From the Bathroom Closet to YouTube Fame feat. Elle Bee

Summary

Cate & Ty Break It Down

Episode: From the Bathroom Closet to YouTube Fame feat. Elle Bee

Date: March 25, 2026 | Host: PodcastOne
Guests: Leslie (Elle Bee), Tyler and Catelynn Baltierra

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Episode Overview

This rich, candid episode brings together Teen Mom OGs Catelynn and Tyler Baltierra with Leslie—better known as Elle Bee—whose YouTube channel documenting and commenting on reality TV (especially the Teen Mom franchise) has exploded from humble beginnings in her bathroom closet. The trio shares laughs, behind-the-scenes stories, and honest reflections on growing up, parenting, generational trauma, and navigating public scrutiny, blending personal journeys with the world of content creation.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Detroit First Impressions & Ride-Share Woes

• The episode opens with a humorous, if alarming, story: Leslie’s Uber driver in Detroit demands a $20 tip under threat of abandoning her, frightening her and her husband (03:01).
• Kate empathizes: "I've never had anybody cancel and say, girl, you need to tip me $20 right now." (03:48)
• Sets the tone for the episode—down-to-earth, real, and a little wild.

2. Life Beyond “Teen Mom” and Candid Career Updates

• Discussion on the uncertain future of "Teen Mom" after network changes.
  • Kate shares, “Our contract is up in May, and then I’m free and clear to do whatever I please.” (10:09)
• The ongoing demand for content from OG Teen Mom personalities, and the loyalty of long-term fans.
• How contracts work: “They own the rights to my life basically until May.” (10:26)
• The group ponders what life after reality TV looks like, including the unique relationship between viewers and TV families after so many years.

3. The Impact of "Teen Mom"

• The cultural impact: correlations between the show and declining teen pregnancy (12:43).
• Challenges of being early trailblazers: grappling with accusations of glamorizing teen pregnancy versus striving for authenticity and education.
  • Kate: "We were like the first ever. You know what I mean? Season ever. We didn’t know what it was going to be.” (13:02)

4. Leslie’s (Elle Bee’s) Early Life & Family Dynamics

• Leslie shares her complex family history:
  • Her mother had her first child at 14, her father was a truck driver, and both were teen parents.
  • Childhood marked by instability, poverty, and lots of moving (17:02–22:30).
• Parental separation, cycles of remarriage, and the lingering effects on Leslie and her siblings, including living in a trailer as a teen mom herself.
• “I have the best husband. I’m very blessed with that because I had a lot of trauma I didn’t know about.” (21:29)

5. Teen Parenthood, Trauma & Generational Cycles

• Leslie became a mom at 17, echoing her own parents’ experiences.
• Open discussion on the challenges and emotional landmines of blended families and step-parenting.
• Powerful exchange on how trauma and upbringing shape approaches to relationships and parenting (36:00–39:43).
• "That's all of our first time living. We're all trying to navigate in the moment." — Leslie (35:06)

6. Parenting Styles, Boundaries & Personal Growth

• The group swaps stories on divorce, step-parents, and how difficult transitions influence core memories.
• The impact of yelling, boundaries, and parent-child relationships—especially as affected by generational trauma:
  • “My mom was a yeller … I’m very much against yelling.”—Leslie (37:35)
• Open talk about co-parenting with exes, the fantasy of the absent parent, and the pain of being "the bad guy."
  • "You have the kids 24/7, so you gotta be the one to discipline them … and the one that isn’t around … children have a fantasy vision." — Kate (47:11)

7. Parenting Kids on the Spectrum

• Leslie discusses two of her children being on the autism spectrum (55:10), championing neurodiversity as a “superpower” and discussing the unique joys and challenges.

8. Surviving, Learning from, and Addressing Childhood Abuse

• Emotional candor around sexual abuse in both Kate and Leslie’s histories (57:06–58:53).
• Both admit to not having received personal therapy for the abuse but note how it impacts their hypervigilance as mothers.
• “A lot of people don’t notice … a lot of the times it can be kid on kid or kid with kids.” — Kate (58:39)

9. Breaking Cycles & Navigating Guilt

• All three reflect on how attempts to be “better” parents can result in overcorrection — and new forms of guilt or anxiety (60:09–64:30).
• “Parents just get comfortable with the fact that you’re going to inevitably traumatize your own children with something.” — Elle (60:02)
• “We'll pay for the therapy. We’ll pay the copay.” — Running joke about accepting parenting imperfections (60:19)

10. Alcohol, Generational Anxieties & Memories

• Anecdotes about growing up with addiction in the household and efforts not to repeat patterns, sometimes overcompensating (61:34–65:20).
• Memorable therapy challenge: “One of your things, you, homework you have to do at home is … drink a glass of wine,” aiming to normalize moderate consumption and break the black/white perception for kids. (61:45)

11. Content Creation: From Bathroom Closet to YouTube Success

• Leslie (Elle Bee) recounts her grassroots beginnings:
  • Started recording in a bathroom closet with an iPhone 8 and a magnet.
  • “My bathroom closet was not a walk in … it was little. It was like doors push open this way … and I put my vanity in there, my phone, and I recorded it. Boom.” (72:59)
  • For a long time, her "set" was a shower curtain, replaced later by a backdrop: “Everybody thought it was real!” (73:31)
• First viral moment: commenting on the David & Janelle custody controversy (71:08), quickly gaining traction.
• Insights on finding a niche on social media and cautions about oversaturated categories.
• Philosophy of constructive commentary: She tempers criticism, conscious that participants (“the cast”) do see and are impacted by commentary.
  • “How are my words affecting them if they’re seeing it? … At least she didn’t rip me to shreds.” (78:21)
• The importance of empathy and responsible reporting: “I do feel like there’s still a way you can do it … that if that person watches, they could understand …” (78:34)
• Community-building—Elle Bee strives for respectful discourse, even among people who disagree.

12. Creator Culture & Its Toxic Traps

• Reflections on the competitive and sometimes toxic dynamics among content creators.
  • “Now as creators it’s creators against other creators … it’s a very weird culture.” (86:13–86:48)
• The lure of negativity and outrage as a driver of views—and why Leslie resists:
  • “My husband has told me for years, like, if you were like reaping people to shreds ... more people would want to hear what you had to say … but I don’t think [those creators] are really happy in their day-to-day life.” (81:03–81:42)
• The group contrasts Elle’s respectful community with more extreme online spaces and laments the energy people spend on rage or negativity.
• The ecosystem of haters and trolls is discussed, with bemused anecdotes about being blocked or blamed for blocking, typical content world drama (84:19).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On “Teen Mom” impact:
  “Here we are just like, what the is going on?” — Catelynn (12:34)

• On multi-generational teen parents:
  “So when mama—he was 16, and she was 14.” — Leslie (20:24)
  "My mom got married four times.” — Leslie (26:18)

• On trauma cycles:
  “My mom was a yeller. … She would yell. So I’m very much anti—against yelling.” — Leslie (37:35)
  “Parents just get comfortable with the fact that you’re going to inevitably traumatize your own children with something.” — Elle (60:02)

• On co-parenting pain:
  “It’s almost like children … have a fantasy vision of this person … they’re the best.” — Kate (47:11)
  “She said she was there, like, no time to figure out that he's not… he was not so cool, you know?” — Leslie (50:07)

• On YouTube beginnings:
  “My bathroom closet was not a walk-in closet ...I stuck the phone to the vanity and I recorded it. Boom.” — Leslie (72:59)
  “Everybody thought it was real. Like, everybody— that was a real room or whatever.” — Leslie (73:33)

• On empathy and commentary:
  “My words—how are they affecting them if they’re seeing it … at least she didn’t rip me to shreds.” — Leslie (78:21)
  “There’s a right way and then there’s like a wrong.” — Kate (81:01)

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Timestamp Highlights

• [03:01] Leslie’s Detroit Uber “shakedown” story
• [10:09] Behind-the-scenes of Teen Mom’s contract situation
• [13:08] On the accidental cultural impact of Teen Mom
• [17:02–22:30] Leslie details her family’s complex history
• [37:35] Trauma and generational cycles on display in parenting
• [47:11] The parent-child dynamic in split families
• [55:10] Parenting autistic children and embracing neurodiversity
• [57:06] Sexual abuse in childhood—impacts and coping
• [60:02] The inevitability of parental “damage” (hilarious therapy jokes)
• [61:45] Therapy challenge: normalizing moderate alcohol
• [72:59] "Bathroom closet" YouTube studio origin
• [73:31] Illusions and set design—fake room/backdrop stories
• [78:21] Ethical considerations for content creators
• [81:03] The dark side of outrage-driven content
• [86:13–86:48] Oddities of creator/colleague “culture”

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Tone & Energy

• Warm, open, funny, and genuine. The episode manages to balance vulnerability, social commentary, and lively banter.
• The trio’s interplay is relaxed and trusting, allowing for both hard truths and a spirit of optimism and laughter throughout.

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Summary

From wild Uber rides to deep reflections on family, trauma, and building a YouTube empire, this is a standout episode for fans both old and new. Leslie (Elle Bee) emerges as a relatable, thoughtful voice who broke into the social media world using what she had—her voice and her bathroom closet— and who now consciously tries to “do it right” among a sea of keyboard critics. Meanwhile, Tyler and Catelynn continue their mission of breaking down taboos and sharing the messy, beautiful reality of life, legacy, and love.

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End of Episode Part 1
(Episode cuts off for a "Part 2"—fans are sure to return!)

Transcript

[Kate]

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[Leslie]

Child, you're in Detroit, so.

[Kate]

Right. I know. You know, we're in scary Detroit, so you might get killed. You know what I mean?

[Leslie]

This is so funny. Two of my kids was like, mom, you're gonna die.

[Kate]

Oh, it's like any big city. I mean, you know, there's bad parts, there's good parts, but downtown is really. It's really fun.

[Leslie]

I mean, our big city is still nowhere near like this big city. You know what I'm saying?

[Kate]

Okay, so you're pretty. Well, I mean, we're pretty far.

[Leslie]

Yeah. Our airport is.

[Kate]

Yeah, Tiny.

[Leslie]

Oh, God, yes. In our big city. Our airport is. It's only two sides. There's only two sides to it. You know, you. You get off, you walk down the hall and you're down. You go down the escalator and you're outside. Like, when I Landed here. I was at the wrong place waiting for my Uber. I was on a complete opposite. And I'm like, I'm here. I don't see him. And Sean's like, he's. He should be here. And I'm like, I think I'm there. And Sean checked my location. He's like, no, you're here. You need to go here.

[Kate]

Oh, my God.

[Leslie]

I had to go up two more. Yeah.

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Leslie]

I had to go up two more things, and it was just it. And then my Uber driver was like, I should have left you.

[Kate]

I was like, he said that?

[Leslie]

Yeah. He was like, I was supposed to leave you. He was like, I was supposed to cancel. He's like, so you need to tip good.

[Kate]

Oh, my God.

[Leslie]

Jesus.

[Kate]

He.

[Leslie]

He canceled the. He canceled or he ended the trip before he. He dropped me off so I could go ahead and tip him. And he was like, $20 should be. Should work.

[Elle]

Are you kidding?

[Leslie]

Yo, swear on everything I love.

[Kate]

Welcome to the city.

[Leslie]

He literally was like. And I'm like, my husband. My husband's in the Uber app. Like, I don't do any of this. He's like, well, you can text him. You can go ahead and text him. And I'm. The trip itself was like, 40 bucks. Like, from the airport to here was like, 40, right? So when he said 20, I'm like, damn, that's half a.

[Elle]

That's half of the.

[Leslie]

Half of the. That's 50%, you know? And he's like, because I could have left you, and I could have went and got somebody else. So, you know, you should probably pay, like, $20. And I'm like, texting. I'm like, I'm kind of scared.

[Kate]

I'm like, I'm floored. Yeah.

[Leslie]

I'm like, I'm kind of scared. So Sean went ahead and tipped him $20 because he was scared. He's like, what if this man don't let you out? Or something, you know, welcome to Detroit.

[Kate]

I am mortified.

[Elle]

That sounds pretty.

[Kate]

Yes, I know. I'm sorry. You know how many Ubers I've taken in Detroit? And I've never had anybody cancel and say, you, girl, you need to tip me $20 right now.

[Leslie]

I got his name. I'll share him with you.

[Kate]

You need to rate him horribly.

[Leslie]

Well, Sean went ahead and rated him a five star and tipped him the 20 because he was nervous. He's like, right?

[Kate]

Because he ended it while you're retaliation.

[Elle]

I don't want.

[Leslie]

Yeah. And he's like, what if he doesn't let you out. He's like, I'm gonna go ahead and do it. But Sean is like, I think I'm gonna.

[Kate]

Like, I would call on him. Yeah, I would call. I'm like, yeah, maybe.

[Leslie]

Which. He was like, I got five kids. He was like, inflation, you know, like, gases went up. He's like, in, like, the bills. Like, he literally laid it on me, and I'm like, I got six kids. I understand. So, like, I get it, you know? So, yeah, he's like, they're. Uber doesn't even pay us that much. So the tips is where we make our money, so $20 should work.

[Elle]

And I'm like, you're like, okay, sir, I got it.

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Leslie]

I'm like, okay, okay. Here's. Here's my debit card. Swipe it for whatever.

[Kate]

I'm literally floored, girl.

[Leslie]

It was.

