Dear Chelsea - The Gayest Olympics with Adam Rippon

Episode Date: August 7, 2025

Olympic phenom Adam Rippon is here to talk about the gayest Olympics, beefing with the Vice President, and the juiciest ice skating scandals of the 90s. Then: A lesbian throuple works through pangs of jealousy.  A dog mom is bereft when her pooch prefers its papa.  And an Ashley Madison hookup has overstayed its welcome. * Need some advice from Chelsea? Email us at [e-mail] * Executive Producer Catherine Law Edited & Engineered by Brad Dickert * * * The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the Podcast author, or individuals participating in the Podcast, and do not represent the opinions of iHeartMedia or its employees.  This Podcast should not be used as medical advice, mental health advice, mental health counseling or therapy, or as imparting any health care recommendations at all.  Individuals are advised to seek independent medical, counseling advice and/or therapy from a competent health care professional with respect to any medical condition, mental health issues, health inquiry or matter, including matters discussed on this Podcast. Guests and listeners should not rely on matters discussed in the Podcast and shall not act or shall refrain from acting based on information contained in the Podcast without first seeking independent medical advice.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Chappaquittic is a story of a tragic death and how the Kennedy machine took control. Every week, we go behind the headlines and beyond the drama of America's royal family. Listen to United States of Kennedys on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, Catherine. Hi, Chelsea. How are you? Well, it's Thursday, so you know what I mean? Just chirping away.

My foot is healing from my foot surgery. My laser is healing from my laser. Beautiful. Everything's healing. I'm healing. I'm in my hyperbaric chamber. I had my Mel Robbins podcast come out this week, which I'm a lot. which was fabulous. I was a guest on her podcast, which was great. So I got so many beautiful

DMs in my messages, which I always love and about our podcast as well. I'm gearing up. I have two shows in West Hampton, September 21st. It's now sold out. So I have tickets for September 22nd. So if you're in that area, come see me before I go on my next big tour. What else is happening? I had one of my Pipsies visiting. Poopsy-whoopsy was visiting for two weeks. That basically drove me off a cliff. Lots of, lots of issues, lots of driving, lots of chauffeering, lots of being a stepfather. Yeah, exactly. So that was that. Well, you're looking fresh-faced. I feel like you're relaxed because you've been like kind off for a little bit. So that's really nice. Yes, I haven't, I've been in L.A. for four straight

weeks, which is, you know, not something that is. Yes. And my new move-in date to my house, everybody. Pay attention is August 22nd. Let's see if this. happens. Let's see. All right. I'm putting money on it this time. That might be a foolish decision, but I'm going to. Okay. Well, thank you. I appreciate that. And we have some big exciting guests coming up in the next few weeks. I've been reading lots of books to prepare. Yes. Our guest today, though, is an Olympic medalist in figure skating. Figure skating is one of my favorite pastimes, as we all know, because of my coordination. So our guest today is in Olympic medalist in figure skating. He's an author, actor, and TV personality and host of the podcast,

intrusive thoughts with Adam Rippon. Please welcome Adam Rappan. Okay. Shall we close the door and begin? Great. I'd like to begin while I'm chewing on food. We haven't done that yet. Not today.

We have a very special guest here today. And someone I'm meeting for the very first time. I just want to go over a list a little bit some of your accomplishments, okay, before I introduce you, Adam's Ripon. Okay. 2018 Olympic bronze medalist in figure skating. Okay. This is a team event.

He was the first openly gay man to make a U.S. Winter Olympics team and to win a medal. And he won Dancing with the Stars season 26 in 2018. You're one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people of 2018. And your profile was written by Cher. That's fucking cool. He is a vocal advocate for LGBTQ plus rights, including opposing Mike Pence, leading the 2018 Winter Olympics delegation. That's another highlight. Campaign for Elizabeth Marr.

in 2022 and has been critical of the International Olympics Committee's selection of host cities that have human rights violations. Okay, first question. Which do you think is gayer, the winter or summer Olympics? I think the summer wish they were the gayer one, but I definitely think it's the winter ones that are the gayest. I think you're right. I think the winter is gay as too.

Now tell me why do you say that? I think like inherently you're thinking like summer games naked gay. but when you really think about it winter you always have to buy some sort of costume right whether it's like some sort of ski gear costume or whatever and all of the winter sports are like most of them are like you have to go to the chalet also there's also there's figure skating and ice dancing basically are happening and that takes the cake so whatever's happening in the summertime would have to quadruple down on its gayness to overtake that you know know what I mean? Because that's like having a bowling ball and wiping out nine pins already with

ice dancing and figure skating. Yeah. I mean, I'm saying them like they're two different things, but ice dancing is a part of figure skating, kind of, right? Yes. Yeah. Oh yeah. I mean, I don't want to denude figure skating or diminish figure skating. No. And I'm sure the whole figure skating community now is grateful that you don't want to denude them. I don't want to denude them like a plant. No. I also want to say that Adam was so nice that he brought in not only donuts from sidecar donuts. He brought in gluten-free donuts for us. I'm not even a donut person and I've already down to half a one, a gluten-free one. They're amazing. I don't have a problem with gluten. I don't know what's going on. I'm having donuts and gluten-free donuts. It's like a fucking double

whoopsie-doodle. And you brought me a condom from the Olympics. Yes. Wow. I love that you think I used condoms. No, I didn't think that you did. I thought that you'd want that condom from the Olympic as like a momento. How much sex is happening in Olympic Village at the Olympics? Okay, so I think in the summer, there is probably a lot more happening. Like, it's, like I said, hotter there. There's more, like, nudity. I'm going to disagree with you because of the climate. When it's cold, you need someone to snuggle with. There's more of an impetus for it to take a lover. In the summertime, it's like, fucking, we're hot, we're outside. There's men and women everywhere. Why choose one? In the winter, I want to hunker. That's what I want to hunker down with, like, a mountain man.

Uh-huh. I don't know if people when they go to the Olympics are, like, concerned about hunkering down. but if they were I do think that your theory would kind of pan out but when you're at the Olympics so like now because there have been Olympic villages in the past

that have like completely like people went in they left and then it's like turned to rubble and so now when the cities like present a plan they need to show like what will the village become so at the Olympics that I went to

in Korea it was all of these like condo buildings that had already been like bought so I shared like a three bedroom condo with like five people so how does that work with five people like where are you sharing abeds with people we were sharing rooms oh so like two in each room awful but i guess that's part for the course right it is yeah well and so

and then like everything's covered in plastic too like no refer like because it was somebody had already bought it like that was the plan like this was going to be something and is there what city like okay salt lake city and like say whistler canada those were two great spots for the olympics right Rio fucked it up big time, didn't they? Yeah, I think so. Weren't they swimming in sewage and like... Wasn't that Paris too? Yeah, that was Paris too.

