Podcast Summary: The Nerve with Maureen Callahan

Episode: Meghan Markle's Rejection, Jeff Bezos' Met Gala Control, and Olivia Nuzzi's Mounting Scandal
Date: November 26, 2025
Host: Maureen Callahan
Guest: Rob Shooter (Celebrity Reporter, Naughty But Nice Substack), Producer Marlena

Overview

In this lively, no-holds-barred episode, Maureen Callahan and guests dissect the latest in celebrity and media scandals. The show dives into the fallout from Meghan Markle’s strained Hollywood relationships and professional setbacks, the rise of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in the Met Gala world, and the jaw-dropping “love quadrangle” involving RFK Jr., Olivia Nuzzi, and a cast of exes and rival journalists. Callahan combines trademark skepticism, humor, and frankness, bringing behind-the-scenes insight and industry gossip to the fore.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Meghan Markle in Hollywood: Fallout and Rejection

w/ Rob Shooter
Timestamps: 05:32–16:25

• Kardashians Cut Meghan & Harry Off

  • After drama at Kris Jenner’s 70th birthday party at Jeff Bezos’s house, the Kardashians are “really annoyed” at Meghan and Harry—largely for lying about not signing fictitious “release forms” for photos, behavior that runs counter to Hollywood A-list norms.
    • “This was meant to be Kris’s night… Megan’s nonsense with Harry where they said they didn’t want their pictures taken… There was no documents there.” —Rob Shooter (06:13–08:19)
  • Professionalism Contrast: Kardashians are described as punctual and hard-working; Meghan and Harry are seen as the opposite.
    • “They’re on time. They’re professionals. You don’t get to run a billion-dollar company… They work their bottoms off. It’s the opposite of how Meghan and Harry conduct business.” —Rob Shooter (08:22)

• Netflix Special: Career at Stake

  • Netflix is poised to cut ties unless Meghan’s Christmas special is a major hit—but even then, crew insiders expect it to be over.
    • “It’s over. Even if this Christmas special does okay… The camera people, the lighting people, all of them are looking for new jobs. None of them think it’s coming back.” —Rob Shooter (09:19–10:33)

• Harper’s Bazaar Cover Fiasco

  • Meghan orchestrates being announced as “Duchess of Sussex” in an empty, borrowed townhouse—a failed display of royalty gone Real Housewives.
    • “It reeks of the Bravo’s Real Housewives. Like Countess Luann. Even she outgrew it.” —Rob Shooter (11:52–12:17)
    • “If you remember back to 2012… James Bond came to see Queen Elizabeth. You introduce the commoner to the Queen. Meghan got the protocol completely wrong.” —Rob Shooter (12:20)

• Media Grudges & Branding

  • Meghan’s anger at Condé Nast over past unfavorable coverage leads her to Harper’s Bazaar instead of Vogue.
    • “She’s really pissed at Condé Nast… If you upset Meghan, she doesn’t forget.” —Rob Shooter (14:34)

2. Wicked, “Gelfi,” and Performative Female Friendship

Timestamps: 16:26–22:20

• Grande & Erivo’s PR Strategy

  • Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo seem inseparable on the “Wicked” press tour, fueling rumors but insiders say it’s calculated PR.
    • “When the cameras weren’t on, they weren’t quite as friendly… This is what celebrities do… I think the strategy is smart. It’s not truthful.” —Rob Shooter (17:26–19:39)

• PR Overkill Questioned

  • Callahan questions if the over-the-top displays are appropriate, given the film’s young audience.
    • “For a movie about female friendship… to be practically dry humping each other… What is going on?” —Maureen Callahan (19:39–20:05)

3. Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez, and the End of the Met Gala

Timestamps: 22:20–27:26

• Bezos & Sanchez “Buy” the Met Gala

  • Massive new money involvement as top fashion brands exit; prediction of Kim Kardashian as host and an era shift toward spectacle over style.
    • “It’s over. It’s been over for a couple years. That’s why they need outside money.” —Rob Shooter (23:07)
    • “Lauren’s pet project… Her wedding was on the cover of Vogue. It’s going to be voom voom voom.” —Rob Shooter (23:07–24:19)

• Met Gala vs Kardashian Ball

  • The Kardashians may launch a rival event after Jenner’s successful party, hastening Met Gala’s decline.
    • “She’s thinking about doing a Kardashian ball, a rival ball in LA, where she’s proved she can deliver the stars.” —Rob Shooter (24:47–25:23)

• What it’s really like inside the Met:

  • Rob Shooter and Callahan describe it as mean-spirited, cliquish, and unenjoyable despite its reputation.
    • “It really was one of my most awful nights in New York City.” —Rob Shooter (25:47)

4. Listener Feedback: Jackie O. vs Michelle O.

Timestamps: 31:17–38:41

• Listeners respond enthusiastically to a recent episode comparing Jackie Kennedy and Michelle Obama, sharing personal anecdotes about Jackie’s elegance and Michelle’s “lack thereof.” Callahan encourages ongoing audience feedback and celebrates the show’s community of “troublemakers.”