[Kate]

I was like, charles, like, you know, our kids already said two times that she was gonna die.

[Leslie]

I was really nervous. He was like, I'm gonna go ahead and Tibby, because what if he doesn't let you out? I'm like, oh, my gosh.

[Kate]

Well, I'm sorry for your first impression.

[Leslie]

He charged me a late fee. Too late. When I went back and, like, checked the Uber thing, he literally charged me a late. A late fee. Yeah.

[Kate]

Oh, my God. I'm literally floored. I'm sorry. That. That was your first impression of our city. That's great.

[Leslie]

Way to go.

[Kate]

Way to go, buddy. Way to go.

[Leslie]

It's beautiful here. Now my hotel is. It makes up for it.

[Elle]

Oh, okay.

[Leslie]

Nice hotel.

[Kate]

Yeah. Downtown Detroit is. It's up. It's coming up for sure. It's up and popping. It's got good restaurants, great vibes, really cool people. The hotels are really nice. So we're just so happy to have you here with us today.

[Leslie]

I'm so happy to be here.

[Kate]

Thanks, Elle.

[Elle]

I know it's your second podcast, which is crazy, because we talked about this before you went on Kales, and I was like, hey, I said this. I said, Kale beat me to it. I said, we're talking about this, and.

[Kate]

All right.

[Elle]

Of course, Kill got the exclusivity.

[Leslie]

Yeah, we. We've talked about it several times. Yeah.

[Kate]

Yeah, we have.

[Leslie]

She just jumped on. She had her people reach out to my people, me, you know, and.

[Elle]

And see, we ain't got no people.

[Leslie]

It's me and Sean doing our. It was a fun experience going to Kills, though. It was fun, and I've had a fun time here so far, except the Uber driver, but other than that I'm literally.

[Kate]

I don't think I could. I couldn't even pick my jaw up off the floor at that story. Literally. I think my mouth was open the whole time.

[Elle]

Classic. I feel like, though, we're forward up

[Leslie]

here in the Midwest sometimes and. And yeah, Sean's like, listen, the dude, like, his name and every. He's like, Sean's spent time in the Midwest. He's like, yeah, them. You know, he's like, it makes sense.

[Kate]

It makes sense. Yeah. So I know that, like, when you were on Kales and stuff, you guys did talk a lot about, like, content, creation, world and all that kind of stuff. Me and. Me and Ty kind of had the conversation. And with whatever you are comfortable with sharing, you're always more than welcome. Whatever you're not, we're totally okay with because we understand.

[Leslie]

Yeah, there's a lot of people.

[Kate]

We've been in the spotlight. We've been, you know, doing this for a really long time. And so we understand if there's some things that you're just not comfortable saying

[Elle]

or even if you say it and then you're like, oh, shit, I should have said that.

[Kate]

Okay, please let us know.

[Leslie]

Take it out.

[Kate]

You know, let us know. Because we are always okay with doing those on editing.

[Leslie]

Like, when I have people on, I interview with, like, on. On my YouTube channel, I do the editing.

[Kate]

Oh.

[Leslie]

So if I edit it and then I send it to them and they're like, can you take this out? Of course I'm going to do it.

[Kate]

But I'm like, oh, I know, right? Yeah.

[Leslie]

Because it's so time consuming.

[Elle]

It is.

[Leslie]

It is. It really is. And I don't like it. Yeah. Now the people that do it, because that's their job, maybe they like it and maybe they're fine with it.

[Kate]

Yeah, I don't think I would like it either, honestly.

[Elle]

Hell no.

[Leslie]

Like, when you guys are going to record just YouTube, do y' all have, like, a set topic? Like, okay, we'll talk about this, or do y' all just get on and y' all just start talking?

[Kate]

Sometimes we have set topics. Like, we're going to record one after we talk with you, and we do have a set topic for that one. But other times we just always, like, give a short update about our week is like, in our life, and then we just go. Sometimes we're very adhd. We're all over the place. But no. So I am too.

[Leslie]

Don't worry about that.

[Elle]

Honestly, though, it's because people that kept requesting for us to have A podcast. That's what they wanted. We just want to know that what your day to day, week to weeks. Because now Team Mom's done for this part, you know, as far as we know.

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Elle]

So people were like, you know, we want a podcast to kind of keep up to date. So we were, me and Kate, like, all right, well.

[Kate]

All right, well, we'll give it a whirl.

[Elle]

This is what you guys want. This is what, you know, I mean, so. Hey.

[Leslie]

Yeah. I mean, I really think any of the OGs, or like, even like Teen Mom 2 cast, because you guys are so known and we follow you guys for so long. Yeah. A lot of people would still follow your story even if another network picked up.

[Elle]

Right.

[Leslie]

Like, even if it was just like you and Kayl with Yalls kids and you were being followed for that reason. If it was just y', all, like Kale with her family. Like, I think y' all would still get a lot of people watching because it's. And I've thought about this too, and I've asked my people. It's hard when you watch a family for 16 years and then they go off the air for two, three. Cause you're wondering, you're like, well, how's the kids? What's going on with this? What are they doing these days? Like, right. Bentley's getting a vehicle. You got a girlfriend, which maybe that's weird to be concerned. But you watch.

[Elle]

You're invested, though, at this point. So many years, it's like, we don't even care. I don't even think people care that if your life is boring or not. They don't. Because to them, it's like, we don't care if it's boring. We want to watch the boring shit because we're so invested now. It's been so many years. Like, I know what the hell is going on.

[Kate]

And I mean, thankfully, I can say, like, you know, since Paramount got bought out by a different company, we are kind of. We're at. We're at, like a standing point with them as far as, like, they haven't canceled us. They've already come out and they've said what shows for sure they're canceling or what shows are going to be their last season. Like, Jersey Shore was just announced.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Kate]

That it's.

[Leslie]

But they were finally by another network.

[Kate]

Right. Which I figured would happen.

[Elle]

Yeah.

[Kate]

So. And we haven't had any of that. Which is good. Now, you know, there is talks of something else coming. Nobody has signed anything. It's still in the Talks and stuff like that. But the only benefit is, is that they haven't come out and said, like, we're done with the show. I think that the new owners probably want to watch all the old stuff, you know, look at the. The ratings and all that sort of thing.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Kate]

Which I understand, but I'm like, okay, well, our contract is up in May, and then I'm free and clear to do whatever I please. So either let us know or I'm just going to start looking at other things that I can do, you know?

[Elle]

Yes. I don't think people get the fact that, like, oh, just go to different networks. It doesn't work like that. Like, you're in a contract. You can't just go to a different network.

[Kate]

They own the rights to my life basically until May.

[Elle]

So, I mean, you know, I mean, like I said, though, I think at this point, people are just like. They just want to know what's going on in our lives and get updates. And so I feel. Except first, me and Kate are like, they don't care. Like, do a podcast. Come on, man. We ain't that cool. We're not that. We're not that important. Like, you know what I mean? But then people are like, no, no, no.

[Kate]

All right, so we're like, well, we'll give it.

[Elle]

We'll give it a whirl, and here we are.

[Kate]

So, I mean, here's the thing.

[Leslie]

You're gonna have. You're gonna have a split. You're gonna have the people, the haters, as I call them, like, nobody cares. Like, it's old, it's hard out, whatever. And then you're gonna have the people that know, they watch you and they're still curious about what's going on. So, I mean, even if you did it as like a YouTube series.

[Elle]

I know, right? Yeah.

[Leslie]

Which I would really think if you guys were canceled, another network would jump in to pick you guys up.

[Kate]

I think so. It's just hard. It's. It would. They probably have to change it a little bit.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Kate]

You know, because they, you know, they own the rights to how the creation and all that kind of fun stuff. Yay, TV world. But hopefully we'll have an update for everybody soon. We shall see. We're waiting. Who knows? I know, right? We're waiting there, too.

[Elle]

Yeah, we're waiting.

[Leslie]

That's so weird, because I'm all like, we're all waiting and not even thinking about the fact that, like, hey, yeah, we are too funny.

[Kate]

We're waiting to you. I literally just talked to one of our executive producers driving here the other day, you know, and even he's like, I'm waiting like.

[Leslie]

So Paramount did keep some of them. They kept some of the team. Mom executive. Oh, yeah, yeah. They kept.

[Kate]

They fired a lot of people. I think there's only four. Three.

[Elle]

Was it three?

[Kate]

Three people that are like higher up than the executive producers left that worked on our show. But like the production company people is still like the same production company as of right now that has worked with us for the 17 years. But. Yeah, so it's crazy. It's crazy world.

[Elle]

Crazy team on world.

[Kate]

Yeah. Crazy TV world, period.

[Elle]

Yeah. But it's like I feel like sometimes I'm like, I'm still shocked at like 16 years later and it's just 17 now. 17 turn into this crazy, like, phenomenon where now we're at the point where now like major networks are doing documentaries about the impact of this franchise. And it's like, here we are just

[Kate]

like, what the is going on?

[Elle]

Like, this is it just never. I never expected it to be 16.

[Kate]

Op will probably be in history books when our. With Nova's in college or something.

[Leslie]

Crazy.

[Elle]

No, especially when they're coming out with like all the studies about how teen pregnancy rates have dropped and yeah, there's

[Kate]

a correlation to the show. Yeah.

[Leslie]

And you know, some people say, oh, they're glamorizing it. Like.

[Kate]

Oh, yeah, we had to fight that a lot in the beginning. You know, we were like the first ever. You know what I mean? Season ever. We didn't know what it was going to be.

[Leslie]

Right.

[Kate]

Yeah, we went into it. Even the producers and the production company didn't know what it was going to be.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Kate]

You know, we.

[Leslie]

They just trying to follow you guys. Yeah.

[Kate]

It didn't even have a name. And a lot of the times we all thought production and everybody were like, we think it's going to end up being like a true life.

[Leslie]

Like true.

[Kate]

Like 16 and pregnant. Yeah, they all thought that. We all thought that. And then it just blew up to be something even crazier. And when we signed up for it back then, you know, being 16, it was only supposed to be an hour episode of each girl and that was it done over with.

[Leslie]

Here we remember.

[Elle]

Yeah. Because I remember going on today's show and like, Matt Lauer was like. He was like. He's like, so you guys are on magazine covers now and all this? And I was like, oh, my God.

[Kate]

Yeah, we had to defend like what our. And, and I do have to say, like, the first Season. I know for, like, we were really close with the Teen Mom 2 girls. Never did reunions together, nothing like that. And so I know for a fact all of the girls that were on the first season of sixteen and P, we all had the same thing in mind and I think the same passion of, like, we do want to educate, we do want to show what it's like in the struggles. And we all. We all had that mindset. I feel like at that time.

[Elle]

I think after our season, though, after a while, people started getting like, the Y and P girls, you know, pregnancy.

[Kate]

Three, four. Yeah.

[Elle]

Like, they all knew, like, what it

[Kate]

could be or what it could be. Yeah, we didn't. We went into it very blind.

[Leslie]

Why do you guys think those never called on the way?

[Elle]

I don't know.

[Leslie]

The first two. The first two are the ones that

[Elle]

just took off because they tried to mom three.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Elle]

They did that for one season.

[Leslie]

To me, unexpected is 16 and pregnant, literally.

[Elle]

Yep.

[Leslie]

And it's doing really good.

[Kate]

I watch it. I love it. I love it.

[Elle]

Yeah, it's fun and unexpected. I think the reason why the success is still there is because I think they've kept it really raw. And I know for a fact they don't pay him that well. So their lives are going to completely change right from this, so.

[Kate]

And they get new cast a lot.

[Elle]

Yeah, they get new cast every season. So I think that's what.

[Kate]

Well, not every season.

[Leslie]

Some of the cast is keeping, though. I mean.

[Kate]

Yeah, I agree.

[Leslie]

Them next season I'm gonna see they're at.

[Kate]

I agree.

[Elle]

I think their format's pretty smart.

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Elle]

When it comes to that. Because they're kind of shuffling couples in and, you know, this one really landed. So we're gonna have them in season.

[Kate]

We're gonna have some of them.

[Leslie]

They have.

[Elle]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Kate]

Or sometimes noticed, too. Like, some of the couples will skip a few seasons and then come back for like a random season and stuff. But yeah. Kate and Ty Break it down is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart choice. Progressive loves to help people make smart choices. That's why they offer a tool called Auto Quote Explorer that allows you to compare your progressive car insurance quote with rates from other companies so you save time on research and can enjoy savings when you choose the best rate for you. Give it a try after this [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates not available in all states or situations. Prices vary based on how you buy at Marathon Gas stations. Every stop is the start of Fun like the awesome fuel savings you can get with marathon rewards. Join Marathon Rewards today and start earning rewards on every gallon of gas. You can redeem rewards at any time, saving up to $1 per gallon. And don't forget, marathon stations are packed with all the conveniences you need to stock up and live life on the Go Marathon, where fun runs on full. Available at participating marathon locations. Terms and conditions apply. See marathonrewards.com for details. Okay, well, enough about us for a little bit. I want to dive into L. And who is L?

[Elle]

Yeah, who's lb?

[Kate]

Yes, I want to know. I want to first start off with, like I said, whatever you're comfortable with sharing. But, like, your childhood, where did you grow up? Your home life? Kind of give me a description of, like, what it was like for you. Growing, like, being little.

[Leslie]

Little L. Okay, first off, it is pronounced L. I get called Ellie a lot. And I'm like, oh, so it's L.

