Speaker 1: Misspelling with Tori Spelling an iHeartRadio podcast.
Speaker 2: Hello, Hi, how are you?
Speaker 3: I'm good?
Speaker 2: How are you? I am doing well? Okay, Yeah, I
Speaker 2: just got to say I'm like a hero in my
Speaker 2: house today because my two girls love you so much.
Speaker 3: That is so sweet. Oh my gosh, that is so nice.
Speaker 3: How old are you? How old are your girls?
Speaker 2: Fourteen and seventeen?
Speaker 3: Oh my goodness? Okay, amazing, amazing? Are they answers to?
Speaker 2: They are not, but they love it love. I mean
Speaker 2: they've seen every episode. Like I mean, I'm not gonna lie,
Speaker 2: I have to, but I can't believe you start on
Speaker 2: that show when you were nine. What the heck?
Speaker 3: That's crazy, isn't that? Isn't that just wild?
Speaker 2: Yeah, just putting it, just relating it to my life,
Speaker 2: Like my youngest is eight, he'll be nine in March.
Speaker 2: Like being in that world and one of my best friends,
Speaker 2: her daughter is she's twelve, I believe, and Kiki and
Speaker 2: she competes professionally, and just seeing that world first of all,
Speaker 2: I'll watch it with you on TV, but then having
Speaker 2: being able to see it in real life with my
Speaker 2: friend and what they have to go through.
Speaker 3: It is.
Speaker 2: It is not normal No, it's not. It is the
Speaker 2: craziest pressure. I get pressure just living through my friend's
Speaker 2: daughter's life, like it.
Speaker 3: Is, you get like secondhand pressure.
Speaker 2: Yeah, so you were so you are you the only
Speaker 2: cast member that was on every single season of that chop? Uh?
Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, not including the eighth season. But the eighth
Speaker 3: season had like a totally different cast.
Speaker 2: Wait what, I don't remember this.
Speaker 3: There was like a season eight, but it was like
Speaker 3: a year or two after the show had like ended and.
Speaker 2: Then, so no one cared about that.
Speaker 3: Well, I wouldn't say that. I know people like it.
Speaker 3: I just like that wasn't I'm the only one who
Speaker 3: like finished out their contract, like one through seven was
Speaker 3: there from the very beginning.
Speaker 2: Yeah, oh my gosh, it literally watched You grow up? Okay,
Speaker 2: so age nine through fifteen? Correct, I don't do math.
Speaker 3: Uh yes, yes, nine through fifteen.
Speaker 2: Wow, Like those are literally your formative years.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Do you ever? Do you ever watch the show back?
Speaker 3: No? I actually so, I watched the show back for
Speaker 3: but like to write the book. But I don't watch
Speaker 3: the show back just for like fun, because it honestly
Speaker 3: agitates me, like.
Speaker 2: It No, no, no, unless.
Speaker 3: Like I have to and I did for the book
Speaker 3: so that I remember things correctly to see what the audience,
Speaker 3: like the viewers actually saw because I remember things a
Speaker 3: certain way, but I don't know how they played things
Speaker 3: out on the actual show and your story, Yeah, exactly exactly.
Speaker 3: So yeah, I don't watch it back unless I have to.
Speaker 3: But I'll see clips on on social media sometimes and
Speaker 3: they're funny, like usually like they're very funny you brought
Speaker 3: a pocket sometimes, But I think that's kind of like
Speaker 3: the charm of the show.
Speaker 2: Like I just gotta say I met ay Lee Miller
Speaker 2: and and we did like it was like a women's
Speaker 2: conference thing. And I never say hi to people because
Speaker 2: just because I get nervous. Is it's not like I
Speaker 2: don't know, I think growing up in this business and
Speaker 2: being a celebrity, I always respect other celebrities and like, oh,
Speaker 2: they get a million people coming up to them. So
Speaker 2: I'm not gonna do it. But for my kids, I'll
Speaker 2: do anything. I've become mama Bear, So I knew my
Speaker 2: kids loved the show, and I was like, I just
Speaker 2: got to guess, you know, ask her for a photo
Speaker 2: and she was super nice and she sent them merch
Speaker 2: and everything. But like reading your book. Now I'm pissed. Now,
Speaker 2: I'm I I like the merch. I'm gonna keep the merch,
Speaker 2: but I'm getting rid of that photo on my phone.
Speaker 3: Merched. That's totally fine. My relationship with Abby is like
Speaker 3: it's it's you know, like non existent anymore. Bunch.
Speaker 2: I'm glad you didn't say complicated. Oh when I hate
Speaker 2: when people are peacey. I've known, I've done it for years,
Speaker 2: and I'm like, it's complicated. It's like, it's not complicated,
Speaker 2: you know what it really is. Okay, you know what
Speaker 2: I mean.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I do know what you mean. But the thing,
Speaker 3: you know, there is truth to that as well, Like
Speaker 3: I don't have a relationship with her anymore, but our
Speaker 3: our past relationship was complicated. You know, I was her
Speaker 3: dancer since I danced under her name for since I
Speaker 3: was like three years old. So we did have some
Speaker 3: sort of relationship and bond during during those early stages.
Speaker 3: But but you know, it just it got ruined and
Speaker 3: and it was definitely tainted. And I you know, people's
Speaker 3: true colors show. Uh, So it is very complicated and
Speaker 3: and I do talk about a lot about that in
Speaker 3: the book because you know, you know it is. I'm
Speaker 3: not trying to defend her anything, but you know, there
Speaker 3: were good moments and there were really bad moments, and
Speaker 3: unfortunately the bad outweigh the good. So it's hard to
Speaker 3: to even think about some of those good moments sometimes.