There's a lot of sewage-related summer incidents, I think. Yeah, a lot of sewage-related swimming. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Now, you've had a lot of success since the Olympics, and I think that there is a definite correlation, or tell me if you think there is a correlation between being a figure skater and then being able to transition from that because there's a lot of athletes that have trouble transitioning from their sport

into the entertainment industry. But I feel like figure skaters, specifically, gay male figure skaters, have an advantage. It's almost like the world is your oyster when you come out of that. Do you agree with that? I think like in the figure skating world, especially like if you're like a gay guy, when you're in there, there's a lot of like internalized homophobia within the sport. And it's gotten like so much better. But when I was like younger, it was like you just did. didn't want to be that because it was everything like every like father I say like in quotes would fear that their son would go in and they like turn gay which obviously that is what I'm is but yeah but don't you become gay before you become a male figure skater I understand that

not every male figure skater is gay I understand yes but you don't become gay by doing a sport just like you don't become trans by hanging out with someone who is trans no I was so what comes first they the chicken or the gayness or the ice skate I the gay the gay the gay the gay. Yeah, because you don't become gay. I was like, because gay. Yes. I was already become. Right. Yeah. So I think like being an athlete sets you up to, I think, have like a work ethic that not a lot of people do have. I think like maybe 90% of the people that I've met, I think are so lazy. But I like what you're saying because you're right. There's a level of professionalism that if you're going to devote yourself to a sport at that level, you're going to be able to

succeed at other things, which is interesting because, you know, I just watched that video of Mary Lou Retton getting a DUI, you know, and like her sobriety walk. And I was just like, what happens to some of these athletes that aren't able to parlay it into, I mean, and we know what happens, that happens, you know what I mean, that aren't able to parlay it because you are gift, you're gifted with the first batch of ingredients that is required to make a successful person, which is work ethic. Yeah. Right? I think like, I was, very good, but I wasn't like the best. And I think people who were the best, it's very hard for them to pivot into something else because I've felt that like, okay, I'm starting like at zero now

having to work my way up. And I know how much time and energy it took to be very good at what I did in my last career. And I think some people are intimidated by that like workload. But I told you before we recorded the podcast that I had just read your book. And I feel like I really see eye to eye with you in the way that, well, one, we're both one of six kids. What number are you? One. Oh, let's see. Yeah, exactly. We book, we bookend. But I think that, like, when I was reading your book, that you put yourself in so many, like, independent situations of, like, you know, moving across country when you were really young. And not as a typical, like, oldest, my mom was really willing, like, when I was training, to put me in, like, situations that,

like, now I'm like, those were dangerous. But they helped me grow up really quickly. Right. And I think that that also helped me because I wasn't afraid, because my mom didn't seem afraid putting me in those situations, even though she must have been. But it... Or maybe she wasn't. Maybe she wasn't thinking like that.

And maybe she was thinking that's the necessary step in order for you to achieve your goals is to be put in those situations. Like, it's a means. for you to get seen by the right people or the training. I mean, what kind of situations are you talking about? I mean, it was all related to ice skating, right? Yes. Like, you know, when I was like young, like 12, 13, I was like always taking the Greyhound

bus from Scranton into like Philadelphia. Like every Monday, Philly, back to Scranton Friday night. And I think like just being a young person and having that level of like responsibility and just like if you didn't know, you asked questions. and that helped me, especially like pivoting into like an entertainment career where it's like, I don't know a lot of stuff. And so I've had to ask a lot of questions, but I'm not embarrassed to not know. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Why not? Yeah. Your podcast The Run Through, you talk a lot about the world of figure skating. What do you think are the biggest like dramas that are going on in sports right now, whether it's figure skips. Well, in your sport.

Let's start with your sport. Well, you know what? I think like a big thing that's like happening now is that especially after like the big like gymnastics scandal of like with that Larry Nasser and the abuse that was going on in there that there's like a reckoning of things that we thought were normal and the way that like we were treated when we were younger. It's like a real balance of like you don't need to do these like destructive things to kids to make them be successful. Perform well. Right. And you know, that's like. more on like a serious note but on the run through like it's the off season right now so we're going through different like lore things that have happened in skating that are like amazing and like very entertaining and there's the story of this like ice dance team it's like in the 90s like this is the real golden age of like amazing incredible drama so it's like the 90s Soviet Union yeah oh done

right it's gone so where the natural place to go is obviously say it together, Lake Placid. So there's a big fleet of Russians that go to Lake Placid. A fleet of Russians. I like that. And so it's like this whole like dance camp. So there's this one couple

and they're like the most, do you have a question? I was just going to, I was wondering why Russians are so good at ice skating. And then I just realized that they live in the tundra. Right.

I mean, that's why. There's nothing else going on but skating. And tundra. And if you want to get out of there, you better skate your, ass off. Right. That's how you're going to get out of Russia. Exactly. Is by ice skating. Right. But actually not necessarily because a lot of those Russians, you know, whenever I watch the Olympics, this is how I feel like. Everyone's always rooting for their own country. I'm always rooting

for the Chinese and the Russians. I am because I know if they don't, if they don't fucking win, they're going to get their ass handed to them when they get back. I know that Chinese people and Chinese coaches and the Russian coaches have got to be the worst coaches. And then they have to take the shit from their country too. And their whole culture is not supportive of what we're talking about in modernizing athletics, you know what I mean? Yes. They're not there yet. And they're probably not going to get there while we're still alive.

No, I would say that like definitely like culturally, at least I don't, I can't speak for the Chinese, but for the, you can't. I can't. No, I actually can't. Legally I can't. I've been asked not to. But the Russians, I can definitely say that like are like 20 years behind. That's it?

Only 20 years? I would say only 20. Yeah, 20. Okay. Great. That's good to know. That's not as dark as I would think. I would think it's more like 45. I would say probably in the last, like, because of like what's going on over there now, they've probably fallen back another like five or ten. Because there's still like some coaches like, you know, flirting with their 14 year old students. Right. Of course. So Celine Dion's always going to happen.

Of course. So you go back to Lake Placin. Yes. Okay. So there's two couples there. Right. There's one that's like a favorite for gold. And then there's another one who's like younger. Okay. So the one, the favorite for gold, married. Okay? Married young.

How young? 20s, 19, 20s, early 20s. The other couple, they're not together, okay? But the female from this couple starts to have an affair with the man from the married couple. Oh, okay. Like a trouble situation? No. Oh.

Like she doesn't know. He's like going behind her back in Lake Placet. There's nothing else to do there. Skate, train, affair. Those are the only three things you can do in Lake Placid. You could fuck the lake. It's frozen. I mean, that would be fun to drill a hole through the lake and fuck it.

Yes. Four things you can do in like, fuck the lake and the first three. So they're in this affair and the number one couple, she doesn't know that it's happening. So they go to the Olympics together and for good luck, the man who's having the affair gives his affair his girlfriend, his girlfriend, his girlfriend, his wedding ring for good luck, which she wears on a necklace through the first two segments of the entire competition. So then she finds out, the wife finds out. Because she saw it. Right. Because she's like, has the ring like dangling, like knock in the collarbones. So she finds out, she, you know, gives the ring back like whatever. So she's just hoping like the affair

stops. Then they go on tour and she's hoping it's not happening. They're all in the same tour, the affair is like very in her face at this point. And so while they're on tour, they're in Los Angeles and they go to Spago. And at Spago, she sees the number one team. She sees her husband at the bar at Spago with her name is Oxana. Of course. Yes. There's only two, there's only two names from Russia. Olga and Oxana. Yes. And she chose Oxana. And Svetlana. Yeah, three. Yeah. And fuck the league. Those are the four things. So she's at the bar. So the wife goes over and she takes the back of her head and she smacks it

onto the bar. Okay? She should have done that on the Frozen Lake, first of all. She should have done that at the Olympics. She should have done that on Lake Blasted when she had the first opportunity, but okay, fine. She didn't know what she knows now.

Exactly. Now she knows the address to Spago and she knows that they're having an affair in public. So this is like the 90s, but this was like, they covered this like on TV. And so like this was like amazing. Like these were the pieces that we were watching when you're watching the Olympics. So this is like the golden age.

And this Oxana is like she eventually, so there's another Oxana in 1994, Oksana Bayoual. Oh, that's all me now. Yeah. So like two, three years after she wins gold, she gets a DUI. Axana Bayou. Yes. And this other Oksana, her name's Aksana Grishok.

She's won the Olympics in 94 and she's still skating. So she's like has more titles in Ice Dance, right? It's the same Oksana who had her head smashed at Spago. Okay. So she's not with the guy anymore, though. No. She's over him. She's moved on.