[Elle]

It's because the E at that.

[Leslie]

Okay. Yeah. I mean, like silent hello. Nobody watch Legally Blind.

[Kate]

Right, right, right, right.

[Leslie]

Elle Woods. But, I mean, my. My mom got pregnant at 14 with her first.

[Kate]

Oh, wow.

[Leslie]

Yeah, back to back. So I am 38. No, I'm 39. My sister Crystal is 40. My sister Stephanie is 41. And my brother Dustin is 42. And then I have another sister by my dad that found us, like, 12 years ago on my stage that. Yeah, she is the same. She's 41, so she's the same age as my sister. And my dad, you know, doing his thing. Even though he was married. She was a neighbor.

[Kate]

Even though he was married.

[Leslie]

Yeah, girl. It was the neighbor my dad got. Yeah, his neighbor pregnant.

[Elle]

Oh, wow. That's some Desperate housewife right there.

[Leslie]

Listen, they. My mom called them, and my mom called them, and the next day, they had moved, like, oh, wow. Yeah, because my mom called them. When I say she called them, you know, because they were neighbors. And she heard my dad's big truck. He drove a big truck, but he never walked in the door. So she's just like, where is he at? And she sees his truck over the neighbor's house, and she.

[Elle]

Yeah, and so he wasn't really that smart.

[Kate]

Well, he didn't park where.

[Leslie]

No, he wasn't. He didn't park right. So she had to walk out of the house a little bit and down to see the district was on the other side. But no, I. I mean, you know, no, he wasn't very smart about it because maybe he should have had the girl pick him up. From the gas station or something. I don't know. But yeah. So, I mean, my mom.

[Kate]

Well, how devastating for her, though? I said, how devastating for her.

[Leslie]

Oh, yeah. Because she had four kids, right? Yeah.

[Elle]

Okay.

[Kate]

So they moved.

[Leslie]

They moved.

[Elle]

Oh, they moved. Okay.

[Kate]

Okay.

[Leslie]

So at the time that my mom caught them, the little girl had been born and was, like, a year old.

[Elle]

Wow.

[Leslie]

Yes. So my mom, you know, and I don't condone violence.

[Kate]

Yeah, right, Right.

[Leslie]

But there is such thing called crime of passion, so even the law recognizes it. Okay. So, yeah, the next day, they. They had moved, and they literally moved to, like, Delaware. Wow. Because she had a sister up there, so. And she would never tell her, like, who her father was. Would never. Yeah, she filed for child support on my dad at one point. And so the girl did end up finding the paperwork, but she still wouldn't give her any info into who she was. And then her aunt told her she was an adult. Yeah. So my dad, I mean, he was a ladies man, you know, and my mom was always a really hard worker. She did her best to raise us as much, you know, as good as she could.

[Kate]

She was 14 when she had her first.

[Elle]

Like, that is. So. Wait a minute. So she had her first when she was 14. When did her and your dad get married?

[Leslie]

They got married 1-18-88, I think.

[Elle]

So they dated for a while. I mean, they.

[Leslie]

They.

[Elle]

Yeah.

[Leslie]

Yeah. They didn't get married. Right, when she got pregnant? No, they. They dated for a while, but when she got pregnant, she moved in with him. They dated for a while. He quit school. He went to work in the woods. Because where I'm from, we live in a very small town, and you either have to drive an hour to work in a plant or you drive a big truck or you work in the woods or something like that. So he went. My dad was driving a log truck at like, 15 years old.

[Elle]

Oh, wow.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Elle]

Wow.

[Kate]

Because how old was he when your mom.

[Leslie]

So when mama. He was 16 and she was 14.

[Kate]

Okay, so both of them teen parents.

[Leslie]

Yeah, they were both very young, and he worked and she took care of us. And there were times that, you know, they didn't have a phone. They have a car.

[Kate]

Right.

[Leslie]

So, I mean, by the time I grew up, they had those things, but we still were not financially.

[Kate]

It was born and raised.

[Leslie]

Where.

[Elle]

Where's this at?

[Leslie]

Texas. Louisiana.

[Kate]

Louisiana. Yeah.

[Leslie]

I was.

[Kate]

Are you in Texas now? Oh, for some reason you're still in Louisiana. Okay.

[Leslie]

I'm not far from Texas. Where I live is like an hour drive From. Okay.

[Kate]

So born and raised in Louisiana.

[Leslie]

Yeah, born and raised in Louisiana.

[Kate]

They got some good food in Louisiana. Yeah, they do.

[Leslie]

Oh, yeah. No, I don't live that far south, but we do still have, like. Our crawfish is really good. Y. Crawfish.

[Kate]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Leslie]

I love crawfish.

[Kate]

I want them. I want a broil.

[Elle]

Yeah, I want to broil, too.

[Kate]

I am.

[Leslie]

Y' all have to. I think yalls crawfish is different than our crawfish, though.

[Kate]

Probably. But we've been in Louisiana.

[Elle]

Yeah, but I've been in Louisiana and

[Kate]

had, like, a broil.

[Elle]

It was. Oh, my God.

[Leslie]

It is good.

[Kate]

Yeah, it's so good.

[Leslie]

Sean will make me shrimp for, like, lunch and, like, bring it out there to my office and.

[Kate]

Yeah, he sounds like a sweetie. You guys are so cute.

[Leslie]

I have, like, the best husband. I'm. I'm very blessed with that because I had a lot of trauma that I didn't know about. I didn't realize.

[Elle]

What do you mean?

[Leslie]

Like, because, like, my dad, like, the way that he was with my mom, like, cheating on it. I mean, even after she caught him cheating, she left for a little bit, came back, and they finally divorced when I was eight years old. Oh. So. Yeah.

[Elle]

Oh, okay. So it was kind of tumultuous up until.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Elle]

Okay. All right. All right.

[Leslie]

I mean, my. My grandmother was like, if you're coming back home with your kids, you're under my rules. Like, oh. So if my mom brought us back home to live with our granny, which she only did, like, two or three times, but my granny was like, you're living by my rules. And one thing that my granny didn't allow is even though my mom and dad would be separated, my mom wasn't allowed to go hang out with no other guys because she's like, you're married.

[Elle]

Oh.

[Leslie]

So until you get a divorce, you're not going to be called out in town with some guy.

[Kate]

Because, I mean, I don't blame Granny.

[Elle]

Granny's like, yeah,

[Leslie]

it was already, like, bad enough for my granny that my mom got pregnant at 14. You know what I'm saying?

[Kate]

Right.

[Leslie]

So she's like, you ain't gonna be. You already got pregnant back then.

[Elle]

That was a huge. I mean, your. Your grandma having a daughter. Yeah, that's. That was a big, scandalous thing back then.

[Leslie]

And we lived in such a small town where everybody knew everybody.

[Kate]

That makes it even harder, too.

[Leslie]

Yeah. Yes. Like, one time, my mom had, like, one of her guy friends come pick her and us up to Just go to the gas station. And it was something that my granny knew, like, and when they got back, she ran him off. She was like, you get away from here. Yeah. She was like, do you remember that?

[Kate]

Do you remember that?

[Leslie]

I was little. Little. I mean, I wouldn't have any record. Like, my mom has talked about it, but my granny was like a. No nonsense, you know.

[Elle]

Yeah.

[Leslie]

So my mom ended up just sticking it out until she. She was working. When they finally split up, she was working. I was eight in school. We were all in school and. But they immediately got into another relationship. Like my, like they were pretty much already in other relationships. I mean, you know, so they immediately. Like we moved in with my aunt and uncle for about three months and then we moved in with my mom's boyfriend and my dad had already moved in with his girlfriend. And so it was just. It was just craziness, I guess you could say. And my mom was with Charlie for eight years and he raised us. And he was the best. He's still the best guy ever.

[Elle]

I mean, from the age of 8 to 16. Okay, so.

[Kate]

So was your dad kind of out of the picture?

[Leslie]

He was, yeah. Yeah, he was. He was until we started having babies and then he really came back into our lives and him and his wife divorced. His wife was like younger, bleach blonde. Like, like when we would go over there, like, she really talked to us. And I had one of those two.

[Kate]

She was bleach blonde too.

[Leslie]

Freaking psychopath. What is up with him? You know what I'm saying?

[Kate]

Stepmom.

[Leslie]

Yeah. I mean, she.

[Kate]

Not all of them, I should say.

[Leslie]

Yeah. Not. Some people have really great moms. But if she. It was really because she either didn't talk to us or she would like almost try to be our friend. But it was kind of weird, you know, it's just weird for this older woman when you're a kid. I don't know. It's just weird. Anyways, like, she didn't buy groceries. I remember like my mom, when she would send us over there, she would pack groceries in her book bag, you know.

[Kate]

Wow.

[Leslie]

Yeah. And I like had them underneath my bed.

[Elle]

So did they co parent well, your mom and your dad or.

[Leslie]

At first, no. So what's so interesting about it is that even though. That my dad cheated on my mom when they split and my mom started seeing this other man, my dad wanted to beat him up. Like we were at our dad's house one weekend and he's like, I'm going over there and I'm Gonna. And I'm like, oh, dear G. First time I ever met the guy that my mom was seeing was to be confronted. I was with my dad. Yeah, I was with my dad. And my dad confronted him. Yes.

[Kate]

Oh, no.

[Leslie]

It was the first time yet. He had. He also drove. He drove a cross country truck. And we pulled up to his. His work and he comes walking out to the car and so they kind of have a little back and forth for a little bit.

[Elle]

But then you look nice to meet J.

[Leslie]

And I told her, I'm like, oh, God. Like, I don't. All I know is dad's going to beat up mom's boyfriend.

[Kate]

Right.

[Leslie]

We're all in the backseat, me and my siblings, and we're just like, oh, God, this is horrible. Like, what do we do? You know? But it ended up like, I mean, he confronted him. But Charlie, my stepdad, Charlie is one of the best men. He's like, I understand. Like, I get it. Like, you know, I mean, you guys are. You're seeing somebody. He was just very, like, he knew how to talk.

[Elle]

I don't know.

[Leslie]

Like, he calmed my dad down and they shook hands and we went on about our way. And I don't know, I was very. I am very grateful that we had Charlie because Charlie was just such a good man for us. And he was. He was a good man for. For my mom, but they ended up getting divorced in eight years because he was going a lot and he drove across country truck. So he was only home on the weekends.

[Kate]

Right.

[Leslie]

You know, so the man that my mom married after that was a psychopath. But my mom's married four times. Oh, yeah, yeah, she's been married four times.

[Kate]

Sounds like my grandma. Yeah, my grandma's probably. She's way worse and has more than four. But that's. That's a stuff. Yeah, that's a really side note.

[Elle]

I don't know that.

[Leslie]

So you're like, I have how many grandfathers, right?

[Kate]

Seriously? Yes. It's been a lot.

[Elle]

You love Charlie.

[Leslie]

Yes. Great guy.

[Elle]

The next one, you're like, no way.

[Leslie]

He was. He was like, he swooned my mom. But then, like, once she moved in with him, he completely flipped and was very controlling and like, he didn't like us and like, even his own kids didn't talk to him this time you're 16, you're kind of like, yes, but at 16.

[Kate]

But we did live.

[Leslie]

My mom had a trailer that she put on his property and me and my sister lived on it. Oh, yes.

[Elle]

Oh.

[Leslie]

So as like young Teens? Yeah, we were. I. I had Paris and she had Trey. So. Yeah, we were 17. Yeah. Oh, okay.

[Elle]

By this point, you age your first kid?

[Leslie]

Yeah, yeah, by this point, I had my first kid. I got pregnant at 17. I had her a month before I turned 18.

[Kate]

Okay.

[Elle]

Okay.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Elle]

So you're living with your sister Right

[Leslie]

beside my mom and her new husband. Yeah, on his property. And he hates us. Yeah.

[Elle]

Okay, so same property, your own trailer, which. That's kind of legit at your. I mean, that's.

[Kate]

I mean, especially when you have a child.

[Elle]

The trailer. Who got the trailer for you?

[Leslie]

So it was actually the trailer that my mom and dad lived in. So. Yeah, my mom and dad were together. They bought a trailer together, they got a divorce. He had the trailer for a little bit with his wife until my mom legally took it from him. Okay. So she took the trailer and she had to put in like a trailer park and rented it out while she was with my stepdad, Charlie. But then when her and Charlie split, we got the trailer back. We lived in it for a little bit until she got with the next guy, whom I'm not even gonna name him. And so we lived in the trailer for a little bit. She got with the next guy and then she moved in with him, and then we moved the trailer off out of the trailer park.

[Elle]

Right.

[Leslie]

People say, like, trailer park, trailer park.

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Leslie]

I mean, listen, it's fun living in the trailer.

[Elle]

People don't get. I mean, listen, they have those stigmas about trailer trash, whatever. But listen, I had the best memories of same kid.

[Leslie]

Yeah, you have other kids. Like, I mean, we had this one guy that lived in front of us that was like really bad on drugs and he would mow his lawn at like 3 o' clock in the morning. And like, he was so funny, though. Like, he said the cops, like, came over to like raid him and was like, we're looking for drugs. He's like, you ain't gonna find them, cuz I did them all.

[Kate]

He literally said, he told the guy,

[Leslie]

he's like, you ain't gonna find no drugs, cuz I did them all. You know, like, he's so funny.

