Infamous Podcast – Encore: Is the Lohanissance Real?
Date: August 21, 2025
Hosts: Vanessa Grigoriadis, Natalie Robehmed
Featured Journalists: Evgenia Peretz, Brennan Kilbane, Jill Ashkanian
Overview
This encore episode revisits Lindsay Lohan's turbulent journey from beloved teen star to media pariah and examines her ongoing comeback—her so-called "Lohanissance." The hosts resurface key interviews with journalists who've interacted with Lohan at her highest and lowest moments, reflecting on the factors that drove her downfall and exploring whether her recent return constitutes a true public and industry renaissance.
Main Discussion Themes
1. Lindsay’s Return: The Nostalgia Factor
- Opening Discussion: Natalie Robehmed recounts attending the new Lindsay Lohan movie Freakier Friday and reflects on Lohan’s box office resurgence.
- The hosts frame the movie not necessarily as a critical success, but as an emotional touchstone for millennials, highlighting Lohan’s evolution from teen star to mother—both on and off-screen.
- Lohan’s latest projects, from Netflix rom-coms to major studio films, are discussed as proof that she’s back in the public eye, even if critical reception is mixed.
“It was kind of a delight to see Lindsay back on the big screen in a real movie. And as I said, it's not necessarily good, but that's sort of not the point. It's a nostalgia watch for millennials like me, who grew up with Lindsay and now perhaps have their own kids.”
— Natalie Robehmed (01:56)
2. Meteoric Rise: Star Quality in the Early 2000s
- Career Highlights: The team replays clips and recalls hits like The Parent Trap, Freaky Friday, and Mean Girls.
- Testimonials from icons:
- Tina Fey: Lohan had "a spongy mind, quick to memorize."
- Meryl Streep: She was “almost preternaturally alive on camera.” (07:48)
- Lohan’s early magnetism and work ethic are contrasted with the cult of celebrity that soon surrounded her.
3. The Fall: Tabloid Culture and Family Dysfunction
- Evgenia Peretz (11:32) recounts profiling Lohan in 2006 at the peak of her tabloid notoriety, emphasizing Lohan’s mix of charisma, vulnerability, and recklessness.
- Anecdotes paint a picture of Lohan as simultaneously hounded and enabled by those around her—including her mother Dina and father Michael.
- Dina’s denial: “Isn't that what you do when you’re 18? You go out partying?” (12:58)
- Michael’s violence and instability are recounted, as are Lindsay’s public and private struggles with addiction and a traumatic family dynamic.
“She talks about having an intervention where Amy Poehler and Lorne Michaels, after she was on SNL, say, ‘We've seen John Belushi and other people who are really talented have drug problems and die ... we're worried about you.’ And she's telling you about this, and then her mother is trying to tell you that you're like a nervous Nelly, right?”
— Vanessa Grigoriadis (13:30)
4. The Machine: Publicists, Media, and Image Management
- Lohan’s confessional moments as well as her openness about addiction and eating disorders stood in contrast to the denials from her representatives and family.
- Publicist pressure: Evgenia recounts last-minute pleas to erase Lohan’s own admissions of drug use and bulimia from her Vanity Fair profile.
“In the interview, Lindsay had told me about her partying and drug use, and [her publicist] was like, you gotta take that out, you gotta take that out. ... And I was like, well, she talked about it and she was like, well, I don’t know how I’m going to spin it ... [but] it’s on tape.”
— Evgenia Peretz (16:22—17:31)
5. Tabloid Frenzy and Celebrity Photographer Insights
- Jill Ashkanian, longtime celebrity photographer, shares anecdotes about the peak “it girl” image:
- Lohan staged her own paparazzi moments—waiting inside boutiques until a sufficient crowd had gathered (24:10–25:40).
- The frenzy over candid photos of “it girls” like Lindsay could earn photographers thousands.
6. The Comeback Attempts: Recasting Herself & International Reinvention
- Lohan’s efforts to reclaim her narrative included emulating tragic icons like Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor (26:15–26:48).
- Attempts to become a pop singer, entrepreneur (Mykonos beach club/MTV reality show), and dramatic actress are discussed, most marked by fleeting or ill-fated results.
- Notably, a much-scrutinized video surfaces of Lohan’s bizarre attempt to “save” refugee children—an episode her publicists blocked reporters from discussing.
