Crissle’s Couch – “Back on the Couch: Mel Mitchell”

Podcast: Crissle’s Couch
Host: Crystal (Crissle)
Guest: Mel Mitchell (comedian, actress, digital storyteller)
Date: March 31, 2026
Episode Theme: Honest, empathetic, and witty advice on friendships, relationships, loss, and life planning, with stand-up comic Mel Mitchell co-piloting listener letters and sharing her own perspective.

Overview

This episode marks a warm, candid return to “Crissle’s Couch.” Comedian, actress, and social media phenom Mel Mitchell joins Crissle to dispense sharp, relatable advice to listener questions ranging from navigating toxic friendships to the complexities of relationships, grief, and wedding planning. Their conversation is rich in humor, real talk, and moments of gentle accountability—a masterclass in keeping it real and caring at the same time.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Catching Up with Mel Mitchell and Her Career (04:18–06:01)

• Mel discusses her career highlights: improv with Kev On Stage, filming in Ohio, and a pilot called “For Freelance.”
• Talks about creating male characters (notably “Quan Dietrich”) using Snapchat filters—“I love that this is what I get to do for a living. I'm just feeling super blessed." (Mel, 05:15)
• They riff on viral bits, bearded drag king performances ("They let me improv for 20 straight minutes... That's probably the favorite thing I've ever done in my career so far." —Mel, 08:04), and the folly of internet fame.

Notable Quote:

“You never know who's actually watching you.”
— Mel Mitchell (06:26)

2. Listener Letters – Advice & Life Lessons

Letter 1: Ghosting & Toxic Friendship (09:36–20:14)

Maid of honor ghosted me—what do I do?

• Key Issue: After 12 years of friendship and serving as maid of honor, Caitlyn is being ignored/ghosted.
• Both hosts dig into the emotional and practical layers—friendship red flags, communication, and the complexities of adulthood.
• Mel notes: “Sometimes the girlies are just weird. …She’s taking the ball out of your court and she’s doing the fallout on her own.” (11:07)
• Crystal unpacks the significance of being the “maid of honor” and how it doesn’t always mean intimacy—sometimes just being organized or reliable is the reason.
• Both agree—sometimes friendships end naturally. No need to force closure.

Memorable Exchanges:

“That’s a sad story for Caitlyn. …When people say, ‘I have to walk on eggshells,’ that’s always a red flag.”
— Crystal (13:35)

“A beautiful part of grown adulthood is just letting things play out.”
— Mel Mitchell (20:14)

Letter 2: Supporting a Friend With a Bad Husband (20:18–34:54)

Friend’s in a toxic marriage—should I set boundaries or stick around?

• Jasmine is exhausted by a friend who continually chooses her misogynistic, unreliable, cheating husband.
• Mel gets real: “Are you doing that life of a wife shit? Don’t let this wife shit be your whole personality.” (22:05)
• They discuss:
  • Importance of separating image from reality
  • Drawing healthy boundaries without abandoning friends
  • Recognizing the line between bad choices and abusive situations (“Figure out if your friend is okay physically—can she leave if she wants to?” —Mel, 24:24)
  • Community care—“If you’re going to be a friend, then be a friend. Offer some support however you can.” (Crystal, 31:26)

Notable Quote:

“If you are going to be a friend, be a friend. Offer some support however you can. But it’s also fair to say… it stresses me out to see the way you’re being treated.”
— Crystal (31:27)

Letter 3: Navigating Mother Loss & New Motherhood (40:04–50:53)

How do I move forward from the loss of my mother?

• Violet writes about losing her “North Star,” her mother, while six months pregnant; she’s overwhelmed by grief and unsure how to heal.
• Mel, drawing from personal loss around her own father, assures there’s no “schedule” for moving on; grief lives alongside joy. “Losing a parent…feels like yesterday and 100 years ago at the same time.” (42:33)
• Therapeutic approaches: therapy, gentle self-compassion, talking about her mom as much as she needs to (“Bring her up whenever you need to. This is part of grieving.” —Crystal, 50:06)
• The community’s patience is real: “They have a lot more compassion for you and where you are than it sounds like you do right now.” (Crystal, 49:58)

Memorable Quote:

“What is grief, but love enduring?”
— Mel (43:30, paraphrasing WandaVision)

Letter 4: The Carrie Bradshaw Dilemma—Breaking Up With the Bad Boyfriend (51:02–62:49)

Why can’t I let go of my dead-end relationship?

