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Bunny
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Melissa Etheridge
Yay.
Bunny
How are you doing?
Melissa Etheridge
I am fantastic.
Bunny
Dude, I never thought this is, like, a dream come true. I just have to tell you, I don't think you realize how many nights I took my clothes off to your music. I'm telling you, man.
Unnamed Guest
Yes.
Bunny
When I was in the strip club, you were my jam on the stage, baby.
Melissa Etheridge
My crew used to go. They. We do a show. If we had, you know, a night off, they would go to the strip clubs, and it would bum them out so much. Every time my songs came on, they'd be like, no boss is watching us.
Bunny
No, I love that. We just went to a strip club literally two weeks ago, and we went to go see male weenie boys. That's what we call them.
Melissa Etheridge
Yeah.
Bunny
Some guy comes out to a jelly roll song. I was like, son of a bitch.
Melissa Etheridge
Totally kills everything, you know?
Bunny
I was like, my lady boner is gone. Lady boner is gone, dude. No, but for real, like, my. I. Because I stripped in the early 2000s. So, I mean, that's. You were on fire.
Melissa Etheridge
Thank you. And I've had fun in some strip clubs hearing my songs, I bet.
Bunny
Oh, my gosh. I could only imagine the type of attention you got. I had. There's so much I want to talk to you about, and I. It's like I don't even know where to start.
Melissa Etheridge
I enabled for a while. I mean, I love my family and. And you might know when you make a lot of money, all of a sudden it becomes very weird with your family.
Bunny
And I've had to cut motherfuckers off left and right.
Melissa Etheridge
Okay, I'm just telling you because you want to make people happy. And back then I thought, oh, well, if I provide this, then they'll. They'll do this. And. And they never do. It does. It just doesn't. You can't do it for anyone else. It takes away their desire anyway. But my sister tried that, and I had to cut everything off, and I did. And nowadays, I think I saw. I hadn't seen her, like, 17 years, and I saw her. Her daughter and I are very close. I helped her daughter out.
Bunny
You started playing in bars when you were 12 years old. What in the hell? Like, I know it was a different era back then. I feel like the era of, like, the. I wasn't around the 70s, but the 80s, the 90s, and even the 2000s was such a fucking cool time. Like, right compared to now. I feel like everybody's offended about everything. Like, you can't fucking say anything. I just feel like back then was just like such a more lax era. I guess you could say it was more magical. It almost felt like, you know, there.
Melissa Etheridge
Was a lot of magic. Yes. Sometimes I look back and my wife will laugh when I say, you know, I was playing a prison. And I showed her a picture of the whole act that went in there with me. You know, I sang, but we had dancers and, you know, comedians and, you know, acrobat people, you know, and they were all in completely inappropriate outfits in the 60s. Right. Going into a prison.
Bunny
Right.
Melissa Etheridge
So that was that. Now the bars. My father would go with me every single time. I was never without my father.
Bunny
So dad was like a constant figure in your life.
Melissa Etheridge
Constant.
Bunny
That's amazing.
Melissa Etheridge
He didn't drink. He would go. He would sit there with a Coke and just. And he would listen. And then he would help me carry my equipment out. And he was. I think he liked it because we would go every Friday and Saturday night, every weekend. And I think the marriage was maybe a little. Because she was having a hard time. And it was a very peaceful Time for him and I, we would really enjoy each other's company and just. And he would go sit and listen. And he wasn't one that, like, critiqued me. And he didn't also, wow, you're really good or anything like that. He just, he just.
Bunny
He just knew it was something that made you happy.
Melissa Etheridge
Absolutely.
Bunny
And he just supported it. That's amazing. That's really cool. With that situation that was going on with your mom too. Just circling back to that, how did you not internalize your mom's anger and pain? Like, how did you avoid that? Do you think your relationship with your father helped you to not internalize it?
Melissa Etheridge
Hmm.
Bunny
Because I know how it is to be around people with depression and sometimes it's very easy to soak up their energy too.
Melissa Etheridge
Yeah. Well, I got out of there as fast as I could.
Bunny
Okay.
Melissa Etheridge
When I was 18, like, I graduated high school and I went to college for a minute.
Bunny
Berkeley College. Not just anybody can get into Berkeley college, by the way.
Melissa Etheridge
Well, it's true. That's true back then. But I didn't go for very long. I only went for a few months because I wanted to sing and play and I'd already been playing and making music, so I just found a restaurant that had a lounge in it that I could go play and I could make money and work on my dream. I really was not a kind of girl that was there and was not a studious musician. No, no.
Bunny
I feel like musicians, you have to be creative. You can't just be put. There are some who can do that, but the majority, you're creative. You can't be, like, stifled by a classroom.
Melissa Etheridge
No, it was crazy. The minute they would tell me, you have to do this note has to come. After that, I'm like, it does not. It's music. What do you say? There has to do this. But that was. It was more of a jazz based thing and that's a whole different mindset.
Bunny
But even to get accepted into Berkeley, like, that's a huge feat. That just goes to show what kind of musician you are, though, because, like, I think they said that it's like a 54% acceptance rate to even get into there now.
Melissa Etheridge
Wow, that's amazing. That's great. Back then it wasn't like that. It was brand new. But yeah, but, you know, it's. It's all good and it is a very good school and they've. I actually got an honorary doctorate from them, so. Really pisses the rest of my family off.
Bunny
But I love it. The wild child Gets the doctorate. I love that. You're the black sheep turns into the goat.
Melissa Etheridge
There you go.
Unnamed Guest
There you go.
Melissa Etheridge
I never heard that.
Bunny
Yeah, that's why I love it. I stole it. It was a meme. It was a meme. And I was like. I relate. So I just.
Unnamed Guest
There you go.
Bunny
How did you define your sound? Because you have such a raspy, just bluesy. Just. Your voice is just so amazing.
Melissa Etheridge
Well, I sang from the. From the time I was 13.
Bunny
Yeah. Did you have that bluesy ness and that rasp, even at 13?
Melissa Etheridge
Well, I. I played in country bands first, even though I didn't. That wasn't my first choice of music. I listened a lot, lot to it. I. You know your classic stuff. But I would sing all those songs, and they're all very throaty, very full. You know, the Tammy Wynette and even Linda Ronstadt that's sort of singing like that. And I'd listen to Gladys Knight, I'd listen to Aretha, and I'm like, you gotta sing from here. And I guess I've always sort of had this voice, because I do remember the choir teacher I also went to. I'd go play in the bars, and then I'd go to church on Sunday.
Bunny
I love that.
Melissa Etheridge
That's what we do.
Bunny
Rock and roll. Angel baby.
Melissa Etheridge
There you go. But I would sing in the choir, and she used to put me in the very back because she'd say I had the weirdest voice, you know, so. So it's kind of. It's a good thing, though. It's good. I'm very grateful for my voice, but I think.
Bunny
I bet she fucking ate shit when she saw you winning Grammys. There's been a few of those.
Melissa Etheridge
There's been a whole. I've got many of those. I'm good there, but it's just something that has developed and I've worked on it, and it's. It's sort of a week. It sounds like. I drink a lot of whiskey and smoke a bunch of cigarette, you know, I love it. I write like that. I've written songs. You know, I'm smoking cigarettes and drinking wits, but I don't. Yeah, I never did.
Bunny
Did you maintain your sobriety, even all through?
Melissa Etheridge
Alcohol was never a problem with me. I. 1. Because I saw my mom, right. And I saw my father, who didn't drink, and I said, I want to be like Dad. I just. That's. I tend to think that children go where it's warm, you know, and. And that was warm. And. And. And. And I'd play at 13, 40, 15. I'd see these people get drunk, and I'm like, well, that's stupid, you know.
Bunny
And nothing attractive held.
Melissa Etheridge
Nothing attractive. I'd see people get all sloppy and stuff at the end of the night and fights. Oh, my God, you know, beer bottles throwing and hiding behind the organs so the chairs don't get you. Yeah, I've. You know, I saw a lot.
Bunny
I could only imagine at such a young age. And the bars back then were just crazy.
Melissa Etheridge
Yes.
Bunny
They were not very politically correct.
Melissa Etheridge
Oh, no, there's nothing like that about there. But again, I always felt safe. My father was there every single night.
Bunny
I love that. We love dad. Is dad still alive?
Melissa Etheridge
I lost dad at 30. It was really, really difficult.
Bunny
Oh, my God. I just lost my dad in May. So I can only imagine how that goes. Yeah, it's brutal.
Melissa Etheridge
But they're always here. He's been there 30 years. He's been there for sure.
Bunny
I've never seen more butterflies. I'm like, bill, I get the damn point.
Melissa Etheridge
Okay, I got it, I got it.
Unnamed Guest
I got it.
Bunny
Dad know you're here. So, moving on from Berkeley. How old are you? Then when you start, like, venturing out and you. You got your first record deal when. Because I know you dropped your first album. 1988.
Melissa Etheridge
Yeah.
Bunny
When was the space in between there that you got signed?
Melissa Etheridge
So I. I finally. I went back to Kansas after Boston, made enough money, played at a restaurant, Granada Royale, Hometown. Played in the lounge, made enough money, buy a car, got a car, drove to Los Angeles in 1982. So I was 21 years old. And LA in the 80s was magnificent.
Bunny
It was great. Tell me about it. It was magnificent because I got to grow up with the Hollywood, too, in the 80s and the 90s, and it was like so, you know, as a child, seeing that, it was a.
Melissa Etheridge
A drama queen's heaven. It was theater. It was. Yeah, we're gonna wear our hair so weird. We're gonna try to do the. Everything weird and against. Until it became the style, you know, until everyone's doing it, you know, I.
Bunny
Remember that's where they got the nickname Holly Weird.
Melissa Etheridge
Yes. You know, we. We. We would shave the side of our heads and, you know, because I went in with the lesbian crowd, you know, the gay crowd, deep, you know, and we're just. We're just the weirdest ones ever, you know, where we were the first ones to go to the Salvation Armies and get the vintage clothing and stuff like that, you know? No, that was back when you could walk in and find amazing things that you'd think, why would someone throw this away? So we. We were living that, and I loved it, and I got really deeply into the whole lesbian world because I ended up playing lesbian bars.
Bunny
So you played, like, the gay circuit?
Melissa Etheridge
Oh, yeah. There wasn't even a gay circuit back.
Bunny
Then because I know Vegas, they had one. There was like a whole little circuit that you could go and just. They called it the Fruit Loop.
Melissa Etheridge
Yeah.
Bunny
But it was like, in a. They said it in the most endearing way, you know, of course. So I didn't know if Hollywood had one of those.
Melissa Etheridge
We didn't have a Fruit Loop, but we had a lot of fruits and nuts. But no, these were just like the bars. That one was in Long Beach.
Bunny
I love Long Beach.
Melissa Etheridge
Yeah. And it had just opened, but I ended up playing a place in Pasadena and Long beach and hardly ever in LA because there wasn't a lot a live music scene. But I had created these. They weren't looking for work. I actually was there on a date and went and saw a piano in the corner and said, hey, you have music? They said, no, that came with the steakhouse that used to be here. But you want to, you know, play at night. And so they let me. I created these jobs because there was nobody making money in Hollywood. Everyone was playing for free.