[Elle]

People don't get that trailer park, there's a sense of community there.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Elle]

Like, people, I mean, yeah, call, you want my life. So that's kind of funny over here.

[Kate]

One thing I wanted to ask you too, though, is like, so you were 16 when your mom and Charlie got divorced and you really loved him.

[Leslie]

Oh, yes.

[Kate]

How hard was that for you to

[Leslie]

go through, have this memory burned into my brain the day that we left and we were all walking out and I was the last one to walk out and he followed me and he was crying and he was just like, I. I don't know what to do. Like, I don't know what I'm gonna do, like, without y'. All, like, I. I don't know how I'm gonna make it. And I'm just like, I'm so sorry, you know, like, but we still, like, Charlie is my daughter's godfather. Like, I mean, I don't see him and talk to him as much as I would like to, but, you know, I mean, I'll always love Charlie because we do live in a small town. Like, I bump into him from time to time. Like, my sister is still very close to some, like, his family. And so, like, we still get to see him from time to time. And he's remarried, he has, has other step kids and. And I'm sure they probably love him just as much as we do because, you know, he's just such a great guy.

[Kate]

This episode is sponsored by Better Help March includes International Women's Day, a moment to celebrate women's strength and progress while also recognizing how much they carry every single day. Between caring for others and managing unseen responsibilities, women's emotional well being can easily be overlooked. Better Help wants to remind women how much they matter and that therapy offers a space for them to take care of themselves in the way that they truly deserve. I know there's a lot of women listening right now and just think about all the roles that we play as being women. The cooker, the cleaner, the house juggler, the chores, like all of the things and how many expectations are placed on women and all the pressures that we can truly feel. Therapy can help create balance and set healthy boundaries and support and overall well being for everyone. Better Helps therapists work according to a strict code of conduct and are fully licensed in the US with over 30,000 therapists, better help is the world's largest online therapy platform, having served over 6 million people globally. And one of the best parts is it actually works. With an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 for a live session based on over 1.7 million client reviews. Your emotional well being matters. Find support and feel lighter in therapy. Sign up and get 10 off at betterhelp.com breakitdown that's better. H-E-L-P.com break it down. If you're a mom like me and you have more than one child, you know there's no such thing as a one size fits all. Each child has a different comfort, need, preferences, and a unique personality that's like Veda has to constantly be in long sleeve shirts. And being a mom with multiple children, sometimes it's really challenging to find a brand that's reliable and that the fits are cute but also still comfortable. Also, I just wanted to find styles and needs that would fit with all of my children. I found Little Sleepies years ago and honestly, I fell in love with them. They just have super soft, comfortable fabrics that actually hold up. They fit up to three times longer than the other brands. And really, that's true. Raya's had a couple of Little Sleepies pieces and she could wear them for a period of time because they're stretchy and they're just so soft and comfortable. Little Sleepies releases new custom design prints weekly. Little Sleepies offers license prints with brands like Disney, Marvel and more. We love the Disney stuff here. Girl. Mom. Thoughtful details make everyday dressing and diaper changing a breeze. What stands out the most to me about Little Sleepies is just how soft the fabric was. And no matter how many times I washed it, the colors stayed bright and the fabric stayed just as soft and didn't fall apart. Mom likes that they look adorable and the kids just like that they're comfy. If you're expecting or dressing little ones, check out Little Sleepies. You can visit little sleepies.com and use promo code. Good night for 10 off your first order. I don't think people think about, like, you know, my mom was a single mom, you know, whatever. We had our dad. Well, I had my dad, my sister dad really wasn't around. But I don't think people don't really realize and you know, too, like, there's certain people that your moms bring into your life and you really do love them and like, it affects you as a child. Because I remember like, out of a couple of them, out of my mom's boyfriends that she had, like, I would be sad. I. Because I loved them. Right? Yeah. It's hard for kids to go through stuff.

[Elle]

I mean.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Elle]

Honestly, the, the. I. I mean, I knew I had. I knew I had a dad out there when I was a kid, but my mom dated this guy named Rick from the time I was like six months old until I was six years old. So my whole. I mean, literally, I'm like, oh. I mean, I know, I know he's not my real dad.

[Leslie]

Did you call him dad, though?

[Elle]

No, no, never call him dad. But I knew, like, obviously I'm not an idiot, so I knew I had a real dad out there. But, like, as far as what I connected with him, I was like, he's the first one that did everything with me.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Elle]

So, I mean, when they broke up, I was devastated. Like, devastated. I was like, what is going on? I don't understand this. Like, so I feel like. I don't know. People. People underestimate the impact.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Elle]

That it has when your mom has boyfriends come in.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Elle]

Especially in the long term. Like, that. Eight years. I mean, from 8 to 16.

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Elle]

That's all. I mean, you already got your core memories.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Elle]

Memories. Exactly. Are.

[Leslie]

Are there Christmases, your. All your holidays? Like, yeah, he was definitely. I have a great stepdad now that my mom married as a. I was an adult, and we're all super close to him as. But, like, Charlie is, like, who I would say raised me for the most part. You know what I'm saying? And I hate to say, I mean, my dad's a good guy and he came into our lives, and now I'm super close with my dad. Like, I was on a live the other day, and. And my dad comes in, you know, and I'm like, sorry, guys, my dad's here. So. So I. I have a close relationship with my dad now, but back then, my dad worked a lot. He had this new relationship, and he, you know.

[Kate]

Well, and unfortunately, they were both teen parents.

[Elle]

Yeah.

[Kate]

You know what I mean? And you're growing up. You're not, you know, like, you're growing up and you don't know much about life, and you're trying to raise kids. And unfortunately, you know, unfortunately, teen parents end up messing up a lot more than maybe somebody having a child of 35 or 40 or whatever. Absolutely.

[Leslie]

And one thing that somebody said this the other day, and I even said it on Kel's podcast, but this is all of our first time living. You know what I'm saying?

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Leslie]

We're all trying to navigate in the moment. We're not thinking about, oh, if I go six months where I don't really see my kids, like, like, how is that gonna. You're just living day to day and you're not putting it all together of, like, oh, it's been six months since I've seen my kids, how's that impacted them? You know? So, I mean, I actually moved in with my dad when I was 16 for a little bit.

[Elle]

Oh, you did?

[Leslie]

Yeah. Even though he wasn't, like, a big part of our life. I was dating a guy that lived where he lived. So, yeah, I told my mom. I was like, I want to move on with dad. She's like.

[Kate]

She's like, what the hell? What?

[Leslie]

What do you mean?

[Kate]

Like, you.

[Leslie]

Like, he don't even ask to see y'. All. That, you know, like, y' all don't go that often. Like, when y' all do I bring. Gross. You gotta go take your groceries. Like, what do you mean?

[Kate]

I'm packing you snacks in the backpack.

[Leslie]

Like, yeah, like, you're, you know, chef Yardy and your coach.

[Elle]

You said there was trauma you had. When did you figure that out?

[Leslie]

Oh, after I was married to Sean.

[Elle]

Really? Interesting. How did that come about?

[Leslie]

Well, because me and Sean were date. We were dating like six months, and he was offshore, and he called me. He's like, so I've been thinking, maybe we should talk about marriage. And I was like, absolutely, let's do it. Let's get married. I thought that was like him proposing pretty much. I was like, yeah, let's get married. Whatever. We'd only been dating for six months. I was with Paris and Kaden's dad for years. You know, like, well, how long are

[Elle]

you with their father?

[Leslie]

So the summer after I turned 12, and we had Paris at 18, and then we had Kaden at 21, but we were off and on the last few years. But.

[Kate]

So that's a long time. It's like nine years.

[Leslie]

Yeah, we were very off and on the last few years or whatever. Like, I wasn't. We weren't even dating when I gave birth, but we were always. Yeah, back and forth.

[Kate]

Okay.

[Leslie]

Yeah. Like, his girlfriend dropped him off at the hospital when I had Paris.

[Elle]

That's like, my mom, she was with my dad, not really with him, but when I was born, they were like, well, it's happening and whatever. So. But so. So you didn't really realize that you had it until pretty late in life.

[Leslie]

Sean brought it. Brought it to my attention.

[Kate]

Really?

[Leslie]

Yeah, yeah. He was like, I was very closed off the first few years of our marriage. I wasn't, like, very lovey dovey. I wasn't very emotional, and I was very much like, if it works, it works. If not, divorce, you know, like, yeah, right. That's why I took, like. That's why I accepted what I thought was a proposal so soon. I was like, oh, it doesn't matter. Just get a divorce, you know, like, move on with life.

[Elle]

And do you think that was because you. Your mom.

[Leslie]

Yeah, because, you know, my mom got married four times.

[Elle]

So your idea of.

[Kate]

It's kind of like, yeah, yeah, right, right, yeah.

[Leslie]

So, yeah, later on, he like. And I was like, dude, yeah, yeah, you're right. You know, and, like, I have trauma with how I raise my kids because, like, my mom was a yeller. You know what I'm saying? Like, she was a yeller. She, like, she would yell. So I'm very much anti. Against yelling. You know, like, if. And Sean, my husband, is like, the best guy ever, but he's former military, so he's very. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And, like, if he starts getting loud, I'm like, it's your ptsd kind of like a little triggering. Well, you know, about a year ago, I started saying, like, it's a trigger for me. I think you're yelling is a trigger for me. So I automatically. And he would look at it as I'm trying to, like, micromanage his parenting.

[Kate]

So we got a lot of issues over.

[Elle]

He's taking it almost personally. A personal against his parenting, when really it's like, no, my body's, like, just reacting to this. Which is interesting because that's kind of like how when me and her first started dating, we were younger and I was young. I was aggressive. You know what I mean? I was just like, you know? And I. I remember it got to a point where it was like, I had to make sure that I wasn't. I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't know that if she was reacting to me getting loud. And so I feel like you have to kind of like.

[Kate]

Or he would, like, joke around and, like, say things, but he'd be joking. But in my mind, I'm like, that's real. That's how you really feel? That's how you think of me?

[Leslie]

Like, oh, you're saying it as a joke, but you really mean that.

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Elle]

And I remember getting like.

[Kate]

He'd be like, it's just. I'm just kidding. And I'm like, well, it doesn't feel like you're kidding to me.

[Elle]

And I remember being younger, being, like, in my head, obviously, at 16. I'm like, wow, you're just really sensitive. Like, you know what I mean? When you're kidding, I'm like, wow, you're just really sensitive. But then when I started seeing, like,

[Kate]

well, I'm going to therapy and learning.

[Elle]

Yeah. And then obviously realizing who her mom was was. I'm like, oh, okay, now it's all coming. Not. Not all making sense. But I feel like I think people who are in a relationship you have to take responsibility for not only your own, but how your own affects the person you're with. Their. You know what I mean? And I feel like, yeah, it's. It's a balance. You have to, like, figure that out. So I think it's interesting how your husband was the one that brought it up to you. Like, hey, I think, like, yeah, something going on here. You know what I mean? Which is. Which is. I mean, obviously that you guys are meant to be together, because I was gonna say.

[Kate]

I was gonna say, because that's huge, because I do think even with Ty and I, there's been many times in my life where I might react a certain way or do things certain way. And, like, he has helped me grow as a person and learn things about myself, you know, whether I. He would be like, hey, that I've noticed this, and I'd go to therapy and talk about it and be like, oh, my gosh, you're right. Like, I feel like people that truly love you help you grow to be your best self.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Elle]

And they challenge you in a healthy way, not in a negative, bad way, but you challenge each other in, like, a. A evolutionary way.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Elle]

You know, I mean, which I think is important.

[Kate]

But remember, you're an exorcist, so. Yes.

[Elle]

Oh, yeah.

[Leslie]

I was just about to say, I feel like some people, they don't get it. And which, like, I could have been the type to take offense to what Sean was saying. Right.

[Kate]

Right.

[Leslie]

I could have been like, oh, my God. What are you saying? Something's wrong with me. But first off, he loves me, so he's not going to say something to hurt me, just to hurt me. Like, he's gonna say it because he wants to help me. And, I mean, that's kind of the person that I am anyways. Like, if somebody's telling me something, I'm like, well, why are they saying this?

[Elle]

Like, yeah.

[Leslie]

I don't automatically assume somebody's trying to hurt my feelings. Like, so. And I definitely didn't do it with him because he's my husband, you know? So I'm like. But it made sense, too. I'm like, yeah. And me and Sean, I mean, we had a lot of problems the first few years of our relationship because first off, I was bringing the two kids to a relationship.

[Elle]

Right, right. And dealing with co parenting. Yeah.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Kate]

And he didn't have any at the time. No. Okay. Yeah.

[Leslie]

He ain't got no kids outside of me. He better not.

[Kate]

Right, right.

[Leslie]

He has said before, he's like, dude, what if like, because he lived a wild life before me, he's like, what

[Kate]

if like somebody like, I'm like, dude,

[Leslie]

I don't know how I would handle that. That would definitely be, I mean I'm a very forgiving person. So I would probably be like, okay,

[Kate]

well you can't really be mad at him because he didn't even know.

[Leslie]

I definitely wouldn't be, but I, I think, you know, I wouldn't be mad at him. But to go from being like the only woman that has his kids to know there's like some other.

[Kate]

I feel that completely.

[Leslie]

Oh, you took something from me woman.

[Kate]

Right, right.

