saying bad things about you. 880 00:46:40,400 --> 00:46:41,759 Speaker 1: And I think we needed to hear that. I know 881 00:46:41,840 --> 00:46:43,520 Speaker 1: I needed to hear that because you really try not 882 00:46:43,560 --> 00:46:46,080 Speaker 1: to read the comments, and you were really good at 883 00:46:46,120 --> 00:46:49,279 Speaker 1: not looking at the coverage. I was not. I was not. 884 00:46:49,920 --> 00:46:51,560 Speaker 1: I looked and I saw a lot of things I 885 00:46:51,560 --> 00:46:54,239 Speaker 1: wished I hadn't, but I knew my daughters were saying it, 886 00:46:54,520 --> 00:46:56,439 Speaker 1: and I kind of wanted to know. And when the 887 00:46:56,680 --> 00:46:59,359 Speaker 1: paparazzi on the street is sticking his tongue out at 888 00:46:59,360 --> 00:47:01,359 Speaker 1: me and I just kind of want to know he's 889 00:47:01,520 --> 00:47:04,920 Speaker 1: what he's writing. It's a strange thing to be walking 890 00:47:04,920 --> 00:47:07,440 Speaker 1: down the street and knowing every facial expression you have 891 00:47:07,520 --> 00:47:09,719 Speaker 1: is being interpreted, and so just to not be able 892 00:47:09,760 --> 00:47:12,200 Speaker 1: to speak or to know what's being written for you 893 00:47:12,280 --> 00:47:15,799 Speaker 1: instead of being said by you. It's everything to know 894 00:47:15,840 --> 00:47:18,239 Speaker 1: that the people who know you, the people who love you, say, 895 00:47:19,800 --> 00:47:22,120 Speaker 1: we're not ever going to turn our backs on you. 896 00:47:22,239 --> 00:47:24,080 Speaker 3: I still don't look at that stuff. I know you, 897 00:47:24,280 --> 00:47:26,479 Speaker 3: and we've gotten invites about it before because you share 898 00:47:26,560 --> 00:47:28,400 Speaker 3: tried to share something with me. I'm like, I do 899 00:47:28,520 --> 00:47:32,120 Speaker 3: not want to hear anything. Because I got that advice 900 00:47:32,200 --> 00:47:35,360 Speaker 3: early on from somebody who has been through more tabloid 901 00:47:35,640 --> 00:47:39,480 Speaker 3: stuff than most people can ever imagine over a career 902 00:47:40,120 --> 00:47:44,920 Speaker 3: in Hollywood. And she's very early on said don't you 903 00:47:45,239 --> 00:47:49,320 Speaker 3: listen to or read anything, and followed up by saying, 904 00:47:49,360 --> 00:47:52,480 Speaker 3: do you hear me? Do not read or listen, And 905 00:47:52,680 --> 00:47:57,040 Speaker 3: she has been through pales in comparison, you could probably 906 00:47:57,160 --> 00:47:58,840 Speaker 3: argue what she's gone through her whole career. 907 00:47:59,040 --> 00:47:59,960 Speaker 2: But that was great advice. 908 00:48:00,120 --> 00:48:08,120 Speaker 3: But Chuck, Matt Montel, Candy Hallie Byron Isaiah, those are 909 00:48:08,160 --> 00:48:09,799 Speaker 3: the that's the group of folks. And maybe I can 910 00:48:09,800 --> 00:48:11,480 Speaker 3: get into more of who they are later, but those 911 00:48:11,480 --> 00:48:15,160 Speaker 3: are the folks who who carried me through at the 912 00:48:15,280 --> 00:48:17,879 Speaker 3: darkest days, which was in December of twenty twenty two. 913 00:48:17,920 --> 00:48:21,640 Speaker 1: I need to point out Nikki and Daneska. Those two 914 00:48:21,760 --> 00:48:25,399 Speaker 1: were just my rocks in terms of even moving and 915 00:48:25,480 --> 00:48:28,680 Speaker 1: helping me not have to deal with all of the 916 00:48:28,680 --> 00:48:30,960 Speaker 1: logistical burdens in the middle of all of this huge 917 00:48:31,040 --> 00:48:32,879 Speaker 1: storm and have been with me every step of the way. 918 00:48:33,000 --> 00:48:37,759 Speaker 1: So I just my glam squad at the studio just 919 00:48:38,160 --> 00:48:40,440 Speaker 1: still chuck in on me every day and have been 920 00:48:40,520 --> 00:48:43,040 Speaker 1: so supportive and so kind. And these were women who 921 00:48:43,040 --> 00:48:46,600 Speaker 1: I was with every morning for almost a decade and 922 00:48:47,320 --> 00:48:50,719 Speaker 1: they're still with me in spirit and they have meant 923 00:48:50,880 --> 00:48:59,720 Speaker 1: the world to me, all of them. 924 00:49:01,400 --> 00:49:02,400 Speaker 3: They two tens