Speaker 3: But but yeah.
Speaker 2: Just chills. But you know what, that's that's with any
Speaker 2: relationship personally and professionally, like, and that is so brave
Speaker 2: of you and strong of you to admit, like, there
Speaker 2: are bad moments that outweighed, but there were good moments,
Speaker 2: so and acknowledge those because with any relationship with a
Speaker 2: family member, and in some sorts she was a family
Speaker 2: member to you, there's gonna be bad and good. You're like, nope,
Speaker 2: not family, Nope, nope, not saying okay, fine, I'm being nice.
Speaker 3: But she was. She she was an authority figure in
Speaker 3: my life. You're in and teachers are supposed to be
Speaker 3: people that you can look up to. They're supposed to
Speaker 3: be role models and yeah, and she wasn't that. So
Speaker 3: it's so it's very it's a complicated, reallyationship, you know.
Speaker 1: Uh.
Speaker 3: But at the same time, you know, I don't I'm
Speaker 3: not friends really with people that still talk to her.
Speaker 3: But the thing is at the end of the day,
Speaker 3: like she is this character that was on a huge
Speaker 3: TV show. So I'm never gonna be like upset with
Speaker 3: someone for wanting to take a picture with her because
Speaker 3: she's I mean, she's abby and she was on this
Speaker 3: huge television show. You know, most people are gonna want
Speaker 3: to take a picture with someone like that. I'm happy
Speaker 3: she was nice to you, though.
Speaker 2: She was because I thought I thought she was gonna
Speaker 2: be scary from watching the show, and she was really nice.
Speaker 2: How much of what was on that show with her
Speaker 2: was a character as opposed to how she was in
Speaker 2: real life or she was always that hard in real
Speaker 2: life as well?
Speaker 3: As I always say that they made her look likable
Speaker 3: for TV. They no, yeah, yes, yes they did. Whoa Yeah,
Speaker 3: I think. I mean, I think you can even ask
Speaker 3: dancers like that dance there that were that weren't on
Speaker 3: the show or pre show. I think they could like
Speaker 3: attest to that as well. But but yeah, no, that's
Speaker 3: who she really is. They had to edit a lot
Speaker 3: of stuff out, cut a lot of stuff out, you know,
Speaker 3: when it when it came to like the things she
Speaker 3: said and the things she did, the show protected her
Speaker 3: in a lot of ways, because you know they're there.
Speaker 3: They want to make sure that their show keeps running.
Speaker 3: And unfortunately, I feel like some of the stuff that
Speaker 3: happened probably would have could could have done some damage
Speaker 3: to the show itself if if it was aired.
Speaker 2: Got it? So a lot of the stuff that you
Speaker 2: talk about in your book regarding racism, was that actually
Speaker 2: in the show that aired?
Speaker 3: Well? Actually some of it. Yes, there's a lot of
Speaker 3: things in the book that I that I talk about
Speaker 3: that were literally aired on television.
Speaker 2: How did that not getner canceled?
Speaker 3: You know, it was a different time. I think in
Speaker 3: a post twenty twenty world, everyone kind of like I
Speaker 3: think more people are receptive to just conversations about race
Speaker 3: and racism. I know that for me and my mom,
Speaker 3: we knew when these things happened. But for viewers, I
Speaker 3: would say, especially like non black or like white viewers
Speaker 3: who were watching the show, they wouldn't have really picked
Speaker 3: up on some of the racism that happened. But there
Speaker 3: are very like there there. It is documented the things
Speaker 3: that happened on the show, and I go into that,
Speaker 3: and I also go into stuff that that wasn't air
Speaker 3: on the show as well. But a lot of a lot.
Speaker 3: There were a lot of examples that I could have
Speaker 3: that I used because it was on the show, and
Speaker 3: no one really did and no one picked up on it.
Speaker 3: No one picked up on it because back in the day,
Speaker 3: those things kind of just flew over everyone's head and
Speaker 3: you know, you know, things were funny and things were
Speaker 3: acceptable back in the day. But now people are more
Speaker 3: willing to have these conversations and are more like in
Speaker 3: tune with with racism and microaggressions and in everything surrounding that.
Speaker 3: So that's been really interesting as well. For just even
Speaker 3: before the book came out, I like, I saw like
Speaker 3: I saw people posting about dance moms with a different
Speaker 3: point of view, which I found really interesting. And that's
Speaker 3: not the reason why I felt like it was a
Speaker 3: good time to write the book, because people started to
Speaker 3: see things for what they actually were. Not everyone, but
Speaker 3: people started seeing things and watching now that you know,
Speaker 3: the kids watch it and now they're adults looking back,
Speaker 3: they're like wait, and after you know, like the Black
Speaker 3: Lives Matter movement, and you know, people watch the show
Speaker 3: back and they're like, wait, actually that wasn't okay. Actually
Speaker 3: that you know, we thought this was funny, but it's
Speaker 3: not as funny as I thought, like as I remember
Speaker 3: it to be, or even just certain things like it's
Speaker 3: People can still watch it, but I've heard some people
Speaker 3: say that they can't even watch it anymore because, you know,
Speaker 3: it's it's hard for them to watch. Uh. So, yes,
Speaker 3: there's still people who can watch it and take it
Speaker 3: for what it is and and and giggle and laugh
Speaker 3: and have spewed about it. You know, it's it's so
Speaker 3: wild and crazy where you can absolutely just like watch it.
Speaker 3: It's very calming for some people. I don't know why,
Speaker 3: but it is. But other people have a very different
Speaker 3: reaction now and and it's hard for them to watch.