Yes. She's moved on because the wife called her and said, hey. Get the fuck away from my husband. No. He's having an affair on you with some other younger girl at the rank. And her name is also Oksana. Tatiana. Okay.

So there's Vettlana, Oksana, Olga, and Tatiana. Yes. Okay. Four Russian female names. Yes, the only four. So she's like, okay, that's fucked up. And she now is like successful. I told you about this other Oksana that's, you know, Oksana Bayul, D-U-I, okay.

So this Oksana Grishuk, the ice dancer, she wants to go into Hollywood. And, you know, she's from the Soviet Union. She's in Lake Placid. I think she's watching a lot of MTV. Haircut, Bleach blonde, Bindy. She looks like Gwen Safani, lots of MTV going on. And she wants to be like a Hollywood star. But she's upset because, you know, she's Oksana,

but everyone's getting her confused with the other Oxana. He's already a success and has notoriety in a different way now too. Yes. And so. In her notoriety, Thunder, so to speak. Yes. So she gives this interview where, and like I said, This is the golden age of figure skating drama.

So she gives this interview and she's like, I've legally changed my name to Pasha because my name should be reflective of who I am. And I don't want to be confused with Aksana Bayul because she's a fat husband and a criminal. Well, does it get any better? No. Well, and we have a sixth name too. Pasha. Uh-huh. So is Aksana Ba'uil a criminal?

Well, no. But she just called her a criminal? Yeah, because she had a DUI. But that's not a criminal. If your name... That means you've been arrested. A criminal is somebody who, like, that's not a... It's a crime, but would you call someone who gets a DUI a criminal?

No. I mean, I guess... Sasha was. I think if you were upset, right? No, of course. I get it. I get it. But I just want to make sure, like, I've had a DUI.

Am I a criminal? No. I think it's been expung. But you're not a fact has been. Right. Like, that was another key. That will be at some point. We all will be, right?

But she wasn't even there yet. Like, the metal's still warm. Right. You know, because it's just been a few years. That has been. I mean, that's really, the mudslinging was, they don't do that anymore. That sounds glorious. It was.

What about Cher writing your profile for your Time 100 most influential? How did that happen? Did you be Cher? Have you met Cher? I have met Cher. I had no idea I was going to be on that, the 100 most, influential people of 2018. And I found out, and then I found out that Cher had written my write-up when I got the magazine. I had no idea. And I obviously, like, you read it and you're

like, this can't be like the share. And it was the share. That's weird, because I was on that list once, and I could have sworn they asked me who I wanted to write mine. Yeah, but you're like famous. Oh, you think they tell some of the people and not the rest of the people? Right. But I mean to get shared. write it, that means somebody had to go out on your behalf and ask Cher to write it and she would have had to been a fan, why is she just going to write a random letter for somebody she doesn't know? I, I mean,

you have a point. What was it like when you met Sherr? Because I've met Sherr before, and I felt like I was dealing with a non-real person. I felt like I was like Madame Tussauds, like, come alive. Yeah, it was like, night at the museum. I didn't want to take any more steps closer because I didn't know where it began

and where it's, like, I was like, the hair and the face, it was, she was we were in Vegas. It was backstage. after her show in Vegas. This was so many years ago. And I remember just looking at her and thinking, is it okay? Like, is she okay? Is it okay?

Like, does it, do I touch her? It's very like ABBA hologram concert. It looks like a hologram. She in person, she looks like a hologram. Yes. And so somebody was like rushed. They're like, you have to meet Cher. And so like they bring me over to her.

And she's like, you know, it was the premiere of like the Cher show, like the Broadway play. And I'm like, hi, Cher. And she's like, hello. Like, you know, she's one of the animatronics from, like, Chuck E. Just, like, waving. And then, like, I hear somebody whisper, scream in her ear. And they're like, it's the skater.

You wrote the piece about him. And she, like, lights up. And so I gave her a hug. And when I gave her a hug, I've never felt anybody so corseted, so tight. So wound up. Like a geisha, like, wound. Yes. I felt like one loose thread.

Cher would have been all on the floor. I think you're going to say you felt the missing. ribs or something. I couldn't feel. She was hard to the touch. But she was very nice. Yeah, I can imagine that that would be something you have to wrap like a doll. And then you put shoes on it and you're like, take one foot forward, one step forward.

Because when you see her dancing, like just as recently as this last, in the last few months, she was at some event. And I was like, wow, shares on stage wearing panty hose and moving. I mean, you know, she's not doing triple sowcows or anything, but she was fucking moving. Yeah. And I'm like, I mean, she's moving more than I can move right in this current... And she's, like, getting fully decked the fuck. And she's getting fucked, or plucked, I should say. Oh, right.

Because she's got that young boyfriend who's like 30 years old. They're having a great time. Let me ask you a question about when you came out before, because you came out, is it 2016, 2018? You came out 2016 and then 2018 were the Olympics? Yes. So I actually, I have a friend, her name's Ashley Wagner. And in, like, 2014, she was going to the Olympics in 2014.

and they asked her, and she was, like, very outspoken about how she didn't think Russia had come out with this, like, anti-gay propaganda law. And it's 2014. A lot has happened in the last, like, 11 years of people speaking up. And they ask every athlete about, you know, what do they think about it? And everyone's like, well, you know, it's, I'm not from there. Who am I to knock their traditions and whatever? And my friend Ashley was, like, super outspoken. And she was like, it's fucked up. and I remember like I had just come out of like the closet myself like a few years earlier

and I wasn't out like publicly or anything like that and I was asked about it and I kind of skirted around the question and then eventually I didn't make that Olympic team and I in the years leading up to the 2018 Olympics was like okay if I'm going to skate four more years I'm going to do everything that I wish that I had done before and I really regretted not saying anything. And so in 2015, I decided to, like, come out publicly. You know, I was not an Olympian or, like, a national champion yet at all. Like, so nobody really cared. So it's like, okay, we know. Like, nobody cared. It was for me, like, personally. And so when I had already been out for, like, a few publicly for a few years, and then when I had made the Olympic team in 2018, that's when

I found out, it was like, oh, you're the first openly gay American athlete. So you didn't do it with the intention of being the first openly gay. I don't know. I felt impossible that that would be the case. In 2018. That's what like my question because I think it's, I feel as a public figure that it is so important and this is, people disagree with me all the time on it,

but it's so important to be honest about who you are because you don't understand how many people you're helping. And that's not necessarily anyone's burden to carry. Like you don't have to be a public person and then all of a sudden be like, yes, I have to come out with every secret. But it's like if you're if somebody, if you're part of a marginalized community and you have a huge platform, it's kind of like I feel a personal responsibility to make sure that you are loud and outspoken about it for everybody coming after you. How do you feel about that? I feel that like, well, as an athlete and when you go to the Olympics, it's like your time to share your story and who you are. And sometimes you just have a few minutes to do that during your performance, during your interviews. And if I wanted to like perform and I want to. wanted people to connect with me, it was incredibly important that they knew who I was and what

I stood for and what was important to me. And one of those cases was like, you know, when you're getting ready for the Olympics, there's this talk of like, enjoy the experience as much as possible. And for me, I sat down and I thought, like, what does that even mean? And it meant that like, listen, I'm going to go, I'm going to skate great. I'm going to do everything I can to be in the best shape of my life. But I also want to enjoy myself and I love the entertainment stuff. Like I love connecting with people. I love talking with people. I love making people laugh. And so that means that I'm going to go into every interview and I'm going to act like they're my best friend. And I'm going to answer questions super honestly like I would if we were like

at dinner. And I got asked this one question of like, what do you think of Mike Pence leading the athlete delegation? And I remember like giving that interview in my car. at the rink which is like in a strip mall so it's like I'm sitting in my car at the Taco Bell light from like it's like pouring I look beautiful by the way

it's just like gorgeous purple you look beautiful right now by the way yeah your skin is what is the word for that alabaster yeah alabaster that is absolutely my like goal

of course it is well you're reaching it I mean you're ascending thank you wow I'm off track now I know but try and stay focused okay Taco Bell light pouring

and I remember I remember I was asked this question, and I remember thinking in that moment, it was like, just answer it honestly. And I answered it and was like, I don't think that he like stands up for like every athlete. I don't think he should be leading the athlete delegation. Somebody who was like a proponent of conversion therapy doesn't represent me. Somebody who thinks that I'm mentally unwell does not represent who I am. And I said it and it was just like, okay, great, like we move on. And like, how are you feeling, like is the next question. And then, like, a few days later, it was like, okay, that's when I really felt like the momentum of, like, what I had said.

