Jeff Lewis Has Issues
Episode: Lauren Lake, Elisa Donovan, & Doug Budin: Lawn Balls
Date: December 26, 2025
Host: Jeff Lewis
Guests: Lauren Lake, Elisa Donovan, Doug Budin
Episode Overview
This episode is classic “Jeff Lewis Has Issues”—an unscripted, raucous, and highly personal conversation, brimming with the signature wit and no-filter honesty Jeff is known for. Jeff, Lauren Lake, Elisa Donovan, and Doug Budin catch up after the holidays to swap stories about Christmas décor disasters (specifically “lawn balls”), parties, cancer scares, and true crime obsessions. The tone is irreverent, full of inside jokes, and moves briskly from comedy to vulnerability and back again.
Key Discussion Points
1. The D.A. Barbara Anniversary Party: Speeches, Tears, and Comic Relief
- Doug’s phone rings during a heartfelt speech, causing minor chaos and embarrassment.
- Quote: “My phone was on full volume, so, yeah, I knew she was gonna say something about you...I certainly didn’t know if she was gonna mention anything about me or Shane or Paolo.” – Doug (02:12)
- Jeff accuses Doug of performing fake tears to get attention.
- Quote: “Did you see the fake tear he also shed?” – Jeff (02:34)
- The crew dissects who was truly honored and whose ego needed stroking.
- Quote: “She did spend a lot of time on me. Much more time on you and Shane combined.” – Jeff (04:11)
- Doug shares the “cancer bomb” moment—a recent thyroid scare—recounting the anxiety of waiting for biopsy results during party season.
- Quote: “Well, there is cause for great concern.” – Doug quoting his doctor (06:44)
- The trio plunges into dark comedy around death, funerals, memorial preferences, and who’d actually show up.
- Memorable banter about music, services, and scattered ashes. (08:24 - 11:00)
2. Star Encounters: Prince and Ludacris
- Lauren tells her story of being starstruck by Prince at a secret NYC club.
- Quote: “I’m usually not starstruck. But I couldn’t keep my eyes off of him.” – Lauren (10:52)
- Doug recounts a surreal, accidental encounter with Prince at an LA party—driving a purple PT Cruiser and Prince wanting to check out the car.
- Quote: “Prince was standing right in the second floor... He came down and he said, ‘I love your car.’” – Doug (13:18)
- Elisa reveals she danced on stage with Prince.
- Quote: “I danced on stage with Prince.” – Alisa (14:05)
- Recurring jokes about misnaming celebrities (“Lewd Chris” for Ludacris) and not recognizing celebrity guests. (12:18)
3. Fashion, Red Carpets, and Press Shade
- Elisa describes a recent red carpet (“Housemaid” premiere), noting the odd experience of press coverage referencing her as a “90s bombshell” and “Who is she?”
- Quote: “90s bombshell makes red carpet appearance in plunging green gown 30 years after hit movie. Who is she?” – Jeff reading headline (19:24)
- The group humorously reframes the “Who is she?” slight as empowerment and a running inside joke.
- Elisa plugs “The Housemaid” as a wild ride and denies using ChatGPT for her Instagram review.
- Quote: “I am a published author, okay? So I was an English bitch.” – Alisa (21:36)
4. Holiday Decorations & Lawn Ball Fiasco
- Elisa recounts her saga with giant inflatable “Holliballs.” She gets hers, but Jeff & Doug are left ball-less due to a delivery failure by the company.
- Quote: “Hollyball’s ruined our Christmas holidays.” – Jeff (23:16)
- The group debates other brands, inflation techniques, and last year’s “ball migration” when Elisa’s decorations ended up all over the neighborhood.
- Quote: “I lost all my balls... The neighbors brought back two or three of them.” – Alisa (26:38)
- Discussion on the perils and methods of securing giant balls, and the household debates over holiday decorating colors (Lauren incorporating red for her son C.J.).
- Quote: “Red is tough... But he gets so happy and he’s just like, I don’t want to go anywhere if they don’t have the decorations like this.” – Lauren (29:16 & 30:32)
- Jeff laments Doug’s “bank/post office” aesthetic Christmas tree, and they argue about decorating choices.
- Quote: “It looks like a bank or post office.” – Jeff (30:53)
5. True Crime: Elisa’s New Podcast & Real-Life Cases
- Elisa unveils her new iHeart podcast, “Killer Thriller,” where she interviews creators of true crime TV and films.