[Leslie]

Which maybe she's like, I took it from her cuz she had it for her, you know, who knows. Anyways, no, thankfully so far nobody's come knocking. But, but how old are your two

[Elle]

kids before getting with Sean?

[Leslie]

Three and six months. Three and six months. Oh wow.

[Kate]

So they were little.

[Leslie]

So they were little.

[Elle]

See, that's crazy. So he actually, so he's been there. I mean that, so those, those kids, I mean they're.

[Leslie]

Yeah, yeah. Oh like if you ask my son Kaden, who was the three month old, the six month old, like who's your parents? He says Sha and Leslie. Oh wow. You know, now if you ask Paris, she'll say Sha, Leslie. But then she automatically brings up her dad too because she had more memory of her dad. So their dad didn't start getting Kaden until he was two years old.

[Elle]

Oh wow.

[Leslie]

Yeah, that he didn't start getting him until. So their dad dealt with addiction. And like a lot of my story is so close to Macy, Ryan, Chelsea and Adam. Oh really? Like Ryan is like Michael like come from a very well off family. Which Macy did too. And I didn't, but. And so did Chelsea, but I didn't. But just like the, the way that

[Elle]

the dynamic of the baby dad.

[Leslie]

So like Paris went to her grandparents house, you know, and then when they started getting Caden, it was the grandparents house. Michael didn't start getting the kids and taking them to his house until they were much older and he'd already gotten married.

[Elle]

Oh wow.

[Leslie]

Yeah, yeah. He didn't. He would go to his parents house to see them, you know and so they were, they're very close because their grandfather passed away from COVID in 2021. Yeah. And that was devastating for them. Yeah. But yeah, so Kaden like he's like Sean is my dad. Like. Yeah, it's just, you know, he does not look at him as like a stepdad. He has more of A bond with my husband than. Well, he was itty bitty, right? Yeah. I mean, he didn't even know Michael was his dad.

[Elle]

My mom's first boyfriend from six months, he came in the picture, and I didn't leave till 6. So in my head, I'm like, yeah,

[Leslie]

well, that's why I asked if you called him dad, because it wasn't a thing where we told Kaden to call him dad. He was six months, and, you know, Kaden's starting to talk, and for me it's mom, and for him it's dad. So he just. He just did it. Yeah. So, yeah. I mean, Sean pointed out the trauma, and I was like, wow, you're right. But. Because I didn't realize yelling was a trigger for me. For the first few years of our marriage, we had a lot of issues of him thinking, I'm trying to micromanage the way that he's parenting, and I'm trying to tell him what to do and.

[Elle]

Which then you kind of second guess yourself, like, maybe I am.

[Leslie]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Elle]

Am I micromanaging? Am I being crazy? I'm not trying to be.

[Leslie]

Yeah, 100%. And two, because we have Paris and Kaden, so we didn't have a kid together yet. He's trying to help me parent them because Michael is like, they would go to their grandparents, and sometimes Michael would be there, sometimes he would, and it was just like, whatever. So he thought, oh, because they're your kids, you don't want me to tell them anything, you know, like, oh, if Paris did something or she. If she was back talking to me, if she was being sass mouth with me, and he'd be like, hey, don't talk to your mama like that. And if. If I felt like his tone was elevated, I'm like, nah, it's fine. I got it. It's fine. And he's like, let me. Let me. Like, it's fine. Like, why are you. Like, I can't say nothing, you know?

[Kate]

Right.

[Leslie]

And I'm like, come on, he should be able to. Like, he. I don't think parents need to fear their parents. I mean, I don't think kids need to fear their parents, but I think that kids need to have a respect for their parents that when dad or mom totally agree, don't say that. They should be like, oh, okay, I don't need to say that, because they just corrected me and they. They let me know how they felt about it, you know, so. And I. I guess he felt like I was trying to take that from Him. But I also grappled with, if I allow him to discipline them, send them to their room, whatever, are they gonna feel like I'm choosing his side over theirs? That would be hard. Yeah, it was very difficult. And my daughter, she had a lot of, like, what I would call daddy issues. You know, like, her dad wasn't there, and. And she really wanted him to be there, and. And we took on the brunt of, like, okay, you're going to your grandparents this weekend. Then Michael calls and says, well, I'm not gonna come in. You know, I'm not. I'm not gonna be there. Okay, your dad's not going to be there.

[Kate]

Oh, that's so sad.

[Leslie]

Yeah. Because she would always blame me. And, hell, he would, too. Sometimes, like, whenever he finally moved and got his own trailer, he lived, like, two hours away. Oh, wow. Yeah. And so he would call and be like, oh, I don't have the gas to go get them. I don't have food for them. And.

[Kate]

Which I call.

[Elle]

And then you got to deal with that, because then you got to tell her. And then it's like, then they're.

[Leslie]

Well, there were times I would, like, let. I would put them on the phone, like, hey, it's your dad. You know, and he's like, you know what he would do, though? So I'm not gonna be able to get you this weekend because I don't have the gas to go get you. And your mom don't want to bring you.

[Elle]

Oh, see?

[Leslie]

Yeah. So she's like, why don't you bring me? And I'm like, I'm pregnant. Supposed to be on bed rest because I was pregnant. You know, I had so many kids after her, and I was on bed rest with every single one of them. And Sean worked offshore, but I did a lot. I did a lot. Like, once he got married and he got his place and he had a wife, I would bring them to his house. I would bring food. I would. I mean, I would bring them, go to the store, buy groceries to bring them back over there so they would have groceries to eat. Just because I knew she was going to blame me if I didn't do it. I didn't always do it.

[Kate]

And a lot of people don't think of that either. You even had it happen when you were younger.

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[Kate]

The parent that's always there, that has to do everything is doing the disciplining and the raising, all the things. You're the bad one when they're little, but the one that isn't around and doesn't do anything. It's almost like children, they have a fantasy vision of this person. Like, oh, they're the best. And they're just, you know what? I can. You.

[Elle]

Oh, no.

[Kate]

Yeah. You know what?

[Elle]

You know, when I was younger, I remember being like, my mom had to do all the. All the bad stuff.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Elle]

And so my dad coming in and out, he never had a discipline the way she did. He never had to deal with the day to day.

[Kate]

So mom always had.

[Elle]

So I always had the greatest time with them. When he was out for prison for so many months, not even thinking my head. Convict, drug addict, smoking crack on the weekends.

[Kate]

Oh, my dad.

[Elle]

And then I remember being like, like younger and being like, wow, mom, why are you so rigid? Why are you so like. My mom was. She's a yellow too, and she could talk to a tea. Kind of backhand in the mouth.

[Leslie]

Yes.

[Elle]

You know, that kind of. So I remember being a kid and being like, wow, I wish you could be more like him. And then you get older and you realize like, damn, you do.

[Leslie]

Now you know why you're like, damn.

[Elle]

Yeah.

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Leslie]

I mean, you have the kids 24 7, so you gotta be the one.

[Kate]

Yes.

[Leslie]

To. To discipline them and teach them right from wrong. And it's so funny because my daughter Paris actually just said this last weekend, we were coming back from my son's jiu jitsu tournament and we were talking and. And I said, paris, why were you so like. For your dad? And she said, I just thought he was so cool. See, she said, as a little girl, I thought he was so cool. He never got on to me and he was just so cool.

[Elle]

Yeah.

[Leslie]

You know, but that's because he could be. He could be.

[Elle]

He could be.

[Leslie]

Yeah. To get onto her, he didn't have to discipline her. And it wasn't until she actually moved in with him for a little bit after he got married, she moved in with him for like six months.

[Elle]

And how old was she when she did that?

[Leslie]

Like eight.

[Elle]

Okay.

[Leslie]

Yeah. And I fought her tooth and nail, right. I was like, nah, you're not. Which he had settled down. He was sober at the time and he had been doing good. He had a job, he had a wife that we really liked.

[Elle]

Still scary as a mom, though.

[Leslie]

It is because it was two hours away and These are my babies.

[Kate]

Right.

[Leslie]

I had her a month before I turned 18, and it was just me and her for a little bit, you know? So I fought her tooth and nail, and she would not get up to go to school.

[Elle]

Oh, wow.

[Leslie]

She would fight. I'm not going to school. She fought me to want to move in with her dad. Finally, one morning, I went to go wake her up for school, and she was fighting me again. I'm not going. I want to live with my dad. You know, me and Sean are the bad parents here. The bad parents were disciplining her. She's grounded.

[Kate]

Right. She's got rules. Yeah, yeah.

[Elle]

Which puts pressure on you and Sean. Your marriage, your relationship.

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Elle]

I mean, that's a whole.

[Leslie]

It's like, do we not. Do we not discipline her? Do we not teach her right from wrong?

[Kate]

And then it's breaking your heart because she wants to go live with her dad so much, and you really.

[Leslie]

And I'm like, he's a piece of.

[Elle]

Yeah, yeah.

[Leslie]

Why do you want it? Which I would never say that to her face. But I'm. I'm like, he is. In my mind. I'm like, what the heck? So I finally broke. I found. I finally caved. And I was like, okay, fine, go live with him. Let's see. What. Let's see. And she said she was there, like, no time to figure out that he's not. He was not so cool, you know?

[Elle]

Right.

[Leslie]

But his wife was a good. I liked his wife at the time. She ended up dealing with her own struggles and addictions and stuff.

[Kate]

But.

[Leslie]

And that was a big thing for me, too, because Michael was working. He was driving a log truck, so he got up in the morning and would go to work and wouldn't come home till like 6 o' clock in the afternoon. And then my daughter was going to school and coming home and being raised by her stepmom.

[Elle]

And I'm like, this wasn't what it's supposed to be. Yeah, yeah.

[Leslie]

I'm like, this is not right. But I couldn't. There was no. What was I gonna do? Beat her out of me?

[Kate]

You know what I'm saying?

[Leslie]

You know what I'm saying?

[Kate]

I mean, you could have.

[Leslie]

But then she would have ended up with her dad that anyway, you know, Because I wouldn't beat her.

[Elle]

I mean, how long did she live with him until she.

[Leslie]

Probably six months.

[Elle]

Oh, wow. So not even a year.

[Leslie]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Elle]

And who. And did she reach out to you and say, all right, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm ready?

[Leslie]

Yeah, yeah. She was like, I'm ready to come home. Yeah.

[Elle]

When she came home?

[Leslie]

For a little bit. Yeah.

[Elle]

Okay.

[Leslie]

For a little bit, she. She came home and it was great, and everything was good and. But she. Typical. Yeah. She

[Kate]

comes back real quick, she'll give

[Leslie]

you a run for your money.

[Elle]

By the time she was eight, though. How many. How many siblings did. Did she have?

[Leslie]

Two more.

[Elle]

Okay. She had two more.

[Leslie]

She had two more? Yeah.

[Elle]

Okay, so you and Sean had two.

[Leslie]

Well, we had Kaden and then we had Eli. Yeah.

[Kate]

You and Sean.

[Leslie]

Yeah, So I think it was two more.

[Elle]

First off, for people who don't know how many kids you have.

[Leslie]

I have six. Okay. Elle's got six kids, and they're all mine.

[Kate]

Okay.

[Leslie]

I had them all. So Paris will be 21 tomorrow.

[Kate]

Oh, wow. Yeah.

[Leslie]

Which we're gonna celebrate next weekend, so. Oh, fun. Yeah.

[Elle]

We invited you on the weekend.

[Leslie]

No, it's fine. No, no, no, it's fine.

[Elle]

Baby's birthday.

[Leslie]

She's out of town this weekend anyways, too.

[Elle]

Oh, okay.

[Leslie]

Yeah, yeah. So she. We wouldn't have been able to do anything anyways because she's out of town, so. She has a boyfriend. He has a little girl, and her. They play traveling ball, so she was in, like, Texas playing traveling ball this weekend, so.

[Kate]

I love her name, by the way.

[Leslie]

Paris.

[Kate]

Yes, I do. I love it.

[Leslie]

I love it, too, but not a lot of other people did.

[Kate]

Really?

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Kate]

I love it.

[Leslie]

I think everybody's like, you know, we don't like that.

[Kate]

Don't you love how people try to influence that?

[Leslie]

Yeah. I'm like, it doesn't matter to me because I get to name her.

[Kate]

You know, we learned after the first couple.

[Leslie]

Two.

[Kate]

You know, at first two, like, with Veda and Raya, I was like, I'm not even telling.

[Leslie]

I love their names.

[Kate]

Thank you.

[Elle]

We get a flack for their names too, people.

[Leslie]

Really?

[Elle]

Yeah. Whatever. It's fine.

[Kate]

Really.

[Leslie]

Veda is like. Veda is from. I mean. Yeah, they're all from the same Beta, too.

[Kate]

They're all. All their names are from movies.

[Elle]

Yeah. Because we can't. We can never. We can never think of our own names.

[Kate]

No. I would hear one. Ryan.

[Elle]

Ryan. The Last Dragon.

[Kate]

That's a Disney movie.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Kate]

And it's funny because she had a completely different name, and then Disney dropped this movie.

[Leslie]

What was her name gonna be?

[Kate]

I don't even remember.

[Elle]

What was it? I don't remember. Wait, wait, what the. Was it we.

[Kate]

And we thought she had a name.

[Elle]

She didn't have a name.

[Kate]

Vader. Had a name too.