Because I was just, like, some nobody was not favorite for gold or whatever. It's this old gay guy going to, like, the Olympics for the first time. Who cares? And I remember, like, I was, you know, we have all of our music, like, downloaded for our programs on our phones. So, like, I would always put my phone on airplane mode when I was training so I could play my music. And my mom wouldn't be, like, calling me in the middle of, like, WOP. Yeah, exactly, exactly.

My famous routine, to walk. To whoop. Yes. And so I turn my phone back on and I have like 30 missed calls. And I'm like, what's going on? So I find out, I call my agent at the time. And he's like, the office of the vice president wants to like, they want to set up a meeting. And I'm like, for what?

And so, you know, I... For a tutorial. Right, to send me to camp. Yeah. Or to take him to camp With you Because I believe he's gay too I think he has tendencies

You can't be that homophobic unless you're gay It doesn't make any sense No it's always the case Yeah I mean I'm just stating the obvious I'm platitudinizing right now It's always the case It's always the case So I was dealing with like the communications person

At US figure skating as well Because they went to like the Olympic Committee Who forwarded them to US figure skating Like our governing body And she was this lesbian woman Of course Barb, obviously. And she's like, so kid, what are you going to do?

And I said, Barb, tell Mike Pence to fuck himself. Like, I'm not going to do this meeting. Like, I have to practice. And she's like, I'm not going to say it in those terms, but I love you. Hung up. And so then that was that until I got to the Olympics where, like, it had leaked that they had reached out. And they tried to set up this meeting. And I denied it.

And then it became like a much bigger story once I had gotten there. Yeah. So then, and did, so you never ever had any interaction with him? No, and I never will, God willing. I hope not. Yeah, he seems to be in the background right now. I'm surprised they haven't arrested him yet. It's shocking, isn't it?

Actually. It is shocking. Are you ready to take some callers? We're going to take a break and we're going to be right back with Adam Rippin. And then we're going to take some callers. American history is full of wide. people. What women said something like, you know, 99.99% of war is diarrhea and 1% is gory. Those founding fathers were gossipy AF and they love to cut each other down.

I'm Bob Crawford, host of American History Hotline, the show where you send us your questions about American history and I find the answers, including the nuggets of wisdom our history has to offer. Hamilton pauses and then he says, the greatest man that ever lived was Julius Caesar and Jefferson writes in his diary, this proves that Hamilton is for a dictator based on corruption. My favorite line was what Neil Armstrong said. It would have been harder to fake it than to do it. Listen to American History Hotline on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What would you do if one bad decision forced you to choose between a maximum

maximum security prison, or the most brutal boot camp designed to be hell on earth. Unfortunately for Mark Lombardo, this was the choice he faced. He said, you are a number, a New York State number, and we own you. Shock incarceration, also known as boot camps, are short-term, highly regimented correctional programs that mimic military basic training. These programs aim to provide a shock of prison life, emphasizing strict discipline, physical training, hard labor, and rehabilitation programs. Mark had one chance to complete this program

and had no idea of the hell awaiting him the next six months. The first night was so overwhelming, and you don't know who's next to you. And we didn't know what to expect in the morning. Nobody tells you anything. Listen to shock incarceration on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The summer of 1993 was one of the best of my life. life. I'm journalist Jeff Pearlman, and this is Rick Jervis. We were interns at the Nashville

Tennessean, but the most unforgettable part, our roommate, Reggie Payne, from Oakland, sports editor and aspiring rapper. And his stage name, sexy sweat. In 2020, I had a simple idea. Let's find Reggie. We searched everywhere, but Reggie was gone. In February 2020, Reggie was having a diabetic episode. His mom called 9-1-1. Police cuffed him face down. He slipped into a coma and died. I'm like thanking you, but then I see, my son's not moving. No headlines, no outrage, just silence. So we started digging and uncovered city officials bent on protecting their own. Listen to finding sexy sweat on the I-heart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. A foot washed up a shoe with some bones in it. They had no idea who it was.

Most everything was burned up pretty good from the fire that not a whole lot was salvageable. These are the coldest of cold cases, but everything is about to change. Every case that is a cold case that has DNA right now in a backlog will be identified in our lifetime. A small lab in Texas is cracking the code on DNA, using new scientific tools, they're finding clues in evidence so tiny, you might just miss it. He never thought he was going to get caught. And I just looked at my computer screen. I was just like, ah, gotcha.

On America's Crime Lab, we'll learn about victims and survivors. And you'll meet the team behind the scenes at Othrum, the Houston Lab that takes on the most hopeless cases, to finally solve the unsolvable. Listen to America's Crime Lab on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And we're back with Adam Rippin. Adam, you're so delightful.

I'm going to just double-check pronunciation for your last name. As long as you say Adam, Rippon, Rippin, it doesn't matter. Is it Rippon? Sure, yes. We're going to take a break and we'll be right back with Adam Rippon. And we're back with Adam Rippon. You have to say your name right. It does, I feel like that part doesn't matter.

I heard it a bunch of different ways. Yeah, Adam Rippon is your name, okay? Okay, thank you. Don't fuck it up again. I won't. Yeah. Okay. But doesn't that make you wish that, like, I had a name that was, like, simpler?

No, it's a very fancy name. Like, connection to rip on or rip in. Yeah. I feel like handler is so, like, rolls right off the... Handler or hand job. You know what I mean? Like, I wouldn't mind hand job. That's so easy.

You don't ever have to go, handler. Like, sometimes I have to enunciate handler. Really? Yeah, I think because I have a problem with D's and L's, like, handler. Yeah, I guess you're right. Handler. Handler sounds like you're misconduct. missing with the D.

Handler. Because I feel like if I saw Ripon, I'd say Ripon. Like, I'm not saying like baton for like button, right? But aren't you though? Aren't you saying baton? I am. Never mind. Caught.

Red-handed. Yeah. Well, our first callers today are Jackie and Hope. Actually, we need these on. Is it Jackie or Hope? I mean, it's so funny. You'll see why. So Jackie is the one who wrote in and said, Dear Chelsea.

My wife and I have been married for almost 11 years. together for 13. Several months ago, my wife had a coworker who was very forthcoming in her attraction to both of us. It definitely threw us for a loop, considering that we've never considered ourselves the polytype or open to other partners, but we opened ourselves up to the idea. Things got a little weird, and we decided to take some space and not talk. Fast forward six months later, and we found ourselves all at better places in our lives, so we felt we could revisit the conversation. At first, we thought we'd just have some fun times in the bedroom and just be friends aside from that, but we quickly realized that we really liked her and started forming more of an emotional

connection as well as a physical one. My wife is more used to sharing me, considering that when we started dating, I was a divorcee with three kids and I was also dating another girl who was in a polyamorous marriage. Me, on the other hand, I've always had her all to myself and all of her attention. So as we move forward, I can tell that she isn't experiencing the same insecurities that I am. I also really like this girl. We connect on so many levels and I feel myself missing her and wanting to spend more time together. But I also catch myself feeling a little jealous at times of their relationship. For the most part, we've spent most of our time together as a threesome, but it's the moments when they see each other or talk when I'm not around that

I worry they'll form a stronger bond than my wife and I. I find myself getting annoyed with myself for not being able to just be as fluid as they are. And they're both doing everything right, saying the right things, showing the right amount of affection, and I really love the situation for the most part. It has absolutely enhanced our marriage with all of the communication and transparency required to even make such a scenario work. So why am I still having these feelings from time to time? I can imagine having this beautiful relationship together as a Thruple and I really want it all to work out.