- Quote: “It’s a true crime podcast where I will be interviewing the people that make the films and TV shows that are based on true crimes.” – Alisa (36:17)
- Lauren, a former criminal defense attorney, and others discuss true crime obsessions, why people love them, and the impact of stories like “Snapped” and “The First 48.”
- Quote: “I’m obsessed with understanding human behavior... Because really, everybody’s capable of a multitude of good and bad.” – Alisa (41:06)
- Lauren tells a chilling story of realizing she’d been inside a house later featured on “Snapped.”
- Quote: “I had been in that house where she murdered her husband... I knew a relative of those people.” – Lauren (42:51)
- Practical advice on getting away with (or not admitting to) crimes: “I want to talk to my lawyer. Do nothing else and don’t say nothing else.” – Lauren (46:06)
6. Christmas Parties & Social Faux Pas
- The group discusses Sutton Strack’s holiday party, last-minute invites, “plus five” controversy, and Doug’s passive-aggressive comments to gatecrashers.
- Quote: “It is so rude that you guys are here.” – Doug (48:01)
- Jeff clarifies that everyone was properly invited, despite banter and “poor form” jabs between guests and hosts.
- Quote: “I actually called Sutton and I said, you know Keon and Annie from the show? She goes, I love them. I would love them for them to come.” – Jeff (49:01)
Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)
- “My phone was on full volume...I was embarrassed. I was hiding behind that potted plant.” – Doug (02:12)
- “I have no problem prioritizing myself.” – Jeff (01:06)
- “She announced at the end that she was changing the name of the restaurant to Da Jeff.” – Lauren (04:34)
- “I want to be cremated...scattered up at the country where my father and the mechanic are buried.” – Doug (08:25)
- “Did he get in your car? ...He sat in the driver’s seat and pushed a button or two and then he got out and he loved it.” – Jeff/Doug (14:24)
- “Who is she?” (recurring joke throughout; first at 19:24 and repeatedly from 19:33 onward)
- “I got my balls installed.” – Alisa (22:38)
- “Christmas didn’t happen this year. Monroe is devastated.” – Jeff (23:07)
- “I lost all my balls.” – Alisa (26:38)
- “It looks like a bank or post office.” – Jeff (30:53)
- “It’s called Killer Thriller...a true crime podcast” – Alisa (36:17)
- “I want to talk to my lawyer. Do nothing else and don’t say nothing else.” – Lauren (46:06)
- “It is so rude that you guys are here.” – Doug (48:01)
Important Timestamps
- 01:19 — Episode begins with guest intros & party gossip
- 02:12 — Doug’s ringing phone/Barbara party story
- 05:32 — Doug’s cancer scare revelation
- 10:48 — Lauren’s Prince encounter
- 13:18 — Doug’s Prince/PT Cruiser story
- 19:01 — Press shade at Elisa’s “Housemaid” premiere
- 22:38 — “Lawn balls” debacle begins
- 26:38 — Lost balls & neighbor stories
- 30:53 — Tree aesthetics debate
- 36:17 — Elisa’s true crime podcast announcement
- 42:51 — Lauren saw a murder house featured on “Snapped”
- 46:06 — Lauren’s legal advice
- 48:01 — Doug’s party-guest drama and etiquette debate
Takeaways
- Personal Revelations: Doug’s health scare and the group’s mix of emotional support and dark humor underline how this crew mixes real-life vulnerability with relentless ribbing.
- Pop Culture Mania: Between Prince, Ludacris, and “90s bombshell” callbacks, celebrity stories are ammunition for both nostalgia and comic one-upmanship.
- Decor Drama: Inflatable lawn decorations can unite (or divide) a group just as thoroughly as party invites and seating charts.
- Crime & Curiosity: Elisa’s leap from 90s cinema to true crime podcasting is a nod both to evolving careers and America’s obsession with murder podcasts.
- Friendship in Action: Behind the sarcasm is clear affection: unsolicited advice, gifts gone missing, and last-minute plus-ones—nothing is off-limits, and nothing is taken too seriously.
Episode mood: Hilarious, self-deprecating, occasionally heartfelt—with a dose of true crime and plenty of holiday absurdity.
Perfect for: Fans of Jeff’s crew, reality-TV style banter, home décor feuds, and irreverent holiday talk.