The Nerve with Maureen Callahan
Episode Title: Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban's Custody Deal, Meghan & Harry’s Price Tag, and Oprah's Workout Facade
Date: January 7, 2026
Host: Maureen Callahan
Guest: Rob Shooter
Episode Overview
In this episode of The Nerve at Night, Maureen Callahan is joined by celebrity reporter Rob Shooter to break down the juiciest celebrity scoops of the week. From Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's eyebrow-raising divorce settlement to Meghan and Harry auctioning off their company (and themselves!), Priscilla Presley family bombshells, Mickey Rourke's public meltdown over GoFundMe, and the latest on Oprah's weight loss confessions—this is a no-holds-barred, highly entertaining, and incisive slice of modern celebrity culture. The pair never shy away from skepticism, side-eye, and a wicked sense of humor.
Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban Divorce: The Shocking Custody Decision
[03:02 – 09:39]
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Headline: Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have agreed to a divorce settlement (per Daily Mail). The division of assets is clean: "They leave with what they came in with, with what they earned during the marriage." — Maureen Callahan
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Custody Deal:
- Nicole gets custody of their daughters (ages 17 and 15) for 306 days a year; Keith gets only 59 days (every other weekend).
- "Which is remarkable because her children that we never talk about with Tom Cruise, she doesn’t see them allegedly at all. But with her biological kids, Mother Bear wants them around her all the time." — Rob Shooter [05:25]
- Maureen speculates the daughters’ clear choice to side with Nicole suggests something beyond just Keith’s cheating: “I think he knocked somebody up. That is the only explanation I could see.” [07:36]
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Rob’s Industry Insight:
- Keith isn’t contesting custody, which could mean Nicole "knows everything." Keith "might not have been the greatest husband," but he loves his daughters. He "could afford to make [custody] work if he wanted to... Nicole’s priority was getting the children, and she got them." [06:29]
- It's “really odd... unless there is either a big secret or something so deeply humiliating that they have decided to walk away from this.” — Rob Shooter [08:17]
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Cultural Moment:
- Nicole will now wear her natural curly hair, which Keith allegedly hated.
- “If you have to change your hair to keep your partner, get rid of the partner.” — Rob Shooter [09:47]
- Nicole will now wear her natural curly hair, which Keith allegedly hated.
Meghan & Harry: Desperate Measures and a "Price Tag" on Dinner
[10:19 – 18:49]
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Fall from Grace:
- "Netflix is done... Harry’s been giving speeches to real estate consortiums in Hiltons around America for a few hundred K." — Maureen [10:19]
- Radar reports they auctioned themselves off for $100,000 dinner dates: “They are prostitute adjacent. Have you ever seen anything like this?” — Maureen [11:27]
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Rob’s Take:
- “The grift is real... Just lean into who you are—you’re reality stars.” [11:27]
- “I do like the story... they might save money on security now the Brits might fund it. But Meghan is never ever going back to Britain.” [12:35]
- “The money... goes really, really fast. They never raised any funding. They financed it themselves. They’ve lost everything.” [14:01]
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Speculation over the Sussex Split:
- Harry spent New Year’s skiing with friend Nacho Figueras, apart from Meghan, going by “Harry Wales” (his original name, not Sussex) at events.
- “He’s reverted to Harry before Meghan.” — Rob [16:40]
- Maureen: “I find it cannibalistic… almost an assault against William, who is the Prince of Wales.” [17:19]
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Sociocultural Codes & Fitting In:
- Harry doesn’t fit into LA society: “All the friends that he had, the life he had, now it’s all gone...” — Rob [17:49]
Priscilla Presley Lawsuit Bombshell: The Travolta-Presley Egg Donor Claims
[18:49 – 23:36]
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Jaw-Dropping Allegations:
- A lawsuit alleges Lisa Marie Presley may have been biological mother to John Travolta and Kelly Preston’s late son Jett (via egg donation).
- Reportedly, Lisa Marie gave eggs to Travolta/Preston; after Jett’s death, they sought eggs from Riley Keough (Lisa Marie’s daughter), with payment documented on a napkin (Jaguar + $10-$20k).
- “Celebrities are really cheap. They pay as little as possible... That’s why I think this story really could be onto something.” — Rob [21:19]
- “It is so out there, it has to be true.” — Maureen [23:36]
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Why Mainstream Media Avoids It:
- Entertainment Tonight & Access Hollywood “will not touch this story with a ten-foot pole... that’s why The Nerve exists—for the real talk about fake people.” — Maureen [22:38-23:36]
Mickey Rourke: GoFundMe Chaos and Hypocrisy
[24:23 – 29:31]
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The Timeline:
- Reports emerge (Daily Mail, Hollywood Reporter) that Mickey Rourke is "about to be homeless." A GoFundMe, set up by his manager, raises $90,000 to help with $60K in rent debt.
- Rourke posts an Instagram vehemently denying knowledge or approval: “I’d rather stick a gun up my ass and pull the trigger.” — Mickey Rourke [25:41]
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Rob’s Breakdown:
- “He approved it... When he got backlash, he posted that video. This is a man who took a check from Celebrity Big Brother, who is happy to take money. So get off that high horse.” [27:24-27:52]
- “Pay your rent. If you don’t pay your rent, you’ll be evicted. These celebrities want one freebies... earn your rent.” [28:51]
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Wealth Mismanagement:
- Maureen is surprised that both Mickey Rourke and Denise Richards rent: “Why are they renting? Because they can’t buy. They’ve probably wrecked their credit.” [29:31]
Will Smith & Tyler Perry: Looming Sexual Harassment Lawsuits
[30:09 – 33:56]
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The Suit Details:
- Tyler Perry facing a $77 million suit (worth $1.4 billion).