So any advice to get me out of my head and out of my own way would be amazing. Sincerely, Chekkey. Hi, Chekkey? Jackie. Jackie. And Hope. And Chuckie pops out behind. I just have to say this about throuples.

If you sign up for this situation and most of this, I mean, first of all, you, you you have to be okay with every aspect. I know that doesn't make it okay, but you have to have a conversation with yourself every time these feelings come up that you just said yourself in the letter that the good outweighs the bad and it's just your insecurity.

So in order for you to say yes to this situation, it's almost like there's not really room for your insecurity because you can't extinguish your insecurity but you can constantly just remind yourself that these are thoughts in your head. You have an understanding, you guys have an open understanding

an arrangement. And it's almost like being with somebody and expecting them to cheat on you every single time you're not with them. What's the point of that? You've already said yes to this situation. So you really have to kind of go at it with open arms and hope and assume that the best is yet to come and assume the best everyone has their best intentions. Because coming from a place of self-doubt or being non-trustworthy and it's all self-doubt is from what I can gather from your letter isn't moving anyone in any direction but just like, leaving you feeling not great about everything. Yeah. I think that as each day gets easier. So that's a plus. And I think in the beginning it was more the fact that they had a prior work relationship that I

felt like, oh, they know each other already a little bit better. And so like not sure if I was going to get on that same level. But like with time, you know, we are finding that we have a lot more stuff in common. So like that has been helpful. But it's also, you have to like have a lot of respect for yourself in the fact that you are unique and what you have to offer, nobody else has to offer, no matter what the dynamic, no matter if they spend more time together than you do, she doesn't have what you have. She is a completely different person and offers a completely different set of excitement than you do. It's not one is more than the other. It's one is different than the other. That's what she tells me. So like you have to really work on your

self-love and your self-respect because that's what it's all about. It's about knowing that you have high value and that you're giving high value and that you're not competing with anybody in the situation. Yeah, no, I definitely don't think it feels like a competition. I think it feels or was feeling a little bit more like FOMO, I guess, in a way. Like, what am I missing? Which is also stupid. Like, FOMO is stupid. I know. What do you think, Adam? Thank you. I mean, I think that like in this situation, when you're feeling these like different doubts and insecurities, maybe you never wrapped your head around a polyamorous relationship before. And so it's, you're It's new to you.

And I think that, like, one thing that, you know, when we have these insecurities, sometimes, like, the scariest thing is just saying them out loud. So I feel like to keep everything, like, out in the open. So you're not holding on to anything, just thinking like, it's stupid that I'm thinking that. Just say this stupid thing and get it out. No, and I have been. I've been very vocal with, like, you know, just so, you know, because I think it does help to put that out there. I have actually had open relationships with every partner I've been with. But it's different this time.

Like, you know, we've been together longer than any other relationship I've had. And it was, I think it's just a little scarier opening up our marriage because, like, it's on a different level than any other relationship. So I have hopes that everything is going to work out. Yeah. I think just like that constant check-in with like all partners just to make sure everybody's always like constantly on the same page. Because I think some of that fear is that maybe there is a miscommunication or maybe somebody's feeling something that somebody's not. And I think that like just a constant check-in, between the three of you. But a regular, it's like a schedule check-in, not a constant check-in. Because I feel like it's not every time something comes up for you because you have to figure out a way to self-soothe also. You have to understand that the voices in your head sometimes are just silly, then that's all they are. There's difference between like, you know, being impulsive and being instinctual.

Just because you feel left out, then you're like, you don't have to react to that. Then you could go, oh, you know why I feel left out? This has happened before when they're together. This is just me. This is like the negative narrative I have in my head. not happening. I'm safe. I'm in a healthy, loving relationship. Everything's out on the table. And then you talk yourself out of it most times and you're fine. If you really have a get or a feeling and you're like something's off, then that's a different situation. But what I

suspect and what I'm hearing is that you just have this kind of negative self, not self-talk, but this kind of negative idea of what's happening without you, that you're missing out. And I think you can talk yourself out of that. Like you can counsel yourself to make that going, oh, this is what happens when they go away. Okay, this is what happens when they're on a date. Oh, I'm doing my thing. Okay. I'm going to be... Well, we're not doing any of that separately. We have agreed that like we're, our dynamic, what we want is like, the attraction is it's like the three of us. So it's a little bit more unique and we're like we don't have intentions of dating separately apart from like each other, whatever. But there are moments where like there might be a work thing that they might

have to discuss or like, you know, she and I go do something together. But when we have those moments one-on-one, it's more of like a platonic friendly nature, we're not like doing anything physical or whatever unless we're all together. And I think that makes everybody feel more comfortable because that was the attraction on her part was like us together. It wasn't like, oh, I have the hots for you or I have the hots for your wife. It was like you guys are, you know, so we just kind of like went from there. Wifey, do you have anything to say for yourself? You've been very quiet. I usually always am. They don't let me get a word in. So that's kind of been my biggest hurdle is I now have two of these and they gang up on me.

You know, I mean, I'm at max capacity right now, let's just say. But yeah, like I was used to sharing her and sharing partners beforehand. So I think like just seeing them bond has been great. Like I get a sense of happiness when I see them being happy or just connecting because I feel like that's the biggest thing that draws me to this is it's a bonus. I don't look at it as like breaking down the pie and like we're getting less of each other. It's just more. Yeah.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. I mean, I'm taking it a day at a time. That's all I can say. Yeah. I didn't even know about this whole call-in thing. She forwarded me an email. She told me what she did.

And I was like, I would like to sit on this, even though I'm mostly here for technical support. But I'm usually a person of few words. They don't let me get any words in otherwise. Well, you guys seem like you all respect each other and love each other. So I think everything's going to be fine. I think you just have to get those little voices out of your head. And you do that by exercising your self-soothing, your self-love, and your self-respect. There's nothing to see. It's kind of like there's nothing to see here. Yeah, like even your body language together and like the way you're both looking at each other when the other, like you guys have something really special. So I don't think there's a lot. I think that but they're part of it too for me was that like I have. done this before with other, you know, relationships and it came so easy to me. And it's like this time, it's like, I think it's because it felt like there's so much more at stake and so much more to

lose. She don't want to share this. I mean, I got a real, a real prize on my hands here. But so, yeah, that's part of it. It's like, am I an idiot for doing this? Because like I, they've so much more to lose, like, you know, but I'm like, no, because I don't know. I'm trying to just be organic with it. It's like an opportunity presented itself, and I feel like we owe it to ourselves to explore it. That's kind of where we're at with the thing because we didn't go looking for it by any, by any means. Yeah, yeah, I think you do owe it to yourselves and just enjoy it. You know, like, enjoy that experience. We're a recent empty nesters, so it's just like the timing and all of it just seems like what are we, why should we not see what happens?

Why not? Yeah. Well, will you check in with us in a few months? Absolutely. I've lived to do that. Yeah. Yeah. I'd love to hear from you again. Love it. Okay. All right, girls. Bye ladies. Thank you so much. Nice to meet you. Bye. Another happy Thruple served. Have you ever been part of a Thruple? No. Do you have friends who are? Yeah, I think so. Are you in a relationship? Yeah, I'm married. Oh, oh, God. How's that going? Good. Do you have chick, chick, chick, kids? No. I can't even say it. I'm like, chick, chick, chick, chick, chit. Well, I feel the same way. It's like I stutter when I say kids. No, I don't. I don't want kids.

