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A
Sobriety brought us together. Addiction tore us apart. But spirituality, I'm super into. I think it's innate. I think it's within all of us. And when we deny ourselves of spiritual practice, of believing in some sort of power greater than ourselves, we're depressed and anxious and probably have some sort of mental disorder. Money. It does not fill the hole in the soul. Like, it's not at all right. We're not meant to be alone. We're not meant to be isolated. We're meant to have people around us in whatever capacity, even introverts. You're meant to have whatever, your loved one, your family, sense of community. And when we shift our perception from what can I give rather than what can I get? Everything opens up.
B
Okay, now we're started. We got Laura here, host of the Idiot podcast. We are in Las Vegas. Short flight for you. Thanks for joining us.
A
Yeah, thank you for having me.
B
Your life been pretty crazy lately or what?
A
Oh, man, I. I mean, I don't know what, you know, what do you know?
B
I've watched a couple pods, you know, you're going through some stuff.
A
It's crazy.
B
Yeah. That. Is that the main thing for you right now, your podcast? Idiot podcast?
A
Yeah, I would say so. I would say that's the main thing. Yeah.
B
You're a podcaster now.
A
Isn't that weird?
B
It's crazy, right?
A
I know.
B
It's a weird lifestyle.
A
It's just kind of the thing to do.
B
It's. It's. It's in right now. You get respect for it almost.
A
Yeah.
B
I feel like. Used to get, like, bullied for it.
A
Do you. Did you get bullied for podcasts?
B
No, mine's two years old, so I joined late, to be honest, but I feel like they didn't get the respect they used to, like, five, ten years ago.
A
Well, it's like. It's like daytime tv, and I feel like it's a good way to consistently monetize. So if you're a content creator, it's smart to have a podcast, you know, Whereas, like, my main source of income pre podcast was like, video monetization. And that can be so. Or like, brand deals. Right, Right. Some months it's great, other months it's not. And so it's smart and also just interesting to talk to people and learn things. It is interesting that, like, that's cool. You just get to have conversations with interesting people.
B
Yeah. Yesterday I had on a billionaire, a trans channeler. Trans channeler?
A
What is. What is that?
B
So she channels while she's not present.
A
She channels only trans people.
B
No trance. Oh, yeah, okay, yeah, she wasn't trans, but she. She was from Bali. She flew in, channeled on the podcast for 10, 15 minutes and that was interesting. And then right after her, I had on a billionaire. So just like you meet all sorts.
A
You like. Give me sh. Your money.
B
No, I'm not a liberal.
A
Come on. No, give it.
B
You got to earn your dough.
A
Give me that money. No.
B
Nah, you got it. You got to eat what you kill, you know? No handouts out here.
A
No handouts. That's right. Yeah, but did he teach you some tips and tricks on how to become a billionaire? Is that even something you're interested in?
B
I used to want to become super rich. I still do billionaires. A whole nother level though, I think. I think, yeah, there's a lot of sacrifice at that level. He was telling me he doesn't even go to his kids sports game.
A
He doesn't even know his children's name.
B
He knows their names, but he doesn't go to their games, you know, and I have some trauma from that. I'm gonna just keep it a hundred. Like, my parents weren't at my soccer games and basketball games. Oh, were they at your events growing up?
A
My mom was. Yeah. My dad was a workaholic, so he was never really around, you know, I mean, look, and I. It wasn't that I was resentful, but he just wasn't there, you know? But now I'm appreciative because he. He allowed for my mom to be a stay at home mom. And I had the best mom ever. I still do. She's alive and she was just like, made my childhood so fun. Just like games and she was just like a loving, fun, creative mom who just allowed me to be who I was meant to be type shit. So I feel very lucky that I had a nice mom. I think if you have one good parent, you're. You're.
B
You know, you just need one.
A
You got one.
B
I got one.
A
You got one.
B
Half.
A
One. That's great.
B
One and a half. My dad was. They got divorced when I was 10.
A
Really.
B
So one and a half. He did his best, so I give him that half point. But he had autism.
A
We get out of here.
B
Yeah, so he didn't. He was doing his best for what he knew how to do, you know.
A
That's my dad too.
B
Really?
A
Yeah. Yeah.
B
Diagnosed later.
A
Early, not diagnosed, but I. He is on the spectrum. Like, it's wild. Like he watched Pulp Fiction every single day for two years straight. He's autistic. Yeah, he's a science nerd. Music nerd. Has a strong social deficit. Doesn't really have friends. Will like hyper focus on a topic and be totally unaware that we don't know what he's talking about. You know how they like, talk about their special interests for like hours and hours? Yeah. Non stop. Yeah, it's all the signs, just everything.
B
Yeah, yeah, yeah. He. My dad got diagnosed at 60.
A
Get out late. And what led to the diagnosis?
B
I don't know if it was planned. He kind of just was on prescriptions and I guess one of his doctors was like, you should get tested. You know, like it wasn't really talked about when we were growing up. Like, I never even thought he had it. And now looking back, it's so apparent that he did have it.
A
Because you were always like, growing up, you're just the eccentric person. Like, he was just eccentric.
B
He didn't pick up on social cues.
A
Oh, yeah, that's a big one.
B
Yeah. I got some really awkward, like, memories thinking about that.
A
I think about the kids I went to school with and how now I look back and I'm like, oh, they were autistic. But then it was just like the eccentric, weird kid. Not to, you know, not in a bad way. Just like different, you know, wired differently.
B
There's levels to it.
A
Big time.
B
Yeah.
A
Like, my son is nonverbal. Six years old.
B
That's being more common these days in nonverbal ones.
A
Yeah, I mean, I guess it. I hate to say nonverbal because he can string sentences together. He's brilliant. He's so smart. He just. But he's not conversational, you know, like my four year old. Well, if she met you, she'd be like, oh my God, I like the color of your shirt. Where did you get that? What are we having for lunch today? Like, she talks enough for the two of them. Yeah, but he, he can string together sentences and get his wants and needs, methods, but he's not conversational. So they do say that. That is non verbal, but that's debatable.
B
Oh, interesting. Okay, I thought nonverbal was no words at all.
