Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Nerve with Maureen Callahan
Episode: Meghan Markle's Snub, Diddy's Comeback, Michele Obama's Absurdities, & More Big Celeb Gossip of 2025
Date: December 23, 2025

Overview

This episode of The Nerve is a fast-paced, fearless, and deeply sardonic survey of what Maureen Callahan and her guests see as the year's biggest and most ridiculous celebrity scandals. Featuring gossip columnist Rob Shooter and crime commentator Nancy Grace, Callahan roasts everyone from Meghan Markle and Diddy to Michelle Obama, Timothée Chalamet, and Britney Spears. With the holidays looming, the discussion pivots between dark humor, blunt social criticism, and a dose of biting industry insider insight.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Year's Biggest Celebrity Scandal (04:00–12:29)

Maureen Callahan and Rob Shooter open with their top picks:

• Meghan Markle and Prince Harry ("the Sussexes"): Their brand is viewed as "worthless" and their relevance is rapidly fading.

  • Shooter describes Markle as a "malignant narcissist" and predicts their newsworthiness will continue to diminish.
  • The pair’s professional prospects are drying up: "This is what Real Housewives do," Shooter says of Harry’s corporate speeches (07:49).
  • Notable quote:
    “They thought they were going to be part of the lecture circuit. MAUREEN, I’ve seen people, I know people... It was a one-shot deal.” – Rob Shooter (08:49)
  • Meghan’s potential "divorce memoir": Publishers are over it unless there’s scandal. Friends say her writing "rambles on and on and on" (10:28).

• JLo & Ben Affleck's on/off relationship was annoying yet omnipresent all year.

2. Meghan Markle’s Family Estrangement (04:44–12:29)

• Meghan’s public refusal to see her sick father, Thomas Markle, over the holidays draws sharp criticism.
  • “If there's a mistake to be made... she’s going to make it.” – Rob Shooter (04:00)
  • The hosts mock Meghan’s compassion branding, and argue her actions reveal her true nature.
  • William’s refusal to strip their Sussex titles is discussed as both strategic and cruel:
    "If he strips them, he’ll look petty. If he ignores them, it’s cruel. … The Sussex brand now doesn’t mean anything." – Rob Shooter (06:31)

3. Diddy’s Trial & the Limits of Celebrity Justice (12:30–21:24)

• Shooter reveals he previously worked as Diddy’s publicist and details the artist’s manipulative charm.
  • “He had that Jeffrey Epstein type monster charm…” – Rob Shooter (13:48)
• The public and legal letdown after Diddy's widely publicized trial:
  • “...It was like reading a really compelling book, and you get to the last, last chapter, and it felt like it was missing.” – Rob Shooter (14:26)
  • Both agree that Diddy (and his celebrity enablers) essentially got away with it.
  • Shooter predicts "he might be bigger than ever" after serving time (17:10).
  • “He now has that credibility in the streets that he never had. ... Now that he’s spent a little bit of time in jail—he could have a major comeback.” – Rob Shooter (17:10)

4. Hollywood’s Amnesia & Willingness to Forgive Monsters (18:26–24:13)

• Shooter describes conversing with top Hollywood insiders who openly miss Harvey Weinstein's presence—a shocking lack of moral accountability persists.
  • “People had a good story to tell... There was always a fondness... Hollywood gives these men second chances in, I don’t know, any other business in the world.” – Rob Shooter (20:13)
  • References also to Roman Polanski and Will Smith, further highlighting Hollywood double standards.
• The group anticipates Rob Reiner’s son Nick Reiner’s trial will be the celebrity story of 2026.

5. Lighter Gossip & New Developments (29:34–44:00)

Michelle Obama’s Book Tour (29:34–31:52)

• Maureen scathingly mocks Obama’s self-praise, ongoing book promotion, and advice for aging leaders.
  • “She is among the foremost offenders. ... She’s the last to leave the party, sister. The lights are off, the food is gone, the booze is dry. Please, we’ve called you an Uber.” – Maureen Callahan (31:28)

Timothée Chalamet’s Cultural Ignorance (34:54–35:59)

• The hosts roast Chalamet’s appearance on Graham Norton, in particular his lack of knowledge about Samson and Delilah.
  • “I've never heard that!” – Chalamet (35:44); Callahan: “Margarita, read the Bible!” (35:52)

Gayle King’s Love Life, Audience Feedback, and “The Wood Chipper” Bit (35:59–44:00)

• Maureen reads listener mail and teases future content, including a new travel segment ("Nervy Traveler" with Belinda Carlisle).