Yeah, good. It's kind of like, what's the point? The world is about to explode. Well, I know. Bad timing to have kids. Yeah. Anytime I see a pregnant woman, I just, I'm so confused. Yeah, do you need a ride?

I'm like, yeah, to Mars. Well, our next caller is Catherine with a K, and this is a long email. I just want you to brace yourself. It's a very long email, but kind of like it all needs to be there. Okay. Sometimes with long emails, I have trouble focusing on. Yeah. Well, I'll be through.

Yeah. Hold her hand. I am in a conundrum that I don't know how to get out of, but won't at this time for one main reason. Let me explain. I've known this guy since 2019. We met on Ashley Madison and started a three-year sugar baby, sugar daddy relationship. We hung out once a week, the majority of the arrangement, with more time when our schedules allowed. We lived an hour from one another, and this dynamic was great for both of us because he's a workaholic,

and I was just as busy being a single mom to my two sons while working full time and dealing with their unhelpful co-parent dad. Obviously, because we met on Ashley Madison, he was married with two children of his own. I knew this. He was transparent about it, and it worked out perfectly for me, as married men tend to be too busy for a real relationship. Call me terrible, but that dynamic works best for me at this stage of my life. From the beginning, we both said this was strictly business. Both our sexual needs were met. I received financial compensation, and we respected the boundaries surrounding his married life and my children.

Then, of course, he fell in love and wanted more. While I fell in love, too, I didn't want more. I wanted the arrangement to be kept the same. The main reason being, I didn't trust that he wouldn't do the same thing to me that he was currently doing to his wife. My marriage also ended because my ex-husband did the exact same thing to me. It's crazy how I was willingly fine to be the other woman. I own my shit and therapy has been great for me. During our initial three-year relationship, he never once mentioned leaving his wife, but did state that they should get divorced.

He told me they weren't sleeping together. Believable, I don't know. Divorce is messy. Since he was married, I met someone else, which I didn't feel guilty about. he eventually found out and all of a sudden decided to leave his wife. I'm sure that this was in an effort to prove to me he wanted to be with me. I'm not naive. I know he would eventually do to me what he did to his wife, and we stopped seeing each other after an argument in which he said some nasty things. No one talks to me that way. We've both moved on, or so I thought. A couple months ago, I texted him in a weak moment. He responded, we met up and slept together once in April. We both want to do it again, but haven't. He is divorced from his wife, currently living with a new lady that he claims is great and he's happy. But if that's the case, he's the case. He's face, why is he meeting me? I know why our sex is phenomenal. My main struggle is that I know this is wrong. I'm not a stupid woman. I know he's a liar and a cheater and always will be. I put myself in that category too because my current boyfriend has no idea. I don't want to get back

together, but I know what I like sexually and he delivers it every single time. I think it's purely sexually driven because I don't urine for him or find myself missing him. I only text when I'm horny. To note, I am not having great sex with my current boyfriend. He tries, but it's not there. So what's a lady to do? We're only here on this earth for a short time. We might as well have great sex. Please give me some advice. I admire you as a fellow boundary-living, fierce, independent woman. Boundary-loving. I'm a boundary. I don't have boundaries. And then the day I emailed her, she emailed me with an update that said, we slept together this morning, phenomenal as usual. So, hi, Catherine. Hi, Catherine. Hi, Catherine. Hi, Catherine. Hi. This is our special guest

Adam Rippon here today. And he is here to counsel you. That was a long letter. I was able to pay attention throughout the whole letter. There was a lot happening, a lot of different characters. Okay, Adam, do you want to start this one? Sure, I'll start. I think that you're right in thinking that, like, if you get into a relationship with this guy, that it will end up in disappointment.

It'll end up the same way that it started, basically. Yeah. I think you know that. And I think that the, like, forbidden sort of love and the lusts that you're able to, like, have with each of. other can be really passionate because it is what it is. Like you do that and it's then you don't see each other. And it's this like really exciting like adrenaline pumping thing. And I think that more so than like the sex with him, it's that rush of adrenaline that you're feeling. And I think it's

the rush. And I think that you think of that rush and you think of like the thrill that like that sexual chemistry that you guys have is so intoxicating that it's probably making the sex better feeling better than it actually is. And I think like when you're with your, with your boyfriend, you're thinking like, God, it's just, it's not that exciting. Well, because it's not wrong and it's not like forbidden. So I think it's that like adrenaline. And sometimes just like thinking about that will make it less exciting if you're thinking it's just these chemicals like pumping into my brain making you want to do this. What do you think? Catherine with the cat. No, I definitely agree. That's definitely part of it. Even when we were exclusively, but maybe not exclusively.

on his part seeing each other back in 2019. It was the same thing. I saw him once a week. And then, you know, he went off and did his life for the rest of the week. And I did mine. And then when that day came around the next week, it was new and exciting again. So I get that part too. Where I struggle the most is do I have feelings or is it just the lustiness that we just talked about, like the fun and exciting and the wrongness? Or do I actually really care? I think that you have to trust your female instinct. Your internal instinct, which is this guy is trouble, is the right voice in your head. You've said that three times in that letter in three different ways, and you said it again

with regard to the situation as it stands today. We as women need to pay attention to that inner voice. It is protecting us. You may not even ever find out what it's protecting you from. hopefully you don't find out what it's protecting you from but I would just say to everyone who's listening today

always listen to that fucking voice that is like your internal like reader telling you no no no no something's off here and it's never fucking wrong and we instead think oh well this is fun I might have fun with him I mean he's doing the same

everything his behavior hasn't changed at all he's got some other woman now and so you're now talking about having an affair with him But for what? You, like, why? Just because it's good sex, that's not a good enough reason, I don't think. I know. I agree with you.

And that is the main thing. Other than, and sometimes people can play pretend, attentive, would check in, things like that. Right? Like things that always start at the beginning of something. And if you're lucky, continue on. So you have a lasting relationship. But eventually those things die. Yeah, but that's a chase.

That's a chase. This guy has demonstrated his behavior over the years, and it's pretty consistent, right? And the idea that if you were to be with him, he's going to change into this different person is exactly what you think it is, bullshit. I know that. I think I just needed to hear it from some other people. Yeah, of course. To kind of solidify what I already do know.

So then I guess my main question goes to, in which I know I can block and such. How do I resist the urge is too? text because A, I know he's always going to answer. And B, like we said at the beginning, it is very, very good for whatever the reasons may be. The sex is very, very good. Do you know how you're going to resist your urges to text him? How? Because you're a grown-ass fucking woman. You are grown. I knew you were going to say that. What? Hello? Because you don't fucking feel like texting him back anymore. It's a rap on this guy. Forget about him. You are a grown woman who is empowered. Give yourself a little bit more power. You are not going to text him again.

You don't need his validation. You don't need to have good sex with him. There are millions of men out there. Find somebody else to fuck. You already have somebody to fuck. Don't you? Isn't that wasn't that part of the letter that you're also fucking someone else? But he's not. I am. Yes. I am. So, it's not. It's not as good in bed. Okay. Okay. This guy's not the right one. Find somebody else to tickle your fancy. Seriously, like you've said to me in this letter enough times for me to know for you that you need to be told

to trust yourself and trust your instincts. Yeah, you know already. Yeah, I think you knew the answer all along like you were alluding to it throughout the whole email. Go write down on a piece of paper that, right, I am a grown ass woman. Write that down and put it on your mirror

in your bathroom. And I want you to say that to yourself every fucking time you have an urge. walk into the mirror, look at that, and say to yourself in the mirror, I am a grown-ass woman. Okay? I'm going to do that. Yes. Okay.

