The Squeeze – Brylee Armstrong: Becoming Her Own Person

Podcast: The Squeeze
Host: Taylor Lautner
Guest: Brylee Armstrong
Date: December 10, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Taylor Lautner sits down with Brylee Armstrong, wife of Dancing with the Stars pro Brandon Armstrong and rising social media personality. The conversation dives into Brylee’s journey from being "just a girl from Utah" to carving out her own identity online, navigating marriage in the public eye, setting boundaries, and embracing mental health care. The hosts, joined by candid banter, dissect the nuances of supporting partners in the limelight and building a platform that is authentically yours.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Life Behind the Scenes of "Dancing with the Stars"

• Brylee’s Routine and Moves:
  • Brylee describes the hectic yearly schedule: moving to LA in August for the season, show wraps around Thanksgiving, then Brandon tours from January through May. [(05:09–05:24)]
  • On Brandon's early elimination but a busier schedule:

    “To be busy is a good thing, but the fact that it’s almost over. I’m like, wait, wait a minute. Where did the time go?” [(06:02)]

• Voting Perceptions & Audience Impact:
  • Dissects how unpredictable eliminations can be and stresses the importance of audience votes.
  • The interplay between skilled dancers and celebrities with no experience—why it’s crucial for show dynamics and storytelling. [(06:15–08:38)]
• Social Media’s Role:
  • Social media and influencer contestants are increasingly central to the show’s success and visibility. [(09:16)]
  • Brylee recounts when Brandon resisted TikTok but found his niche through couple trick videos:

    "He doesn’t like doing things that feel forced because he likes to be authentic." [(28:36)]

Becoming Her Own Person

• From “Dancer’s Wife” to Influencer:
  • Brylee shared how she started on social media to show Brandon's true personality, combat misconceptions, and eventually found her own footing and voice. She opens up about labels like “clout chaser” and “wag,” and how she shifted to sharing more about herself. [(30:08–38:27)]
• Building Her Identity:
  • Taylor also grapples with being known primarily as “Taylor Lautner’s wife” and relates to wanting recognition for her independent work:

    “That doesn’t negate all of the hard work and time and effort and tears and sweat I’ve put into building, you know, my platforms and my name.” [(40:10)]

  • Both discuss seeking visibility as individuals, not just appendages to celebrity husbands.
• Support & Partnership Dynamics:
  • Brylee underscores her role supporting Brandon—but is clear she doesn’t want to be overshadowing or “in his back pocket” at rehearsals. [(49:42)]

Navigating Social Media & Public Scrutiny

• Setting Boundaries Online:
  • Brylee and Taylor exchange strategies for deciding what to share, handling hate, and dealing with the mental toll of online criticism.
  • A guiding rule for Brylee:

    “You got to put it out there, and if you don’t like how the perception is, then maybe stop sharing it… You just have to be okay with that people might not like everything you say, and that’s okay.” [(32:46)]

• Mental Health Impacts:
  • Both admit to being affected by negativity but have learned to focus on the positive community that forms in response to authenticity [(33:16–34:43)].
  • Brylee’s approach to criticism: recognizing that “when it pours” she prayed for rain (i.e., growth brings exposure, and with exposure comes criticism) [(34:28)].

Marriage and Mental Health in the Spotlight

• Behind Closed Doors:
  • Brylee and Taylor discuss the need for personal boundaries—revealing that what followers see on social is authentic, not staged, but that private moments and struggles are kept within the partnership [(46:06–52:52)].
  • On Brandon’s sixth sense regarding her mood:

    “This man… If I’m sleeping and I were to open my eye, like peek it open, he would wake up and be like, ‘What’s wrong?’ Like, he just knows.” [(51:55)]

• Self-Care & Recharging:
  • Brylee describes her perfect “mental health day”: sleeping in, hot pilates, shopping with Brandon, going to a movie, dinner, and unplugging from her phone [(53:12–53:47)].
• Shared Ambitions & Partnership:
  • Mutual support as creatives and partners—“He always makes jokes…‘Oh, I’m gonna retire early. My girl literally taken off.’” [(45:12)]

Gender Roles & Modern Marriage

• Changing Dynamics:
  • Taylor and Brylee reflect on how women in the public eye are increasingly forging their own paths, even when married to celebrities. Modern marriage is more collaborative—"teamwork" and mutual respect are core. [(43:06–44:13)]

Technology, Burnout, and the Future

• Concerns About Digital Overload:
  • Both talk about “do not disturb” modes, boundary setting, and tech fatigue. Wonder about the future of phone and social media tech and their impact.