[Elle]

Yeah. We thought it was like, oh. But something about it, like, you know, like, you're like 90 sure this is the name. There was a 10 that was just lingering. And then all of a sudden, Ryan, the last dragon came out and we were like, and that's it.

[Kate]

And Nova and Vader were watching it and she. As I was. I kept hearing, you know, obviously the main character's name. And I'm like, I looked at how. I'm like, don't you think that's such a cute name?

[Leslie]

Such a good name.

[Kate]

And he was like, yeah. And I'm like, that's it. We'll just switch up the spelling and it's Raya. And then Nova was. Nova really wanted a name or a Ro. Rose. And I was just like, I like, yeah.

[Leslie]

And I said, how about you give

[Kate]

her her middle name? You know? And she was all pumped about that. And so it just ended up. Nova was like, it's gonna be Rose. And I was like, raya, Rose is perfect.

[Elle]

Yeah.

[Kate]

And then, yeah, Veda we got from the movie My Girl. And then Novalee is from where the Heart Is.

[Leslie]

I've never seen that, but they're all beautiful.

[Elle]

She's the one that is a movie about her having a baby in Walmart. She, like, stayed in Walmart.

[Leslie]

Wait, wait, what? What's the name of it?

[Elle]

Where the Heart Is.

[Leslie]

I have seen.

[Elle]

Yeah, she's in Walmart. She's to pretend that she's having a baby. Yeah.

[Leslie]

So it was Natalie Portman.

[Elle]

Yes.

[Leslie]

Y. Yeah.

[Elle]

Yeah. Okay, so wait, so Paris is 21. So what are the ages of all the kids?

[Leslie]

21, 18, 15, 13, 12, 8.

[Kate]

Oh, wow. Pretty close. Yeah. You're like, I do the same thing and I only have three.

[Leslie]

I miscarried in between my 8 year old and my 12 year old, though. I miscarried in between. So I would have had seven, but honestly, no, I wouldn't had. I wouldn't had seven because I was gonna.

[Elle]

Yeah, you're like tubes tied.

[Leslie]

Yeah. After. Yeah, that one I was like, tubes tied down, over with. But then I ended up not like, I miscarried. And I actually asked like, can we, like, while I'm in the hospital, can we go ahead and like. But they didn't. They were like, no, you'll have to come back for that. But then I ended up pregnant and. Yeah. So you have two.

[Kate]

You have two angel babies then.

[Leslie]

Just one. Just one.

[Kate]

Okay, so in between. You had the.

[Leslie]

In between my last two. I had a miscarriage. Yeah.

[Kate]

Okay. Yeah.

[Elle]

And so obviously Paris is old. She's grown up, she's an adult, she lives on her own. And then most of the time.

[Leslie]

Okay, so she's halfway grown, guys.

[Elle]

Yeah. So. So then you have 18 and they're all living with you.

[Leslie]

Yes.

[Elle]

Okay. Got it. Yeah. So you're busy, your house is full.

[Leslie]

It's fun.

[Kate]

But you said. So you have two that are on the spectrum also.

[Leslie]

Okay.

[Kate]

How is that for you guys?

[Leslie]

So they're high end of the spectrum. And it's actually, I think their brains are just so unique. It is just so, like they're all the time just kind of like, like making you go like, wow, that's so cool to think, because I'm like, oh, I didn't think about it like that.

[Kate]

Right.

[Leslie]

So I mean, they're just very, like. They don't really like a lot of change, you know, they like for things to stay the same. I don't know. I think it's like a superpower, though. Like, I don't think. I hate that autism is looked at a certain way because it's not. It's not like a disability or something. It's not a bad thing. It really is. It's just something different. Like, I know for my kids, like, my son Christian, he is like all A's. He was nominated to be student of the year. Oh, wow. Yeah, he was. He gets these things to go off and like travel for. I don't know what it's called, but they want you to pay for it. And it's like thousands of dollars. And right now he's just too young to do it because they don't. Parents don't go. Like, it's like a teacher and like four or five students, whatever. Many students that like, students like top of the. You know, who, like the. The students in each class that are like top tier students, I guess you could say, they pick and they wanted. I think it was like Washington or something. I don't know. And they were going to stay for like a week. You know, it's like $5,000 that they want you to pay, but you don't get to go. And it's like, I'm not.

[Kate]

Yeah. With a teacher. Yeah. Nah, not.

[Leslie]

Parents should. Yeah. I'm very weird too, about like my kids stay in. And that was another thing too, with my daughter Paris, that she was like, you were too much of a helicopter mom. You're too much like. But I was sexually assaulted. Sexually abused, whatever you want to say it growing up. So like. And so me and Sean are very

[Elle]

like conscious, hyper vigilant.

[Leslie]

Yes.

[Elle]

It's impossible not to be.

[Leslie]

Like, we don't let like our kids go stay places. We'll let their friends come over and stay, but we're very much like door open at all times, you know what I'm saying?

[Elle]

Yeah, yeah. So, so are you where as far as the sexual abuse, when you were a kid, you were younger, like, so. And that was from someone you knew? I think people get it twisted. They're like, oh, it's like, no, no. I mean, I think 90 of sexual abuse happens from people within that you already know.

[Kate]

Try.

[Elle]

You know what I mean? And so did you get. You didn't think that was trauma?

[Leslie]

Oh, yeah. I mean, like, yeah, this is where the trauma comes in now about how I'm too much of a helicopter mom probably. You know, I mean, all these things like my mom getting married multiple times was trauma to me, thinking, oh, I could get married right now, get a divorce later on, whatever. My mom being a yeller is my trauma that leads me to like micromanaged shine and not wanting any loud voices in the house. And then me being assaulted as a. Sexually assaulted as a kid is my trauma. Being helicopter mom and not letting my kids go stay with friends, you know?

[Elle]

Right.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Elle]

Did you ever get therapy for that? You ever like. I mean, did you ever kind of like dive into that at all?

[Leslie]

Me and my husband did therapy for a little bit, but it was just like kind of marriage counseling therapy.

[Elle]

Okay. So not like personal, but.

[Leslie]

Yeah, I've never had therapy for. For that, no.

[Elle]

Interesting. Is there a reason why you just

[Leslie]

like, just busy with six kids and working? I mean, I would probably get. I'm sure I would get something out of it, but.

[Elle]

Yeah. Well, if you feel like you're healed and it's not a problem or it's not like.

[Kate]

Yeah, I mean, like I was, I was sexually abused and I don't. I've never really dug into therapy about that and I don't, thankfully, I don't feel like it affects me on my day to day level. I do have the weird things of like, you know, doors got to stay open, things of that nature. Because I don't think people don't notice too, that a lot of the times it can be kid on kid or kid with kids.

[Elle]

Right?

[Kate]

Yeah, absolutely. You know?

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Kate]

So it's like, it's not only like

[Leslie]

adults or older people for me. Like, I was a kid and he was just a few years older than me.

[Kate]

Yeah, same. That's how it was. He was only a year older than me.

[Leslie]

Like, that was me as well.

[Elle]

So it wasn't even adult. It was an adult.

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Elle]

An older kid, but yeah.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

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[Leslie]

Yeah, my daughter had grievances about that. It's like, you didn't let me do anything. You didn't let me go anywhere, you know, And. And I'm like, dude, I'm just trying to protect you when you're a mom one day, like, you'll get it, Ty.

[Kate]

And I say all the time, like, no matter what you do as a parent, even if you know you're better than how your parents were and you're trying your best to do everything right, there's gonna be something you did that's gonna mess them up, that they're gonna come back and say, that really hurt me or I need to go to therapy for that. And that's just how it is. Because like you said when it was our parents first time ever, raising babies and living this life. Yeah. It's our first time, too. Like, we're not going to do everything perfect.

[Elle]

That's why I always tell them, like, parents just get. Get comfortable with the fact that you're going to inevitably traumatize your own children with something.

[Kate]

Yes.

[Elle]

I don't know what it's going to be. It might be small, might be big, but it's going to happen. You're going to 100% your kids up

[Leslie]

in some kind of way.

[Elle]

So just be prepared for it. I'm like, I always tell Kate, I'm

[Kate]

like, listen, we'll pay for the therapy.

[Elle]

I'll pay for the therapy.

[Kate]

We'll pay the copay.

[Elle]

But I think. And actually, I think parents get obsessed with, like, trying to, like, not minimize

[Kate]

it, especially when you've been through a lot of trauma. I'm like, that I try to minimize, like.

[Leslie]

Yeah, and.

[Elle]

Yeah, but you can get lost, but

[Leslie]

you can do it to. To like, to where it's not beneficial. Like, damaging. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Elle]

You can do it to where it's actually negatively affecting.

[Leslie]

Right?

[Elle]

Yeah, yeah.

[Kate]

Like how you are with the yelling.

[Leslie]

Yeah. Because me and Sean went through that to where it was like, the kids are not getting in trouble for anything. Pretty much.

[Kate]

Oh.

[Leslie]

Because when I go to get on time, you feel like I. I sound too mean, you know, I'm getting too loud and. And they're getting away with anything, you know, And I had to come like, oh, you're right.

[Kate]

And see, so, like, you're with the yelling. Me definitely yelling too. But I do feel like sometimes I do get over stimulated. And there's been times I raise my voice at my children.

[Elle]

Very rare.

[Kate]

Sure, I call on that.

[Elle]

But you think you yell at our kids? Like, yell.

[Kate]

Yeah, I do. Sometimes I do. I don't know if that's okay. So that's what I'm saying.

[Elle]

Her idea of yelling is not yours.

[Kate]

Right, Right.

[Leslie]

Because you grew up with a moment.

[Elle]

Exactly. And I bet you, you and Sean probably had the same thing where it's like his idea of yelling. Your idea of yelling. And he's probably like, oh, I didn't think I was really yelling.

[Leslie]

100.

[Elle]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Kate]

I'm also very. I don't. My children have never seen me drunk. They don't ever see me drink.

[Leslie]

Same.

[Kate]

You know, growing up with an alcoholic mom and all the things that I had to witness, especially being the oldest.

[Leslie]

Right.

[Kate]

And having younger siblings. I had a therapist one time, Dr. Mike Dow actually told me, he said, what your. One of your things, you, Homework you have to do at home is I want you to sit down and whether you're having a barbecue or anything like that. And he's like, and I want you to drink a glass of wine.

[Elle]

Yeah. Isn't that. Isn't that crazy?

[Kate]

Yeah. And I was like, whoa, that is wild. Yeah.

[Leslie]

And you.

[Kate]

And I was like, well, well, why?

[Elle]

You know?

[Leslie]

And he's like, I feel like I would not do. I feel like I get mad at the therapist for telling me.

[Kate]

It was super. It was hard for me. But he was trying to explain to me the fact of, like, you are not an alcoholic and you are not.

[Leslie]

So you're bonded to have a drink.

[Kate]

You're not a mother. He's like, like you. He's like, that can also be damaging in itself, too, because I've noticed when Noah got older and say we'd be at dinner and I would like, order a glass of wine or something, Noah would be like, you're going to be drunk, Mom.

[Elle]

Yeah.

[Kate]

Now you're going to be drunk. And I'm like, no, but it's one glass. Like, it was actually.

[Elle]

So we. We realized, oh, like, he had a point. Because we're actually, like, over correcting. You know what I mean?

[Leslie]

My kids will probably say the same thing if they see me with the. They're like, oh, what are you doing? You know?

[Kate]

And so I did. I did his homework or whatever, and I was fine. I had anxiety about it, but I was like, oh, oh, fine. But I still won't drink it for my kids.

[Elle]

Well, no, but it did help us during the conversation of, like, there's a

[Kate]

alcohol to our older child.

[Elle]

And.

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Elle]

You know what I mean? But yeah, it was kind of like he had a good point, because it was like, Nova thinks one glass of wines, you're gonna be drunk, which makes her get a little freaked out. Oh, my God.

[Kate]

Yeah. And I'm like, oh, no, see, I haven't. This is actually bad.

[Leslie]

Like, it is okay to have, like, one drink. Like, you're fine, like, right?

[Kate]

Or if you're at a barbecue, you know, somebody's like, oh, would you want a glass of wine or a White Claw or whatever. Yeah.

[Leslie]

Like, what is that gonna do to Nova for alcohol? Perception of alcohol is like, oh, 1s. Which, I mean, maybe we keep her away from it.

[Kate]

I mean, that's a good thing, you know? But then I guess it's not. But so. And I think, you know, I've definitely gotten more lenient with, like, that, like, we'll have people over at barbecue and fireworks. Fourth of July, I had two white claws or, you know, whatever. But I'm very, like, I get very anxious about even my children witnessing other drunk people that I have around. Like, I'm very. Yeah, yeah.

[Elle]

No, and we also. We're pretty. Like, when our friends are drinking. Like, we. We know we're time to go same. You know what I mean? Like. Like, I'm not trying to micromanage my friends. I don't expect them to, like, not drink.

[Leslie]

Right.

[Elle]

At a fourth of July party or whatever.

[Kate]

I don't like it at the point

[Elle]

where me and Kay are like, all right, all right.

[Kate]

It was great.

[Leslie]

Good time.

[Elle]

You know, our friends are comfortable. More comfortable with it than we are, I think. So they're more like. They'll. They'll. They'll drink, you know, I mean, they'll drink a couple beers, and I'm like, like, two max. I'm like, all right, kids are around.

[Leslie]

We gotta go. We're done.