Speaker 2: I understand that. And for future generations, it's setting a
Speaker 2: different standard. And it's so I'm so sorry what you
Speaker 2: went through as a kid a young adult. And I
Speaker 2: think it's so important though that you're putting your view
Speaker 2: out there now looking back on the experience, because while
Speaker 2: my seventeen and my fourteen year old love the show,
Speaker 2: these are the conversations which you're referring to, that teenagers
Speaker 2: now are having. They're so evolved and elevated that they
Speaker 2: won't be quiet anymore. They can't be exactly, and that
Speaker 2: will only affect future generation for their kids and for
Speaker 2: your kids one day. You know, it's just do you
Speaker 2: want kids?
Speaker 3: I don't know, Well, I haven't. I'm like, I genuinely
Speaker 3: don't know. I haven't really gotten that far. I haven't
Speaker 3: really thought too much about it, which I know at
Speaker 3: this age people start I'm like, I haven't really thought
Speaker 3: about it. But I would say for you, I know
Speaker 3: you said sorry, and I appreciate it. But also at
Speaker 3: the same time, I I I don't view myself as
Speaker 3: a victim. You know, I don't think I have a
Speaker 3: victim mentality, which I think is really important, but at all,
Speaker 3: you know, like I just I don't feel like I'm
Speaker 3: a victim. I think that I did the best what
Speaker 3: I could do in those situations, and I I see
Speaker 3: myself as someone who's resilient and you know, coming out
Speaker 3: of those things with like strong. But also it's interesting
Speaker 3: too because with me releasing the story, you were saying,
Speaker 3: You're like, I'm so happy you're able to talk about
Speaker 3: this now and share your story, you know, not all
Speaker 3: like I received so many positive responses and feedback, but
Speaker 3: also there's a lot of people that still question me.
Speaker 3: And are in ask me questions like well, why do
Speaker 3: you wait so long? Why did you why are you
Speaker 3: just talking about it now? Why? You know, like just
Speaker 3: all questions, and I it makes me realize, like I
Speaker 3: understand why sometimes victims wouldn't come out and say things,
Speaker 3: or why people stay quiet because they they blame they victim,
Speaker 3: blame people for for being in these situations, even though
Speaker 3: it's it's not their doing. So yeah, it's interesting, Like, yeah,
Speaker 3: I don't I don't see myself as a victim, but
Speaker 3: I have gone through a lot, and you know, I
Speaker 3: I'm proud of my story. It's it's who I am.
Speaker 3: It's made it made me who I am today. And
Speaker 3: the whole point of the book was just to finally
Speaker 3: share my side of the story. And I know that
Speaker 3: sometimes people still have that people are gonna say whatever,
Speaker 3: Sometimes people don't care. Sometimes people, you know, we'll still
Speaker 3: question what I have to say, and and you know,
Speaker 3: and that's okay, Like I'm totally okay with that. That's
Speaker 3: part of being human, that's part of being in this world.
Speaker 3: But I do think as a whole, like I think
Speaker 3: people just need more empathy. And and you think.
Speaker 2: Empathy is the it's the key thing missing, in my opinion,
Speaker 2: from the world. People want the empathy for them, but
Speaker 2: they don't have it for others. Right, Yeah, it's so
Speaker 2: beautiful to realize that and have that.
Speaker 4: If you've been ghosted, divorced, or left for someone else,
Speaker 4: snap out of it. It's not for you to get
Speaker 4: some help by listening to us said, I do part two.
Speaker 4: Listen to I do Part two on the iHeartRadio app,
Speaker 4: Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 2: Now, I'm hearing you, and I'm proud of how resilient
Speaker 2: and strong there has to be, though somewhere inside still
Speaker 2: the pain, the hurt. Oh yeah, for sure, words at
Speaker 2: least through my journey, I've realized, and we all have
Speaker 2: a different journey, and it's you can't unhear words, and
Speaker 2: you can move past it. You can work on yourself,
Speaker 2: you can make those words make you stronger and be
Speaker 2: you know, guide others through it. Insightful. But you know,
Speaker 2: words that were said to me when I was young,
Speaker 2: I still hear them. I work hard to get past it,
Speaker 2: but I hear them in my you know inside, they
Speaker 2: affect me for sure.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Well, I'm I'm I always say that like I
Speaker 3: don't care what anyone says. Words still do hurt. Words
Speaker 3: still do hurt, and they are powerful. They are powerful,
Speaker 3: and that's the reason why I wrote my book, because
Speaker 3: I know words are powerful and I know that words
Speaker 3: have meeting. And also to that as well, like for me,
Speaker 3: as someone who is resilient is someone who you know,
Speaker 3: you know has just overcome a lot, I would say
Speaker 3: for me, like, yes, I do still get hurt by
Speaker 3: things sometimes. I and you know, writing the book has
Speaker 3: been super healing, but at the same time, yeah, very
Speaker 3: but still at the same time, it doesn't mean that
Speaker 3: things don't sting. Sometimes things don't, you know, every once
Speaker 3: in a while come up.
Speaker 1: You know.
Speaker 3: I'm I'm strong, and I think sometimes people think that
Speaker 3: and this is something that I have I've I had
Speaker 3: to work on as well because an abbyism that she
Speaker 3: had or like one of her sayings was like savior
Speaker 3: tears for the pillow, meaning like if you cry, like
Speaker 3: that makes you weak. Never let anyone so you see
Speaker 3: you cry, because that makes them have more power and
Speaker 3: that makes them, you know, like you lose if you
Speaker 3: if you cry, and you.
Speaker 2: Know, believing that crying crying with a sign of weakness.