7. The London and Dubai Chapters: Distance and Privacy
- Brennan Kilbane’s insights on Lindsay’s move to London (2014), including theatre work, press scrutiny, and the yearning for escape from US tabloids (29:06–29:52).
- Host Natalie Robehmed explains why Dubai is the perfect place for Lindsay:
- No paparazzi
- Strict drug laws (discouraging relapse)
- Celebrity-friendly culture and government largesse
- Physical and emotional distance from frenetic media and family pressures (35:39–37:43)
- Brennan notes Lindsay’s new approach: making Dubai her luxurious, private sanctuary (38:05–38:52).
8. The "Lohanissance": Is It Real or a Mirage?
- Netflix two-picture deal (39:13): Pivoting into warm, nostalgic roles that lean into her millennial iconography.
- The hosts and Brennan compare Lohan’s come-back to Paris Hilton’s and Britney Spears’s, asking why Lindsay hasn’t been embraced as fully by the public.
“It’s almost like she’s shown us everything. But has she shown us enough? Do we feel like we know the real Lindsay?”
— Brennan Kilbane (40:43)
- The idea surfaces that Lindsay’s self-imposed distance—geographically and emotionally—prevents a true tabloid-to-triumph public rehabilitation, unlike her peers.
Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)
-
On Lindsay’s Nostalgic Appeal:
“It’s a nostalgia watch for millennials like me, who grew up with Lindsay and now perhaps have their own kids.”
— Natalie Robehmed (01:56) -
On Early Star Power:
“Meryl Streep said that she was almost preternaturally alive on camera, which is pretty much the highest compliment you can get as an actor.”
— Vanessa Grigoriadis (07:48) -
On Family Dysfunction:
“She had this like legitimately traumatic family life...And she’s screaming like, daughter to father, daughter to father. It was like this extremely emotional video at the time...”
— Evgenia Peretz (15:04) -
On Hollywood’s Manipulation:
“You can see from a publicist perspective. It’s like, okay, everybody knows she’s out, she’s drinking, she’s doing drugs. We don’t want to put on the top of that, oh my God. She’s also bulimic. Right?”
— Vanessa Grigoriadis (18:15) -
On Paparazzi Collusion:
“She put on this whole outfit and a cute little hat, and she looked out the window. She goes, well, there's not enough paparazzi here. I'll wait till there's more. I remember thinking, that was so freaking funny.”
— Jill Ashkanian (25:34) -
On Lindsay's Choice of Dubai for Exile:
“There is not paparazzi. Lindsay is not going to be hounded...and then I think the other thing that maybe gets left out a little bit from this narrative is that there are also incredibly strict drug laws in Dubai. So for that reason that it's hard to get your hands on drugs.”
— Natalie Robehmed (37:05) -
On the Limits of Public Redemption:
“It’s almost like she’s shown us everything. But has she shown us enough? Do we feel like we know the real Lindsay?”
— Brennan Kilbane (40:43)
Key Timestamps
- 01:00–03:00: Discussion of Freakier Friday and Lohan’s recent career “comeback”
- 08:10–18:56: Evgenia Peretz recalls her 2006 profile of Lohan, the family dynamic, publicist interference, and eating disorder revelations
- 24:10–25:40: Paparazzi insight, staging photo ops, and the crazy economics of gossip journalism
- 26:15–28:54: Lohan as Marilyn/Elizabeth Taylor, and her struggles post-Hollywood
- 29:06–29:52: The London attempt and persistent media scrutiny
- 31:37–32:29: The infamous refugee video incident in Greece
- 35:39–37:43: Analysis of Lohan’s move to Dubai, why it’s a fit, and its personal/professional impact
- 39:13–41:14: The Netflix deal, questions about public forgiveness, and Lindsay’s guarded persona
Final Thoughts
The episode concludes that while Lindsay Lohan may be experiencing a resurgence in work and public affection, the question of whether she’s achieved a true “Lohanissance” remains open. Her carefully guarded personal life, chosen physical distance, and self-imposed privacy make her less accessible and perhaps less re-embraced than other aughts icons like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Yet, as the hosts reflect, perhaps the real triumph is Lohan’s ability to survive—and thrive—on her own terms.