5. Love Quadrangle: Olivia Nuzzi, RFK Jr., Cheryl Hines, and More

w/ Producer Marlena
Timestamps: 39:38–74:28

• Scandal Overview:

  • Political journalist Olivia Nuzzi is embroiled in a sex-and-power scandal involving RFK Jr., actress Cheryl Hines (his wife), ex-fiancé Ryan Lizza, and ex-boyfriend Keith Olbermann.
    • “We are going to get into the love quadrangle that continues expanding…” —Maureen Callahan (39:38)

• Nude Vanity Fair Portrait & Allegations of Misconduct

  • Olivia is set for an “abstract nude portrait” in Vanity Fair; staffers complain she’s shirked work duties amid scandal.

• Maureen Enters the Chat

  • Ryan Lizza’s Substack (subscription) describes Nuzzi reading Callahan’s book Ask Not and “the Art of Seduction” while beginning her affair with RFK Jr.
    • “Thanks to Bobby, I am now aware of something called felching. Troublemakers, do not Google felching…” —Maureen Callahan quoting Ryan Lizza (39:38–41:05)

• Felching Enters the Conversation

  • RFK Jr.’s erotic poem to Nuzzi (read out by Callahan) triggers explanations of felching—with producer Marlena reading explicit Urban Dictionary definitions.
    • “I am a river, you are my canyon. I mean to flow through you…” —alleged RFK Jr. text (56:57)

• Patterns of Manipulation & Legacy Issues

  • Nuzzi’s pattern of transactional relationships and serial affairs with political figures calls her journalistic future into question.
    • “Even for someone in this world, she is extremely transactional, and I’m not really interested in that.” —Maureen Callahan (45:30)

• Keith Olbermann’s “Threat” on Podcast

  • Keith references an unspecified event almost destroying Nuzzi’s life; Callahan calls it “a threat.”
    • “She did something which I’m not prepared to share the details of… but the landlord at her place was not happy…” —Keith Olbermann, quoted by Callahan (56:11)

• Cheryl Hines’s Role

  • Discussion of why Hines stays with RFK Jr. (fame, “Kennedy wife” status), and her possible blindness to repeated patterns of humiliation.
    • “They marry their fans…The wives who enter as fans, as groupies, will take all manner of humiliation…” —Maureen Callahan (62:47–63:45)

• Lasting Damage

  • Callahan and Marlena agree Nuzzi’s reputation is irreparably tarnished; future work as a journalist is unlikely. All involved parties, from exes to RFK Jr., are critiqued for ethical and personal failings.
    • “Her obituary is not going to be about her journalistic work… It’s going to be this scandal that’s her legacy.” —Maureen Callahan (71:35)
    • “I just think she looks very unstable… if she actually feels gratified in what she’s doing, this will only escalate.” —Marlena (71:35–72:08)

• No Redemption for Key Players

  • The conversation hints at future retaliatory memoirs or exposés among the players, likening the saga to a non-stop “shootout at dawn.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Meghan Markle’s Royal Mishap:
  “She thought she was being fancy, but her protocol was absolutely wrong.” —Rob Shooter (12:20)

• On the Met Gala’s Demise:
  “It’s turned into a grotesque freak show... Movie stars are not clamoring to do it anymore.” —Rob Shooter (24:43)

• On the RFK Jr. Love Quadrangle
  “It’s Maha. It’s celebrity, it’s media, it’s gossip, it’s sex. It’s a new kind of—an existing sexual act that none of us have ever heard of. And we’re all completely grossed out by it.” —Maureen Callahan (04:40)

• On Olivia Nuzzi’s Career:
  “I can’t imagine anyone of substance sitting across from her and not thinking she’d sell them out in a heartbeat… every time she enters a room, they’ll just think about one thing—her sexual history.” —Maureen Callahan (70:19–71:35)

Timestamp Guide to Segments

• 05:32–16:25 — Meghan Markle’s Hollywood Fallout, Netflix.
• 16:26–22:20 — “Wicked” PR, Female Friendship & Acting Gossip.
• 22:20–27:26 — Met Gala Takeover by Bezos & Sanchez; Kardashian Ball.
• 31:17–38:41 — Listener Feedback & Community Segment (Jackie O. vs Michelle O.).
• 39:38–74:28 — Comprehensive Review of Olivia Nuzzi—RFK Jr. Scandal; Media Repercussions

Tone and Language

• irreverent, skeptical, and gossipy
• unfiltered and explicit at times (especially in the “felching” discussion)
• opinionated and bold, true to Maureen Callahan’s journalistic style
• At times caustic, always candid—no one, including the host’s own former sources, is free from critique

Conclusion

This episode is quintessential “The Nerve”—unafraid to expose the messy intersections of power, sex, fame, and media with sharp wit and industry insider knowledge. Maureen Callahan and her guests rip the mask off celebrity, journalism, and high society, revealing the pettiness, absurdity, and human failings behind the headlines.

For those who missed it:
You’ll walk away with a fresh understanding of how celebrity feuds, media ethics, and elite social events are navigated (and manipulated) by those seeking influence—and why, often, the people at the center of it all seem the most damaged.