[Elle]

Yeah, yeah, I'm done. But, yeah, it does it. You can over. You can overcorrect as a parent. You can overcorrect and actually have.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Elle]

A more impact on your kids than you think.

[Kate]

Well, and because I remember the one and only time. So Nova's only seen me buzzed up one and only time.

[Elle]

Girls night.

[Kate]

It's because I went out with all my girls from the cheer mom world, and we went. It was like a 90s. It was like a 90s concert at our local theater. And I came home, and that was mortifying for me. I was like. I remember telling her. I'm like, don't remember me like this. You're not. Don't ever. You need to go. And she's laughing at me. And I'm like, no, I'm serious. This is not how I am.

[Elle]

This is not me. You don't remember this for me.

[Leslie]

I'm like, it's gonna be a core memory for her. One time. I saw mom draw one time, and

[Elle]

then I'm, like, completely sober, so I'm laughing, too, and no one's looking at me like, it's okay, Mom. And she's like, no, it's not okay.

[Kate]

I'm like, wow. I just. I probably looked and sounded like my mom. Sorry, Mom. But. Right.

[Elle]

No, you did not. No, you were like, more like, I don't remember me. Like, this.

[Leslie]

This is not a liar.

[Elle]

Yeah, your mom's more like it. I mean, it's way different, so I don't know what you're talking about.

[Leslie]

So your mom just drank all the time, every day, like, at home?

[Kate]

Like. Oh, yeah.

[Leslie]

She was just.

[Kate]

She'd come home from work, drink. Yeah. And then on the weekends, it'd be, like, all of her friends, and.

[Elle]

And she wasn't a nice drunk.

[Kate]

No. Like. And she'd be, like, the type. She'd.

[Leslie]

She's.

[Kate]

She's the type that will, like, want to hang on you, you know? And I'd be like, mom, get off me. I'd be like, get off me. And then if I even rejected her in any form or anything, then it was like, you're a piece of, like. Then it was, like, straight anger. Yeah. There's a lot of, like, chaotic moments.

[Elle]

Well, I actually remember the first time when we were younger, and, like, I never dealt with alcoholics. My dad was a crack, you know. Yeah. And then. And then my uncles were like. They're. They were like. Like, it was just. I never really dealt with, like, the. The aggressive alcoholics. So when she was telling me stories about when she was a kid having to, like, put pillows under her mom's head. Put the cigarette.

[Leslie]

You're like, what the heck?

[Elle]

I'm like, damn. Like, and then had to make sure that her little sister was, like, in her bedroom.

[Kate]

Like, my little sister would escape. We lived in a trailer, too. My little sister would escape out the front window of our trailer. And I would have to, like, go down the road, chasing my little sister down the road, like, drag her back in the house. And we're four years apart. So if I was, you know, I was like 4 when she was born. Yeah.

[Leslie]

Thankfully, CPS never got called on you guys.

[Elle]

Yeah. But. But I mean, they did.

[Kate]

Yeah, they did. For sure. Yeah. And, you know, we knew how to work cps. They come in the building and you tell them. You don't tell them.

[Elle]

Yeah.

[Kate]

You know what I mean?

[Elle]

If you can open the door.

[Leslie]

And 2. Something a lot of people don't know. CPS gets a lot of flack for it, but they can only do what a judge allows them to do. Oh, yeah. You know, like, I've seen so many people. My mother in law was a CPS worker for 10 years.

[Elle]

Oh, wow.

[Leslie]

Really?

[Elle]

Oh, yeah.

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Leslie]

So, I mean, that's why she quit after 10 years. Because there were so many cases where her recommendation was remove the kids. And the judge would say no.

[Kate]

Wow.

[Leslie]

And then bad things happened.

[Elle]

Y.

[Leslie]

So she couldn't she.

[Kate]

That be so hard.

[Elle]

CPS called on us when we were.

[Kate]

Yeah. When Nova was like, little lady.

[Elle]

And we found out that it was from, like, someone that just one of our haters.

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Elle]

Called CPS on us and said.

[Kate]

Tried saying that we were like, always passed out on the couch from heroin.

[Elle]

Yeah.

[Kate]

And that our child.

[Leslie]

They got y' all confused with Janelle

[Kate]

and Keeper and that Nova was outside crawling in the snow because she couldn't even walk at this time. Crawling in the snow in Michigan. And they were like, will you do a drug test? I was like, absolutely.

[Elle]

Yeah.

[Leslie]

That is.

[Elle]

Because honestly, that was a little triggering for us. I was like, dude, yeah.

[Leslie]

Why is it scary if CPS shows up at your door?

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Leslie]

Even if you're innocent. Because that's beyond your control.

[Kate]

Right.

[Elle]

So. But it. But. But the. That we're on heroin and our kid is out in the snow freaked me out. I was like, dude, what the. And then. Then I kept thinking my head, like, that's when I realized, like, whoa. And I think after that. So we gotta move. I just, like, people knew where we lived.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Elle]

Someone Googled like, the insurance company next door. Insurance company next to our house. They. They. A wi. MTV had. And they zoomed in and got. And googled that insurance company.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Elle]

And we had people drive from Texas

[Kate]

to come in to my house and knocked on my door, door, shut up, and ask me for a picture.

[Elle]

It was the first time me and

[Leslie]

Kate were like, if somebody just shut up, they catch me looking all kind of crazy, probably.

[Elle]

No, we were like. We were like that really kind of, like, effort us out. We were like, dude, all right, this is. This is insane.

[Kate]

We just got moving even more into the booty.

[Elle]

Yeah, we just got moving north. North. In the woods. In the woods.

[Leslie]

Now it makes sense why, like, the Kardashians, they don't show their real homes. They show fake homes.

[Kate]

No, I'm telling you.

[Leslie]

But even, like, y'. All, like, when y' all all the. The.

[Kate]

The round w. The round house, after a while, people. Oh, we had people show up there.

[Elle]

We didn't know that the round house was like a.

[Kate]

Not when we first bought it. We should have known. The round house.

[Elle]

I guess I thought it was cool. I wanted.

[Leslie]

It was such a cool house.

[Kate]

Yeah, it was beautiful. I loved that house.

[Elle]

But I got. Okay, well, that brings up a good point, because I feel like that kind of leaks into this whole content creation world. How do you. As a content creator, how do you, like, how are you sitting in this chair? Al?

[Leslie]

Well, my Uber driver brought me on that. I know, right? So you know, when you have six kids and your husband works offshore, you don't have a lot of time to go hang out with your friends, you know? So what I did was I just watched teen mom. I watched YouTube videos, and because I was a teen mom, Team mom resonated with me so much, you know? So it was like one of the main shows I watched. Like, it's something that my husband talks about. And I was like, like, you're getting paid to watch these shows now? This is insane.

[Kate]

Right?

[Leslie]

So, yeah, I watched this show, was very invested in all of Yalls lives. And. And one night I was like, you know, I don't really do anything for myself. Like, I am at home cooking, cleaning, running kids. And I was like, I think I'm gonna start doing YouTube videos, you know, Like. But at first it was like, I also love makeup. Playing in makeup. I'm not good. I'm not exceptional at it, though. I'm just very mediocre. But I was like, I can do, like, make. And it was when people were popping off on yout, you know, it was six years ago, actually. Almost seven. So now every platform is just so. It's got. It's. Oh, it's like, running over with this type of content. But back then, it wasn't Tick Tock

[Elle]

wasn't a thing, right?

[Leslie]

Tick Tock wasn't even a thing. It was just YouTube. And there were literally, like, three people that covered Team Mom. There was a handful of people that did makeup. So I was like, I'll just do, like, little makeup reviews, whatever. So I did a couple of those. And then this was in 2019, when David and Janelle lost custody of their kids. And I was big into reading everything that happened with that. And something happened, like they were going to court, and David acted a fool out, like, outside of the courthouse and, like, brought a gun in his vehicle, and you could see it on the dash, you know. And so I did a video on it. I was like, you know what? I'm just gonna do a video on that. I'm gonna. Yeah, whatever.

[Elle]

My opinion, my commentary.

[Leslie]

Yeah, yeah. So I did, and it was a voiceover, and I put it up at, like, midnight, went to sleep. I had, like. Like, not very many. Like, my family followed me on YouTube to, like, my makeup reviews. I had a few, like, I don't know, 30, 60 something. Not a lot. I upload the video about David and Janelle and that stuff, and I go to sleep and I wake up, and it had, like, 1300 views, and I had grown, like, 2, 300 followers or whatever. And I was like, damn, this is what I need to be talking about. People, you know, like. Like, Amber Portwood likes to say, like, that she. Like that she's the one who started. It was actually Janelle, so. I mean, it was actually Janelle.

[Elle]

Regardless, though, you found the niche.

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Leslie]

I was like, this is where I need to stay. Like, honestly. And people ask me, like, I have people come to me and they're like, I'm gonna start a channel. And, like. Like, I wanna. And I'm like, straight up, like, it. Like, well, what do you want to start it as? Like, if it's like, makeup, I'm like, unless you are exceptional, I don't even try making. Don't even try it. Nobody's gonna watch somebody that's mediocre. I'm sorry. Like, you gotta have something that's gonna catch somebody's attention. So unless you're great at it or you got, like, a good way to go about it that's different than everybody else, don't even say it.

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Leslie]

Because. Yeah, there's too many of Them. Yeah, but. And even though, like this, like all the social media platforms are oversaturated with reality tv, you can still start with if people's like, I want to cover reality. I'm like, you can do that, right? Yeah, you can.

[Kate]

Because everybody has a different opinion. Maybe that's why it works. A different opinion, a different view, different attitudes.

[Leslie]

And most people that watch one of us, us watch multiple of us.

[Elle]

Right.

[Leslie]

You know what I'm saying? They're not watching.

[Elle]

You're kind of sharing viewership. Like people who follow you are following Ray or. You know what I mean? They kind of. Yeah, right.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Elle]

You find your niche.

[Leslie]

You find. Yeah, but I did. I found my knees.

[Kate]

I also heard that you started off, it was like in your bathroom closet.

[Leslie]

I did. It was my bathroom closet.

[Kate]

Right. And then you just had like some random backdrop after.

[Leslie]

Let me even tell you guys, my bathroom closet was not a walk in closet. Okay. It was like, it was little. It was like doors push open this way. It went in just a little for a curtain rod.

[Kate]

Yeah, yeah.

[Leslie]

And I put my vanity in there. I had this little like, vanity that I put in there. And my phone, I had an iPhone 8. It had a magnet on the back. And I stuck the phone to the vanity and I recorded it. Boom.

[Kate]

And for a while, it was just your shower curtain as a background.

[Leslie]

Shower curtain was a backdrop for a while. Yep.

[Kate]

And then eventually you got like a backdrop.

[Leslie]

I finally found this really cool backdrop. It looked like really cool, like antique room behind me. Right. So then I went to the back of my house, I put the backdrop up, backdrop behind me, and I started recording that. That's when I got like, like a good bit of followers with that. And I remember I was on a live one time and somebody was like, oh, that's a really pretty chair behind you, Al. Because it's a really, like, vintage chair behind me. And I was like, oh, it is so cute. I was like, it's one of my favorite chairs to sit in, actually. And I got up and I walked and I was like, let me. And I was like, just kidding. It's just a backdrop, guys. I was like, this is literally not a room that I'm in. This is a backdrop out. Everybody thought it was real. Like, everybody. That was a real room or whatever. So, yeah, that's where I started. Literally, closet, bathroom, back room. And then it.

[Elle]

What was the first, like, viral video?

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Kate]

Would you say it was or was something after that that like, really blew up?

[Leslie]

I mean, for me, the first the Janelle one is where I found, like, okay, this is where I need to stay.

[Kate]

Right?

[Leslie]

Yeah. But when. When Amber Port would. With the. The Andrew Glennon and. And all of that.

[Elle]

Okay.

[Leslie]

Like, that was a big win.

[Elle]

And then Andrew 2.0.

[Leslie]

Yes.

[Elle]

Okay.

[Leslie]

Like, like, so she had.

[Elle]

Wasn't that long ago. That was.

[Kate]

No, no, no.

[Leslie]

You're. You're talking about Gary 2.0. You're talking about Gary 2.0. Andrew. Andrew.

[Elle]

Oh, Andrew.

[Leslie]

So, yeah, I'm thinking Gary.

[Elle]

Okay.

[Leslie]

Amber was doing really good. She sing. She had James, like, all seen. Well, and then the cops got called. She got arrested. The ring camera footage of her coming outside, like, talking to the cops, it got leaked. Leaked. And then all the audio gets leaked and the. The ring camera from inside her house gets leaked.

[Kate]

Yeah, Andrew started leaking all that stuff.

[Leslie]

It was a bit. Yeah, that was a big thing. So that's when I really started picking up, too. And then my Mama June stuff does really good too. Like, Mama June's boyfriend Gino had wrecked into her house, and she came outside in a see through nightgown and was like, trying to pull him out of the car and drag him in the house. And he was like that young guy

[Kate]

that she's still with, right?

[Leslie]

No, Gino is like, like years ago.

[Kate]

Oh, okay.

[Leslie]

Yeah, yeah. But he didn't have a shirt on. He had, like, shorts on, but they're, like, falling down. And their neighbor filmed it. Oh. Across the street filmed it and sold it to tmz.

[Kate]

What?

[Elle]

It did that.

[Leslie]

And I honestly, like, looking back, back when it first started, I didn't even think about stuff like this. I didn't even think about, like, oh, that. What a neighbor. Like, I didn't even think about it. I was just like, oh, like, look at this. And I look at the tea.

[Elle]

The TE's.

[Leslie]

Now I think about it, though, and I'm like, damn, poor Mama June to have a neighbor to sell her out like that. Like, you should be able to be comfortable in your home and not as a celebrity. You should be able to not have to worry about if you go outside, if your neighbor's gonna film you. Because I go outside looking all kind of crazy. Yeah, same, you know, like school drop off.

[Elle]

Yeah. We look.

[Kate]

I'm screaming at the dogs.

[Leslie]

You know, I would be devastated. Which I'm not. Y' all are any. Anything near that. But I would be devastated if. If I was outside in my yard and me and my husband was having a bickering or something. Yeah. And somebody filmed us and sold it to Somebody, you know, you feel like, you know, it's.

[Elle]

It's. I don't think people understand because obviously, people like you that cover this stuff. You're not living it. So it is a huge. It feels very violating.

[Leslie]

Right?

[Elle]

Like, it feels. I don't know. It's hard to explain. You feel.

[Kate]

With certain things. Like, stuff like. That would be other things when people come and I'm like, I don't. I don't care, you know?

[Leslie]

But, you know, the first time, I kind of had a realization, I called Barbara, Jenna's mom.

[Elle]

Yeah. Okay.

[Leslie]

I was live, and somebody had given me her number. And I was like, yeah, somebody gave me Barbara's number. I don't know if it's legit, though. And everybody was like, call her. And I did not think if I. First off, if I'm gonna call this woman, do not do it on a live. That's too invasive. But I did it because I just wasn't. I was very new to this. Like, I was like, okay, let me call the number. Whatever. Yeah. Like, it might not even be her. So I call the number, and. Well, the. Hello? I knew it was her because you. Barbara's voice. Yeah.

[Elle]

Yeah.

[Leslie]

I was like, barbara? And she's like, who is this?

[Elle]

I didn't know what's happening.

[Kate]

I didn't know that either.

[Leslie]

2019. Yeah. She was like, who? Maybe it was 2020. She was like, who is this? And I was like, hey, this is Leslie from, you know, YouTube. I cover Janelle. And she was like, who? And I was like, leslie. I was like, I was just calling. CP Had a comment on the recent things going on with. She was like, oh, Leslie, you're that hater. You're a hater. She was like, I can't talk to you. Janelle says you're a hater. And that. And before that, I never even considered you guys seeing what I was saying about y'.

[Kate]

All. Okay, Got it.

[Elle]

That makes sense.

[Leslie]

So my. My.

[Elle]

That was your first realization that.

[Leslie]

Oh, like, she knows who I am.

[Elle]

Yeah.

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Elle]

Right, right, right.

[Leslie]

And she's watched my stuff, like, oh. And it kind of makes you take a step back to be like, maybe I shouldn't be as harsh. Because then you start thinking about, like, well, how am I effect. What? My words. How are they affecting them if they're seeing it and I don't want to. I mean, you still have a job to do at the end of the day, right? And if you sit on here and you say, oh, everybody's great. Everybody's lovely. Love Them, they did this, but it is what it is. They make. Everybody makes mistakes. Nobody's gonna watch that.

[Kate]

Right. That doesn't get the traction.

[Leslie]

It doesn't. So you still have to come with your opinions. But I do feel like there's still a way that you can do it in a way that if that person watches, they could understand that, okay, you have a job to do. She's putting out her opinions, but at least she didn't rip me to shreds, you know?

[Kate]

And I feel like it takes a very kind hearted, in my opinion, good human to think like that.

[Elle]

Yeah.

[Kate]

You know what I mean?

[Elle]

You didn't have to be. You didn't have to.

[Leslie]

Well, I didn't at first because I didn't even consider it, you know?

[Elle]

Right, right.

[Leslie]

But as soon as I started realizing,

[Elle]

I was like, but you can't, you can't change. You're not aware of. And so once you became aware of it, you're like, all right, maybe I can.

[Leslie]

Yeah, I started toning it. And honestly, like, who I am as a person, I am very much a, like, softy and empathetic. But when I first started covering, I was like, more like ripping David, which honestly, the situation surrounding what was happening, most people would rip them. You know what I'm saying?

[Kate]

Yeah, it was crazy.

[Leslie]

But I definitely had more of a stronger opinion with that than. So, yeah, I, I would say once I started thinking about it, it just kind of brought me back down to who I really am and like, in real life, to the people that surrounds me, you know, like how I would talk to somebody if it was my friend that was going through this, like, like maybe how I would respond versus, like not thinking about the fact that they can see me. I don't know these people. So I'm just gonna get online, I'm gonna rip them to shreds, you know,

[Elle]

and maybe in a way it was like, I have the freedom to do this. Like, I'm soft on my real life and I'm really. But this is my, this is my outlet where I can just like, yeah,

[Kate]

you know what I mean?

[Elle]

Go hard. And I feel like, I wonder if that's what a lot of. I do think that that's what separates you from a lot of other creators is that the awareness, then reeling it back in, because I'm, you know, real human beings is what separates you. Because there's a lot of people out there, creators, that are just like, like, they kind of get high on that.

[Kate]

Well, because I think, I think you can criticize somebody or give your opinion in the right way too, instead of just being like downright.

[Elle]

Be a piece of. Yeah. So I mean, it makes sense that like, you know, it's almost like an outlet. I, I'm, I have to be soft and this is how I really am. But then this little area, I can

[Leslie]

just, like, that's where I can let

[Elle]

those filters come down. I can just be. And I think, I think I can see how it can be intoxicating for creators once they find the niche, once they find the response they're getting, once they find the energy they have that, that they need to get that.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Elle]

People to look, they just go all in, not thinking about, you know, real people are dealing with these real things. So I mean, it takes a special person and to kind of, you know, reel it in and realize the holy

[Kate]

and to do it the right way.

[Leslie]

Yeah, exactly.

[Kate]

There's a right way and then there's like a wrong.

[Leslie]

You know, Kale asked me, do you think like, you would make more money or if you were like, meaner? And I'm like, absolutely. That's. My husband has told me for years, like, if you were like reaping people to shreds and just like, yeah, you know, probably more, more people want to hear what you had to say or whatever. I have seen that. I have literally seen creators that like, they cross the lines. They, they, they do things that I, I never would have dreamed of doing back then and I definitely wouldn't dream of doing now. And they, I mean, you know, 3, 400, 500,000 followers on YouTube and it's like. And they don't even, they don't even care.

[Kate]

And you know, what my mind goes to is like, are you really happy in your day to day life?

[Leslie]

Kale asked me that. I don't think they are. I mean, the ones that I watch, the ones that I know about, like,

[Kate]

I always say this thing, I'm like, hurt people. Hurt people.

[Leslie]

Right? Yeah.

[Kate]

You know what I mean? Like, you can't, can't. I don't think you're really happy in your life. Like, I truly believe that some people that are just downright mean. You're being mean for a reason.

[Elle]

And especially when you're so mean and toxic and then you're getting validation from all. It only, it only makes you kind of go even deeper.

[Leslie]

Yes.

[Elle]

Your own little.

[Leslie]

I've seen that too. I've seen like this one creator on YouTube. I've seen that happen with her to where like, she come out just swinging, crossing Lines. And her comments are. Feel, like, good at first, so she keeps doing it, and then people's like, whoa, this is too. I've seen her called out for, like, wow, okay. Like, we were good with this, but, yeah, this is too much. And her get called out for it, you know?

[Elle]

Yeah.

[Kate]

Which is good. And white people are calling some people out for it.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Elle]

You know, you eventually found your balance. You're like, all right. Yeah, I went in hard. Then I'm not all right, you know, Which I think it's respectable. It's admirable, because I think a lot of these creators are just. They get so high on this niche, first viral video first kind of thing, that they.

[Leslie]

Yeah.

[Elle]

They get drowned. They drown themselves in it. And they don't even realize the. The.

[Kate]

The.

[Elle]

The stuff that they're. They're impacting people.

[Kate]

Right. People know, too. I think a lot of people have realized, like, when we see you live or, you know, we. We usually hop in and, like, you know, we'll stay for a while and listen and comment and things like that. And I feel like. I've noticed. I feel like your community is a very good community.

[Elle]

I. I agree.

[Kate]

You know, like, when I read, like, the people that are in there and the things that they're saying and they have their own opinions and stuff too,

[Elle]

the ones that are against us and everyone else.

[Kate]

But I was like. I was like, all else seems to have a very, like, cool community, and that's got to be, like, a cool thing for you to see as the content creator itself, like, just the community that you've built.

[Leslie]

One thing that we try to do is we try to allow other people to have their opinions. So, like, say I'm on a live, and somebody comes in and they think one way about y', all that's different, as long as they're saying it respectfully and. And it's not, like, crazy, like, okay, fine, have your opinion. It's different than mine. It's fine. It was so funny. Somebody commented on my Facebook and they left an opinion that was different than mine, and they said. Said. Is that why you blocked me on Twitter? Because I had a different opinion than you? And I'm like, dude, like, my block. First off, I don't do the blocking myself. I have moderators, like, when I'm alive, they. They. They know, like, it is very rare that we block people. The only people we really block is people, like, the spam that'll come in, and they'll spam, like, bad stuff. So they'll immediately Block those. But a lot of people, it's just like, you're. And they'll be like, hey, we're timing you out for this. You need to bring it down a notch. So I went. I'm like, this don't make no sense, because I don't really blog very many people. So I went to my Twitter, Twitter, and I looked in my block section, section, and it'll say, like, blocked, block, block. And then it said that she had blocked me. This person had blocked me.

[Kate]

Wow.

[Elle]

See?

[Leslie]

She had blocked me on Twitter. And I'm like. So I screenshot it.

[Elle]

Yeah.

[Leslie]

And I took it to the comment, and I said, is this you? Because it says, you got me blocked.

[Elle]

Yeah.

[Leslie]

Oh, that is funny. I said, I don't block very many people.

[Elle]

Did they respond?

[Leslie]

No, of course.

[Elle]

Of course.

[Leslie]

No.

[Kate]

They were busted.

[Leslie]

I checked hours later because I'm like, let's see what they got to say, you know? Know now that, like, first off, why even do that to begin with? To try to, like, oh, l. You block me because you don't like my opinion when you're literally the one that blocked me.

[Elle]

They're trying to sabotage your voice. They're trying. They're trying to. You know, they. Yeah. Which I don't understand why. Because it's like, dude, you guys either listen to. And I guess I don't really understand either you. You listen to someone on Live, or you listen to this content creator, whatever. If you don't like it, just scroll.

[Kate]

Right.

[Leslie]

People are weird.

[Elle]

Or just unfollow the page or whatever. I mean, I just feel like people are so, so obsessed with, like, finding their little cesspool of people that agree with them, and then they just get totally secluded in this well.

[Kate]

Because you, like, you and I, me and him have had the conversation a lot that I never once have seen somebody that I don't really like or somebody says something about them or they post something. I've never even had the urge to comment on the stuff or on their stuff. It's just more or less like, you're

[Elle]

an idiot in my head or whatever.

[Kate]

Yeah, right. Like, it's so strange.

[Elle]

People are putting energy into it and so much energy.

[Kate]

Is it like a younger generation or

[Leslie]

is it like, I don't know, I'll get screenshots. People will, like, send me screenshots of, like, people talking about me on another creator's page, you know, and they're like, oh, look what this person said about you. Like, And I'm like, okay. Like, if you don't like what I'm saying, then follow this person that you're talking to because they obviously have a different opinion if you're going to her, like, oh, look what Al said, you know, like, okay, just whatever, stay on their page.

[Elle]

I think that, I mean, there's a toxic level of this creator world, people. I mean, because then it started turning into like now as creators against other creators and then now they're disagreeing.

[Kate]

Stupid. It's just so it's like, stay in your own lane, you know?

[Leslie]

And then that is the weirdest.

[Elle]

It is the weirdest. And I'll see, I'll see creators like do a live with another creator when I've heard the, that, this, they don't really like each other that much. So it's weird. It's like you guys are willing to drop your standards for certain things and times and it's just, it's a very. I'm like this, this, this is, this

[Leslie]

culture is like, I don't understand it.

[Elle]

I don't understand it. And that's why I'm like, wow, this whole content creator thing is so interesting to me because I'm like, how is this even like, it's almost like your colleagues and your, and your co workers and then, I don't know, it's, it's a very weird culture.

[Kate]

Okay, we're going to stop here and then we're going to pick this up again next week. This has to definitely be a two parter. Make sure you guys like and subscribe our show. Also leave a comment and let us know what you're thinking. And don't forget to listen to part two with L next week.

[Leslie]

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[Elle]

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[Leslie]

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[Elle]

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[Leslie]

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[Elle]

Huzzah.

[Leslie]

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[Kate]

Stream now, pay.

[Leslie]

Never.

[Elle]

Hey guys, it's your friend Michelle Collins and I'm here to invite you to listen to the Michelle Collins Show. Yeah. Yes, that's my show. Unfiltered, unscripted, unhinged. And covers pretty much everything you're going to want to care about. It's funny, it's fearless. It could go off the rails at any moment and often does. So follow rate and review the Michelle Collins show wherever you get your podcasts and let's spiral together.

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