- Will Smith sued by a violinist who alleges his hotel room was entered without permission, evidence left behind: “a handwritten note... wipes, beer bottle, a bottle of HIV medication with another individual’s name, an earring, and hospital discharge paperwork…” — Maureen [30:09]
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Rob’s Take:
- “A court filing. This is a legal document… Shocked it’s taken this long for people to speak out.” [32:05]
- “Where are all the people that were there for #MeToo… Where is Oprah, Meghan Markle? Her son Archie’s godfather is Tyler Perry. They gotta say something.” [32:05]
- On celebrity entitlement: “Getting a key, stealing a key and creeping into someone’s... hotel, it’s just so vile and entitled. There’s more evidence coming out.” [33:12]
Celebrity Culture, Power, and the Media's Cowardice
[33:56 – 36:33]
- Maureen’s Critique:
- “When everything is available to you, it becomes boring... you need a greater dopamine hit... elements of danger, risk, power, control.”
- At the Critics Choice Awards: “Who stood up for any of Diddy’s victims? Who disavowed Diddy?... Disgusting trial. Whoever stood up for Cassie and said what Diddy did is disgusting.” [35:32]
- “Talking about decency does not make you decent, Chelsea. Ellen talking about being kind does not make Ellen kind.” — Rob [35:38]
Oprah’s Weight Loss “Facade” Exposed
[41:00 – 56:06]
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People Magazine Cover:
- “Oprah is on the COVID of People magazine talking the truth about my weight loss... lied to all of us for many, many months... she had to divest from Weight Watchers, admit she was taking Ozempic.” — Maureen
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Questionable Claims:
- “She works out six days a week for about two hours... Who can carve out that amount of time?”
- Claims she could “literally [drink] 17 shots [of tequila] one night.” [Oprah quote]
- Maureen: “Her story about losing weight... is a deflection from where is Stedman?” [around 50:00]
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Notable Quotes/Clips:
- Clip of Oprah on Kelly & Ryan (2018): Oprah insists she makes the “best margarita,” but describes drinking straight tequila shots.
- SNL (1992) parody:
- “What is with her?”
- “She’s fat.”
- “She’s thin.”
- “Pick a body and go with it.” [56:21]
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Skepticism about Semaglutide (GLP-1) Usage:
- Maureen: “We exist to say: resist, resist, resist—unless you are morbidly obese...”
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Satanic Panic & Oprah’s Tabloid Roots:
- Archival Oprah clip from 1989: Chilling, uncritical interview with purported Satanists describing outrageous crimes, underscores Maureen’s argument about Oprah’s “darkness.”
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Austin Powers parody:
- “Baby, it’s what’s for dinner.” [~1:00:00]
- Maureen: “Maybe Oprah stopped eating babies herself. There’s probably too many carbs.”
Listeners' Feedback (Troublemaker Mailbag)
[36:49 – 41:00]
- Listeners share art, theories about Jennifer Aniston's hypnotist boyfriend, and insights on celebrity finances and family dysfunction (notably a revealing quote from Tatiana Schlossberg).
- Maureen responds thoughtfully, using listener insights to further social commentary about celebrity culture, family dynamics, and emotional distance.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- "If you have to change your hair to keep your partner, get rid of the partner." — Rob Shooter [09:47]
- "The grift is real... Just lean into who you are now—you're reality stars." — Rob Shooter [11:27]
- "They are prostitute adjacent." — Maureen Callahan [10:19]
- "When you want to live like Oprah, that money goes really, really fast... they've lost everything." — Rob Shooter [14:01]
- "This isn't a man who has some sort of holier-than-thou moral high ground... you're on Celebrity Big Brother!" — Rob Shooter on Mickey Rourke [27:52]
- "Talking about decency does not make you decent, Chelsea. Ellen talking about being kind does not make Ellen kind." — Rob Shooter [35:38]
- "Her story about losing weight is a deflection from 'where is Stedman?'" — Maureen Callahan [~50:00]
- "Pick a body and go with it." (SNL Parody, Jerry Seinfeld as contestant) [56:21]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Nicole & Keith Custody Bombshell: [03:02 – 09:47]
- Meghan & Harry’s “For Sale” Era: [10:19 – 18:49]
- Travolta/Presley Egg Lawsuit: [18:49 – 23:36]
- Mickey Rourke GoFundMe Meltdown: [24:23 – 29:31]
- Will Smith & Tyler Perry Lawsuits: [30:09 – 33:56]
- Oprah's Weight Loss, Facades & SNL Mockery: [41:00 – 56:21]
- Celebrity Culture, Decency & #MeToo Hypocrisy: [33:56 – 36:33]
- Listener Feedback Segment: [36:49 – 41:00]
Tone & Final Thoughts
This episode is a rapid-fire, pop-skeptical deep dive into celebrity hypocrisy, financial ruin, and tabloid culture, delivered with wit and a hefty dose of side-eye. Maureen and Rob pull no punches, question official narratives, and provide the real talk that glossy outlets refuse to touch. If you want your pop culture piping hot, smart, and irreverently honest, this is unmissable.
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