Let's not have this conversation again, okay? We will not. Okay. Okay, Catherine with Kay, good luck with everything. Thanks for calling in. Thank you. Bye. Hi.

Meeting on Ashley Madison. Also, I'm looking at myself in here. I look like Steve Harvey in this shirt, which has been a tough peltess. Yes. Steve Harvey. His favorite thing to do. Because I mean on your skin couldn't be more opposite. than Steve Harvey's. I have to be honest with you.

My shirt couldn't be more similar. Yeah, but that is a Steve Harvey shirt, yes. That's not what you're giving is Steve Harvey. Like, you have to really go, you have to really get in there to figure that out. Yeah. Yeah, Ashley Madison, I almost started watching that documentary the other night on Netflix or wherever it is, and I was like, I don't care. I don't

care about this story. I don't care about Todry. I don't like Todry stories. I don't like Todry. Like, I tried to watch that poop cruise. I'm like, this is Todry. The poop crews. Yeah, I missed There's a Netflix all about the But I'm like, do we need a whole show about this? That, like, lost their power in the middle of some ocean.

And then everyone had to poop and bucket. And I was like, you know what, this is not. They had to poop in buckets. Well, and you don't like poop comedy. You're not interested in that. I don't like poop. I don't like cruises. No, as you play with the condom.

I don't like, I don't like festivals, you know, whenever there's like. I've never been. I will never go. Sorry, I don't need to be like dusty. Like, I don't know. Sweaty and dusty. And hot and thirsty. And being on drugs.

It's too much of a combination. Like, I want to be on drugs. And you hate drugs. Yeah, I hate drugs. I hate them. Well, should we take a break and wrap up with a quickie? Sure. We're going to take a break and we'll be right back with Adam Rippon.

American history is full of wise people. What women said something like, you know, 99.99% of war is diarrhea and 1% is gory. Those founding fathers were gossipy AF and they love to cut each other down. I'm Bob Crawford, host of American History Hotline, the show where you send us your questions about American history, and I find the answers, including the nuggets of wisdom our history has to offer. Hamilton pauses, and then he says, the greatest man that ever lived was Julius Caesar. And Jefferson writes in his diary, this proves that Hamilton is for a dictator based on corruption. My favorite line was what Neil Armstrong said. It would have been harder to fake it. than to do it.

Listen to American History Hotline on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What would you do if one bad decision forced you to choose between a maximum security prison or the most brutal boot camp

designed to be hell on earth? Unfortunately for Mark Lombardo, this was the choice he faced. He said, you are a number, a New York state number, own you. Shock incarceration, also known as boot camps, are short-term, highly regimented correctional programs that mimic military basic training.

These programs aim to provide a shock of prison life, emphasizing strict discipline, physical training, hard labor, and rehabilitation programs. Mark had one chance to complete this program and had no idea of the hell awaiting him the next six months. The first night was so overwhelming. and you don't know who's next to you. And we didn't know what to expect in the morning. Nobody tells you anything.

Listen to shock incarceration on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A foot washed up a shoe with some bones in it. They had no idea who it was. Most everything was burned up pretty good from the fire that not a whole lot was salvageable. These are the coldest of cold cases, but everything is about to change. Every case that is a cold case that has DNA right now in a backlog will be identified in our lifetime. A small lab in Texas is cracking the code on DNA. Using new scientific tools, they're finding clues in evidence so tiny you might just miss it.

He never thought he was going to get caught. And I just looked at my computer screen. I was just like, ah, gotcha. On America's Crime Lab, we'll learn about victims and survivors. And you'll meet the team behind the scenes at Othrum. the Houston Lab that takes on the most hopeless cases to finally solve the unsolvable. Listen to America's Crime Lab

on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So what happened at Chappaquittic? Well, it really depends on who you talk to. There are many versions of what happened in 1969 when a young Ted Kennedy drove a car into a pond. And left a woman behind to drown. There's a famous headline, I think,

In the New York Daily News, it's Teddy escapes, blonde drowns. And in a strange way, right, that sort of tells you. The story really became about Ted's political future, Ted's political hopes. Will Ted become president? Chappaquitic is a story of a tragic death and how the Kennedy machine took control. And he's not the only Kennedy to survive a scandal. The Kennedys have lived through disgrace, affairs, violence, you name it. So is there a curse?

Every week, we go behind the headlines and beyond the drama of America's Royal family. Listen to United States of Kennedy on the IHeart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Am I saying it now, right? Rippon? Or is it like too much? No, I think you can make it more and more. Okay, we're back with Adam Rippon. The Lilt is so cute. I have so many different ways I can say things. Excellent. Well, our last call comes from Jess. She says, Dear Chelsea, from one dog lover to another, I need your help before I spiral. I rescued a dog from the shelter seven months ago. She's a little over a year old now, and since the day I brought her home, I have been her everything. I feed her, I walk her, I give her peanut butter, I take her to the dog

park, I clean up her emotional and literal messes. Basically, I'm her unpaid therapist, chef, chauffeur, and life coach. And yet, this bitch is obsessed with my husband. The man does nothing. He didn't even want a dog. He barely acknowledges her existence. And still, she looks at him like he's the second coming of Caesar Milan. She snuggles him, she follows him around, she waits for him at the door like he's deployed overseas. I could be on fire and she'd be like, but where's dad? Chelsea, help. How do I get this furry little traitor to appreciate the woman who saved her from doggy prison and spoon feeds her high quality kibble every day? Attached as a photo for reference, please note her delusional level of devotion. Send treats, send therapy, send

help sincerely, Jess. Hi, Jess. This is our special guest, Adam Rippon. Hi. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you, too. Have you thought about, is killing your husband an option? Or putting them down.

I mean, I've considered it. Yeah, not with a gun, not in a violent way. Oh, my God. Like a eucinistic way. Snuggling. Oh, there's nothing you can do. No. There's nothing you can do.

I mean, all you could try to do is let him. do all of the work that you're doing and see if that flips a switch in the dog because sometimes dogs like the person that plays harder to get. You know what I mean? But there's nothing you can do about a dog's affection.

My dogs, first of all, you're coming to the wrong person for a dog advice. My dogs don't respect me. None of them have ever respected me. They don't understand how hard I work and how much I provide for them. They love me, but they don't respect me.

So, like, you asking me how to get your dog to love you more is like, it's like talking to, it's like talking to Liza Minnelli about not doing any pills. You know what I mean? I don't know how to help you. But what I can say is you can try and take the responsibilities, put them all on your husband, and see if that changes it.

And flip a switch. Yeah, she might just starve. Well, right. Right, but like there's something to be said for, you know, everyone says, oh, it's who feeds them, who does that, who takes them for walks, who does that. Like, maybe if he is doing all of those things, if you're doing all of those things and he already, and your dog loves him so much, maybe if he's doing all those things, and your dog loves him so much, maybe if he's doing all those things

the dog will start being more attracted to you because he doesn't feel like you're waiting on him and is it a he or she? She. It's a she. She won't feel like you're waiting on him her hand and foot. There's a lot of gender confusion on this show.

I'm so sorry. That's okay. Yeah, I think I've considered maybe she's just a whore and she just loves men. Maybe. Yeah, I mean, all dogs are hoars. Yeah, they are. I mean, a girl dog with a man,

I can see where you're going with that. My dog is very into females, loves females. Like, he's very sexual. You know, he wants to be around women all the time. He knows exactly the faces to make. It's very manipulative. He only wants me when he needs something. You know what I mean?

He's not, like, coming over and going, hey, you want to hug? In the middle of the day, it's like food-related. He's a protector. Yeah, he is a protector, actually. Actually, Doug is the best dog I've had, so in terms of, like, a relationship. But he doesn't, when I say, Doug, come. It's like, I might as well be talking to a hot air balloon. Or Adam Rippon.

