The HoneyDew with Ryan Sickler, Episode 374: Charlotte McKinney | February 23, 2026

Episode Overview

In this candid and humorous episode of The HoneyDew, Ryan Sickler sits down with model, actress, and budding stand-up comedian Charlotte McKinney. True to the podcast’s mission—“highlighting the lowlights” of life—the conversation dives deep into Charlotte's adverse experiences with dyslexia, addiction, mental health, toxic relationships, career pivots, and her journey through sobriety. The tone is confessional, raw, and laced with comedic relief, offering equal parts laughter and insight for listeners navigating similar “lowlights.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Charlotte’s Family Background & Upbringing

• Origins: Charlotte shares her multicultural family history—her dad is from the Bahamas, her mom from Canada (01:10-03:10). They met in the Bahamas (“she was the slutty tourist, my dad was just in a band...”), eventually moving to Florida to open a used car dealership, which Charlotte describes as “actual hell” because her parents both worked and lived together for 40+ years (02:28-04:22).
• Childhood: Raised in Orlando with an older sister, Charlotte felt like the “wild one” compared to her “trophy” sibling (04:44-05:57, 19:55-20:22).

Education & Dyslexia

• Struggles in School: Severely dyslexic, Charlotte always struggled with reading and writing, requiring audio learning and visualization (05:41-07:00). Even in acting, she develops her craft by listening to recorded lines rather than reading scripts.
• Dropping Out: She dropped out of high school junior year at 16/17 due to academic difficulties, intending to pursue modeling (07:41-08:10). Though her parents allowed it with the condition she’d get a GED, she never finished (08:10-09:29).
• Lingering Insecurities: Not having a diploma remains a source of insecurity. She contemplates returning for it, seeking “confidence I definitely lack” (08:22-09:37, 11:12-11:52).

Modeling & Acting Career

• Early Struggles: Charlotte used modeling as a springboard to Hollywood, though initial gigs were unglamorous e-commerce work. Her career broke with Guess Jeans, leading to the famous Carl’s Jr. burger commercial (11:52-12:44).
• Being “The Burger Girl”: Despite diverse achievements, public recognition clings most to her viral ad (“I will forever be known as, like, the burger girl”, 12:57-13:05).
• Breakthroughs: The Carl’s Jr. fame led to signing with UTA and appearing on Dancing with the Stars—which she “hated” and exited quickly (14:15-14:56).
• Comedic Leanings: Always drawn to comedy, she found the modeling world lacked humor. Acting roles (like Joe Dirt 2) offered a sense of play absent in fashion (13:40-14:14, 51:26-52:41).

Substance Use: Alcohol & Drugs

• Early Partying: Drinking began at 13 in the Bahamas, where regulations were loose ("You have a pair of tits, you get a drink.” 15:41-15:57). Drinking became entwined with managing “severe anxiety.”
• High School Drinking: Known by her parents for regularly sneaking vodka in water bottles and lockers, she was sent to AA in high school, often playing the “creepy guys” line to dodge meetings (15:34-19:32).
• Party Lifestyles in Miami & LA: Charlotte recognizes that being busy with work helped her focus, but when idle, she spiraled. Miami’s party culture presented a fork in the road: “become a total drug addict, or move to LA and try this other path.” (21:46-22:14)
• Relationship to Partying: Partying remained a “whole life” theme, especially when dating “bad boys” and through toxic relationships. Drugs became more prevalent, including recent experiences with dangerous new substances like “pink cocaine” (2C/Tusi), prompting a sobering realization about the risks of fentanyl and overdose (25:53-30:44).

Sobriety Journey

• Recent Sobriety: At the time of recording, Charlotte was 45 days sober after a close call with drug misuse. She’s previously done a full year sober but often relapsed during periods of boredom or heartbreak (26:21-27:09, 36:48-37:04).
• Sobriety Challenges: Temptation is greatest when not working, during bad breakups, or within romantic relationships with non-sober partners (37:06-39:08, 58:55-59:14).
• Benefits & Struggles:
  • Best: “the mental clarity” and stable mood (“I suffer with depression… not being hungover, just staying solid”, 40:35-40:49).
  • Misses: “The fun. The chaotic, like, excitement. I don’t have that right now” (41:00-41:13).

Navigating Relationships, Intimacy & Dating Sober

• Dating Challenges: Admits to “boy craziness” as her “biggest problem,” always relying on alcohol or drugs for intimacy. Recently experienced her first sober date (“Whoa, this is so weird”, 38:14-38:43).
• Sexuality & Comedy: Finds humor in “relearning” sex and dating without substances; jokes about asking ChatGPT for advice on initiation (39:13-40:13).
• Current Priorities: Focuses on herself and sobriety, acknowledging how hard it is to be sober while dating someone who isn’t (58:53-59:14).