6. Celebrity Crime Segment with Nancy Grace (49:17–68:34)

Idaho Murders & Bryan Kohberger (49:37–56:46)

• Grace gives the grisly details of the Kohberger case and ridicules his prison complaints.
  • “Brian Coburger is threatening self harm... because he doesn’t like his bananas.” – Nancy Grace (49:37)
  • Maureen and Nancy hope for “prison justice” amid dissatisfaction with the plea deal.

Diddy and "Toilet Wine" (57:15–59:48)

• Diddy’s adaptation to prison: found with home-brewed alcohol ("pruno").
  • Maureen: “That's a criminal mind at work. We're just going to break every rule we possibly can.” (57:51)
  • Grace: “Bon appetit, Sean Combs.” (58:06)
  • Predictions of Diddy’s manufactured “resurrection” after prison.

Britney Spears’ Public Recklessness (59:48–68:14)

• Spears’ dangerous driving and ongoing instability are discussed as an inevitable tragedy.
  • Callahan: “She is a public menace” (62:58)
  • Grace: “We all thought her conservatorship was draconian… but at this juncture she needs help.” (61:31)
• They worry about the enabling environment surrounding Spears and foresee a grim outcome.

Meghan Markle’s Estrangement and Harry's Inaction (68:34–71:50)

• Nancy Grace and Maureen return to Meghan’s snub of her ailing father, finding her coldness “criminal.”
  • “She needs to put herself on a plane and drive to her father and put him on that same plane and bring him back to the US for treatment.” – Nancy Grace (69:44)

7. Year-End Humor: The Nerve Before Christmas (72:35–78:32)

• Marlena, the producer, recites a satirical holiday poem parodying "The Night Before Christmas" but stuffed with celebrity takedowns and callbacks to the show’s best running gags.

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• "They've squandered it. They've absolutely squandered it. ... When they first came over here, they tried to hire the same agent as Barack Obama. ... It was a one shot deal."
  – Rob Shooter (08:43)

• "It's easier to ignore them. ... The Sussex brand now doesn't mean anything."
  – Rob Shooter (06:31)

• "He had that Jeffrey Epstein type monster charm, and you have to have that to get away with this for 20 years."
  – Rob Shooter on Diddy (13:48)

• "Hollywood gives these men second chances in, I don’t know, any other business in the world."
  – Rob Shooter (20:13)

• "She is among the foremost offenders (of not moving on). ... Last one to leave the party, sister. The lights are off, the food is gone, the booze is dry. Please, we've called you an Uber. Go home."
  – Maureen Callahan on Michelle Obama (31:28)

• "I've never heard that."
  – Timothée Chalamet, regarding Samson and Delilah (35:44)

• "Bon appetit, Sean Combs."
  – Nancy Grace on Diddy drinking prison "pruno" (58:06)

• "She is a public menace."
  – Maureen Callahan on Britney Spears (62:58)

• "She’s a spiritual reptilian. That’s what she is, okay? She’s a shape shifter. She pretends to be human."
  – Maureen Callahan on Meghan Markle (70:17)

Notable Segments & Timestamps

• [04:00] – Rob Shooter: Top scandals of 2025
• [13:14] – Diddy’s trial, celebrity culture, and personal recollections
• [18:26] – Hollywood's reaction to Harvey Weinstein
• [29:34] – Michelle Obama's promotional tour
• [34:54] – Roasting Timothée Chalamet
• [49:17] – Nancy Grace on Idaho Murders
• [57:15] – Diddy drinks "toilet wine" in prison
• [59:48] – Britney Spears’ reckless behavior
• [68:34] – Meghan Markle’s family and Harry's idleness
• [72:35] – “The Nerve Before Christmas” poem
• [78:06+] – Wrap up and holiday messages

Tone and Style

The episode is irreverent, sarcastic, and uncompromisingly direct. There’s a combination of gallows humor, genuine concern (especially regarding crime and mental health), and an insider’s glee at skewering celebrities’ contradictions and missteps. It's part roast, part media criticism, and part dark gossip-fest.

For First-Time Listeners

• You’ll get insider perspectives, brazen opinions, and plenty of industry tea delivered with biting wit.
• If you like your pop culture commentary sharp, skeptical, and unsentimental—with a side of true crime—this episode is an unfiltered year-end blowout.

Curious for more?
Sign up for The Nerve’s Substack or tune in for future episodes—the team promises bolder, weirder, and more fearless content in the new year.