    “What is iPhone 32 gonna look like? It’s just in our brain… like a little hologram…” [(56:04–56:21)]

• The Importance of Unplugging:
  • Taylor highlights the anxieties caused by constant digital communication and need for deliberate phone detoxes. [(54:04–55:42)]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On being authentic vs. “clout-chasing”:

  “People actually want to get to know me now, which is fun. And not just this thing that I’m connected to…They’ve grown to love Brandon and I…outside of all of that. So it’s been really fun.”
  — Brylee Armstrong [(38:27)]

• On public perception and forging a path outside of a famous spouse:

  “I never want to sit here and complain. Like, I’m so lucky. I love my husband. I married him because I love my husband, not because he’s Brandon from Dancing with the Stars… Like, who cares? Like, that is the thing that matters the least at the end of the day."
  — Brylee Armstrong [(41:59)]

  “That doesn’t negate all of the hard work… I’ve put into building…my platforms and my name.”
  — Taylor Lautner [(40:10)]

• On social media hate:

  “That means that something’s working. Like, we’re putting in all of this effort and a lot of people are seeing it…there’s also all of these people that really enjoy the content and that those people are the ones that…make you want to make content…”
  — Brylee Armstrong [(34:28)]

• On marriage and mutual support:

  “Brandon is similar to Taylor, like…when I first started really working as, like, a creator, influencer, whatever you want to call me, and I’m…getting brand deals…he always makes jokes. He’s like, ‘Oh, I’m gonna retire early. Like, my girl literally taken off. Like, she’s running the house.’”
  — Brylee Armstrong [(45:12)]

• On boundaries and independence:

  “I want Brandon to be able to, like, shine on his own, and it’s his own career, even though behind the scenes, I’m campaigning for him."
  — Brylee Armstrong [(49:42)]

• On mental health and being seen by a partner:

  “I’m an open book with him and, like, he knows when I’m having a rough go…[he] has just these senses, like spidey senses…he’d wake up and be like, ‘What’s wrong?’ Like, he just knows.”
  — Brylee Armstrong [(51:55)]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:01–04:41: Opening banter, reality show ideas, and the “Citrus Got Real” icebreaker
• 04:41–10:25: Life as a DWTS spouse, show logistics, and social media’s changing influence
• 15:17–17:50: Brylee’s dance background & conversation about performing and live shows
• 19:34–23:55: How Brylee and Brandon met; Cheesecake Factory date and public perceptions
• 24:17–27:30: Navigating Brandon’s show schedule and their relationship dynamics
• 28:16–30:45: Social media: Brandon’s journey, finding authenticity, and couples collaborating online
• 32:19–34:50: Setting boundaries and handling hate online; learning the necessary “thick skin”
• 38:02–41:59: Moving from “DWTSpouse” to independent creator; battling “clout chaser” labels
• 46:06–51:29: Public assumptions vs. real dynamics; giving partners space to shine
• 51:37–53:47: Mental health, self-care, and supporting each other through tough times
• 54:04–56:36: Digital overwhelm, need for phone/social media boundaries, future technology
• 57:05–57:43: Brylee’s proudest achievement: embracing social media and building something meaningful

Takeaway

This episode offers a refreshingly honest peek behind the curtain of reality TV and influencer life. Brylee Armstrong is candid about crafting her own identity, the joys and oddities of being married to a DWTS pro, and striking the balance between authenticity and privacy online. The conversation with Taylor feels relatable, funny, and sincere—perfect for anyone navigating love, career, and digital life in the public eye.