Or Adam Rippon. Yeah. You know what? This actually might be a time for a second dog. Maybe it's just like you need to get a dog for yourself. I do have a second dog. Wait, what's the deal? What's the deal with the second dog?

Yeah. I have two dogs too, Jessica. And I feel kind of your pain. I have a Chihuahua. He is 12 years old and he was also rescued. And it's funny because it was my husband's dog first. But now he is obsessed with me. And so, you know what it is.

Yeah, but that's one to love me. Well, I can't believe you. I can't believe you. How greedy. You have a dog that he rescued. First of all, you don't have to say a chihuahua was rescued. Nobody is going to a breeder to buy chihuahuas. So you don't ever have to say that again.

Okay, fair. Okay, we know it's a rescue. But, I mean, you already have a dog that is obsessed with you. That's his dog. And now the same thing happened to you and you're calling into a dear Chelsea. I don't know. I also have two kids here also. obsessed with me, not him. But I want all of them. I want all the love.

People keep coming out of the woodwork during this phone call alone. I mean, I think everything's good. Everything's fine with you. Just keep going and just hope for the best. And be grateful for the love that you are. Go where the light is. Fair enough. And it's over there. It's next to a heat lamp next to the Chihuahua. Uh-huh. Celebrating their 13th birthday. Yeah. He sleeps with my heating time. Yeah. Okay. All right. Well, take care. Thanks for calling in. All right. Thank you. Bye. Talk about a problem, not problem. It's like a non-problem problem.

Yeah. You know, the hardest thing about, I never had dogs until I got the dogs that I have now. I have Tony and Tracy. Very cute. Tony's from Mexico, Tijuana. And Tracy's from a dumpster in Bakersfield. Oh, my. And we got Tracy when she was like one year old already. She didn't know her name.

She wasn't trained at all, like total straight dog. And Tony is like, we had him since he was like a puppy. He's like great. And Tracy, I've really had to learn that like dogs just don't think the same way that we do. And like sometimes like you just need to think of like I think in this situation, it's like the dog is just associating like relaxing with the husband because the husband's always relaxing when they're together. And when like the dog is with Jessica, I think the dog is just like, oh, this is what I, who I eat with. but this is who I relax with like dogs compartmentalize

like different things like that and Tracy she's also a huge bitch my dog I mean do we really know what dogs are thinking and do we really care I don't sometimes I care too much I think but it's like what could they possibly be thinking not much I'll tell you that

what are they thinking they forget people when they're gone and they remember you when you come back so that can't be a big margin of thinking you know what I mean they're like oh it's you again I'm excited to see you And then three minutes later, they're over it. So it's like, nothing matters, really. No, it doesn't, no, nothing does matter.

All right, Adam Rupon. I can't believe we finally got the pronunciation of your name right. You wouldn't think it would be that confounding. It's R-I-P-P-O-N. I know, but in our English of today, we don't go hard on with that on. We go in. Yeah, Rippin. Yeah, that's true.

And any other thing. Thank you for the donuts, the gluten-free donuts, Even though I'm not gluten-free, I really enjoyed that. But you went to it immediately because I wanted to be... I was like, that's better than a real donut. You know what I mean? I better take the gluten-free one. You can listen to Adam's podcast.

It's called The Run Through, and he gave us a real nice slice of that in today's episode. I am definitely going to be listening to it. And thank you for coming. My friends were very excited that I was having you on my podcast, and now I understand why. And I'm so glad I'm more familiar with you. I'm so glad to be more familiar with you. familiar with you. You're also so cute. I'll also say that. Thank you. I also have another podcast called Intrusive Thoughts. If you don't want to listen to

anything that's not solely figure skating related. Because I don't talk about getting your head smashed in at Spago all the time. You know, it's sure. How can you? Although that could be a recurring theme for a podcast. It should. Judging by what's going on at Spago. Yeah. Yeah. So intrusive thoughts, you talk more about like it, it's kind of like a gamut of, yeah. They're intrusive thoughts. Right. I did enjoy your sunflowers have too many muscles, and that's why I don't like them. Don't they look strong? You work totally right. Yeah, I just... How did it feel to win dancing with the stars?

Felt good, Chelsea. Real good. Real fucking good. How did you celebrate something like that? Well, it was like a whirlwind, because it was like right after the Olympics. So I celebrated at first by losing like 10 pounds, which I didn't even know I could like lose still after like the Olympics. And so I was like at an all-time low weight-wise. all-time high, win-wise. But that seems like a win-win. It was a win-win.

I mean, as a gay man, aren't you just excited to be losing weight? I think as a gay man, you're always excited to be focused on your weight. Whatever it is. High, low, dangerous. Yeah, but what did you do to celebrate? You didn't answer that question.

I don't think I did anything. Anything? No. Really? You win dancing with the stars and you don't go out and, like, have a night? Maybe I did that. I don't... Have a cupcake? A donut?

I think I... A sidecar don't... A gluten-free sidebar donut, maybe. I mean, if that's what it has to come down to. I think so. I mean, it was like, I was so tired at that point. Like, it was right after the Olympics, too. And so I think I would just took a good old, and I was literally, like, inch thick of, like, spray tan, too.

Oh, it was amazing. Yeah, go to sleep, you wake up, you look down, shroud of Turin. It's like, just, it was a biblical experience of being that tan. I would have really looked like Steve Harvey. Wow. It sounds like you really have a thing for Steve Harvey. Today I do, because I'm looking and I'm like, I should host family feud when they see myself in the shirt. Maybe we'll host family feud.

Let's put that on your vision board. Okay. We're done for the day. Thank you for having us, Chelsea, Catherine, Adam, Rippon. Okay, my remaining dates for Vegas. There are remaining dates for this year. Summertime is coming. And I will be in Vegas at the Cosmo doing my residency on August.

30th, and then November 1st and 29th. November 1st and November 29th. I will be in Las Vegas at the Cosmo performing inside myself at the Chelsea. It's called Chelsea at the Chelsea for a reason. Okay. Thank you. Do you want advice from Chelsea? Write into Dear Chelsea podcast at gmail.com. Find full video episodes of Dear Chelsea on YouTube by searching at Dear Chelsea pod. Dear Chelsea is edited and engineered by Brad Dickert. Executive producer, Catherine Law. And be sure to check out our merch at chelseahandler.com. I'm Bob Crawford, host of American History Hotline,

a different type of podcast. You, the listener, ask the questions. Did George Washington really cut down a cherry? Were JFK and Marilyn Monroe having an affair? And I find the answers. I'm so glad you asked me this question. This is such a ridiculous story. You can listen to American History Hotline on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What would you do if one bad decision forced you to choose between a maximum security prison or the most brutal boot camp designed to be hell on earth? Unfortunately for Mark Lombardo, this was the choice he faced. He said, you are a number, a New York state number, and we own you. Listen to shock incarceration on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Every case that is a cold case that has DNA. Right now in a backlog will be identified in our lifetime. On the new podcast, America's Crime Lab, every case has a story to tell. And the DNA holds the truth.

He never thought he was going to get caught. And I just looked at my computer screen. and I was just like, ah, got you. This technology's already solving so many cases. Listen to America's Crime Lab on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Jeff Perlman. And I'm Rick Jervis. We're journalists and hosts of the podcast Finding Sexy Sweat.

At an internship in 1993, we roomed with Reggie Payne, aspiring reporter and rapper who went by Sexy Sweat. A couple years ago, we set out to find him. But in 2020, Reggie fell into a coma after police pinned him down, and he never was. woke up. But then I see, my son's not moving. So we started digging and uncovered city officials bent on protecting their own. Listen to finding sexy sweat on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast.