The Breakfast Club – Best of Full Interview: Rome & Jess Hilarious Unpack Their Co-Parenting Relationship

Original Air Date: December 25, 2025

Main Theme / Purpose

This “Best Of” episode of The Breakfast Club features hosts DJ Envy, Charlamagne Tha God, and Jess Hilarious sitting down with Rome, Jess’s co-parent and close friend. Timed with National Co-Parenting Day, the discussion draws out their journey from young, tumultuous parents to a model co-parenting team, marked by transparency, growth, and hard-won friendship. The conversation covers their dramatic past, lessons in forgiveness, evolving family dynamics, the impact of Rome and Jess’s individual upbringings, and how they now support each other while raising their son. The episode is candid, heartfelt, and often very funny, blending life lessons with the energetic, playful tone The Breakfast Club is known for.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. How Rome & Jess Met and Their Early Days

• Both grew up in the same church but didn’t connect until later in life on Facebook, where Rome sent a basketball emoji as an icebreaker.
  • “[Rome]: I was just coming to get my ball. Coming to get what's mine. Something like that.” (06:02)
  • “[Jessica]: I just typed that back. And he was like…‘I'm coming to get what's mine.’ And I was like, oh, okay. What's up? I already knew what that was.” (06:35)
• Their first major date was at Six Flags, and Jess played a big part in shaping Rome’s early adulthood.
  • “She introduced me to a lot, actually. We both was the same age, but she helped make me become…becoming a man.” – Rome (08:16)

2. Their Infamous Breakup & Early Co-parenting Drama

• The pair relive a wild, dramatic story involving jealousy, broken car windows, and a stint in jail—all told with humor and a bit of disagreement about the details.
  • “[Charlamagne]: She busted your windows out your car, man.” (09:04)
  • “[Jessica]: I went to jail that night.” (12:51)
  • “[Rome]: But I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, you know, I was sick.” (13:59)
  • Rome owned up to struggling with letting go, “[Rome]: When I stopped caring about who she dealt with, when I wouldn’t even care.” (37:37)

3. Building a Deep, Platonic Friendship

• Over time, their focus shifted exclusively to their son, enabling them to form a relationship that Jess describes as “sibling-like.”
  • “[Jessica]: Oh yeah. Rome started that. Rome started calling me sis first, and then I started calling him bro…we do have, like, a sibling dynamic in some way.” (17:51)
• They serve as each other’s support system—even when life gets messy.
  • “[Rome]: She's always been my safe space…sometimes, all the time, I need it.” (05:06)

4. Evolving Co-parenting Approaches

• Both speak on mistakes, learning to communicate, and relinquishing control.
  • “[Jessica]: We just put everything on the table…‘cause it's really about Ash [their son]. After that, it was no looking back.” (45:22)
  • “[Rome]: Communication, feelings out of it, ego out of it. And just…both parties gotta be in it…” (46:16)
• Letting go of possessiveness over their child as trust grew.
  • “[Rome]: I trust my child mom enough…that she won't bring nobody around my child.” (20:06)

5. Challenges from Their Own Upbringings

• Rome shares how the early loss of his mother and complicated relationship with his father shaped emotional struggles, vulnerability, and the desire for connection.
  • “[Rome]: I was really never taught how to love. Like, I lost my mom at 10 years old…My trust issues is fucked up from my dad.” (21:50)
  • “[Charlamagne]: …It's this thing called the mother wound…Does that feel like you? [Rome]: Maslow loss. Maslow loss. It's done to you as a child, will affect you as an adult, but it will not define you.” (35:49)
• Admits that some of his father’s poor financial decisions disadvantaged him.
  • “[Rome]: My dad really crushed me, man…you hate me so much because I got you…I caught your ways. But the difference between me, I'm young and I'm changing.” (34:38)

6. Accountability, Regrets, and Healing

• Rome apologizes publicly for not stepping up during Jess’s time of need, showing vulnerability and willingness to grow.
  • “[Rome]: I'm gonna say I truly, sincerely apologize for not taking care of you the way I should have…especially you. I never, ever, ever, ever meant to do that to you.” (41:38)
  • “[Jessica]: I appreciate that…Nobody taking my kid, not even his father. As long as Ash wasn't scared of the dark, we was good.” (43:05)
• Both emphasize forgiveness, learning from hardship, and the importance of mutual support.