Life in Comedy & Support Networks

• Comedy as Therapy: Stand-up and writing offer structure and purpose in her sobriety (“Stand up has just been … my thing,” 45:32-45:33). She finds the comedy community welcoming, especially among sober women (46:03-47:10).
• Self-Awareness in Stand-Up: Only three years in, she’s realistic about her current skill level but hungry to “put the work in and get better” (46:28-47:18).
• Parental Views: Her parents support her unconventional career but are distanced from the intense self-revelation that comedy requires (47:18-48:18).

Navigating the Entertainment Industry

• Sexualization & Harassment: Opens up about being sexualized and harassed in the business—“I was just put in such a place with my body...horrible people,” and wishes she’d had a stronger female support group early on (53:44-54:39).
• Ryan’s Story: Ryan shares his own workplace sexual harassment experience, noting the rarity and double standards men face (54:51-56:38).

Wisdom & Reflection

• Advice to Her 16-year-old Self: “If you’re in a bad situation or relationship… get out as soon as you can. You think you have all the time in the world and you don’t. Stayed too long.” (59:32-60:02)
• Ongoing Growth: Recognizes a pattern of staying in the wrong situations “too long” and urges herself and others to trust their own advice (60:05-60:14).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “She was the slutty tourist. My dad was just in a band.” — Charlotte (02:42)
• “I have that nuttiness of just knowing things are going to work out. The delusion I think I had really early on.” — Charlotte (11:27-11:36)
• “No matter what I do or things I accomplish, I will forever just be known as, like, the burger girl.” — Charlotte (12:57-13:05)
• “You have a pair of tits, you get a drink.” — Charlotte on Bahamian drinking laws (15:41-15:57)
• “I suffer with severe anxiety as a kid, so that for me [alcohol] was just like, oh my God, I can… relax.” — Charlotte (17:43-18:04)
• “My parents loved me almost too much. They should have been a little harder on me maybe.” — Charlotte (20:48-21:05)
• “The drugs and the drinking always have to do with a guy … I have really bad intimacy issues. So, like, coping with, like, just being intimate with someone… I have always drank.” — Charlotte (37:52-38:09)
• “Pink cocaine … there’s this new drug on the market called Tusi … I found out that [now] it’s all fat, you can die. So I was just like, this has gotta stop.” — Charlotte (28:21-28:36)
• “I love the ceremony [of smoking weed].” — Charlotte (34:46)
• “What do you miss the most about [drinking/using]? The fun. The chaotic, like, fun. Excitement. I don’t have that right now.” — Charlotte (41:00-41:13)
• “If you’re in a bad situation or relationship… get out as soon as you can. …I’ve wasted a lot of time with the wrong people.” — Charlotte (59:32-59:56)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:10-04:22 — Family background: Bahamas, Canada, Florida, parents’ car dealership
• 05:41-07:00 — Dyslexia struggles, learning style, impact on acting
• 07:41-09:29 — Dropping out, GED attempts, insecurity about education
• 11:12-14:14 — Modeling roadblocks, Carl’s Jr. opportunity, start in comedy
• 15:41-17:16 — Early drinking in the Bahamas, high school drinking stories
• 18:04-19:48 — Alcohol-related trouble, parental reactions, AA in high school
• 21:46-22:14 — Miami party scene as career crossroads
• 25:53-27:09 — Party lifestyle, dating, relationship choices
• 28:21-30:44 — Pink cocaine, fentanyl era, overdose risks
• 40:35-41:13 — Sobriety: best/worst aspects, living with clarity vs. chasing chaotic ‘fun’
• 46:03-47:10 — Comedy’s support community, self-awareness as a comic
• 53:44-54:39 — Being sexualized and harassed in showbiz, need for a female support group
• 59:32-60:14 — Advice to her 16-year-old self: “get out as soon as you can,” trust your own advice

Final Thoughts

Charlotte McKinney’s honesty provides both laughter and empathy in mapping out a journey through learning disabilities, substance use, and the messy process of self-discovery in show business and life. Her story—reflecting on both “fun chaos” and real dangers—offers no easy answers, but plenty of hard-won lessons, especially for listeners navigating sobriety, self-worth, and authenticity.

Follow Charlotte:
Instagram: @charlottemckinney
Upcoming film: Busboys
Stand-up and more: See her socials for dates.

“If you're in a bad situation or relationship… get out as soon as you can. …I've wasted a lot of time with the wrong people.” — Charlotte McKinney (59:32-59:56)