Bunny
Wow.
Melissa Etheridge
And so I played for four years in these bars, and I thought, how am I ever going to be signed in a lesbian bar? No one's ever going to see me. But slowly, the wife, who. Who was a soccer coach, the girls brought her in. You got to hear this girl. And then the wife tells the husband, who's a manager, a music manager, managed bread and whatever. He comes down, he's like, well, and this is 1983. And he sticks with me for. Well, we ended up working together for 30 years. But he said, look, I don't know when it's happening, but I believe you have a great talent, and I think you can do this. And he even said, he goes, stay in the lesbian bars. I will bring the people to you. You're making money, right? You're making a living. You can pay your rent. And every single record company over those four years came out to see me.
Bunny
Wow.
Melissa Etheridge
And they would. They would go like, Warner Brothers, brought out all their tables, and there'd be. I don't know whether it was because they were surrounded by lesbians or what it was, but they would always, you know, then say, oh, we don't hear a hit. And they never knew. And it wasn't until 1986. 1986, I'm playing in Long beach and a producer guy who had tried to get me a deal with A and M knew Chris Blackwell. Chris Blackwell owned Island Records. He discovered Bob Marley. He brought Bob Marley to the world. He was from Jamaica. He was this eccentric rich son of the Blackwell Soups or something, and Jamaican. And he brought U2, Robert Palmer. He was just a great music guy. And he walked into the bar, heard four songs and said, I don't know why you're not signed, and signed me right there.
Bunny
More record deals back then, because I know they're so different now. Like, what did they offer you? Am I allowed to ask that?
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
Melissa Etheridge
Let me see if I can remember the first.
Bunny
I'm fascinated with the inner workings of how that is, because, I mean, you've seen the music industry change so much.
Melissa Etheridge
I sold 25 million albums and Island Records still say I owe them money. Yeah.
Bunny
Wow.
Melissa Etheridge
That's how bad the record coming. But they've forgiven it at this point. It's like, oh, stop it. What do you mean?
Bunny
The record deals back then were crazy.
Melissa Etheridge
No, you didn't. Even your lawyers would just go. Because they didn't have to sign you. There was so much music. They weren't like they were doing you a favor. And you knew that. You knew that you had to get.
Bunny
Through this door or you're pretty much signing. I don't want to say signing your life away, but you're signing the rights to yourself just so that you can for a while.
Melissa Etheridge
So that company will blow you up and take all the money from it, but you will get the fame.
Bunny
Yes.
Melissa Etheridge
And that's. I kind of realized that. And I had a good manager who told me who said, look, you know, it's not about your records. Don't even think about that, because that really doesn't exist. It's about your publishing. Because you write, then I can make the money from the publishing. That's when you see an artist who doesn't write their own stuff, who doesn't really like to perform. They're not gonna be around for a while because performing is your bread and butter. And that. I started, you know, I'd already been playing these bars and clubs. Then I made a record and I went out and played more bars and clubs. And then it just grew from there. And I wouldn't. I would not trade that for the world. For the first. My first album came out in 1988, and I played everywhere. I played Europe and Australia and all these Places. Because the. The first album did well.
Bunny
So you traveled everywhere after you dropped your album. I'm gonna look at my notes real quick because there was something really cool that I realized with these albums that you dropped. So you dropped, you know, May 2, 1988, you dropped your first album, and then you had a hit Bring Me Some Water that was nominated for a Grammy. But then you go on to drop albums, another album gets nominated for Grammys. Right? And then you win a Grammy Award. Yeah, that's insane. And your first three albums, you. You get a Grammy Award. Like, that's insane.
Melissa Etheridge
That really surprised me because it wasn't. I didn't even get. A lot of people think I won for Best New Artist, but I didn't get that. I wasn't even nominated for that. It was back when they had a category called Best Female Rock Vocal. They don't have that anymore.
Bunny
They should, though.
Melissa Etheridge
I know. But first, I. Yeah, I was nominated. I was nominated Each. I've been nominated 17 times.
Bunny
That's crazy. But still, that's crazy.
Melissa Etheridge
It's. It was great because my career really went from here to huge. I went from selling 60,000 albums to like, almost a million after. After the Grammys. And because the Grammys had that large of a reach. And it was because. Not because I was nominated, but because I performed. And it was a very special year. This was 1989, and Tracy Chapman performed. Sinead O'Connor performed.
Bunny
Oh, my goodness.
Melissa Etheridge
I performed. My manager actually strong armed the producers into letting. They wanted to mash all our songs up. And he said, are you kidding? This is such a strong year for women. You've got to let them have their thing. And they let us each sing our songs by ourselves, and it was really powerful. Grammys.
Bunny
That's amazing.
Melissa Etheridge
I didn't win, but I performed.
Bunny
It's all right. You were there, baby. You had your foot in the door. We actually just got to see Tracy Chapman at the Grammys perform with Luke Combs. And I was like. I was. That was. The highlight of my night was to get to see her perform because, you know, it's such a rarity these days.
Melissa Etheridge
What a beautiful soul.
Bunny
Oh, just so good. I was just like. I was so thankful to be there in that moment because it was just really magical. I loved it. Guess what month it is, Mimi?
Unnamed Co-Host
It's October.
Bunny
And you know what that means. True crime, baby. True crime. For the next. For the next four weeks, we are going to be covering all different sorts of true crime stories. And the podcast just gets turned into just so much fun. It's our favorite time of year.
Unnamed Co-Host
It really is.
Bunny
Yeah. As you can see, we're on the tour bus so we are making it work in very small working conditions.
Unnamed Co-Host
We made it feel very homely with our decorations.
Bunny
Yep. I love it. I like it.
Unnamed Co-Host
Freaking bats.
Bunny
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Unnamed Co-Host
Coming in hot.
Bunny
Coming in hot, baby. It's been a brutal month.
Unnamed Co-Host
Yeah. We had a day off yesterday and we got to spend it at the beach, but someone was sick.
Bunny
I almost died because I took Triazepatide this week. And we'll talk about that on another podcast.
Unnamed Co-Host
Talking fast. We just went through that.
Bunny
Yeah, well, I didn't tell my whole story, though. So on another Askel confess, I'll definitely tell you guys the whole story of what's happening. But anyways, so who are we talking about today?
Unnamed Co-Host
So today this is actually a recent case that. I mean, how recent really was this?
Bunny
It's very recent. Like within, what, the last year?
Unnamed Co-Host
Yeah. Carly Greg has been on everyone's for you pages, I'm sure. Because that video, I mean, you never really get the amount of video that this has. Like, I'm. When I dove into this case, the amount of security footage that she did not take care of.
Bunny
No, it was crazy.
Unnamed Co-Host
I was shocked. So we've got home footage.
Bunny
This happened because she was 14 when it happened and she was 15 when she got convicted March 19th. So March 19th, 2024. This just happened.
Unnamed Co-Host
This is so fresh.
Bunny
Yeah, this just happened.
Unnamed Co-Host
And there was a lot to this case that I didn't know via TikTok. So once we actually dove into it and learned about it, I was shocked. I feel like it changed my mind on a couple things. I feel like this is going to be interesting.
Bunny
Yeah, it's definitely interesting because you and I disagree.
Unnamed Co-Host
We do.
Bunny
So I would disagree. I feel like I. I sense a child who just wants to be accepted by people around her.
Unnamed Co-Host
Yes.
Bunny
Like somebody who feels like she's never been accepted into one peer group.
Unnamed Co-Host
And that being she is also much younger than her peers at that time. She did become romantic with a fellow student and they really felt. The mom really felt like she shouldn't be.
Bunny
I mean, she's at this point, she's like, what, 12, 13?
Unnamed Co-Host
Yeah.
Bunny
You shouldn't be romantic with anybody.
Unnamed Co-Host
Anybody.
Bunny
Granted my first kiss was when I was 12, but still.
Unnamed Co-Host
Yeah.
Bunny
When was your first kiss?
Unnamed Co-Host
They're probably about to say, yeah. Yeah.
Bunny
Oh, yeah.
Unnamed Co-Host
I didn't go tongue right away, James.
Bunny
At the bus stop.
Unnamed Co-Host
At the bus stop.
Bunny
At the bus stop. Yeah.
Unnamed Co-Host
Wow.
Bunny
Yeah.
Unnamed Co-Host
Interesting. Mine was on my friend's bed.
Bunny
God, you little hussy. You're a freaking hussy. Was it just kissing?
Unnamed Co-Host
He just kissed me. His name was Trevor.
Bunny
Trevor. Trevor. Sounds like a cute boy. I feel like all the cute boys names were Trevor.
Unnamed Co-Host
Yeah, his name was Trevor. He was like my first, like, real boyfriend. Anyways, sorry, babe. Jason's over there editing this.
Bunny
Like, what?
Unnamed Co-Host
So.
Bunny
Can't believe she kissed somebody at 12.
Unnamed Co-Host
Before me, Carly was placed on anti psychotics.
Bunny
And which anti psychotics. When you're 11 or 12, your brain is still developing. And you guys know how I feel about putting children on medication. Do I think that there are some exceptions to the rule? Absolutely. Do I think people. Some people really need it? Absolutely. But I also feel like a child's mind is still forming. It's still, you know, you're growing. You're going through so many hormonal changes. Like you are giving a child antipsychotics. You do not know how they're going to react in that child's brain.
Unnamed Co-Host
Yeah, no, literally. And what effects good and bad is going to have. You're trying to do it just for the good, but, like, man, there's so many bad side effects.
Bunny
So many.
Unnamed Co-Host
And I think that's what we actually ended up seeing happen because she was on different antipsychotics. And at some point the doctors were basically like, we don't know what else to do. And that's sort of if you guys know anything about Lexapro. Lexapro is one of those drugs. I truly feel like a doctor gets to a point where they're like, I don't know what else is going to help. So we're going to just throw Lexapro at it and hope this just takes care of whatever problem you have.
Bunny
They put you on Lexapro, didn't they?
Unnamed Co-Host
No, I never went on Lexapro.
Bunny
No.
Unnamed Co-Host
I almost refused because it's like it was in discussion, but it was in discussion with other medications. Lex Pro is something I never wanted to put myself on because of the side effects and changes I've seen within people. And I do feel like they're permanent changes.
Bunny
Yeah.
Unnamed Co-Host
I feel like that truly alters your brain and it makes you almost unhuman, which is what we saw with Carly.
Bunny
Super numb. Like, unemotional.
Unnamed Co-Host
Exactly.
Bunny
Yeah.
Unnamed Co-Host
And there were some medications that I remember being on when I was on antidepressants, which made me feel like that. So I could not imagine, even close to imagine what she went through, because I know what that numb Feeling feels like.
Bunny
I feel like this is a little girl who was screaming out for help and didn't know how to get it, and she just became a product of her environment.
Unnamed Co-Host
Absolutely.
Bunny
And, you know, I. I don't want to say that I sympathize with her, but, I mean, she's a child, dude. How many of us made severe mistakes when we were younger? Granted, we did not kill people.
Unnamed Co-Host
No.
Bunny
And that's not right at all. But, you know, they switched her to this Lexapro. And then five days later, what happens? Yes, she kills her mother.