7. Parenting Philosophy & The Next Generation

• Rome is breaking cycles of absentee or harsh fatherhood, determined to parent with love, presence, and communication.
  • “[Rome]: I refuse for my son to become a statistic…I don't want you to go through something bad to learn a lesson.” (47:14)
  • “[Rome]: You gotta make sure you raising your child outta love…I’m a nurturer. I'm a dad. I'm a father. I nurture my baby.” (49:33)
  • “[Charlamagne]: Most of our fathers raised us out of fear…We gotta figure out how to raise our kids out of love.” (49:40)
• Challenges of earning a son’s trust and encouraging open communication.
  • “[Rome]: My son problem was he don't like to confront a man…if you don't like something, you tell me…I want the communication.” (48:07)

8. Advice for Co-Parents

• The core of their advice: honest communication, setting ego aside, and prioritizing the child.
  • “[Jessica]: Communication…be scared to hurt each other feelings…put everything on the table—you're moving forward ‘cause it’s really about the kid.” (45:22)
  • “[Rome]: Communication, feelings out of it, ego out of it. Both parties gotta be in it.” (46:16)

9. Looking Ahead: Projects and Representation

• Jess and Rome are working on a book to share their co-parenting journey and hope to inspire others.
  • “[Rome]: I wish a lot of other people would take from us…and that's why this got to be on tv…Book coming. Everything. Yes, Everything coming.” (45:06)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote / Moment | |---------------|---------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------| | 05:06 | Rome | “She's always been my safe space…sometimes, all the time, I need it.” | | 09:04 | Charlamagne | “She busted your windows out your car, man.” | | 13:59 | Rome | “But I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, you know, I was sick.” | | 17:51 | Jessica | “Rome started calling me sis first…we do have, like, a sibling dynamic…” | | 20:06 | Rome | “I trust my child mom enough to…she won't bring nobody around my child.”| | 21:50 | Rome | “I was really never taught how to love. Like, I lost my mom at 10 years old…My trust issues is fucked up from my dad.” | | 35:49 | Charlamagne/Rome | “It's this thing called the mother wound…Does that feel like you? [Rome]: Maslow loss. Maslow loss. It's done to you as a child, will affect you as an adult, but it will not define you.” | | 41:38 | Rome (to Jess) | “I truly, sincerely apologize for not taking care of you the way I should have…especially you. I never, ever, ever, ever meant to do that to you.” | | 45:22 | Jessica | “We just put everything on the table…‘cause it's really about Ash [their son]. After that, it was no looking back.” | | 46:16 | Rome | “Communication, feelings out of it, ego out of it. And just…both parties gotta be in it…” | | 47:14 | Rome | “I refuse for my son to become a statistic…I refuse for my son to become a young, hurt little boy.” | | 49:40 | Charlamagne | “Most of our fathers raised us out of fear…We gotta figure out how to raise our kids out of love.” | | 51:29 | Charlamagne | “[Rome] is talking to a lot of different issues that a lot of us men go through…happy you was vulnerable this morning.” |

Timestamps for Significant Segments

• 03:10 – Introduction & Setup
  Rome joins; National Co-Parenting Day context.
• 05:55 – Co-Parenting Journey Begins
  How they reached their current relationship and Rome as a “safe space.”
• 06:49 – Facebook Flirting and Early Relationship
  The origin of their romance.
• 09:04 – Iconic Breakup Story & Jail Night
  Wild story of drama, jealousy, and moving beyond it.
• 17:51 – Sibling-like Bond and Platonic Love
  How their relationship moved to platonic but deep.
• 21:50 – Childhood Wounds, Role Models, and Learning to Love
  Rome’s background, emotional struggles, and accountability.
• 41:38 – Public Apology and Growth
  Rome's open apology and reflection on financial and emotional support.
• 45:22 – How They Built a Strong Co-Parenting Partnership
  Conversations, mutual accountability, and putting the child first.
• 47:14 – Breaking Cycles in Parenting
  Rome’s commitment to being a present, nurturing father.
• 49:40 – Raising Kids Out of Love, Not Fear
  Final thoughts on healthy fatherhood.

Tone & Language

The episode is conversational, raw, and filled with humor—even in the retelling of hard times. There’s plenty of playful tension, inside jokes, and mutual roasting, but always with underlying love and respect. The vulnerability and authenticity, especially from Rome, give the episode its emotional core.

Summary for Non-Listeners

The conversation between Rome and Jess Hilarious, guided by DJ Envy and Charlamagne, is more than just about co-parenting—it’s a layered exploration of forgiveness, cycles of trauma, personal transformation, and resilience. Starting as volatile young parents, Rome and Jess have built a friendship rooted in trust and communication, prioritizing their child above their own issues. Both are candid about their mistakes, pain, and ongoing healing, making the episode not just entertaining but deeply instructive for anyone facing similar challenges. They advocate for putting egos aside, embracing uncomfortable conversations, and making the child’s well-being central.

The episode stands out for its blend of humor, vulnerability, real talk on therapy and personal growth, and practical wisdom for parents who want to evolve beyond their own upbringings. Their journey is now set to be shared in a forthcoming book, hoping to inspire other co-parents.