A
No. Like, he'll say, let's go for a walk. Like that and we'll go for a walk, but he's not. If I say, how are you, Alfie? He's not gonna be like, I'm good, you know, I'm a little tired, but I'm good. If I say, how are you? He'll just look at me in the eyes and smile. Or he'll frown or something. Like he'll tell me with his face how, how I get him to speak more is I give him options or yes or no. So I say, are you happy? Yes or no? And he'll go yes or no. And so he'll tell me how he's feeling. Like yesterday he wasn't feeling well. I said, are you sick? Yes or no? Yes. School? Yes or no? No.
B
You know, so he can understand.
A
Oh. Everything interesting? Yes.
B
Yeah, I'm fascinated by it. Did you watch the telepathy tapes?
A
So good. I mean I. I listened to the first, maybe like four or so.
B
Do you think he has that ability?
A
I've tried. I've tried with him and I feel like he's just a little young too. Sometimes I do feel like he knows what I'm thinking. We're very close.
B
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A
And he'll like stare at me in my eyes for like an uncomfortable amount of time. I love it. But like he's just really connecting in this way. I swear. I say and this probably sounds bad, I feel like he's on mushrooms all the time. Like he just experiences things at such a heightened level and like his joy is when it starts raining he's like. And just the level of joy of the rain is different than like how you and I experience the rain. And then if it stops raining, he looks up and he goes, the rain is broken. The rain is broken. It's just interesting, like the way his brain works. But he experiences joy on another level where and. But also sadness and anger. It's like everything is so extreme.
B
Wow.
A
Yeah.
B
That is interesting.
A
Yeah.
B
My friend's the commentator for the Psy games. Have you heard of that?
A
No.
B
It's a psychic games where people compete in psychic challenges. And this was the first year they did it and they brought out the kids from the telepathy tapes and one of he said one of the girls was like, it was insane. Like people would write down like words and she'd be not even facing them and she would say every single word. It's crazy.
A
It's almost like, you know, blind musicians, they don't have sight, so they're that much more tapped into their ability to play. Not all of them. I'm just saying there are some. And so like, if you're non verbal, perhaps your other senses are even more heightened. Right. Because a lot of the telepathy tapes, they're pretty much all non verbal, right?
B
Yeah, pretty much.
A
So they've developed a way to heighten whatever that. What's. What is that even.
B
Just some. We can't even explain it yet.
A
Yeah, yeah, whatever that is.
B
Fourth dimension or something.
A
Fourth dimension, yeah, that's heightened, I guess.
B
I'm into all that, though. I'm into all those spirituality topics.
A
Same.
B
Yeah.
A
Oh, yeah.
B
You dabble in like psychedelics and mind altering substances.
A
Psychedelics? No, I'm. I'm. I'm 14 years sober, so sadly I can't. Although I'm interested in like micro dosing, that type of thing that interests me. I just worry that could it lead me back to that path of drug addiction, which I don't want to go back to that, you know?
B
Yeah, psychedelics. I've definitely seen people abuse them.
A
Exactly.
B
Yeah.
A
So I have that addictive personality.
B
Yeah. It gets weird when they start taking them every day. You know, we all know a couple.
A
Of those people in our lives on shrooms daily. It's just Tuesday morning.
B
Morning.
A
John, the trees are just floating. What are you doing?
B
Yeah, they're just too positive. It's annoying. You know when someone is too happy?
A
Yeah.
B
You know, every day, just want to.
A
Smack them across the face.
B
Like, it just feels not real to me. Yeah, I microdose, though.
A
Are you microdosing now?
B
Not right now, but once a week.
A
What's your experience with that?
B
Have you taken Adderall when you were back in the day?
A
A few times. And like, I snorted it.
B
Snorted it?
A
Yeah.
B
Why?
A
I don't know. I was in high school and my friend's like, hey, do you want to take Adderall? It's better if you snort it. And I was like, yeah, right. And I did. And this was in high school and it just like burned my nose. It was terrible.
B
Sounds awful.
A
It was horrible. Don't. Hey, if you're watching, don't snort Adderall.
B
Definitely not. Don't snort anything.
A
To be honest, if you were thinking about snorting something, I'm here to say don't snorting things bad. Yeah, I feel like I just Cured addiction there.
B
You might have really hit with someone right there.
A
Yo, I feel like that. That video, if you clip that, that's gonna change people's lives.
B
That's some Andrew Tate influence right there. That's a 10 million view clip right there.
A
Snort things. No, don't.
B
Okay. No, it's. It's like Adderall.
A
That's what microdosing is like.
B
But natural. And no crash.
A
Oh, yeah. So it allows you to focus.
B
You're locked in. They say you're activating different parts of your brain. I don't know the exact science, but.
A
But spirituality I'm super into. I think it's innate. I think it's within all of us. And when we deny ourselves of a spiritual practice of believing in some sort of power greater than ourselves, we're depressed and anxious and probably have some sort of mental disorder.
B
Oh, yeah. Been there, been there.
A
Right, right. And then you found God.
B
Found God. I don't know what to call it. But yeah, I believe in something. You know, something. Some higher power.
A
Same.
B
You got a daily spiritual practice?
A
Yeah.
B
Meditate?
A
Yes.
B
Nice. Yeah, I don't have any attention span for. I have adhd.
A
Same.
B
You can still meditate?
A
Yeah.
B
Really?
A
Yeah.
B
How long?
A
It depends. I have this. This feels like a cheat code, but I have this Himalayan sea salt cave right near my house.
B
Whoa, yo.
A
And you walk in, and it's a cave just made of Himalayan sea salt. It's on the ceilings, the walls, the floors, and you lay in these zero gravity chairs, and you just do this guided meditation in a sea salt cave. And so I'll just hop in there, do 45 minutes. Now that they make it easy for you to stay because it's such an experience.
B
Wow.
A
At home, sometimes it's just five minutes, and I'll just, like, literally go on YouTube and type in five minute manifestation meditation, or five minute anti anxiety meditation, or five minute mindfulness. Or maybe I have 10 minutes that day. But it does help me to have guided. And I don't do it every day. I try. The Buddhists say that all it is to meditate is to be fully present right here, right now. So if you're actually here with me right now, this is actually a form of meditation.