Unnamed Co-Host
Only five days prior was this new medication introduced. And within those five days, I can guarantee you she never saw anyone to see how she was feeling. Those people throw these medications at you and are like, well, we'll see what happens in a month. Yeah, I know in those five days, you did not go see a doctor. I know in those five days, you did not get checkups. Nothing.
Bunny
Day of the murder, you know, everything was normal that day. I think they had just gotten home from school. Was that what it was?
Unnamed Co-Host
Yeah. So that she had taken her, like, a completely normal day because they both went to school together, the mom worked there, and the dad leaves shortly after the stepdad.
Bunny
Right.
Unnamed Co-Host
Leaves shortly after them in the morning. And everyone who interacted with them at school that day were like. It was a normal day.
Bunny
Yeah. Like, everything was normal. And, you know, when they got home, Carly went to go walk the dogs. Ashley, her mom, did a check of her room like she normally does, and she did a check of her room that day because a friend had snitched on Carly and told the mom that day that they were concerned for her because she had began, you know, dabbling in vapes and, like, was becoming an addict. Like, she had to smoke weed every day. She had to have the vapes and all that stuff. So while Carly was out walking the dogs, that was her mom's opportunity to go through her room. She ended up finding four vapes. Weed cartridges, too, I believe. Right. And something else like that.
Unnamed Co-Host
Yeah.
Bunny
So when her mom was going through her room, Carly walks in on her mom searching her bedroom and found that her mother had, you know, found all of her stuff. And I understand how enraging that is as a child, because my stepmom used to go through my all the time, and it's like, you just feel like you have no privacy. So I guarantee she was just livid, you know, she was just like, does this woman ever leave me alone? You know? So after that had happened and Carly's mom was done searching a room. Carly went into her mom's room, which kind of surprises me because where was her mom at that she could go in her room?
Unnamed Co-Host
I'm sure still in Carly's room.
Bunny
Okay.
Unnamed Co-Host
Yeah.
Bunny
So while her mom is still searching.
Unnamed Co-Host
Her room, because she said she was, they were kind of in an argument.
Bunny
Yeah.
Unnamed Co-Host
You know, and it happened so fast.
Bunny
So while, while Ashley's still doing Carly's room, Carly goes to her mom's nightstand where her mom keeps a.38 special, and you can see her on camera. And Jason will, will insert the video here for everybody. You can see Carly walk into her mom's bedroom, and then she walks out of her mom's bedroom hiding the gun behind her back. So obvious, like, yeah, like, what is that? But that tells me that she wasn't crazy because she knew that there was cameras in the house and she knew to hide the gun. I would think that if you had lost your mind and you were kind of crazy, granted, I understand she's probably going through a roller coaster of emotions coming off antipsychotics, going on to Lexapro. Yes. I am probably numb to everything and not thinking in her right mind, but she wasn't so crazy enough to not realize that there was cameras watching her.
Unnamed Co-Host
Yeah, I, I, we'll get to that part.
Bunny
So Carly walks by the cameras, like we said, with the gun behind her back. And by this time, Ashley, I think Carly had walked around like the kitchen or something like that too. And by this time, Ashley had gone back into her room and she walks into her mom's room and just cold blooded shoots her in the face three times.
Unnamed Guest
Yep.
Bunny
During the trial, some of her friends even testified that she was on numerous drugs too. So you have to think this girl's taking antipsychotics, she's taking Lexapro, and she's on various drugs, which we don't know what they are, but especially like in the vapes, you don't know what you're getting these days with these kids. I know Bailey's had kids overdose at her school just from hitting a vape, you know, so it's like you don't know where this girl's mind really was. Yes, she was cold. Yes, she was borderline calculated with some of the things she did. But it was also a crime of passion, which makes it so weird. There's like just a smorgasbord of.
Unnamed Co-Host
It's a 50. 50 for. Yeah, you definitely planned some of it. But in the other sense of it, I'm like, are you really that stupid?
Bunny
Yeah. So with all the footage and the testimony, they ended up sentencing her to life in prison for murder without parole, life in prison for attempted murder without parole, plus 10 more years for tampering with evidence, which. What's the tampering? Putting the towel over her mom's face.
Unnamed Co-Host
Probably towel and who knows what else.
Bunny
She could have probably, you know, moved the mom's body.
Melissa Etheridge
Yeah.
Unnamed Co-Host
Like, if she was in there for a while, she definitely was within the crime scene. So she was doing something.
Bunny
Yeah.
Unnamed Co-Host
Yeah.
Bunny
So after the. After her sentencing, the stepfather spoke out and he had a statement. So let's read what the stepfather had to say. He said, I am ashamed, I'm embarrassed, I'm angry, I'm upset, and I'm very sad. I loved Ashley Smiley, too. We were married for almost a decade and, yeah, he didn't comment about anything else. You would think that he would comment on telling her I love her during the trial. Yep. I'm just skimming through this. Yeah. That's all he said.
Unnamed Co-Host
That is so strange to me. Yeah, I would. I am very anxious to see how this plays out. This does play out. Because there is bound to be more evidence that gets released to the public once all of this becomes public. I would love to see more about, you know, him taking the stand versus, you know, her taking the stand. He did take the stand, but, I mean, like, just. It's very interesting. What?
Bunny
I want to know what happened. I want to know what happened at home. Like, let's go through those phone records. Yeah, let's go through those counseling therapy sessions because Lyle and Eric Menendez confided in their therapist about the rapes and stuff like that.
Unnamed Co-Host
She didn't go to therapy for long. It literally says that she went very temporarily and then the mom never followed back up on it.
Bunny
Yeah. So do we think that the mom never followed back up on it, or did Carly reveal something that the mom didn't like? Today is going to be fun because I got my boy JD Delay in the house. Baby. What's going on?
JD Delay
What's up, sis?
Bunny
How you doing, dude? I'm so good. I'm so happy to have you here.
JD Delay
I'm so stoked to be here. I almost, like, bleached my hair to.
Bunny
Be here to fit in the beard. The beard.
JD Delay
I know. I can't do the beard.
Bunny
The beard's sacred. Why are men like that with their beards?
JD Delay
So it's the male push up bra. Like, you can't see my undefined, unchiseled jawline. I'm not Bradley under here, so I have to have the beard.
Bunny
I feel like you guys all say that about your jawlines and then when you shave them off, like, some of you guys have really good chins and really good jawlines. Is that like an insecurity with men? Is there jawlines and their chins?
JD Delay
I mean, I think so. Like, you know, I've classically, throughout my life struggled with my weight. So, you know, there will be a period of time, you know, if I'm not on with my fitness, where I would have a little bit of a double chin. And, you know, it just looked really pronounced on me. I felt like I looked like a turkey. So, yeah, you know, the beard really comes in in the clutch. But I'm doing halfway good about my weight right now and everything. But it's always a struggle. It's like a sliding scale. As soon as I started bodybuilding, I got body dysmorphia. I have, I have Swolorexia. I always think I'm smaller than I am.
Bunny
Or is that a real thing?
JD Delay
Oh, yeah.
Bunny
Wow.
JD Delay
Bodybuilding will ruin your self image issues.
Bunny
I was talking with my girl Jessica about, she does bikini comps. And we were talking about it last night and I was like, I. I already have an eating disorder. If I was competing, like how you guys do, like in those competitions or doing any sort of bodybuilding, I would tear myself apart more than I already do. Like, that's a crazy thing to get into. What makes people want to get into the bodybuilding aspect and do those competitions and stuff?
JD Delay
I mean, for me, it just became an addiction that sort of like, I did a replacement addiction. When I first got out of prison, you know, I started hitting the gym real hard and I met a dude that was a bodybuilding coach. He had a whole team of just, just amazingly built people. And I didn't really know what I was doing on a major level. So I went up to the biggest, gnarliest, like, best chiseled dude there. And I asked him, I said, hey, I don't know what I'm doing, man. Can you just give me a couple tips? And he's like, come work out with us, brother. What people don't realize is that those people that are serious about bodybuilding, they're the kindest people. Like, they can be so intimidating. But he just took me under his wing and it really just became a replacement addiction that really helped me to stay out of trouble for a really long time.
Bunny
I'm sure people are like, okay, what's Bunny doing it's true crime. Why do we have J.D. here? So you and I met pretty much online because, you know, you have gone to bat for my husband a lot and for me. And we really, really want to just give you your flowers and tell you that thank you and that we appreciate that. As a matter of fact, my husband is at a Titans game right now and he's like, you want to go? And I was like, no, I can't. I have a podcast today. And he's like, oh, who's it with? And I was like, J.D. delaney goes the prison dude. And I was like, yeah. He goes, I fucking love him. And I was like, I didn't know that. He was like, yeah, dude. He's like, I want to meet him. And I was like, okay, well, you know, stop by the studio on your way back from the game. So he's making it a point to come here because he wants to see. Yeah, huge. He loves you.
JD Delay
His music has gotten me through such dark times in my life. When I was in early recovery where I didn't love myself at all in any way, shape or form, you know, like Addiction Kills. And I listened to him when I was trapping, when he was doing trap raps and everything. But Addiction Kills was such a defining album for me, just cathartically like as far as music being medicine, that got me through dark times and he's just stayed being a staple of, you know, my go to when I need support and therapy through music. So I was a 20 year career criminal and drug addict. All of my crimes were drug fueled crimes. I've never been arrested sober. And you know, I think it all started I was sexually abused when I was young. So a lot of my content is going after sexual predators. A lot of the things that I've done in my life has. I don't ever want to blame my actions on anything else, but I feel like there were two separate paths and I went down a path and eventually I had to realize that I was using what happened to me as a permission statement for me to continue acting in horrible ways, you know, ways that hurt myself, ways that hurt the people that loved me, ways that hurt the community around me. You know, I was given an opportunity by a judge when I was facing a significant amount of time to be able to go to a treatment center. And that treatment center changed my life. That judge changed my life. He had no reason to have any faith in me. I just got busted with an ID printer. I was printing out credit cards. We had counterfeit.
Bunny
You were A scammer.
JD Delay
Well, so, you know, I originally went to prison for stealing cars. I was a pretty prolific car thief back then. And I hated it. I hated that, you know, this was, it was a crime where I was, you know, taking things from other people that were hard working people. I always had this stupid justification in my mind that, you know, oh, there's insurance. But it was the, that I told myself to be able to do the things that I knew were wrong. You know, when I was doing, when I was doing credit card fraud, I was going after pharmaceutical company representatives. So I was stealing from pharmaceutical companies. I'd seen what they'd done with the opioid epidemic and I'd lost so many friends. And I just found another justification. You know, it's like, I'm not stealing from people. I'm stealing from these evil corporations. The Secret Service granted me a little perspective. They put me on my face. SWAT team and Secret Service grabbed me in Florida for that. And I got charged with organized fraud, counterfeiting. I ended up, they came at me later with sales of methamphetamines. They had a controlled buy on me from one of my best friends. Should have listened to my dog. My dog never liked that person. Only person she never liked.
Bunny
So they were snitching on you?
