The Tara Palmeri Show

Episode: BONUS EP – Bill de Blasio’s Ex-Girlfriend Opens Up About Cheating & Fallout
Date: December 13, 2025
Host: Tara Palmeri
Guest: Nomiki Konst (Democratic consultant, activist, and commentator)

Episode Overview

In this candid bonus episode, Tara Palmeri sits down with Democratic consultant and activist Nomiki Konst, recently in the headlines due to her breakup with former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Nomiki opens up about the emotional fallout, infidelity, and the challenges of being in the public eye while managing deeply personal heartbreak. The conversation shifts from Democratic politics and movement building to the intensely personal, touching on themes of agency, narrative control, fertility struggles, and resilience, all while maintaining an engaging, unsparing tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: From Politics to Personal (00:00–01:45)

• Tara introduces the episode as a departure from standard political analysis, leading with Democratic politics in Texas before seamlessly transitioning into her guest Nomiki's personal life, which has become a public spectacle after her relationship with Bill de Blasio ended.
• Tara immediately addresses the elephant in the room: “How are you feeling right now?” (01:46)

2. The Breakup: Public Narrative vs. Private Reality (01:46–04:36)

• Nomiki expresses frustration over losing control of her own story:

  “What was frustrating to me was that the narrative about my life was being set on the terms of reporters, editors, and people all around us.” (01:49)

• She discusses the emotional toll of the public breakup, the suddenness of it, and that it coincided with her IVF treatment, underscoring the personal stakes:

  “…I’m a 41-year-old woman who was in a relationship for almost a year… we broke up four days into my IVF treatment.” (02:37)

3. Infidelity, Fertility, and Fallout (03:39–05:44)

• The conversation gets into specifics of the cheating and its timing:

  “You were in love four days after you had sex with somebody after lunch. I don’t think that’s the case, Bill. There’s just a lot of questions about what’s really going on with him right now.” (04:22)

• Nomiki describes feeling like de Blasio’s unofficial press secretary, extinguishing rumors and managing narratives on his behalf:

  “I have been the press secretary for Bill de Blasio and not for Nomiki Konst. And so even in the relationship, by the way…” (04:12)

• She explains her motivation for publicly addressing the situation:

  “That’s why I did the podcast, so I could just point to it if people ask.” (05:38)

4. The Other Woman and Gendered Responsibility (06:00–09:28)

• Nomiki shares details on the new partner—a local politician from South Tucson—and the surreal, small-world connections within political circles.
• She suspects de Blasio panicked about the prospect of having children due to personal and financial pressures.

  “I personally think he just panicked… Instead of talking to me about that... maybe doing a little more therapy.” (06:30)

• She tells a pointed story about making him healthy granola bars at home while he was cheating:

  “While I am doing something to make his life better, his health, the metaphor of these bars. He is literally carelessly, recklessly… having sex with someone after lunch at his apartment, a person he knew for an hour…” (08:37)

5. Aftermath and Self-Reflection (09:28–11:50)

• Tara and Nomiki reflect on the “dodged bullet” of not having a child with de Blasio in the aftermath of the betrayal.
• Nomiki considers her fertility options, now as a single woman, with some humor and support from Tara:

  “…any takers out there? Anybody? I need, like, good looking, smart… I don’t want my child to do a DNA test and see they have 850 siblings.” (10:35)

6. Rebuilding, Feminism, and the Industry (11:50–13:53)

• The episode closes on themes of self-care, resilience, and the rarity (and importance) of female voices in media.
• Nomiki encourages more women to take up space and ownership in the conversation:

  “I love seeing female hosts because it’s so hard in this space so dominated by men.” (12:32)

• She highlights the double-standard women face, citing that when invited, many say they’re not “qualified,” versus men who accept any opportunity:

  “A lot of women would say, ‘I’m not qualified to talk about that.’ And a man would just be like, ‘Okay, okay, I’ll talk about whatever.’” (12:57)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On setting the narrative:

  “I haven’t really said this publicly, but like, this started because of the person that he’s involved with, and now is.” — Nomiki Konst (02:17)

• On relationship dynamics:

  “I have been the press secretary for Bill de Blasio and not for Nomiki Konst.” — Nomiki Konst (04:04)

• On betrayal:

  “While I am doing something to make his life better, his health, the metaphor of these bars. He is literally carelessly, recklessly… having sex with someone after lunch at his apartment, a person he knew for an hour…” — Nomiki Konst (08:37)

• On bouncing back:

  “Now, it’s wild. I’m like… reading books again. Going to party. Nourishing yourself. Making those granola bars for yourself.” — Nomiki Konst (11:50)

• On media gender dynamics:

  “I love seeing female hosts because it’s so hard in this space so dominated by men.” — Nomiki Konst (12:32)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• 00:00–01:45: Tara Palmeri introduces Nomiki Konst and frames the episode’s dual focus (political and personal).
• 01:46–04:36: Nomiki recounts the public unfolding of her breakup and her desire to reclaim the narrative.
• 04:36–05:44: Discussion of infidelity, de Blasio’s public statements, and Nomiki’s emotional labor in both relationship and media.
• 06:00–09:28: Nomiki details the events surrounding the affair and its emotional aftermath.
• 09:28–11:50: The two touch on next steps, single motherhood, and personal healing.
• 12:32–13:53: Reflections on female representation in media and mutual encouragement.

Summary

This episode is a rare window into the private pain behind public headlines. Nomiki Konst’s account is unguarded, honest, and direct, offering both a cautionary tale about relationships in the fishbowl of politics and a testament to reclaiming agency after betrayal. Tara Palmeri provides a supportive but incisive space for Nomiki to unpack the layers of her story—personal, professional, and political—making for an engrossing listen that lands on a note of feminist solidarity and renewed self-reliance.