B
Oh.
A
If you're cooking and chopping a tomato and fully focused on that tomato, that's a form of meditation. It's just true presence.
B
Interesting.
A
Yoga is a moving meditation. I don't know. So there's different ways to meditate, I guess, is my point.
B
Okay. So I guess I meditate daily. But I meant in the sense of just sitting still.
A
Yes. Darkness going like.
B
I struggle with that.
A
Yeah, that's. Most people do.
B
But I might have to try that Himalayan sea salt place. That sounds like a vibe I've always wanted to do. Have you seen those Darkness Cave retreats?
A
No.
B
You haven't seen that?
A
Tell me about it.
B
So you're in a dark cave for three days, no light.
A
I hate it.
B
You don't think you do it?
A
It sounds terrible.
B
Wow. I would try it.
A
Why?
B
I like challenging myself.
A
I guess it would be good for you to get off that screen.
B
Yeah, it's a dopamine detox, I call it.
A
Okay.
B
Yeah.
A
But why no light, though?
B
I don't know why, actually, to be honest. But it just sounds. Yeah. I also want to do a cave. In a cave.
A
How do you pee? Pee?
B
You can still pee.
A
How do you poop?
B
You'd still. Okay, right?
A
I guess you could.
B
We've all shit in the dark before.
A
How dark are we talking?
B
It's a cave. It's pitch black.
A
You gotta make sure you can. You use. What do you call those? Those wipes.
B
Wet ones or whatever. Yeah, you'd have to bring some of those, I think. You know, shitting outside is never fun.
A
Sad that that's the first thing I think of. There's this beautiful dark cave experience and I'm like, but how do you shit?
B
Yeah, that's your thought process. I also want to try the one where you can't talk. Have you heard of that one?
A
Dude, I would fail so hard. If you're adhd, so would you.
B
You think so? Because I'm. I'm an introvert.
A
Okay, maybe not.
B
I think. I think I can do it. I don't talk that much.
A
I do.
B
You do. You're an extrovert.
A
I think it, like, ebbs and flows. Yeah, maybe. I do like people. I like. Like, do you ever wake up in the morning, walk to a cafe and just talk to strangers?
B
Not really.
A
Okay, so that's. I like to do that.
B
Yeah. I won't. I won't make the first move, usually, really.
A
I'm all about talking to. I just like listening to people talking to people.
B
Interesting.
A
So do you. I mean, you have a podcast.
B
Yeah, I can toggle it. Like, on the podcast setting, I can turn it on a little bit more than usual, but when I get home, I'm drained.
A
And so you've always been that way.
B
Massive introvert. A lot of confidence issues growing up, identity issues. So, yeah, I was never really a Talker. Yeah, it's just what it is. But yeah, you can't talk for. I think there's different programs. There's one that's seven days. I think there's one that's a month and there's one that's a year.
A
Have you done it or you just.
B
No, I want to do it.
A
Yeah.
B
I would do the week one, because a month is pretty crazy.
A
No. A week. Yeah. But now you can't talk at all.
B
You can't talk and you live in a community, so you have to accomplish tasks without talking. So it's all through eye contact.
A
That's so cool.
B
Yeah, it's pretty nuts.
A
My son Alfie would kill that.
B
Yeah, he would probably do really well actually.
A
Yo, he would thrive.
B
Yeah, I'm. I'm gonna try it, though.
A
You should.
B
I've been feeling a little comfortable lately. I want to, like, challenge myself more.
A
Yeah, I feel that, you know. Yeah.
B
It's easy to get just in the social media space. Just complacent, I think.
A
I know. You know, I agree.
B
Yeah. We get all these views and it's not real life, you know?
A
Yeah. When you do the same thing for so long, you know it. You stop pushing yourself and challenging yourself. I find it hard. Like I'm struggling to finish my book. I. This is my third book and I'm like my. I remember with my first two, my first one, I was like, da, da, da, da, da. Just so lit up around it. And then I wrote about all how I went from being a suicidal, drug addicted psycho in like toxic relationships, depressed, all that shit, to getting out of that and building a life beyond my wildest dreams. So it was an exciting book to write for me. And then my second one was all about, you know, having babies. I have two kids and getting married and motherhood and marriage and all that. And my third one is honestly the last three and a half years of my life, really, which is going through my separation, my divorce, and all the. The chaos and healing from that journey, which I'm still in. And maybe that's why I'm struggling to finish it, because I'm like, still in it, dude. I'm still fucking in it. Yeah.
B
Yeah.
A
Yeah.
B
Wow.
A
Yeah.
B
Quite a crazy life so far.
A
Yeah.
B
Well, thanks for sharing in books because you're probably, you know, helping people out and impacting people that you don't even know.
A
I hope so. You know. Yeah.
B
Divorce is tough, man. Like I said, my parents got divorced when I was 10 and it was rough.
A
Yeah. And 10 is a hard Age, because you're so used to the dynamic. Whereas with my kids, they were one and three when we separated, so they're so young that they just know, oh, Daddy lives over there and Mommy lives here. And it's not to say that they don't have hard feelings. I mean, my daughter was just crying to me yesterday, saying she missed him. Does happens. But they're so young that I feel like it probably is more natural the.
B
Yeah, yeah, I know what you're trying to say.
A
Yeah, I know. Armily can speak words.
B
No, it's a touchy subject. I get it. Yeah. Mine was rough. I think my dad dipped for, like, a year without talking to either of us when it first happened because he was so traumatized from the legal fees and the court and all the fighting. A. It's pretty expensive, you know.
A
Oh, yeah.
B
And then I think at first he, like, lost custody or something, but then they agreed on some. Some sort of 50. 50 down the road.
A
Oh, so it was 50, 50.
B
I would go on weekends because I was still in school, and he moved towns, so I would see him on weekends.
A
And did you like going on the weekends?
B
I looked forward to it.
A
You did?
B
Yeah.
A
So you were close with your dad growing up?
B
I was closer with my dad than my mom.
A
Yeah.
B
Yeah. I feel like, as a kid, you're gonna gravitate towards one, right?
A
Totally. Yes.
B
Where do your two kids lie in that right now?
A
Probably me, because they live with me 100% of the time. For now. You know, it's all very public. I mean, he. We met, you know, 12 years ago, and we were both sober. We were both in recovery. That was, like, a very important thing for me to be with someone who was not in, like, active addiction. Now, I'm not talking about, like, okay, you smoke the occasional joint or, you know, psychedelics here and there, or, like, a glass of wine within her. Like, I don't fucking care. I'm not judging you, but if, you know, if you're at home in active addiction, that's gonna be really triggering for me and dangerous for me. So whatever. My point is, we met at a party. You know, I saw him, my sister. I was, like, newly sober at the time. My sister forced me to go out. She's like, laurie, you need to leave your house. Because, like, I wasn't. You know, she's like, just. Just, you know, get out and come to this party. And at the time, she would only hang out with British people.
B
Right.
A
They call.
B
That's random.
A
Yeah, they call it an Anglophile. That's what. Yeah, it's called an Anglophile when you're obsessed with British culture.
B
How would she find them in America?
A
She fucking just did. Yo. And she. And she, like, hung out with strictly British people. And then it got so bad where she would call me sometimes, be like, laura, do you want to get some tea?
B
Oh, God, yeah.
A
And I'm like, you're from Chicago. What are you doing? What's happening here, Colleen? And so. But then it kind of softened. Now she doesn't have the British accent, but that at that time, she did. And all her friends were Brits. She found the Brits in la. There's, like, a Brit.
B
Okay.
A
Yeah.
B
She found a club of British people.
A
Okay. So I went to. Is like, one of the producers of Radiohead hit. Because that was. She was in a relationship with that guy for, like, two years. And so I went there, all these British musicians and artists and shit. And I walk in, and I'm all nervous. And then I see this man, like, across the garden. He's laughing with someone. I remember liking his smile. And he was holding a bottle of water, and I was like, ooh. So I went up to him and I was like, hey, like, where'd you get your water?
B
And it worked.
A
Yeah.
B
Wow. What a pickup line.
A
He was like, pardon me? And I was like, where'd you get your water? I love water. I swear. I swear. I go, I love water, and I think it's really important to stay hydrated. And then he was like. He looked at me, he goes, obviously you don't love water, or you would have brought some yourself. Yeah. And then I was like, well, no, I do love water. I just didn't think to bring it myself. And then he was like, I'm just saying, if you really like light water, you would have brought your own. Like, oh, I did. And I was like, all right, whatever. I'm gonna go find some water. So I walk away, go find the water, hang out with my sister a little bit. And everyone's getting, like, progressively drunker and higher, and I'm just like, ugh. I don't feel comfortable around. I want to go home. So as I'm leaving, I see the water guy, and I'm like, I guess I'll say goodbye to the water guy. And I said, hey, I just want to let you know I'm leaving. And he was like, why are you leaving? And I said, because I'm the only sober person here. He goes, I'm sober. And I go, sober. Sober. Because there's, like, you know, I'm driving home tonight sober, and there's like, I'm a raging alcoholic. If I have one drink, my life goes to shit sober. And he goes, soba, soba. And I was like, no way. We're both sober. And so we start talking about that in recovery. And he's a musician and I'm a comedian and we're just back and forth.
B
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A
And he was like, well, I just moved into town from London. I would love to go to a meeting, a recovery meeting with you. And I was like, I'm going to one tomorrow. So we meet at this meeting and then we have like a three hour lunch after. And it was kind of. The rest was history. You know, we just started hanging out all the time. Within six months, we were engaged. Wow. Within a year, we were married. Yeah.
B
What?
A
Yeah. Yeah.
B
That's fast.
A
Yes, I know. He was also 12 years older than me, which, you know, I mean, that's.
B
Not too crazy, but not.
A
But it is.
B
Wait, so how old were you when you met him?
A
I was 24. He was 36.
B
Okay, 24. You're very young at that age. You know, your brain's still developing.
A
My prefrontal cortex was not fully developed, but I'm not one of those. Like, I wasted 10 years of my life with him. Like.
B
No, that's good.
A
Yeah.
B
You're not vengeful or.
A
No, absolutely.
B
No.
A
I don't regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. I really Think I learned so much from that experience. And there were so many fun years. Like, we had an amazing time together, being creative, laughing, passionate, made two beautiful kids. We would collaborate on all these awesome comedy sketches and songs and things, and just had a great life. And then it was fun, then. Fun with problems. And then it was just kind of problems. And what happened is. And I can talk about this, because it's all out there and he talks about it was that he relapsed. Yeah. In 2021, I had our daughter. And so postpartum new baby. You're not sleeping. We had just bought a new house that was being renovated that was stressing him out, and our son was just diagnosed with severe autism. We did not know that if he'd ever speak. All that was available at that time was. And it sounds like it's not that long ago, but I swear to God, dude, if you look up like, autistic kids, it was just the worst shit you could possibly imagine online about it. There was no. Yeah, like, he's gonna need 40 hours a week of intensive therapy or he's gonna be spreading his shit all over the wall. I'm sorry. Like, no, it's called, like, fecal smearing. It's like a thing that some kids do.
B
Whoa.
A
My kid never did that. But, like, I'm just saying, you know, in my mind, I'm like, oh, no. Like, it was just, like, very. There were not many uplifting stories or. I don't know. It was just a scary time. We didn't know much about it. And I think that that maybe was all too much for him.
B
Plus the pandemic was going on too.
A
Plus the pandemic. It was all so much. And. Yeah. So he started picking up. I didn't realize he was using. I just thought he had. Was different.
B
Oh, he hid it from you.
A
Hid it.
B
Wow.
A
Yeah. And I was like, okay. I didn't think he was using. I just thought he maybe was. Fell out of love with me, you know, because there was such a distance and there was no. I just didn't quite understand what was happening. And then I was dealing with postpartum depression, so it was just a very challenging time. And. Yeah. And then he. It got really bad and dangerous and to the point where I said, we need to separate. And I. You know, can you live here? Thank God. We had two properties. We had one. One house, and then we bought another. And the first house we were using as our studio, and I asked him to just stay there, and he agreed. And. Yeah. And that was. That was three years ago. That was the end of 2022. Yeah.
B
Were you trying to work it out from distance or was it just you were done?
A
No, I was open. I was open to trying to fix it, but it just kind of kept getting worse. And now I realize it was the drugs.
B
Oh.
A
Like, I would be like, oh, God. Just I. Sorry. Like the night I said, he did some really scary, abusive shit. And I said, you know, I don't feel safe. I think it's best we separate for now. And I want you to get help, you know? And then the next morning. The next morning I wake up and I'm getting all these texts and phone calls from friends and family. Are you okay? Oh, my gosh. Are you okay, Laura? And I'm like, what? Like, I haven't told my mom what's going on. And then I look on YouTube and there's a video. I separated from my wife.
B
What? He filmed a video that night.
A
And then I was like, what the. Why did you do that? Like, this is all so fresh. I'm so traumatized. There's police. Like, all this crazy shit was happening. And for me, it was such a sensitive thing. We have a one and a three year old. Like, I'm so traumatized. And then now it's out there for millions of people to see. And there was no. You didn't talk to me about it.
B
Jeez.
A
And he was like, sorry. And then, like, another thing happened and boom. Puts it out on the Internet. It was just non stop. Every conversation we'd have, he'd put it out there. It was just horrible. And it felt like betrayal after betrayal. And that's why I think, you know, the drug addiction was the demise of our relationship. Absolutely. Sobriety brought us together. Addiction tore us apart. But also addiction in general. I do think social media played a part that, you know, you know, it's real. And that addiction to, you know, posting and the views and the monetization and the likes and the comments and the ugh. Gives you a hit 100%. And I think I did experience. I have experienced that. I'm not gonna lie. Like, I have. I think he did to a another level of like, I'm willing to post the crate. It was like the Logan Paul suicide forest.
B
Yeah.
A
You know, like, you're just. You see it and you go, that's horrible. But, oh my God, this is gonna blow up. And he. Right, that's addiction.
B
I think that's what happens to a lot of these live streamers.
A
Oh, tell me about that.
B
Well, they're live all day, so they got to keep their audience. Yeah, some of them are live for 8 to 12 hours a day. They got to keep their audience entertained. So in order to do that, they feel like they have to do crazier and crazier stuff. And like, you're starting to see some of them get arrested overseas. There's this one guy named Vitali, he got arrested in Philippines. Like annoying locals, like, trying to film content, making fun of them. And then there was someone else arrested in like Asia because certain countries don't play around, you know.
A
That's real.
B
Yeah. So they're just following that social media trap. I've definitely been guilty of it too. I think everyone that does content has been.
A
That's right. Same.
B
Yeah. So I kind of like have some boundaries now.
A
I filmed my birth. 30 million people saw me give birth.
B
You were live streaming it?
A
No, I wasn't live streaming. It was a vlog. But. And I, I think at the time I was obsessed with birth videos because I was pregnant and I wanted to learn as much as I could about the process. And I was like, how cool all these women are vlogging their births. So I get to see what an at home water birth looks like and what an epidural hospital birth looks like and what a natural hospital birth looks like and what fucking birthing in the woods looks like. Like, I get to see all of it. This is awesome. So I was blown away by these and I thought they were so cool. And then I went back and forth and I was like, I make content. Like, why don't I vlog my birth? I mean, it wasn't full frontal. Okay.
B
Yeah. From the back.
A
I was careful with the angles, but nonetheless. Yeah, you know.
B
You did it at home birth?
A
No, I was going to with my first son. I had like bought the tub and everything.
B
Oh, there's a special tub.
A
Oh yeah, there's a tub.
B
You can't do it in your bathtub or.
A
No. Big ass tub.
B
Okay. What's special about it?
A
I guess, I guess it's just big.
B
I can't fit in tubs, so I can't relate.
A
I know you're. You're a big guy, so six.
B
You're pretty tall. Yeah, six feet for a woman. Yeah. We were going to do home. I don't have kids yet, but we're too far from the hospital. So.
A
Are you going to?
B
No. Cuz apparently you have to be within five minutes from the hospital in case something goes wrong.
A
Oh my God. Well, I'll tell you, I. I was this close, and my then husband was like, I don't know, Laura. I'm kind of nervous. What if something goes wrong and you have a midwife if you have a home birth, right? Not a traditional doctor, but a midwife, and they guide you through the birth. And I was like, don't worry. I'm like, everything's gonna be great. I'm like, let me pull up her Yelp reviews and just read them to you to assure you that this birth is gonna go better than you could have imagined. And he's like, all right, fine. So I pull up the Yelp reviews, and all of a sudden, boom. I see this new one star review, and I'm like, huh? And then I start reading it, and I'm like, oh, God. And then he goes, what? Read it. And I was like, no, no, no, we don't need to read that. And he goes, no, read it. Sorry. I totally spit on you.
B
No, you're good. I didn't even notice.
A
Oh, good. I spit on him.
B
Damn.
A
I did not mean to spit on him.
B
On my arm. Where was it?
A
It came out. I think it got on your paper maybe.
B
Oh, that's fine.
A
We good?
B
Yeah, we're good.
A
Keep that in there, please. So he's like, read it. And I was like, all right, fine. And basically, it was the most disturbing story that the husband had written, saying, our baby almost died because of this midwife. We had been going to a traditional obgyn as well, and the traditional obgyn said the baby was measuring big, large, so it's safest to have it at the hospital. But the midwife assured us, nope, your baby is the perfect size. You can totally do it at home. You can do it and, like, convince them to do it at home. Then apparently, the baby got stuck in the birth canal. She couldn't figure out how to get it out. It was then finally they pulled the baby out, and the baby was purple and blue and not breathing. The mom was hemorrhaging. Just blood everywhere, all over. So the mom almost died. The baby had to be airlifted to the local hospital. Yeah, and it was so crazy, dude, because I was this close to using her to give birth to Alfie. And guess what? I also had a traditional obgyn who was like, you know what, Laura? Your baby's measuring big. I think it's safest that you go to the hospital and this fucking midwife goes, no, Laura, your baby's perfect size. Have it at home. And then, dude, I'm getting Chills just thinking about it. Then I read the one star review. That's the exact, exact same story that we had, except they listened to the midwife and the baby and the mom almost died.
B
That's. That could have been you. Easily.
A
Literally.
B
Holy crap.
A
So right away I was like, we're going to the hospital, like. And I was so like, thank God that I just pulled up that Yelp that day.
B
Yeah, imagine if you didn't.
A
No, because before. And you know what's crazy? He goes, I've had to write this three times. Cause she keeps deleting it.
B
Yeah, you can remove negative reviews.
A
And he goes, I'm gonna keep writing it every time she deletes it. Cause I need people to know. Because every other review was good.
B
Yeah.
A
So I wouldn't have known.
B
Wow. We gotta find that guy and thank him. Yo, whatever his username on Yelp is, bring him on. Can you message people on Yelp? That'd be pretty cool, right?
A
Oh, my God.
B
The bond over bad reviews. Have you ever left the one star review anywhere?
A
No, I'm not.
B
Yeah, I don't.
A
I'm not a reviewer.
B
Even if I eat a bad meal, I just feel like it. It hurts them. Like, I feel bad even though the food sucked, you know?
A
Yeah, I don't know. I just don't.
B
Actually. I left one. You did? In Woodland Hills? No, my apartment building. My car got broken. Okay. So I was in Woodland Hills during the pandemic. My car got broken into. Someone tried to hotwire at my apartment building. So I'm like, can I end my lease early? I don't feel safe here. They wouldn't let me end the lease early. They wanted me to pay, like a bunch of fines.
A
So I left one star.
B
Left the one star review. It actually got like 10,000 views. So I hurt their apartment complex really badly. And then they. They let me leave.
A
Your review went viral.
B
It went viral. Low key. And they wouldn't give me the camera footage. That was the part that was pissing me off.
A
Why?
B
There's a camera in the parking deck and they wouldn't give it to me. Yeah, I wanted to see who robbed me. It was my fault. I was flexing on social media, but I still wanted to see who robbed me, you know?
A
That's crazy.
B
Yeah.
A
One star.
B
So that was the only time I've done it. But usually I'll leave a five star.
A
You do. So you'll. If you enjoy the pancake, you're gonna write about it.
B
No, they have to offer me something for Free? Oh, yeah.
A
You gotta get a free pancake.
B
They gotta give me a free cupcake or something.
A
People out here giving you free?
B
Yeah.
A
You get a lot of free Vegas.
B
Yeah. Yeah.
A
I always think that's so funny. It's like you actually don't need the free. And when you did need the free, you never got free. Yeah, dude, I just went to the gas station. She gave me a free coffee because she follows me on Instagram. No way that I don't need the free coffee. I needed the free coffee before I popped off on Instagram. That's when I could have used the free coffee.
B
It's pretty nuts. Have you heard of this app called on the House?
A
What's that?
B
It's an influencer app. You get an influencer credit card.
A
Are you kidding?
B
In every major city, L.A. vegas.
A
No.
B
Guess how much my allowance is.
A
What?
B
$4,000 a week?
A
Wait, are you out of your mind? Are you being for real? For real?
B
For real? On the House Network, they don't even pay me. I'm gonna show you the app to show you all the restaurants in LA.
A
What?
B
$4,000 a week?
A
Wait, shut up.
B
So I can spend that at restaurants, at spas, at hotels.
A
Can I do it?
B
Yeah, you just sign up. Oh, wait, 10,000 this week. My bad. So $10,000 is my weekly allowance? Yeah.
A
What do you have to do?
B
You just sign up. I think it's invite only. But I'll invite you. These are all the spots in Los Angeles. You can scroll. There's, like, spas, restaurants. It's nice being an influencer. Guys, social currency is a real thing.
A
Spas, hair.
B
Crazy, right?
A
Food. Can I bring my friends?
B
Yeah, I bring my fiance all the time. No.
A
How'd you meet your fiance? Wait, no, save it for mine.
B
I'll save it. I'll save it.
A
I need to stop asking you questions.
B
I do that when I go on other shows as a guest.
A
Like, you can't stop. I just want to ask you things.
B
How's the comedy stuff these days? You on the road a lot?
A
No, I don't. I don't do stand up.
B
Oh, you don't do stand up?
A
No, but I am. Next year, in the fall, I'm going to have a live show. I'm gonna tour that live show all over the world. I'm doing that.
B
So you're going straight to a tour?
A
Oh, yeah.
B
Wow. Because usually you start, like, local first, and then.
A
Well, here's what I'll do. I'll start local. I'll test out the show for maybe a few months to do like small theaters around the west coast to like get it good for a few months, workshop it and then just take it out. Because it's like I have the audience. I've got 25 million followers across all my platforms. Yeah. So I've got the audience I've been doing. I put in the 10,000 hours like I've been doing it. I've not done live though, so I could eat shit. That's why I'll start local like just to, to test it out. And then my book is coming out the fall of 2026, so I want to do like a live book tour.
B
Nice.
A
A live show. It doesn't need to be like traditional stand up. I could do whatever I want out there, you know?
B
Yeah.
A
So that's cool.
B
There's. There's been a lot of comedians that start lately off social media. Right. And then transition to, to the live.
A
Yeah.
B
Trevor Wallace is one that comes to mind for me.
A
Trevor. I love Trevor. Trevor and I have done a few sketches together.
B
Oh yeah?
A
Yeah. I did one called Dating a Younger Guy and he just played like. He's actually not. He's like in his 30s, but he could appear in his nature to be like that of a mid-20s.
B
I thought he was in his 20s. Yeah, he acts like he is.
A
Yeah, exactly.
B
That's not an insult.
A
No. Trevor, we love you. I think he's fucking hilarious.
B
Yeah, he makes me laugh.
A
He's so funny.
B
His dating videos are hilarious.
A
I love Trevor.
B
Him and you know, Zack justice.
A
Probably if I saw him, I would know him. If I saw him.
B
He does those viral dating videos where like girls will date him. What a living just to get paid to go on dates.
A
Shut up.
B
Yeah, so like 20 girls audition to date him. He films it, gets a million views.
A
Oh my God.
B
And he's just gonna pick up lines and quirky and that's a million dollar career these days.
A
And that's your job.
B
Yeah.
A
Wow.
B
Yeah.
A
Yeah.
B
I've seen people make all sorts of money in weird ways and I don't.
A
Judge like selling feet pics and shit.
B
Feet pics? Yeah. I've had on a lot of, of girls on the show and oh my God, the money is crazy.
A
Enough talk about that. I, I filmed a sketch with Bella. Bella.
B
Bella Thorne.
A
Thorne.
B
She's top like 10, right?
A
She makes a million dollars a month.
B
Holy crap.
A
Yeah, that's nuts. Yeah, she was really nice. I filmed. It was just a comedy sketch. Bat King Bach.
B
Remember King Batch? Yeah.
A
He called me to Be in. It was just like a fun day of the short film thing. And yeah, she. A million dollars a month. That would wild.
B
How tempted were you after the divorce to sign up for OnlyFans?
A
I know, it's so funny. I, I, like, I. You know, I'm sure there's like a MILF category.
B
There is. It's a big one too.
A
Is it?
B
Yeah, it's the second biggest, I think. Really? Yeah. I've had some milfs on the show.
A
Well, it's kind of wild because I get hit on by a lot. Like, I'm 39. I get hit on by a lot of 20 something guys.
B
Really?
A
It's really strange. And I think I'm kind of like, what do you want from me? You know? And then I think like, maybe mommy issues or something.
B
They say guys are attracted to their people that are like their mother.
A
Yeah. So that's why I'm like, oh, it could be that, like, you know, girls have daddy issues and probably have mommy issues and they want that. I don't know. I don't quite know.
B
It's some conscious thing. I think we're attracted to the trauma that we grew up in. Right. Because that's what we're used to.
A
I mean, I definitely have daddy issues big time, but only fans. No, no, no.
B
What if it wasn't nude?
A
Like, what would it be?
B
Bikini pics.
A
I think that's what Bella does. I don't know that she.
B
Yeah, I think a lot of the celebrities don't do like full on nude, you know.
A
I mean, I. No, I don't think I would. I think because I have kids too.
B
Yeah.
A
Then I look at someone like, old school, like Pamela Anderson. I'm like, she's an amazing mom. Like, I think her sons and her have a great relationship. And she wasn't doing porn, but she was doing the. I would say the equivalent of like the bikini onlyfans. Right?
B
Yeah. Yeah.
A
She was a sex symbol. I try not to judge it, but no, I don't think I like being a clown. I don't. I also don't need to be that stupid rich. You know, you're comfortable where you're at. Yeah, I, you know, may. I think my best year, I made, you know, near almost 4 million a year. Yeah. And then it fluctuates. But I don't need more than that. I just need. I've got my dream house, you know, my kids are loved, well taken care of. I do what I love for a living. I. Dude. After the separation, though, I started to struggle because. Yeah, because funny as money I was making, dude, I would write because I have 14 million followers on Facebook, right? I was one of the first people making content on video content on Facebook, which is why I blew up. They weren't even monetizing the platform when I was making sketches on there. And my manager goes, what are you doing? He goes, get on YouTube. You're not even monetizing. I go, yeah, but when they do, I'm gonna be rolling in it because I'll be one of the top. And that came true. They started monetizing. I was one of the top. So I would write a sketch in an hour, film it in three, edit it in two, post it the next day. Sometimes I make $250,000 on one sketch. One comedy sketch, okay? Because that sketch would get 200 million views. That's insane. Because I was one of the top. And it would just be dumb shit that I thought was funny that was maybe topical or it was Valentine's Day coming up, and I was like, oh, I had a new baby and I was, like, trying to get it on with a baby or something. Like. That sounded really bad. That sounded really bad. That's not what I meant. When you have a baby, right, because the baby's napping and you only have 30 minutes, so you gotta get ready and make it happen before the baby wakes up. It was that. It was just the rush of, like, trying. It was just that. It was a three minute dumb sketch, some physical comedy in there. And, like, that literally made a quarter of a million dollars, you know? So crazy.
B
That's nuts.
A
Yeah. And it was so cool because I'm just doing what I love, being an idiot, being funny. And anyway, my point is, I'm happy doing that now. The money's not like it used to be on Facebook, whatever, but you just keep going.
B
I heard, Yeah, I heard it transitioned to Snapchat. Is that true?
A
Dude? And I'm not even. I'm on Snap. Or I have my team managing it for me. I don't go on it ever. But, dude, I never. I don't make money on Snap.
B
Well, you have to post like a hundred times a day, which is annoying. No, I'd rather just not do that. Even if it'd have to be stupid money to do that, because that's annoying.
A
At that point, I think, like, Trevor told me he makes. Is he gonna care?
B
You can edit it.
A
Trevor told me he has someone managing his Snapchat and he makes decent.
B
Yeah, I've heard, like, yeah, dobrik and Bryce hall will make like 100k or something.
A
Oh, wow. See, that's really good.
B
Which isn't bad.
A
That's really good.
B
I guess it's worth it at that point.
A
I guess so, yeah.
B
Posting a hundred times a day for 100k a month, I would. I would probably do that.
A
Would you ever do only fans?
B
Hell no.
A
And why not?
B
Guys don't make as much, first of all. Second of all, sex is really, like sacred to me. I've only slept with one woman my whole life. So, like, I don't want to share.
A
That with anyone, you know, I love that. I feel the same way. And I feel so, so weird because we're in this hookup culture and people are just. I'm blown away by how over sexualized everything is. And it makes me really sad, actually. And even when I'm walking down the street, a guy will say, what do you do? And I say, oh, I make content. And then they give me this look and I go, no, like comedy. Like, I make silly content. I have to ex. I have to explain because they just assume I'm making porn. That is how normalized it is.
B
Wow.
A
If you say, as a woman, I'm a content creator, a lot of people I see it, they go to, like, because of the.
B
Of culture.
A
Because of the of culture. And it's really sad for these young girls. I feel really sad for them.
B
There's some crazy stats depending on the city you live in. I know Miami is like 1 in 12 girls, yo, that do it. Crazy, right?