JD Delay
Yeah, well, you know what I was doing scumbag stuff. And, you know, it is what it is. That person today is clean and sober and they work in the recovery industry. And I actually was their sponsor for a little bit, even after they did the controlled by on me. You know, I'm never one to condone snitching. I don't think you can condone or you can snitch on sex offenders. And I don't think that civilians that aren't involved in the game can snitch. But I don't condone snitching amongst, you know, criminals. But, you know, I just felt like I had received so much grace that I needed to extend that grace wherever I could. So. Plus he'd been like my best friend, you know, and he's beautiful though, that.
Bunny
You could forgive somebody for that. Because, you know, growing up in the streets, we're taught to not forgive people who, you know, quote unquote, rat us out and stuff like that.
JD Delay
Well, anybody else can judge him for what he did if they want to. I've. I've chosen to let that go.
Bunny
That's powerful though.
JD Delay
Now I see what the impact that he's having on the world around him now that he's clean and sober. And he's like, literally, he works in a hospital, and when people overdose, he's the person who comes and tries to help them, you know, get them into detox, get them into treatment. Sober living sets them up with a program. And I do work a lot in that vein. You know, that treatment center really gave me the tools because you can. You can never build somebody's house in recovery, but you can offer them the tools so they can put in the work themselves. And they gave me the tools. And today I'm a recovery coach, peer support recovery specialist, and a smart recovery facilitator. And I own my own recovery coaching business. And it's doing that work is what feeds my soul. And a lot of the other work that I do really is what brings in the money so that I can keep doing my outreach to people.
Bunny
I love that. That is such a beautiful testimony. And you have a really big YouTube channel, too. Like, it's. You have a pretty big online following as well. So, I mean, there's a lot of people who support and love what you're doing.
JD Delay
Yeah, I've been blessed, man. I don't like to think of my. My YouTube as a channel. It's a community. It's about every single person who is a part of it, subscribed or not, just as much as it is me. We support each other in the comments, we love each other in the lives, we cheer for each other's sober versaries and, you know, when people graduate or get new jobs. But it's like 1.2 million, and I got like 1.6 million on TikTok. TikTok seems to be less personal and more of a. A battleground, it feels like. But there are some really amazing people I've been able to connect.
Bunny
So many amazing. Yeah, and I. I hear you on that. It's so. I feel like lately TikTok has turned into just this crazed cesspool of, like, who can expose who and who can hurt people. And really, you people need to just love, you know, love always wins. And I just feel like, you know, it's. TikTok can be very, you know, dangerous, but at the same time, it's so beneficial because, you know, I got to meet you through TikTok and, like, you know, we've developed our friendship. I got to meet your hot wife over here. So, you know, I'm super excited about our friendship, but are you ready to dive into good old Wade Wilson?
JD Delay
Man, if Wade runs out of haters, my face is on a T shirt and my Mama and my wife are crying. I'm always ready. But before I say that, I just. You said love always wins. I got love wins tattooed on my knuckles.
Bunny
I love that.
JD Delay
Which is, you know, a profound statement for my life and also ironic when somebody sees it right before they get Catch a cold one for doing something wrong, you know?
Bunny
So, yeah, I love that. I love that you're a lover and a fighter, because I like to pride myself on being that, too.
JD Delay
Love is protecting the people that you love. And I don't. I don't just believe in protecting the people that I love. I believe in protecting the vulnerable, protecting the innocent, protecting those who can't protect themselves. I didn't get that when I was six years old, so now I like to do anything I can to be that for other people.
Bunny
I hate that that happened to you. I text you that, you know, and I just wouldn't. I didn't know that about you until you had text out to me. And it just hurt my heart because, you know, in lieu of the song that just dropped that Jay had, like, you know, like. And then you tell me that I was just like, oh, my God, like this. You don't realize how many people have been like, why are we not talking more about this? The fact that 17 million people in three days consumed this song, like, that's crazy and could resonate with it, you know? Like, it's just really. That's a pan. That's an epidemic that we need to. Not a pandemic. That's an epidemic that we need to really start talking about a lot more. I feel like it's just so in the dark and nobody wants to touch on it because it's like, oh, you're not supposed to talk about what happened to you and don't talk about that kind of trauma. But it's like, that's half. Half these children that are growing up becoming criminals, because I was one of them, too. Something happened in their childhood that needs to be talked about. And, yeah, I'm sorry that that happened to you, and you never deserved that. But look at the man that you are today, you know?
JD Delay
Well, thank you. And talking about it is a huge part of the healing process. People need to. It needs to be destigmatized, especially for men. That's why I. I started talking about it when I was doing public speaking in recovery in Florida. And, you know, there's literally never been a time that I've told my story that I've excluded that, and there's never been a time That I haven't had people come up to me afterwards and say, like, I've never been able to admit to anyone else what happened to me when I was a kid. But seeing you do that, like, I want to tell you, and so I'll take the time with them and. And sit down and listen. And it's always more than one person in a room full of people.
Bunny
Yeah.
JD Delay
And, you know, especially for men, it's hard to talk about, but talking about it is what helps you heal and helps you get past it. And until you do that, you're carrying a piece of that person that did that to you with you. Being able to let go of that situation and cast that person out of you is so important for your self healing. That's where I found self love.
Bunny
Yeah, no, that's. And that's a heavy cross to bear, man. To have to hold that in and not be able to speak about it. Just that. That creates so much unresolved anger in your soul, and then that unresolved anger in return comes out in other ways. And, you know, if anything like that has ever happened to you, you know, please speak up about it, because you're not alone. And, you know, people like me and jd, JD and I have been through, you know, the same scenario. And there's thousands of other people that are with you and sucks that we're in that club together, but it's like, you know what? At least we can make it a family. Zane is joining us on the couch, and Brandon is here. What's up, you guys? How are you? Thank you for joining us.
Zayn
No, thank you. This is a very interesting experience, especially since I've never been to Nashville before.
Bunny
Oh, I love it. I love that you guys were willing to come here and sit on this couch. And, you know, like, I've. I've been talking with JD for the past two hours about, you know, the whole entire situation that has happened, the case and all that stuff. And, you know, I just think it's so important that the people get to see your faces. And it's like my husband said downstairs, it's like that dude's gonna be locked in a cell and he's gonna be forgotten about. And what we can do to make sure that the person that we can make sure that isn't forgotten is Diane Ruiz and Christine Melton. So. And that's what. That's what we want to do here today is just to honor your mom. Brandon would like to talk to you or something like that. And I was like, yes, connect Us. I would love to speak with him because I was just like. I was. At this point, I had fucking got my self and, you know, stuck my foot in my mouth and got myself in a world of. And I was just like, how can I fix this? Because I'm the type of person, if I do something wrong, I want to write it, and that's just how it's going to go. And I will go to the ends of the earth until I write it.
Melissa Etheridge
Yeah.
Brandon
And then I do want to go back to where we first started. And you called it a mistake. I wouldn't call it a mistake at all if it led us to this point now, because it's always a blessing. I mean, there's certain ways that some situations have to be brought up. And if that was to be brought up like that, I wouldn't call it a mistake at all. You know what I mean?
Bunny
I appreciate you so much.
Brandon
I can say that deeply down.
Zayn
But also, I don't want you to feel bad because at the time, I'm obviously, I'm very avid on TikTok and it was very popular at the time. And I, you know, I scroll and stuff like that. And what you said wasn't. Wasn't even bad compared to other things I've seen. It definitely does not cross other lines.
Bunny
You know, can you guys take me back to when this first happened and, you know, the. The events that happened after?
Brandon
You want me to go first or you.
Zayn
For me, I was actually in class and it was a very interesting, like, situation because I had no clue, like, I had absolutely no clue that she even went missing.
Bunny
How old were you?
Zayn
I was 14 in my freshman year of high school.
Melissa Etheridge
School.
Bunny
And how old were you, Brandon? Me?
Brandon
I want to say I was 24. Almost 25, I would say.
Bunny
Okay.
Melissa Etheridge
So, yeah.
Zayn
And at the time, we. We were poor, so we didn't really have, like, WI fi and stuff like that. And Brandon didn't have cell service, so he was like, contacting me through Snapchat. And I. I was basically like, leave me alone. I'm in the middle of class. What are you doing? Like, you're at home. It can't be that important, right? And he was like, no, I need Scott's number, which is my mom's ex boyfriend or boyfriend at the time.
Bunny
Were you guys close with your mom at this time? Were you guys, like, in constant contact with her? What was the relationship like?
Zayn
Yeah, we had dinner with her, like, that night before. Brandon cooked dinner, and we ate with her that night before.
Brandon
And that Was literally my best friend in life. My number one best friend.
Bunny
During this time, did you guys feel like something was off or were you guys just thinking that maybe she was like went to go take a mental health day or something?
Brandon
I was trying to think on the positive side and I was just thinking maybe she just wanted to take a mental health day or she went somewhere and I guess it was like some midlife crisis. But I know mom's. Well, I didn't know that, but I was hoping for her to come back obviously, because you have us all worried though. And then when we found out about the true situation is. Was very bad though, I guess.
Bunny
Can you guys take me to that moment when you found out what had happened?
Brandon
Exactly when that happened is when we found out actually Zayn was at school.
Zayn
They completely like, for me, I'm a complete workaholic.
Bunny
So I was, I can tell.
Zayn
I was 14 and in my head I was like, she's coming back. Like dog, there's nothing wrong. I was probably just like blocking it out cuz I, I only skipped one day of school. Like the day she went missing, I skipped the next day, went with them. And then I was like, I gotta go back to school. Like I can't just like disappear obviously because high school is so important and.
Bunny
Now you're like that with college.
Zayn
Yeah, basically.
Bunny
So this is a character, this is a character trait, babe.
Zayn
Okay, yeah, but like I just went back to school. Like nothing happened. I was like. Cuz like a lot of my friends, since it was like popular on the news and stuff like that and nobody was really telling me anything, I was just like, dog, this is fine. She's going to come back. Like I don't know, maybe she, she just had a little breakdown. Like it's okay, you know, it's normal. She's a person, whatever. I go along with my school day, I'm still going to school and marching band practice, I'm doing everything. And then I remember it was like on a Thursday and I'm still at practice and I start getting spam texts from my friends specifically. And like half of the people are going, I'm so sorry, Zayn. Like that should have never happened. I'm like, oh, what are you all talking about? Like she went missing three days ago. Like I don't know. To me it was like, oh, it's fine. Like you know she's gonna turn up.
Bunny
It was like denial.
Zayn
Yeah, basically. And then I remember my brother pulled up to like pick me up from marching band and then he's with like my sister in law's baby mama. She's driving. I go in the backseat and then he comes to sit in the backseat with me and like I just kind of like freeze, you know?
Brandon
Yeah, I, I can actually add on that's actually the day that I got into the back of your car and. And then I seen you freeze and then that's when you start wondering. And then I don't think I told you until we almost got to the house or when we got to the house.
Zayn
Nah, because they told me the moment we started driving.
Brandon
It was the moment that Sophie started driving. Yeah, that's the same day that after, after we got to the house and we both went. And then we both had went into your room and cuddled and cried together.
Bunny
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Kristin Cavallari
I'm so excited to be here.
Bunny
Dude. I am so stoked to have you here. This has been a long time coming.
Kristin Cavallari
I know we've been talking about this for, I mean, months. Months.
Bunny
Maybe it might even be a year.
Kristin Cavallari
That's what I was going to say. It might be. Yeah.
Unnamed Guest
So yay.
Kristin Cavallari
So happy it's finally happening.
Bunny
Dude. You are an icon in your own right. Dude. You have been around forever and I don't think, like, I don't feel like the new TikTok people really know, like, your whole lore.
Melissa Etheridge
I love you.
Bunny
You have like a lore to you. And it's like people are just like, oh, Kristen Cavallari just came on the scene. I've seen comments like that and I'm like. And they're like, who is she? And I'm like, how do you guys not know?
Kristin Cavallari
I mean, I've always said I feel like the first. The first half of my life was just like thing after thing. Just like it was just a lot. And now I'm hoping that I'm setting the second half, second half of my life up to just be chill, just like relax and be able to just enjoy my life.
Bunny
Do you think all that trauma that you had was why you were so fierce on Laguna beach and the hills?
Kristin Cavallari
I think it definitely played a role. And I think always being the new girl and moving around constantly, I was able to be put in Any situation, and it was like, sink or swim. And I figured out how to survive, you know, and how to make the most of it. So I think I naturally sort of had this tough exterior, this, like, take no shit attitude. But I also was able to figure out any situation you could put me in. So I think the combination. Yeah. Is what made me this, like, you know, fucking firecracker.
Bunny
I love that, though. And that's what you were known for, and that's literally why people fell in love with you, because, you know, back then, we didn't have a lot of, like, strong personalities like that on tv. Well, I got a lot of hate.
Kristin Cavallari
For it at the time. And now it's interesting because people are like, wait a minute.
Bunny
Maybe Christian wasn't the villain.
Kristin Cavallari
Fuck, 20 years later, I' Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Bunny
I. You know, and I'm. I don't want to talk shit about her, but it. Lauren always rubbed me the wrong way, and I was just like. I don't know. Like, it just seems a little too manufactured. Like, it just didn't seem real to me. But you always came across as authentic. Thank you. Do you feel like, because you were always the, you know, fierce one and the one to speak up and the one to fight back, do you feel like people didn't really get a sense of who you really were because of that?
Kristin Cavallari
100%. And I think that was the thing. Laguna beach showed one side of my personality. And I mean, you know, we're all. We have so many different sides to our personality. And so, you know, people. Because I do have a very soft side, too. And of course, as I've gotten older and became a mom and everything, I've really honed in on that. But even back then, I mean, I did as well. And I still have that. That, you know, take no shit side to me, but when that's the only thing they're showing. Yes. I mean, you can't really get to know someone. And it's interesting because Steven and I actually did a Back to the beach podcast. So it was a rewatch podcast. And we went back, and it was the first time I had seen it since it aired. And at the time, I remember being like, MTV fucked with me so hard, and I thought it was unfair. And then going back and rewatching it and talking to everybody, I was like, oh, no, they fucked with everyone. Like, they did what they did to me, they did to every single cast member. Even, you know, Lauren. They only showed one side of her personality, too, Steven. The same thing. And so I Walked away from that being like, it just. It was what it was and I was so mad about it for so long. But it was a nice way to kind of like wrap that up and be like, it wasn't just me. I wasn't the victim in that situation. Like, it happened to us all.
Bunny
Aw, that's. That's actually a really cool perspective though, because most people would internalize that and be like, I was picked on and victimized themselves. And you were like, no, actually they did it to everybody. Yeah. So you guys didn't have any control of what was getting put out there?
Kristin Cavallari
Nothing. Oh, nothing.
Bunny
I feel like reality TV back in the day did that to everybody. Like, you signed your life and right away as a human and what they wanted to present you as was what you were going to be known as.
Kristin Cavallari
Yep, I know. Because, you know, it was one of the first reality shows, so we didn't know what we were signing up for.
Bunny
Right.
Kristin Cavallari
And you know, even things like they would have us just record wild lines, just lines, and they could splice them in wherever they wanted. And so in a sense, I mean, we kind of had an idea of what they were doing because we're like, well, obviously I didn't say this, but you're having me say it into a microphone, so you're clearly going to use it somewhere. So we knew that they were manipulating it to a degree, but until we actually saw it, we had no idea what was going on.
Bunny
And you guys were kids.
Kristin Cavallari
I was 17.
Bunny
Did you guys parents have any say so in any of that?
Kristin Cavallari
Yeah, our parents had to sign off on it. My mom had a lot of reservations, but I wasn't living with her at the time, so it kind of didn't matter. My dad was on board with it, so. I know.
Bunny
You know what? Look at where you are now.
Unnamed Guest
No, it's all good.
Kristin Cavallari
It's all good. Yeah, I'm happy. I'm happy my mom didn't stop it, you know, but it was. It was hard to deal with at that age, just because it's hard enough being a teenager, you know, and then having your lives being manipulated when it's your real boyfriend, your real friend. It just gets really. Just really messy, quite honestly. So.
Bunny
So was it. How real was it though? Because, you know, reality TV back then wasn't quite real. Didn't they give you guys plots and like. Or was it. Yeah, it was genuine.
Kristin Cavallari
Well, so Laguna beach was more. Put us in situations and then kind of see what happens, knowing that a particular situation is gonna probably press My buttons or, you know, this is not the group of people I would normally hang out with kind of a thing. Let's have Kristen's boyfriend go up to this other girl's house even though they're dating. And so situations that they know is gonna piss us off.
Bunny
Right.
Kristin Cavallari
But I don't think any show is 100% real. I think it's impossible to have a show even if you have cameras on you 24 7, like Jersey Shore, for example, they still have to edit it down into a 42 episode or whatever it is.
Bunny
Yeah. 30 minute episodes for.
Kristin Cavallari
Right. And so there's no way that Something can be 100 real. You just. There's no way to capture.
Bunny
We just got some pictures from my best friend who passed away. Her sister sent me a bunch of pictures of us, and there's one of me in there that's like methed out. Oh, girl. Where are my eyebrows?
Kristin Cavallari
I know. Well, I was the same way. I had no eyebrows. Them up forever.
Bunny
Now I. You can see. No, your eyebrows look good. Mine. Mine are. Are too. But yours look like you have hair. I can't even grow a eyebrow back.
Kristin Cavallari
Okay, you know what? I'm gonna tell you. Castor oil. Do you ever put castor oil on?
Bunny
I tried it on my belly button, and it made me feel weird.
Unnamed Guest
I put it in my belly button.
Bunny
I can't do it. It made me feel weird. So I get scared now I'm so scared.
Kristin Cavallari
All over my stomach.
Bunny
And it works for you? Do you love it?
Kristin Cavallari
And I put it on my face. Face, too.
Bunny
So I tried to do the castor oil thing because I wanted to be like, the castor oil girlies, too. And it just made me. I woke up the next day. I'm such a sensitive, like, girly now because of all the I did in my past. Well, yeah. So, like, now I can't. It's like, I used to snort eight balls and now I can't even use castor oil.
Kristin Cavallari
Right.
Bunny
Yeah, it's up.
Kristin Cavallari
It is up.
Bunny
No, it's. It's. It's. Dude, you meet Jay. How? Take me on that journey with you guys's relationship.
Kristin Cavallari
So, Jay, a year prior, I got a call from my publicist, and he said that Jay Cutler wanted to fly me to Chicago and take me on a date. And I didn't know who Jay was, so I googled him and I was like. I mean, I don't. I was like, whatever, I don't know.
Bunny
So I said I didn't know who Jay was till he was on your show. I love you. I knew who you were. I didn't know who Jay was, but, yeah.
Kristin Cavallari
So I said no. So. Okay, fine. So a year later, I was visiting my mom, who happened to still live there, and I was going to a Bears preseason game with my cousin, who was Bears obsessed. I totally forgot. Jay even asked me out, and my mom brought it up, and my cousin was like, what the fuck? You're such an idiot. Jay is the man. You gotta go out with him. So I ended up getting us family passes to meet Jay after the game, thinking it was gonna make my cousin's life. I would probably never talk to this guy ever again. And he walked in, and I was like, oh, shit, he's cuter than I thought he was gonna be. And he.
Bunny
When he asked you out, how did he ask you out?
Kristin Cavallari
Well, it was through my publicist.
Bunny
Okay, gotcha.
Kristin Cavallari
So it was never. We never had any interact. So he walked in. He was really cute. He was very smart because he kind of, like, won my mom over. I was talking to my mom the whole time. He drove us to our car, and then he texted me immediately, and he was like, something about like, well, you gotta come back or something. And then I think I came back, like, a week later, and then it was like, that was it. We moved really fast.
Bunny
No, I love relationships like that, though.
Kristin Cavallari
Yeah.
Bunny
You know, granted, you know, do you guys have gone your separate ways, but I still feel like a moment in time. That moment in time was what you needed, and it was, like, magical.
Kristin Cavallari
Yeah. And he was. He was exactly what I was looking for at the time. And again, I mean, I was 23. I think I was a baby. You know, like, hindsight is 20 20. I don't regret a damn thing, though. I mean, there's so much good that came out of our relationship. And ultimately, not only did I get my kids and it got me out to Franklin, Tennessee, and, you know, all these great things, but it forced me to figure out my shit and grow up and do the work that I needed to do. And so I'm really thankful for that as well.
Bunny
What do you. What would you say was kind of. I don't want to use the word downfall, because that's heavy. But what. What do you think was part of the reason for the relationship unraveling?
Kristin Cavallari
So Jay and I always had a tough relationship, even from the very beginning. And I think I'm really careful about what I say, obviously, because we have three kids together.
Bunny
Absolutely.
Kristin Cavallari
But I think.
Bunny
And we can always cut things out.
Kristin Cavallari
Too Yeah, I just. I haven't talked about him in so many years. I've, like. I made a vow. I was like, I'm done talking about him, but I'm happy to talk about it. It's just. I'm trying to think about, like, the best way to say it because, you know, I think.
Unnamed Guest
It.
Kristin Cavallari
Things were just never good. And we tried really hard, I will say. Like, we really did everything that we could. And ultimately I had to make a decision of taking care of myself and putting myself first and especially as a mom and having these three little kids. I really wanted my kids to see me happy and see that I was making myself a priority and taking care of myself. Especially now, having a daughter, too, I think that's so important.
Bunny
It is so important because I feel like when parents stay together and they're miserable, that causes more fucking trauma for the kids 1000% than just seeing healthy co parenting.
Kristin Cavallari
Yeah. Yeah. Because what you're teaching your kids then is A, stay in something because you're fucking miserable.
Bunny
Yeah.
Kristin Cavallari
And B, they have no idea now what a healthy relationship looks like. And it just. If you can't be your best self, that obviously trickles down to your kids and you take out your hurt and your sadness on your kids. It's just such a negative, toxic environment.
Bunny
Yes.
Kristin Cavallari
And, you know, as soon as I got out of my marriage, I remember even my mom saying to me, like, shit, I had no idea how bad it was, but, like, I was a shell of who I was, and immediately I got my spark back.
Bunny
And I love that for you.
Kristin Cavallari
Yeah.
Bunny
When you say that it was bad, was it just. Just polar opposites or was it arguing? Like, what was it? That was so.
Unnamed Guest
It was.
Kristin Cavallari
It was just. It was toxic, you know? And I think because I hadn't done the work with. On myself. And you were a baby, too. I was a baby. Like, I didn't know any better.
Bunny
Was he. When you guys got together?
Kristin Cavallari
He was. I think he had. I think he was 28, 27 or 28.
Bunny
Okay, so you guys were both young.
Kristin Cavallari
We were both.
Bunny
Yeah. That's young love. I feel like the first. Like the first love or the first young love like that where you get married or something is, like, toxic, you know? You guys don't know how to fucking navigate life. I know how I was at fucking 23. I'm sorry to anybody whose paths had to cross with mine in that era of my life, because I was just a shit show.
Kristin Cavallari
Like, you shouldn't be allowed to get married before age 30.
Bunny
Quite honestly, literally, I agree.
Kristin Cavallari
You don't know who the fuck you are at that age.
Bunny
Today, my girl Erica Mina is in the house, baby, looking fly as ever, too.
Unnamed Guest
Thank you, babe. I was like, I'm seeing the baddest. I got to come correct. And I don't do interviews. Yeah, I hate them because they end up being just clickbait and people kind of, you know.
Bunny
Yeah.
Unnamed Guest
I don't know. Well, I've noticed they had never been like my friend.
Bunny
I feel like I've noticed you do a lot of interviews with men. They're never going to give you a chance.
Unnamed Guest
You know what it is? When I first started, in the very beginning, I. To put myself out there, I was just doing, like, vlad tv, like these weird little outlets in the beginning that social media wasn't that big, but I wanted people to kind of, like, dive into me, and it never turned out that way. So over the years I was just like, I'm just not going to do. And plus, I'm on reality tv, so it's like, what can I really say in an interview that you guys kind of don't see edited anyway on tv? So.
Bunny
Yeah.
Unnamed Guest
But, yeah, I don't do interviews. But this one, I felt like I had to, first of all, such a big, like, your whole journey, like, I know what's up with you. I appreciate it. I feel like we have a lot in common, too.
Bunny
Like, you're my buddy.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah, we talk. Like, we could go into it, but yeah, like, you definitely, like, we have, you know, that loss of a companion, you know, kind of story that we can compare and just. I just love how you're just such a ride or die. You kind of own up to who you were, what you were, in kind of like, this is who I am now. And you just kind of taken people on your journey and now they have no choice but to fucking respect you for it. And I feel like it's so similar to, like, me. I kind of was that you deserve your flowers.
Bunny
And that's what I was telling you when you first. And thank you for that. I appreciate. Thank you for seeing me for who I am now and what I. What I've been through and where I'm at, I really appreciate that and that means the world to me. But you also deserve your flowers because, girl, to be as relevant as you are in this world for as long as you have been and you've literally clawed your way up. And we're gonna get into your story because I'm sure a lot of people who listen to my podcast. Might not know your backstory and stuff.
Unnamed Guest
Which is really why I wanted to do this more than ever.
Bunny
Yeah.
Unnamed Guest
New audience, new fresh minds. Like, people get to tap in and then they can kind of do their homework on everything else with me after. But, yeah, I've kind of been through a lot, girl, Just out there for a long time.
Bunny
You have. Literally, you've been a vixen, you've been a reality TV star. Now you're dabbling in music and becoming an actress. And it's like, it's just so inspiring to see somebody who's came from where you've come from also. And pretty much we're like, you know what? I'm a force to be reckoned with. Deal with it. And I love that about you. That's always been your attitude. You don't hide who you are. I love that you wear your heart on your sleeve.
Unnamed Guest
Thank you.
Bunny
I just feel like you're just human and. And if the world doesn't love you, they secretly fucking want to be you. So moving on from King, we're going to get into the subject that everybody wants to talk about and everybody wants to hear from you on. Because you haven't spoken about this at all.
Unnamed Guest
I've been speaking about it just because of love and hip hop.
Bunny
Right.
Unnamed Guest
But most recently, there was the most recent event. Yeah. There was just something that was put out there for monetization and clout and, you know, for a weird agenda of a certain individual.
Bunny
Who's now a YouTuber. Yeah.
Unnamed Guest
All of a sudden, a YouTuber.
Bunny
We were. We were researching last night, and I was just like, this is fucking weird, but to each their own. I'm never gonna knock anybody.
Unnamed Guest
Midlife crisis at 43 years old, you wake up one day and wanting to be a YouTuber.
Bunny
Girl, let me break out my glasses because I've got so many notes on this. So for those of you who don't know, you actually married Safari. Aren't. Yes. You married Safaree, who is Nicki Minaj's ex. That's pretty much what people know him for, is being Minaj's ex. You can see her whole demeanor change talking about this man. Take me on the courtship. Because you said somewhere that he courted you for about three years.
Unnamed Guest
Oh, my God.
Bunny
That's crazy.
Unnamed Guest
I didn't want him.
Bunny
Right.
Unnamed Guest
My intuition knew what was up.
Bunny
Right.
Unnamed Guest
I did not want him. I never found him attractive in that way. And it's funny because it wasn't until I actually started dating him that I even got like the real of like his relationship with Nikki. So when he started to kind of come after me, I knew he was her ex, but I didn't know the real details of it. Coming from the terror squad angle of my life. I always was a Remy fan and stuff like that. And don't get me wrong, like, who doesn't sing a Nicki Minaj song? But I was never like tapped in like, because you remember, she from Brooklyn, I'm from the Bronx. So you kind of growing up in New York, you, you side and. And more gravitate to the rapper that's from your barrel.
Bunny
Right.
Unnamed Guest
And.
Bunny
And everybody has to like.
Unnamed Guest
Well, it's not even that. It was just I was with Raul, so.
Bunny
Right.
Unnamed Guest
Remy was my. My go to.
Bunny
Right.
Unnamed Guest
You know, like that was who I knew, that's who I sang. And I, I do know that Nikki for years had like these bomb ass Mickey mixtapes that even friends of mine would like dive into and know every word. So I knew of her. I just was never like really super familiar with her music because of the world that I was kind of in.
Bunny
Right.
Unnamed Guest
So yeah, I didn't know the details of their relationship or that, you know, whatever until we kind of. But anyway, I.
Bunny
So you guys met on the side. I wasn't.
Unnamed Guest
How you say that I wasn't put onto game of the kind of of individual that was. All I knew was that he just gave me corny, he gave me player, he gave me suspect. You know, like it wasn't the fur.
Bunny
Coats that threw you off.
Unnamed Guest
You know what, I don't even think he had the fur coats when, when I kind of met him and he was kind of going at me. He had the, the fake ruby gold necklaces and I was engaged to Bow Wow the first time I ever came past with this individual. So that's how far back we were at this strip club. And they were actually filming for like this reality show at the time. And I had went to be of support of my friend Saya. That was a part of it. Anywho, he was dating an associate that I knew at the time. She comes in with him and he, she introduces me to him and he literally was like, you're Erica Mena. Damn, you're so beautiful in person. Wow.
Bunny
What?
Unnamed Guest
Mind you, he's with this other woman.
Bunny
Just disrespectful from the gate.
Unnamed Guest
So that to me was like my first impression of him. Like, you are just disrespectful. You're thirsty, you're just not like, not that type of Guy.
Bunny
Yeah.
Unnamed Guest
Anywho, that was my first intro to him. And I, from that day, he, for like, three years, this man, just when I tell you, did everything in his power until finally my publicist he hired purposely because he knew she was my publicist. And I didn't find this out until years later, but he would offer her money just to kind of, you know, get to me. So, yeah, I, I, I was, I was tracked down and he was persistent and he did.
Bunny
You had had previous relationships on, like, Love and Hip Hop and stuff like that. Were you burned from, like, going through the situation with Sin, going through the situation with Rich Dollars? Was it because you didn't want to have another relationship on camera in that franchise?
Unnamed Guest
Well, he wasn't even on Love and Hip Hop.
Bunny
Okay.
Unnamed Guest
When he started, kind of.
Bunny
Okay, okay, gotcha.
Unnamed Guest
He wasn't even a part of it. Wow.
Bunny
Okay.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah. So, yeah, this started, like, when I met him. He was definitely not on it.
Bunny
Okay. Was it you that brought him in on it?
Unnamed Guest
Was it what?
Bunny
Was it you that brought him in?
Unnamed Guest
I think at one point he just got, you know, tight on money and decided to kind of like, go after Nicky. Baby Gotcha for her so he can get on it as well.
Bunny
Yeah.
Unnamed Guest
There's a motive.
Bunny
I stopped watching everything. I stopped watching Love and Hip Hop after you and Rich Dollars broke up.
Unnamed Guest
Really?
Bunny
Yeah, I was just like, rich had a good run.
Unnamed Guest
I will say that I thought you guys were so cute. I would say this. He believed in me, but he was one of those guys that he was easily influenced. Like, anybody could tell him anything.
Bunny
Yeah.
Unnamed Guest
So at one point people were like, telling him, like, she's just using you. Blah, blah. Mind you, it's like, I don't have to use you. I'm talented. Like, you're a manager if you're smart enough.
Bunny
We're co stars.
Unnamed Guest
What the fuck is in front of you? And you would, you know, not think relationship and think business. And I still to this day tell them that all the time. I'm like, had you not believe what the people were trying to make you believe, whether it was production or, like, outside people.
Bunny
Yeah.
Unnamed Guest
Me and you probably could have made a killing together in the business because, like, one thing Rich at one point had was good tactics on how to, like, he, he helped, you know, spiral Cassie's, you know, career, and he's, you know, responsible for a lot of other people, and he was even managing Olivia at one point. But he just believed whatever the people told him, and it started to put a bad taste in his mouth about me. The mother got involved and you know.
Bunny
Yeah, it was just weird.
Unnamed Guest
It was like, you know, everyone wanted me to be this person that was using him. And it's like I don't have to use you. I'm, I'm. That I'm talented. Whether you see it or not. Like this bitch got something going here.
Bunny
Like I know, but I feel like you guys genuinely had love for each other like we did.
Unnamed Guest
But at the same time he just did a lot of shiesty shit for storyline to hurt me and like, you know, like that's like even with him teaming up with, with, with sin, it was like you, he despised that girl. And then all of a sudden to bring me down, they both, when me and her were on the outs, it was like they got together.
Bunny
Nicki Minaj say that he was paying for hookers with her credit cards.
Unnamed Guest
Before we get into that, can I just. Because we, we are talking on the subject of her. I owe her the biggest apology ever. I owe her an apology because like a lot of us women tend to do when we don't know any better. Especially when we're hard, deep wrapped, warped into the love bombing phases. The red flag that us women tend to ignore. When a man sits there and talks to you love bombs about his ex and all the things she did to him. And it's funny how life comes full circle because the same thing he did to her, he's doing to me. Years later, I remember him pouring his heart out to me about all the stuff she did to him, showing me videos of her reacting. And at the time you're love, you're in a love bomb. I didn't think to ask, well, what did you do to her?
Bunny
Right?
Unnamed Guest
You're just showing me all this stuff that he. She's doing. She's. How she's reacting. Right.
Bunny
Why does this man always have videos of these women reacting?
Unnamed Guest
Exactly. And now mind you, this is a video. He, he was at one point going around, I found out later on he was going around the industry showing to like around the time he was trying to bring her down, when he was lying to people, saying that he wrote for her, like literally saying whatever he could to like kind of ruin her career and take her credibility for her real hard earned work.
Bunny
And what is the video of?
Unnamed Guest
She was chasing him. And I won't get into too detail because I don't feel like, you know, yeah. Being that I'm in her shoes now, I feel like she's owed the respect to like, I don't but come to find out, he had broke the laptop that had her Pink Friday album on.
Bunny
It on purpose and then videoed her reaction.
Unnamed Guest
And of course, she went off. Yeah, he's recording it. So rewind. Fast forward to me being with him. I'm down to the mother partaking and agreeing in these conversations. Oh, my God, she's the devil.
Bunny
Blah, blah.
Unnamed Guest
She did all this stuff. Blah, blah, blah. So anyway, I owe this woman an apology because I sat there and allowed him to talk to her about. Talk about her to me. And from that came me saying things and, like, defending and vouching for him and speaking up on her in a way that was tacky, because at the end of the day, I didn't know the truth, especially not the truth that I know now. And we do that. A lot of women do that. They get caught up with a man, and he's so good to you that you allow him to gossip to you about his ex.
Bunny
You get manipulated.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah. And they. And they never tell you what they did. They just tell you what they did and how crazy she is. And she did this and she did that.
Bunny
It's called reaction.
Unnamed Guest
I owe her such an apology because it's so crazy how life. It's not crazy. It's just life. But it comes full circle.
Unnamed Co-Host
It.
Unnamed Guest
Tables always turn. Everything she has ever said about him is true. Everything that she had went through with him, I'm going through it worse. You know, like you said, she definitely aired him out for paying prostitutes with her credit card.
Bunny
Yeah. I think.
Unnamed Guest
Well, first of all, he cheated on me. Going to a parlor. And how I found out is completely embarrassing. How.
Bunny
How did you find out? But before you go into that, I just want to say I think that is so big of you to apologize to Nikki. Like.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah, I do.
Bunny
I.
Unnamed Guest
And I feel like a lot of other people. I feel like anyone who. Who ever cited with him during that time that they broke up because he was really, like. He taunted her to this. Not too long ago, before he came at me for the YouTube, he taunted her by going to her concert.
Bunny
Can you pull that up for us? Can you put safari at Nicki concert? Like, I think I thought this was the weirdest thing I've ever seen. Was weird.
Unnamed Guest
Because you're saying that you're going there to make. Because you're proud of her. So why didn't you sit in a box?
Bunny
Yeah.
Unnamed Guest
Calm, cool, collective. Watch the show like a normal person. No, he went there with vlogging, everything.
Bunny
Yeah.
Unnamed Guest
And then had the nerve to Stand, I think in the middle of the stairs so everybody could see he was there.
Bunny
And somebody.
Unnamed Guest
He went there to make a shit show fucking appearance.
Bunny
He went there to get a headline.
Unnamed Guest
A headline. And to provoke her, knowing she's moved on, she's married, she has a family. Every chance you get to talk about her, you do.
Bunny
Yeah.
Unnamed Guest
It has not stopped.
Bunny
Yeah.
Unnamed Guest
Since you guys have broken up.
Bunny
Yeah.
Unnamed Guest
And he does it every time for clout and attention. Him going to this concert was for one reason and one reason only. He wanted her to react in some way.
Bunny
Right. Going to pull up the clip right now so that you guys can see it. Sorry, we have an ad.
Unnamed Guest
No, you're good. Light.
Bunny
Here it is.
Unnamed Guest
You're not even in a seat.
Bunny
It looks like he's in the bleachers. Where. Where is he sitting? You could definitely tell he was not a guest.
Unnamed Guest
Then you have. And then you have eight security because you know you're not supposed to be there.
Bunny
Right? It's. It's weird. It's definitely. This was weird.
Unnamed Guest
And this is the thing. This is what I don't understand about people. It's like, okay, so first it was her that he taunted for, I guess, subscription subscribers and attention for his YouTube. Now that he's a newfound YouTuber.
Bunny
Right.
Unnamed Guest
He got the social media viral conversation that he wanted, but it wasn't enough traffic for his YouTube. So now all of a sudden, he wants to speak up on why he's being a deadbeat. Was using this Miami girl character for a storyline which he confessed he only did because he wanted to prove to me that he didn't need me to be on Love and Hip Hop. So anyway, he decides to kind of fake like this Miami girl character that's on Miami. Love and Hip Hop Miami. And at that time, he was about six months behind purposely in paying child support. Now, mind you, I'm still on Love and Hip Hop at this point, but I have the kids. He's on Love and hip hop in Miami and he's only 30 minutes away. He wasn't using his weekly parenting time, and he was months at least at this time. He was like six months behind on paying child support. Anywho, I'm thugging it. I'm flying with the kids to and from my. From Miami to Atlanta to film and do and, you know, kind of do my what I'm contractually binded to do.
Bunny
Right.
Unnamed Guest
Next, you know, it goes viral. He's buying this chick's kids Rolexes. He's literally deliberately buying another man's Children Rolexes and has this whole draw. They have this whole drawn out birthday party for these kids. Right. Mind you, this man is six months right behind on child support, hasn't seen the kids, is indulging in this whole storyline that he even admitted he was just doing so that he can prove that he didn't need me to be on love and hip hop in general.
Bunny
Well, he also said that they've never even had sex.
Unnamed Guest
Sex.
Bunny
Right.
Unnamed Guest
Girl, that whole, like I don't know who's worse, him or her when it comes to that whole scenario. Like she's just as desperate as he is. Because I'd be damn if a man who doesn't even have real intentions for me is going to be using my kids as some pro. Like as some, as some. I don't even know what you call it, but it's sick on her part. Yeah, like pawns. Like as a mom, you're, you, you're allowing your kids first birthday to be a staged scenario so that it could look like this man is about you when really in reality isn't attracted to you. You know what I'm saying? Like, anyway, so it goes viral, of course I'm gonna say something. You haven't seen your kids and how much and you're purposely not paying your child support on time to spite me to financially, you know, be an asshole is what you're trying to do.
Bunny
Right?
Unnamed Guest
I know things like that.
Bunny
He's.
Unnamed Guest
He does to trigger me.
Bunny
Right? I'm just saying I don't understand how people can't see that he's poking the bear.
Unnamed Guest
And even when I was pregnant, he was dating the to me version of. Of me. Right? For Valentine's Day, he. He fills up this girl's small little apartment with flowers. The same thing he used to do with me. Had. Didn't bring Pampers. Like literally when, when I filed for divorce, buying Pampers, buying clothes, none of this was being done. So when you know your kid's father financially can buy extravagant gifts for these random women after you just had two of his kids back to back and he doesn't even drop off a box of Pampers. Who in their right mind is not going to put that on child support? That's the reason why Safaree is on child support. Because when I file for divorce, he never once thought for a second, let me drop off Pampers. Let me see if the kids need clothes. Let me. What do the kids need in general? Never, never asked what these kids needed.
Bunny
Right.
Unnamed Guest
So I knew if it was like this Already it was going to get worse. And it did. So therefore, when it was time to finalize our divorce, I made it mandatory that child support was implemented. Which my first kid father wasn't on child support, but he also did what the fuck he had to do, but.
Bunny
Which is not a bad thing. That's why child support is implemented in the court system.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah, but at the same time, if this man, if we're together or not, these kids are your kids, right? If he was riding for these kids the way he rides for whatever woman he's fucking on for the moment, we would be so. Good. Because regardless to what you, there are baby mamas out there that don't have to talk shit or say anything about their baby daddies. Why? Because they do what the fuck they have to do. There are baby mamas that live a good life of not having to talk ill on their baby daddies whatsoever. Because these men are doing what they have to do. Not all, but a lot of them do do.
Bunny
I don't consider you talking ill. You're telling the truth. So are you not allowed to speak your truth? And that's in order to save his reputation.
Unnamed Guest
And that's what it's been. And that's why so like a crock of how everyone's like, oh, he's been quiet for so long. He's been quiet for so long because he cannot deny anything I have said about him.
Bunny
Lipo used to be such a bad word. But we are also supposed to act like we love every part of our bodies. It's BS. I know that. Especially after 40, it is so hard to keep your body in shape. I mean, I work out three to four times a week, eat right, have no joy in life, and it's all because of genetics. So getting your body back is so hard. I get it. That's why I want you guys to check out Sono Bello. Our friends at Sono Bello are offering you their best deal. You're now included in their New Year savings event. But appointments are limited, so. So please get on this Sono Bella doctors are masters in micro laser fat removal. A brilliant technique that removes stubborn fat permanently. Wherever your problem areas, tummy, love handles, thighs or arms, it's gone in one comfortable visit. One guys eating healthy and workouts are great. Keep doing that. But if you want to lose that stubborn fat in one visit, check out Sono Bello Save Big during their New Year's savings event. Schedule your free consultation now at sonobello.com d bunny b u n n I e. That's Sono. B-E-L-L-O.com bunny.
Unnamed Guest
Hi everyone. If you've been injured in an accident.
Bunny
That was not your fault, listen up. We have legal professionals standing by to answer your questions for free. Call now and find out if you have a case and how much it's potentially worth. Call 800-550-7400.
Melissa Etheridge
I'm here with spokesman John Wolfe.
Unnamed Guest
So John, tell everyone listening who should call right now.
Melissa Etheridge
Well, Maria, first off, thank you for having me here. It's always nice to answer the listeners questions. Now as far as who should call in, anyone who's been injured in an accident and think you deserve compensation, give us a call right now, 800-550-7400. You'll find out if you have a case and how much much it's potentially worth.
Bunny
Thanks, John. You heard it folks.
Unnamed Guest
Take advantage of this opportunity and call now.
Bunny
800-550-7400.
Melissa Etheridge
Advertisement Sponsored by Legal help center may not be available in all states.
Bunny
Up.
Unnamed Guest
Until him randomly now having this new youtuber found urge where he can edit that he started and con and and stirred up, you know what I'm saying?
Bunny
And let's talk about these videos. Can we bring up these videos, Mimi, that we have of Erica climbing over the fence. That's my girl climbing over the fence. And then also like trying to get into his house. And then the only thing I do have, didn't agree with in here and I understand that this is where your rage is coming from is the babies are, are seeing all of this.
Unnamed Guest
You know that one? Yes, yes.
Bunny
So let's.
Unnamed Guest
Okay, so let's break this down.
Bunny
Yeah. What's happening in this clip right here?
Unnamed Guest
Okay, so pause, wait, pause. Cuz I'm going to get to that. Yeah, keep that there cuz I want to show you, I want to tell you this. Go. This goes along with the climbing the fence. So anyway, that first initial video I had went to his house to pick up the kids. I had just came back from a work trip, came to pick up the kids. Prior to getting there, he was telling me how he finally had some money for me. So one of the moments of him trying to get back with me, he came up with this idea of putting the kids in some type of schooling, daycare, right. So that we could have more time together to fix things and build on us without the kids being around. I fell for it. So I did my homework and I ended up finding a Montessori school. Me and him went to The Montessori school checked it out together. The lady told us how much it cost. He agreed to take on that expense. Come time to pay this school, Safaree had the nerve to tell me I paid child support. Take it out of that. So here I am now, left with this newfound expense that I was in.
Bunny
Prepared.
Unnamed Guest
Prepared to take on. But this is the route you want to go, you fucking cheap. No problem. Oh, you pay for it in child support, mind you, let me not even give you the breakdown of that. But anyway, Cool.
Bunny
No, please do. Spare us no detail, please.
Unnamed Guest
So anyway, I've been taking on this new expense of the kids going to this Montessori school on my own. After, he. He told me he would take this on. Now, he did this because this is around the time, like, after, when it was time for him to pay up. I wasn't trying to fuck on him. So anytime. I'm not trying to fuck on him. Anything he said he was gonna do, he ain't doing. Him seeing the kids is not even a question. Like, if I'm not trying to fuck on him or ignore what he did and kind of, you know, go with the flow and just act like we're getting back together. That's always his M.O. he doesn't. He won't. He won't do anything extra outside of child support. And he's damn sure not picking up these kids. That's just what it's been from. From the jump. So, anyway, I get to the house, and he's telling me, I got a surprise for you. And I'm like, what is it? And he tells me he. He has the money for the school. For the school. I get there, I did take a nap, right? I get. Because I live like 30, 40 minutes away, mind you. I just. Like I said, I just landed. I'm exhausted, so I take a little nap. I get up, and next, you know, he tells me how he wants to talk. I'm like, okay, let's talk. He found out that I had a guy that I was hanging out with when I was on my work trip. So his initial was like, oh, so this is what we're doing. Like, I'm over here with the kids, and I'm trying to make things better. And I'm just like, the call is.
Bunny
Coming from inside the house. Safaree. So anyway, I'm like, how does it feel?
Unnamed Guest
I'm like, leave me alone. So anyway, it's. He starts to get in his feelings, and then he goes, you know what? Why don't you ask him to give you the money. I was going to give you the money.
Bunny
Oh, God.
Unnamed Guest
That started the argument and then from there him saying other nasty shit. So that initial. Sadly, whatever was.
Bunny
And they just happened to be recording at this moment.
Unnamed Guest
Well, he has cameras in his house.
Bunny
Okay.
Unnamed Guest
What are the coincidence that now he wants to fuck with me and provoke me while I'm at his house.
Bunny
Right, Right.
Unnamed Guest
So he starts to, you know, say how he's not paying for it. And at that point, I'm not going to lie, I was set off because I'm carrying this expense that I did not inquire. Now, mind you, this was. That was this year. That was in May, the first one where shit is going down. That was in May.
Bunny
Right.
Unnamed Guest
Okay. I got fired from Love and Hip Hop because he started a fabricated nasty story and was gossiping to me about another cast member.
Bunny
Me.
Unnamed Guest
And that cast member got into it. I said something that, you know, she. She went low. I went to hell. And for that I lost my job. So he is the reason, the big reason why I lost my job. But anyway, this is that. This is that year. This is this year.
Bunny
You're also carrying years of just hurt.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah, but my whole thing is, you know, I just lost my job.
Bunny
Yeah.
Unnamed Guest
One of my main incomes. You owe me this money because you're the one that wanted to put them into this facility.
Bunny
Right.
Unnamed Guest
You literally are in your feelings every time. I don't want to fuck on you. So you refuse to give me the money that you said you would pay for these kids. So now I'm taking on an expense that I did not originally, I wasn't prepared for. And I just lost my job because of you.
Melissa Etheridge
You.
Unnamed Guest
Now here I am at the house to pick up the kids. You get when I'm talking to someone or I was with someone the night before. Now you're saying you're not giving me the money you owe me.
Bunny
Right.
Unnamed Guest
I'm off.
Bunny
Yeah.
Unnamed Guest
I am ticked off. So I'm telling him. I'm like, explain to me what's going. Like, explain to me why you're not going to give me this money. You're the reason why. So I want answers. He's Mr. Not Confrontation. Confrontation. He knew. Telling me that he wasn't going to give me that money was going to set me off. He knew that.
Bunny
And then for the. And he did.
Unnamed Guest
So what did he do? He was going to call the cops on me. So what you see there is me. First of all, I'm pissed off. You owe me that money. You owe Me that money, like a couple, like, a good 10 bands that you owe me. Okay. He still owes me that money to this day. But anyway. And it's even more now because it's been that long. So you tell me you're gonna pay me this money, mind you. This man has no problem buying himself jewelry. This man has no problem buying random women that he's sleeping.
Bunny
He just bought Selena Powell jewelry. Did he? On his YouTube, I just saw. I mean, I didn't watch the video because I wasn't giving him the views, but that's the title of his. She said, let me not. Let me not touch.
Unnamed Guest
No, I don't even care. I mean, at this point, I'm so used to it.
Bunny
Yeah.
Unnamed Guest
Like, just a couple of months ago, he gifted the Miami girl a necklace. And I only seen that because that was viral.
Bunny
Right.
Unnamed Guest
You know what I'm saying? It's like.
Bunny
It's sick.
Unnamed Guest
It's like. So this particular video, like I said, he taunted me with this money, then says he's not going to pay for it. Then I'm asking him to explain to him. Him explain to me why he starts to, you know, call the cops. I'm just over it, B. And, yes, that was completely wrong of me, and I take accountability for that. And that's the first and only time that has ever happened in front of my kids, which is why my kids literally followed me out.
Bunny
Yeah.
Unnamed Guest
They. They're not scared of me. They've never seen me ever act like that in front of them ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever. It's never been that way. And how he's trying to make it seem like this, Hap. Never. You can. My kids are proof that they have never been around that. And then in any kind of way.
Bunny
Right.
Unnamed Guest
You know, did I lose my shit? Absolutely. Because enough is enough. You're literally you. You're the reason why I lost my job. And here you are owing me all this money for something you. You inquired about. And you. Like, this was your idea to put them into the school. You said you were gonna pay for it. And because I'm not on you the way and going about things the way you want it to be. Now you don't want to pay what you said you were gonna pay.
Bunny
Right?
Unnamed Guest
So it set me the off. And then him having the nerve. Now you want to call the cops on me? You want to call the cops on me? And I have a video where I'm filming him myself. So what you see there is. I'm not trying to I'm not putting my hands on. I'm trying to get the phone from him so I could speak to the cops myself. Because at that point, enough is enough. Yeah, enough is enough. But you know what's so crazy and sick about it all, is a week after that happened, guess who's calling me again, begging to be back with me, and once again sending me videos of him playing with himself, watching videos of us that he has, how much he misses me, and he. So a week after that happened, the sick bastard was back trying to get back with me.
Bunny
What is him whacking off on videos?
Podcast Summary: Dumb Blonde - Season 8: Best Of (Part 3)
Release Date: January 20, 2025
Host: Bunnie XO, Dumb Blonde Productions
The episode kicks off with Bunnie XO warmly welcoming Grammy-winning artist Melissa Etheridge to the show at [04:00]. Their conversation delves into Melissa's early days in music, highlighting her unwavering support system and her determination to pursue her passion despite personal challenges.
Notable Quote:
Bunnie: "I took Quint's luggage on tour, brought them home, and they're still like brand new. I'm pretty much obsessed with this brand." ([00:45])
Melissa reflects on her upbringing, sharing how her father played a pivotal role in her musical journey by consistently supporting her performances without judgment or criticism. This foundation allowed her to navigate the complexities of fame and personal growth.
Notable Quote:
Melissa Etheridge: "I never internalized my mom's anger and pain because my father was always there, supporting me unconditionally." ([07:10])
Transitioning from music to true crime, Bunnie and her co-host Unnamed Co-Host discuss the harrowing case of Carly Greg, a 15-year-old convicted of murdering her mother. The discussion is both compassionate and analytical, exploring the multifaceted aspects of Carly's actions, including her mental health struggles and the influence of medications like Lexapro.
Notable Quote:
Bunnie: "I feel like this is a little girl who was screaming out for help and didn't know how to get it." ([29:10])
The hosts dissect the events leading up to the tragedy, examining Carly's background, her relationship with her parents, and the societal factors that may have contributed to her breaking point. They emphasize the importance of addressing mental health issues in youth and the potential consequences of inadequate support systems.
Notable Quote:
Unnamed Co-Host: "When you put antipsychotics on a developing brain, you can't predict the long-term effects. Carly's case is a tragic reminder of that uncertainty." ([28:03])
Adding a personal touch to the episode, JD Delay shares his transformative journey from a troubled past to becoming a recovery coach and peer support specialist. His candid narrative covers his struggles with addiction, the impact of childhood trauma, and the pivotal moment when he sought help.
Notable Quote:
JD Delay: "Talking about it is a huge part of the healing process. People need to destigmatize these conversations, especially for men." ([47:56])
JD highlights the role of community and support in overcoming personal demons, offering listeners hope and practical advice for those facing similar challenges. His story underscores the significance of self-awareness and the courage to seek assistance.
Notable Quote:
Bunnie: "You never deserve the trauma that happens to you, but looking at the man you are today, it's clear you've turned your pain into purpose." ([48:16])
In an engaging segment, Bunnie hosts Kristin Cavallari, who opens up about her experiences in reality TV, personal relationships, and career evolution. Kristin discusses the challenges of maintaining authenticity in the spotlight and the personal growth that comes from navigating public scrutiny.
Notable Quote:
Kristin Cavallari: "Laguna Beach showed one side of my personality, but there's so much more beneath the surface." ([58:52])
Their dialogue touches on the often-manipulated nature of reality TV, Kristin's reflections on past relationships, including her marriage to Jay Cutler, and her commitment to personal well-being and co-parenting. Kristin emphasizes the importance of self-care and setting healthy boundaries, especially as a parent.
Notable Quote:
Bunnie: "When you prioritize your happiness and take care of yourself, it creates a healthier environment for your children." ([67:37])
Erica Mena joins the conversation to shed light on her tumultuous relationship with Safaree, exploring themes of trust, betrayal, and personal accountability. Erica candidly discusses the impact of her past on her present life, including her career in reality TV and her role as a mother.
Notable Quote:
Erica Mena: "I owe Nikki Minaj the biggest apology because I allowed myself to be manipulated by someone I trusted." ([81:52])
Erica delves into the complexities of her relationship dynamics, the challenges of co-parenting with a non-committal ex-partner, and the importance of speaking one's truth. Her story serves as a cautionary tale about the ramifications of unresolved trauma and the necessity of transparency in personal relationships.
Notable Quote:
Bunnie: "You have every right to speak your truth and hold others accountable. Your courage empowers others to do the same." ([91:16])
This episode of Dumb Blonde masterfully intertwines laughter, heartfelt conversations, and profound insights. From celebrating the resilience of artists like Melissa Etheridge to tackling the complexities of true crime and personal recovery, Bunnie XO creates a space for authentic dialogue and healing. With guests like JD Delay, Kristin Cavallari, and Erica Mena, listeners are treated to a rich tapestry of stories that inspire, educate, and resonate on a deeply human level.
Key Takeaways:
Notable Quotes Compilation:
This comprehensive summary encapsulates the essence of Season 8: Best Of (Part 3) of the Dumb Blonde podcast, providing listeners with an informative and captivating overview of the episode's highlights and meaningful discussions.