• A listener, calling herself “Carrie Bradshaw,” details a relationship with a man who struggles with drugs, cheating, and a bad temper. She finally initiates a breakup but struggles with letting go of the past.
• Both hosts emphasize the bare minimum in relationships and why “the representative” is never the real person.
• Mel: “Carrie needs to date herself—pour into yourself all the care and concern you were giving this man.” (60:50)
• Crystal recommends therapy, focusing on self, and remembering the ‘real’ man isn’t who he was in the honeymoon phase: “It’s not the man you want, it’s the feeling you had when you were with him.” (62:23)

Notable Quotes:

“A drug problem and a bad temper and cheating… The first time you raise your voice, who you hollering at?”
— Crystal (55:00)

“Just date Carrie for a while!”
— Mel (60:47)

Letter 5: Wedding Planning FOMO—Big Bash or Elopement? (65:55–82:38)

Am I missing out on my ‘bridal era’ by eloping instead of having a big wedding?

• A bride-to-be, “Vivica,” is torn between financial prudence and wedding ‘FOMO’ after seeing a friend’s big day.
• Mel, currently wedding planning, gives real talk about costs and alternative ways to have special moments (“If you want the attention, that’s the whole point…Don’t pretend you don’t want the things when you want the things—do the things you want to do.” —Mel, 71:11).
• Advice:
  • Ceremony costs are commonly LESS than the reception (food, drinks, venue)
  • DIY and barter sponsorships when possible
  • Have both: courthouse/private wedding now, full party/reception later; you can even redo vows/ceremony for family and friends
  • Don’t go into major debt for one day unless you have a clear payoff plan

Memorable Quotes:

“If you want your moment, but you don’t have it right now, save up and in 10 years, have the wedding you want.”
— Mel (82:27)

“Don’t deprive yourself of something you want to prove a point to no one. Nobody gives a fuck what kind of wedding you have—they want to come love and support you.”
— Mel (76:44)

Notable Quotes and Moments by Timestamp

• [04:31] Mel Mitchell on 2026: “Everything’s fine in the little dog and it’s like everything’s on fire behind it. That’s me.”
• [05:15] Mel: “I love that this is what I get to do for a living.”
• [13:35] Crystal: “When people say ‘I have to walk on eggshells when I’m around you’—that’s always a red flag.”
• [20:14] Mel: “A beautiful part of grown adulthood is just letting things play out.”
• [22:05] Mel: “I can’t let this wife shit be my whole personality.”
• [31:27] Crystal: “If you are going to be a friend, be a friend. Offer some support.”
• [43:30] Mel: “What is grief, but love enduring?” (paraphrasing)
• [50:06] Crystal: “Bring her up whenever you need to talk about it. This is part of grieving.”
• [55:00] Crystal: “A drug problem and a bad temper and cheating… First time you raise your voice, who you hollering at?”
• [62:23] Crystal: “It’s not the man you want, it’s the feeling that you had when you were first with him.”
• [71:11] Mel: “Don’t pretend you don’t want the things when you want the things—do the things you want to do.”
• [76:44] Mel: “Don’t deprive yourself of something you want to prove a point to no one.”

Episode Vibe & Final Thoughts

• This episode is quintessentially “Crissle’s Couch”—equal parts hilarious, tough-love, and nurturing.
• Mel’s comedic delivery and lived reality give the advice that extra edge.
• Crystal’s genuine empathy for letter-writers, combined with her own seasoned-woman perspective, grounds the whole show in warmth and relatability.
• The episode successfully balances laugh-out-loud moments (on men, weddings, and musty fears) – with serious explorations of grief and relationship trauma.
• Practical, creative ideas abound: from wedding cost hacks, to emotional boundaries, to the universal advice—if you are in pain, don’t go it alone; cry, call a friend, find community.

Where to Find Mel Mitchell [83:07]

• Twitter & TikTok: @thebaddestmanmitch
• Instagram: @thebaddestmitch
• YouTube, Tubi, BET – “I’m places, baby. Just look me up.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [04:18] – Mel’s career update & comedic skits
• [09:36] – Letter 1: Toxic friendship and ghosting
• [20:18] – Letter 2: Supporting a friend in a bad marriage
• [40:04] – Letter 3: Navigating mother loss during motherhood
• [51:02] – Letter 4: Carrie Bradshaw & letting go of a dead-end relationship
• [65:55] – Letter 5: Wedding planning FOMO
• [83:07] – Where to find Mel Mitchell

A heartfelt, rollicking episode that will have you laughing, nodding, and maybe even crying in solidarity with the problems and possibilities of being human, Black, and in community.