A
Of the girls you've interviewed, do they. Has anyone said how it's negatively affected? Or are they all just like, my life is amazing. I'm so rich, I'm empowered. I wouldn't date a guy for free type shit.
B
Like, what's definitely glorified for the most part. Some of them will have weird fan encounter stories, but for the most part, it's about making money. And they don't really talk about the negatives.
A
I also just think money, it does not fill the hole in the soul. Like, not at all. Right. As someone who grew. I grew up with working class. I wasn't poor. We had a roof over our heads and food to eat. Right. But that was it. And so I was happy because I was loved, you know, like, that's it. And just so I don't know.
B
Yeah. You get to a certain cap. I think, like, once you make X amount of dollars, it's different for everyone. Where your happiness levels doesn't really change.
A
Have you Seen that documentary, Happy?
B
No.
A
You would love it. They basically study happiness.
B
Okay.
A
What makes someone happy? For so long, they've been studying depression, anxiety, but it's called Happy. I love that you write everything down.
B
I do. My ADHD will forget that.
A
I love that. Yes, same. And so there were a few different ways. It was like doing. Living in your purpose, like having a purpose, having direction right in your life. That's a huge component. Community was another big component in what makes someone truly happy. We're social primates. We're not meant to be alone. We're not meant to be isolated. We're meant to have people around us in whatever capacity. Even introverts.
B
Yeah.
A
You're meant to have whatever. Your loved one, your family, a sense of community. And then they also said, and this service was a big one. And that's something I learned in recovery, that selfishness and self seeking are the root of our problems.
B
Wow.
A
Yes. And when we shift our perception from what can I give rather than what can I get? Everything opens up.
B
I love it.
A
And ironically, the more you give, the more you get. So I. That was another key to my success, was I stopped going, what can I get? What can I get? What can I get and what can I give? How can I, like, spread joy today, make someone laugh today or make someone think today? Became a service mindset. And then, because I viewed my work that way, I started getting things. It was crazy. Whereas when I focus on what can I get? It was often like the addict shit. It was never enough or whatever. But in this documentary, one of the most interesting parts for me was they said if you go from homeless to having food and shelter, your happiness level raises significantly if you go from homeless to having your basic needs met. But then after your basic. I'm sure you know this, after your basic needs are met, if you go from that to 500 or a million dollars a year, your happiness level does not raise significantly at all. No, no. Very, very little. Very little. And then I heard recently of something like, if you can hit 200 or 250,000 a year, I would say that that's subjective on, like, where you live too, and the cost of living, but that. That's like the cat. Any more than that, your happiness level won't raise.
B
Wow.
A
Like, that's all you need. That's all 200 a year. Yeah, that's what I heard from. You know who told me that? Cody Sanchez. Who? I.
B
She's pretty reputable.
A
Yeah. Who? I heard you had.
B
I saw that you had her on yeah, she's awesome.
A
Yeah, she told me that. So she was like, just get that 250 a year, and you're good. But, like, even what I found so fascinating is once you have your basic needs met, what if you make a bunch more? Your happiness level does not rise, so. Or at least not significantly. So if that's all we're after at the end of the day, to be happy and feel, like, fulfilled and content in our lives, then why are we chasing this thing that doesn't actually work?
B
Yeah.
A
I don't know.
B
It's a very fascinating conversation because it also depends where you live, like you said.
A
Yeah.
B
Because there's people in tribes in Africa that are happier than us right now, which is crazy. They make no money. They don't know how to speak, I guess. Or they speak a different language, but.
A
They have food, they have community, they have shelter.
B
Yeah.
A
Right.
B
Kind of shelter. I guess shelter. Ish. Yeah. Yeah. But once you got a certain size house, like, is a bigger one going to make you happier? Probably. Probably not.
A
My water bill is.
B
Dude, my electricity was 3,000 last month. No, I can't, because my AC broke.
A
Oh, no.
B
And I'm in Vegas. Yeah. Look at us complaining. Such a first world problem.
A
I know. It's really hard, you guys. It was really hot.
B
That's about it. I know you launched a book club. Anything else you want to close off with here? That was really fun.
A
Yeah. Thank you for having me. Yeah. I have a book club every month because my ADHDs will not read unless I have, like, a deadline. And so I want to read a new book a month. So I started a book club, you know, and so that's on my Patreon. You can go to patreon.com lauraclary and then it just has, like, I go live. That's the only place I go live. And all my podcast sketches, they all go on there first, so. But, yeah, you can just find me at Laura Clary everywhere.
B
Cool. Check her out, guys. Check out her pod and maybe you'll see her in person one of these days.
A
Maybe you will.
B
Peace. Wherever you guys are watching this show, I would truly appreciate it if you follow or subscribe. It helps a lot with the algorithm. It helps us get bigger and better guests, and it helps us grow the team. Truly means a lot. Thank you guys for supporting. And here's the episode.
Digital Social Hour: Laura Clery - "Social Media Is the New Drug And We’re All Addicted" | DSH #1567
Release date: October 13, 2025
Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Laura Clery (Comedian, Author, Host of Idiot Podcast)
Sean Kelly welcomes comedian and content creator Laura Clery for an unfiltered, honest, and humorous conversation about addiction, sobriety, family, parenthood, social media, and the culture of online content. Laura shares her journey of recovery, her experiences with family and divorce, the addictive nature of social media, and her evolving career as a creator and podcaster. Their dialogue touches on mental health, spirituality, the commodification of content, and how digital life shapes identity and happiness.
Sobriety & Relationships
Spiritual Practice
Neurodiversity in Families
Divorce and Effects on Children
Meeting Her Ex & Story of Relapse
The Trap of Validation
Creator Economy—Monetization of Content
Influencer Privilege and Freebies
Transitioning to Live Performance
Sexualization and OnlyFans
What Actually Makes Us Happy
Service Over Self
Summary:
This episode is an honest, expansive, and frequently funny look at the hidden costs of creative success in the digital age. Laura Clery pulls back the curtain on addiction (chemical and digital), the realities of special needs parenting, divorce, and the relentless grind of online content. The discussion underlines that happiness, connection, and service—not money or virality—are what actually sustain us in a world of social media intoxication.