Speaker 3: Yes, exactly, And for me, I've had to really unlearn
Speaker 3: that because for me, I want to be strong. I'm
Speaker 3: a strong person. So I equated crying with being weak,
Speaker 3: which I've learned that that's not the right way. Crying
Speaker 3: is very normal and it's good for you. It's a release.
Speaker 3: So nowadays, when I talk about being strong, I don't
Speaker 3: think I I think that crying and being vulnerable and
Speaker 3: showing your emotions is part of also being strong. That's
Speaker 3: part of it. Being strong doesn't mean you don't cry,
Speaker 3: doesn't mean that you don't get hurt by things. It
Speaker 3: just means that you can navigate that that hurt and
Speaker 3: redirect it. It means that you can get through those situations,
Speaker 3: you know. So it's taken some time. But yeah, I
Speaker 3: don't I don't think being strong means that you can't
Speaker 3: also be hurt. And I think it's good for people
Speaker 3: to know when you're hurt because they should. They people
Speaker 3: should know when they hurt your feelings otherwise notice otherwise
Speaker 3: they think it's okay. It's good for for people to
Speaker 3: know that you're hurt because that's also because it also
Speaker 3: means that you're a real human, you know, I agreed.
Speaker 2: Sorry, I'm crying right now. I'm like, oh see it's no, see,
Speaker 2: I have to just retreat my brain. Sorry, I'm crying.
Speaker 2: I'm crying because this feels good to hear this from
Speaker 2: someone else. You are redefining words and that are archaic
Speaker 2: that have such like being strong. We were taught always
Speaker 2: like exactly what you're saying. You can't do this, You
Speaker 2: can't do that if you're strong. And I love that
Speaker 2: you were speaking to humans out there and so many
Speaker 2: young women and they are learning like, yeah, that's not
Speaker 2: what this means. I can redefine a word and make
Speaker 2: it mine and make it my journey. And I you
Speaker 2: know what, if anyone says, why did you take this long? Why?
Speaker 2: Now it's your journey, you can tell it when you want.
Speaker 3: To tell it exactly.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm all sorry, sorry, but.
Speaker 3: It's true though, Like it's what do you like? What
Speaker 3: do you mean? Why am I sharing my story now?
Speaker 3: Maybe because I'm not nine years old anymore, like because
Speaker 3: you know what I mean, Like I'm an adult now.
Speaker 3: I can actually advocate for myself in this way. I
Speaker 3: can actually uh like write how I'm articulate, how I'm
Speaker 3: feeling you know, whereas when you're in it you can't
Speaker 3: really see everything. And also I was a child, you know.
Speaker 3: Now that I'm an adult, I can actually write about
Speaker 3: these things and write about it with a pretty level
Speaker 3: head as well. So so yeah, it takes it takes
Speaker 3: time to just process everything that I went through as well.
Speaker 3: And as far as I'm concerned, which is something that
Speaker 3: I'm very like, very grateful for, is that people do
Speaker 3: still care about Dance Moms. People are still talking about
Speaker 3: the show. I would even argue that Dance Moms is
Speaker 3: probably even more prevalent now than it was back in
Speaker 3: the day when it was airing. So I like, absolutely,
Speaker 3: but I'm like, people are still watching it, you know,
Speaker 3: people are still streaming it, which is great and I
Speaker 3: love that, but I but I also want to recognize,
Speaker 3: like it's not that it's not relevant, Like this is
Speaker 3: still relevant because people are still talking about.
Speaker 2: It, absolutely, And nostalgia is such a big deal. So
Speaker 2: I feel like people that originally watched the show, it's
Speaker 2: something that's a comfort on some level, Yeah, to go
Speaker 2: back to watching it if you loved it then, and
Speaker 2: then young people are just finding it. I mean, God
Speaker 2: blessed TikTok making all of us relevant. I mean, wait,
Speaker 2: five point eight million, No, baby, you're doing great like
Speaker 2: it's eight years. No, you're such an inspiration. Wait, I
Speaker 2: gotta just I love your mom. And this is just
Speaker 2: from watching yeah, because because when I watched the show,
Speaker 2: I was already having kids and like, so, well, you
Speaker 2: guys were awesome. I was always like, looking at the mom,
Speaker 2: I was like, oh my god, that's gonna be me
Speaker 2: one day as my kids get older. Not a dance moment.
Speaker 2: I could never do that. Oh my god, I can't.
Speaker 2: I can. I can barely get my kids to school.
Speaker 2: It's like, I think somewhere deep down, I never pushed
Speaker 2: my kids into sports because I was like, I can't
Speaker 2: do it. But I also have five so but and
Speaker 2: I feel like your mom wasn't that either. She wasn't
Speaker 2: like the like in it so like she was just like, yeah,
Speaker 2: you go great. I just I don't know the ones
Speaker 2: that used to like go like balls to the wall.
Speaker 2: I used to just be like, that is not the mom.
Speaker 2: I want to be like your mom. She was always
Speaker 2: just so she had her own shit going on. You know,
Speaker 2: this wasn't yeah you know what I mean, Like she's sorry.
Speaker 3: It's like she's like, I love my mom, And I
Speaker 3: always I always say this, like I don't know how
Speaker 3: she did it, Like genuinely, I don't know how she
Speaker 3: went through seven seasons without cursing at anyone, without like
Speaker 3: totally losing her mind. And you know what I mean,
Speaker 3: because they really did push her buttons push.
Speaker 2: Yeah, she had a career. I mean, it's not just
Speaker 2: it's not like she was just a dance mom exactly.
Speaker 3: You know, she she had had a career. She was
Speaker 3: a principal, she was an education She also has you know,
Speaker 3: two other kids besides me. She's married, you know, like
Speaker 3: we we there were so many things like she had.
Speaker 3: She was also working on her dissertation, you know what
Speaker 3: I mean. So there's so much that she was doing.
Speaker 3: I don't know how she kept her composure the whole time,
Speaker 3: but she did. And I'm really grateful that I had
Speaker 3: a good role model to look up to in those moments.
Speaker 3: And anytime I hear something about like if anyone, you know,
Speaker 3: like blames my mom for some that happened on the show,
Speaker 3: or get mad at her for keeping me in that environment,
Speaker 3: I I always push back on that. I always resist
Speaker 3: that because I'm like, why I for me? And that's
Speaker 3: the real another reason why it's so important for people
Speaker 3: to read the book, because you really do get perspective.
Speaker 3: It's something that I wanted to do. She really took
Speaker 3: my lead on everything. If I didn't want to be there,
Speaker 3: she would make sure that I was out of there,
Speaker 3: you know, Like if I did not want to do that,
Speaker 3: she would have never kept me in that environment. But
Speaker 3: I wanted to stay. I wanted to prove a point.
Speaker 3: I wanted to make it to the end. I wanted
Speaker 3: to honor my contract, you know.
Speaker 2: And she still answer, it was your passion, it.
Speaker 3: Was my passion. And I saw this opportunity and I
Speaker 3: was like, I'm gonna take it. I'm not gonna let
Speaker 3: anyone pulling me out of this opportunity that everyone else
Speaker 3: is able to do. So I I you know, I
Speaker 3: just I really appreciate my mom sticking buy me through
Speaker 3: that whole thing, because it wasn't easy. And I know
Speaker 3: it was hard for her as a mother seeing me
Speaker 3: go through that and me continue in wanting to continue
Speaker 3: my my my time on the show, even whenever it
Speaker 3: did get toxic. I know that was hard for her.
Speaker 3: Seeing me upset, seeing me being torn down by someone
Speaker 3: who's supposed to be building me up.
Speaker 2: You know.
Speaker 3: So I I and you know, it's like I understand
Speaker 3: where people are coming from. But at the same time,
Speaker 3: this isn't the normal or like the typical story of
Speaker 3: like you know, the child actor being forced by their
Speaker 3: family to like it wasn't that. It wasn't that at all.
Speaker 3: So it's it's it's different. But I just appreciate her
Speaker 3: standing with me the whole time, and she's endured so
Speaker 3: much and I can't believe like we all went through it.
Speaker 3: But she's the reason why I'm able to one write
Speaker 3: about my experience today. And she's the reason why I
Speaker 3: have self self worth and in confidence and like I'm
Speaker 3: very in tune to myself and I very much am
Speaker 3: uh like I I like myself, you know, and I'm
Speaker 3: and I'm well adjusted and and that's because of her.
Speaker 3: It's a it's a it's a testament to my my
Speaker 3: parents and how they raised me. Hm.
Speaker 2: Okay, that just inspired me so much because I hope
Speaker 2: I am half the mon that you were. What you're saying.
Speaker 2: I want my kids to speak of me that one day,
Speaker 2: like that's such a legacy and so important and above
Speaker 2: anything she taught you you're worth. She'd she raised a
Speaker 2: good human.
Speaker 3: Thank you.
Speaker 2: Give her a hug for me. Oh my god, Well
Speaker 2: I will. When there were dark moments during the time
Speaker 2: when it was toxic, when she didn't speak out on
Speaker 2: the show but would speak privately to you, How have
Speaker 2: those conversations changed how she would frame it to you
Speaker 2: then as opposed to does now. But she just like,
Speaker 2: I mean, I know she'd encourage you to write the
Speaker 2: book and everything, but just like the conversations of what
Speaker 2: really went on, Like how brutally honest is she now?
Speaker 2: Looking back? Privately?
Speaker 3: She still, I mean, very honest with me. She you know,
Speaker 3: she'll always if she sees someone talking crazy online, she's
Speaker 3: gonna she's gonna say something. She is she is. But yeah,
Speaker 3: she she always kind of just has those talks with me.
Speaker 3: Even nowadays, whenever I'm upset, I get overwhelmed, I get
Speaker 3: hurt by by something or someone, and you know, she
Speaker 3: she always keeps it real with me, you know, like
Speaker 3: she she wants to build me up, and you know,
Speaker 3: she we we have that relationship where we can talk
Speaker 3: about those things openly and I'm grateful for that. But yeah,
Speaker 3: she keeps it very, very candid, and and yeah, she's
Speaker 3: very she's very She doesn't just tell me what I
Speaker 3: want to hear. She she tells me the truth, you know.
Speaker 3: And I think that's the reason why I'm also able
Speaker 3: to kind of right in the way where it's like,
Speaker 3: I'm not bash people. I'm not trying to like ruffle feathers,
Speaker 3: Like if it does ruffle feathers, it's not intended to,
Speaker 3: you know. So so yeah, but we we even on
Speaker 3: the show, on the show, and still now like we
Speaker 3: still have conversations about certain things that had happened, and
Speaker 3: and we will go back to those. Sorry, that is
Speaker 3: my door dash just a salad, just a salad, but.
Speaker 2: So sorry, I'm hungry. I left food. Tell me about it.
Speaker 3: Have you heard about what is it called? Oh my gosh,
Speaker 3: California Chicken Cafe. I love Sorry, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2: I got a Chinese chicken salad or no, that's the one.
Speaker 2: It's my favorite.
Speaker 3: It's so good.
Speaker 2: Sorry, good, very passionate about foods.
Speaker 3: I really needed it today. I just really needed it today.
Speaker 3: I rediscovered it last week. I was like, oh my gosh,
Speaker 3: I forgot about this place for I haven't had it
Speaker 3: in so long.
Speaker 2: Except you know what, I don't love that they put
Speaker 2: pasta in it. That's the only thing. Really, I love
Speaker 2: that part. And I'm a little bit more something.
Speaker 3: Oh.
Speaker 2: I always get the past to remove. And it's not
Speaker 2: like I don't want carbs. I just like it like
Speaker 2: drops me off anyway.
Speaker 3: Really, I like it's just something kind of different. I
Speaker 3: get the texture of him, like I laughing it.
Speaker 2: Okay, Well, I won't keep you that much on her
Speaker 2: because I want you to go eat your salad.
Speaker 3: You're so good.
Speaker 2: Oh my god, this is how like I get about food.
Speaker 2: I'm now going to have.
Speaker 3: To order that salad after we get off.
Speaker 2: Like, once you hear it, you're like, oh yeah, I'm like,
Speaker 2: my mouth's watering. Are you talking about such serious stuff?
Speaker 2: But I just went there. I'm so sorry. Welcome to me.
Speaker 3: No, it's good because that solid is worth talking about.
Speaker 2: Really, I'm literally drooling right now. I gotta like swallow
Speaker 2: my spit. Okay, sir, where I'm just kidding. How did
Speaker 2: your book take you to write?
Speaker 3: It took me, well, it took me about like two
Speaker 3: and a half years to write and then but it's
Speaker 3: been like a three year process. Like now that it's out,
Speaker 3: it's been like three years since I started the process
Speaker 3: of it. But yeah, I finished it back in June,
Speaker 3: but it took a while. I started like my sophomore
Speaker 3: or sorry, my junior year of college and I'm a
Speaker 3: year removed from college now, so so it's taken about
Speaker 3: three years.
Speaker 2: Oh my gosh, it's Did you enjoy it? I mean,
Speaker 2: I know it was therapeutic and you got it out
Speaker 2: there and the reaction, I mean I read online reaction
Speaker 2: you're having, like, it's incredible. Does it make you want
Speaker 2: to write it another one?
Speaker 3: Absolutely? Actually, it does make me want to write another book,
Speaker 3: just to see the impact that it's had on people.
Speaker 3: To see my words resonate with people like it, It
Speaker 3: truly means a lot. And if there's more ways to
Speaker 3: to continue that, I would love to do that. So
Speaker 3: at some point I would love to write another book,
Speaker 3: you know. I mean, it's also kind of like what
Speaker 3: I went to school for, Like I went to college
Speaker 3: for American literature, so like I went for typically an
Speaker 3: English but I'm I love I love reading, I love learning,
Speaker 3: I love hearing about people's stories, like I love a memoir.
Speaker 3: So like I I just I'm just that kind of
Speaker 3: person who loves that kind of stuff. So yeah, I
Speaker 3: definitely think in the future, hopefully I'll be able to
Speaker 3: write more. But I've been so grateful for all of
Speaker 3: the support that I've received through this book, because it
Speaker 3: is hard, and it is scary releasing something like this
Speaker 3: when I know that, you know, you know, it's it
Speaker 3: feels like sometimes I'm alone in this. Not that I'm
Speaker 3: alone alone, but like publicly alone in this, you know,
Speaker 3: so to have Yeah, So the fact that people have
Speaker 3: enjoyed the book. People have gotten a lot out of
Speaker 3: the book, not just clarification on the show itself and
Speaker 3: how that affected me, but a way for them to
Speaker 3: learn how to get through difficult situations and to not
Speaker 3: back down and to fight through and to push through,
Speaker 3: and to learn how to not let anyone like bully
Speaker 3: you out of anything. It's resonated with a lot of people.
Speaker 3: It's in its affected people, and I love seeing people's
Speaker 3: messages because they're all so positive. And I think one
Speaker 3: of the things that for me, like that I love
Speaker 3: the most about you know, what people say about the
Speaker 3: book is that they have you know, they they're they're
Speaker 3: learning how to be more confident, they're learning how to
Speaker 3: advocate for themselves through my story. They see themselves in
Speaker 3: my story, and that's helping them get through whatever they're
Speaker 3: getting through. And that has been therapeutic, and that has
Speaker 3: been amazing. And you know, that's like the whole reason
Speaker 3: why I even really wanted to put the book out
Speaker 3: is because I know that I'm not the only one
Speaker 3: who has been through things like this. You know, although
Speaker 3: very like unique, it's a very universal experience as.
Speaker 2: Well, right, it is, but it isn't. So there's that
Speaker 2: connection that no one, no one can truly understand. I
Speaker 2: know I'm hearing you when you say you're alone publicly
Speaker 2: because they only you were in that world, in your
Speaker 2: shoes and the people around you. But the message goes
Speaker 2: so far beyond, yes, the connection. By the way, I
Speaker 2: could listen to your voice all day. You have the
Speaker 2: best point. It is so sweet too.
Speaker 3: I think mine. I don't know. When I hear videos
Speaker 3: back of me talking, I wouldn't say the same, but
Speaker 3: thank you. That means a lot.
Speaker 2: Like public speaking is your jam, Like you have such
Speaker 2: a calm, beautiful, strong but kind voice. It's so warm
Speaker 2: and genuine. That is so sweet, honestly, and that I
Speaker 2: always go with my gut and that's how I feel.
Speaker 2: So but I just, oh, my gosh, what's next for you?
Speaker 2: What do you want to do next?
Speaker 3: Well, it kind of goes hand in hand and with
Speaker 3: me loving stories, but I just want to I just
Speaker 3: want to tell stories, you know. I'm a storyteller. I'm
Speaker 3: a performer. I want to get back to performing because
Speaker 3: I took some time off for college because I wanted
Speaker 3: to focus on my education. But I want to get
Speaker 3: back into acting and music and just everything. I want
Speaker 3: to get back on a stage, onto a set and
Speaker 3: just do what I do. Like I'm a performer, I'm
Speaker 3: I'm someone who loves to tell a story. You know,
Speaker 3: That's just who I am at the heart. So getting
Speaker 3: back into all of that.
Speaker 2: What Okay? I know you like Broadway shows. What Broadway
Speaker 2: show would you love to start in?
Speaker 3: Probably The Wiz because The Wiz is my favorite movie.
Speaker 3: So probably The The.
Speaker 2: Wiz as a kid.
Speaker 3: I love The Wiz as a kid, like genuinely loved it,
Speaker 3: probably or like Mama Mia even yeah, I feel like The.
Speaker 2: Wiz was in not just the movie, but I actually
Speaker 2: saw it like.
Speaker 3: Tour, did you Yes, that's cool. I saw the tour.
Speaker 3: I think it was like a couple of years ago
Speaker 3: when it was at the Pantages and in La so
Speaker 3: I saw it then.
Speaker 2: I think that's where I don't know it was. I
Speaker 2: saw yes when I was a kid. I mean, I'm
Speaker 2: like a million years older than you, but like, oh
Speaker 2: my gosh, it's so interesting. I had such a yeah,
Speaker 2: very special.
Speaker 3: I grew up loving the Whiz, so that would be
Speaker 3: that would definitely be probably like number one.
Speaker 2: But okay, cooler manifesting that what's.
Speaker 3: Next that I was gonna say, Mamma Mia. I loved
Speaker 3: Mama Mia. Yeah, let's see. My gosh, that's some of
Speaker 3: my other favorite. I just love Broadway, like I just
Speaker 3: I love theater. I'm a I'm a theater kid. Oh
Speaker 3: when I'm older, When i'm older, Chicago, I can't do
Speaker 3: that role yet, but like Chicago, when I'm older, that
Speaker 3: would be probably like a dream. I saw Brandy in
Speaker 3: Chicago years ago. I also saw actually Graham in Chicago
Speaker 3: earlier this year, which was pretty cool.
Speaker 2: Oh gosh, it's so funny. I was speaking Chicago, but
Speaker 2: I like that. I forget how old I am. So
Speaker 2: I'm like talking to you like we're equals, and I
Speaker 2: was like, you should be in Chicago, but I forget
Speaker 2: you need to be older to be in Chicago.
Speaker 3: Chicago. Though I.
Speaker 2: Have ideas. I'm an idea person, imagine wait wait okay,
Speaker 2: I'm a focus for a second doing a version of
Speaker 2: mean Girl. But it's your experience with Dan.
Speaker 3: It would be like.
Speaker 2: Kind of self deprecating, kind of like that, it's little
Speaker 2: fun but resonating ideally of like what you went, like
Speaker 2: a combination?
Speaker 3: I mean, should we make it happen? Wait?
Speaker 2: Really?
Speaker 3: Yeah? Why not?
Speaker 2: I don't know. No one wants to our idea we
Speaker 2: said to here, Yeah, we're on it. Oh my god,
Speaker 2: woo Like, so do we gotta get lawyers with this?
Speaker 2: I'm going to produce this, but we can do a
Speaker 2: teav Okay wait wait, okay, we'll talk about this afterst
Speaker 2: Oh my god, I'm very excited. Okay, anyway, you know
Speaker 2: what I'm saying, right, I.
Speaker 3: Know what you're saying.
Speaker 2: Okay, it's like, yeah, and we can't get the right
Speaker 2: to mean Girls, so whatever, but we can make it
Speaker 2: our This is so good. I just think it really
Speaker 2: and just hearing you speak today. It's like really really
Speaker 2: inspired me. I love this, okay. Sorry, And you're a foodie,
Speaker 2: Oh god, I am.
Speaker 3: I am, Oh my gosh, I love myself a good meal.
Speaker 3: I do.
Speaker 2: Do you like sushi?
Speaker 3: I do. I just started liking sushi like a couple
Speaker 3: of years ago though. Yeah, but it's not because of
Speaker 3: the raw fish part. Like that doesn't bother me. It
Speaker 3: was more just I'm foodie. I'm foodie, but I'm also picky.
Speaker 3: But I'm like, I call myself.
Speaker 2: I like that, Okay, go on, because.
Speaker 3: I didn't like I don't like a ton of stuff
Speaker 3: in it. Like I don't like seaweed, I don't like cucumber,
Speaker 3: I don't really like avocado, and it's like that all
Speaker 3: that stuff is usually in sushi. But like I like sashimi.
Speaker 3: I like the I think it's been the gary the
Speaker 3: or like I'll use like soy paper instead of seaweed.
Speaker 2: That's okay. But I'm a little foodie.
Speaker 3: But yeah, I like sushi. Do you have a good
Speaker 3: spot that you like to go to?
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I can tell you. Oh my god, wait
Speaker 2: where do you live? Sorry, we'll edit this out.
Speaker 3: I live in North Hollywood.
Speaker 2: Oh oh my god. Wait, I just went to the
Speaker 2: best place. It's on Kuwanga and oh my god, it's
Speaker 2: right near you. I'll slide into your DMS later and
Speaker 2: tell you it's it's okay t mokey to Liam, it's
Speaker 2: this chef and he has places like you know, downtown,
Speaker 2: he has ones on Satel. This is like his fourth incarnation,
Speaker 2: I think, but it is incredible.
Speaker 3: Talking about I don't know what it's called, but like,
Speaker 3: I like, now, is that worth like kind of near?
Speaker 2: Where that in and out?
Speaker 3: Oh? Sushi mochi? Yes, okay, I'm writing that down.
Speaker 2: Oh my god, you have to go.
Speaker 3: I'm going to go.
Speaker 2: I'll go with you. As we discussed this, this play
Speaker 2: mu show, we're going to do cool. It's really good,
Speaker 2: like good and you don't have to get all the
Speaker 2: like stuff in the roles and stuff and all that
Speaker 2: like whatever. It's like fresh and they it's incredible. Sorry,
Speaker 2: I get very excited. So do you like what other
Speaker 2: foods you like? Italian?
Speaker 3: Yeah? I love Italian? Sorry?
Speaker 2: What's your favorite words in your mouth? Sorry? I'm telling
Speaker 2: you what I like. Well, I.
Speaker 3: Love everything, like genuinely, like I love everything truly. I
Speaker 3: love tie. Let's see Chinese food is probably my favorite.
Speaker 3: Like I just I love Chinese food. I also love
Speaker 3: like like I don't know no where is that.
Speaker 2: It's uh maybe West Hills, like deep maybe near north Ridge, Omos.
Speaker 2: It's like okay, Asian fusion, but it's like it's really good.
Speaker 3: Okay. Oh. I also love Greek food.
Speaker 2: I love I love Greek food.
Speaker 3: I love Greek food, and I love and I love
Speaker 3: soul food as well in barbecue. So like everything I like,
Speaker 3: I like everything. There's not really like a food where
Speaker 3: I'm like, I don't really like that kind of like
Speaker 3: we do cook. I do cook, just not a lot.
Speaker 3: Like I I can cook, I just don't really have
Speaker 3: time to cook, so I don't really cook that much suck.
Speaker 3: So yeah, it's also that. But it's like when people like,
Speaker 3: can you cook, I'm like, yes, I can actually, And
Speaker 3: when I cook, my friends like get excited because because
Speaker 3: they like when I cook. But I just don't do
Speaker 3: it that often. I need to do it more. But
Speaker 3: but yeah, I love to cook. I'm really a baker though,
Speaker 3: Like I'm really good at baking.
Speaker 2: Oh my daughter is a baker really yeah, so I'm
Speaker 2: My thing is I'm of the belief that you can
Speaker 2: do both well, but you're either truly a cook or
Speaker 2: you're truly a baker.
Speaker 3: Right, I'm truly I'm truly a baker.
Speaker 2: I'm one science related like one. It's a different part
Speaker 2: of your brain.
Speaker 3: Mm hmmm. I I mean people always say that, which
Speaker 3: I understand, but also like, I just am really good
Speaker 3: at following recipes I think.
Speaker 1: But I'm not really really because for me, I'm like okay, oh, okay, okay,
Speaker 1: ye cook.
Speaker 2: Then yes exactly.
Speaker 3: Yeah. For me, I like I can follow the recipes
Speaker 3: like really, well, so what's your favorite thing to make? Oh?
Speaker 3: My favorite thing the bake. Probably cookies. Those are my favorites.
Speaker 3: And then last year I got really into making cinnamon rules.
Speaker 3: They're really yummy too. I learned how to make a
Speaker 3: really good cinnamon roll.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you'll have to share. My daughter Stella, who I
Speaker 2: feel like you, guys, I have so much in common
Speaker 2: personality wise and strength, and you have a lot in
Speaker 2: common so far. She is a baker and she made
Speaker 2: red velvet cinnamon rules this week, and we're really good.
Speaker 3: That sounds amazing, that sounds incredible.
Speaker 2: Well, I want to thank you. I'm sorry. I want
Speaker 2: to let you get to your salad. I'm like, very
Speaker 2: concerned that your salad's gonna wilt. O. Hey, at least
Speaker 2: I care.
Speaker 3: At least you care. I appreciate that. I appreciate that.
Speaker 3: I totally care.
Speaker 2: Anyway, everyone should get your book Bottom of the Pyramid,
Speaker 2: Memoir of Persevering, Dancing for Myself and Starring in my
Speaker 2: own life. You are such an inspiration and it's on audiobook.
Speaker 3: And I'm actually narrating it too, as you should.
Speaker 2: You have the best voice. You say your voice over
Speaker 2: work too.
Speaker 3: I love. I want want to get into that. I
Speaker 3: want to get into more.
Speaker 2: You can't do everything. I have big plan. I have
Speaker 2: big plans for you. You've inspired.
Speaker 3: I appreciate it. I'm like, you're on the.
Speaker 2: Team honestly, Like, yeah, I'm really good at doing it,
Speaker 2: like inspiring and helping and being on other seams and
Speaker 2: like can't do it for myself. Like that's right. I
Speaker 2: shit the bed. But I'm learning. I'm learning. Your ear
Speaker 2: actually inspired me today and you're teaching me and I
Speaker 2: like this.
Speaker 3: I love it. Well, thank you, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2: Thank you. Wait can I slide into your DMS?
Speaker 3: Wait?
Speaker 2: Can you say that like friend to friend or slide
Speaker 2: into DMS mean something like creepy.
Speaker 3: No, no, that's fine, that's totally fine.
Speaker 2: Wait one of my what are the young people say?
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's totally fine, that's not creepy.
Speaker 2: Okay, yeah about you guys. I'm gonna slide to her DMS.
Speaker 3: With Tusian work.
Speaker 2: Okay, awesome, Thank you so much
Speaker 3: Of course, thank you so much.