Life Will Be the Death of Me with Chelsea Handler - The Weaker Sex with Dave Franco

Episode Date: August 27, 2026

Dave Franco joins Chelsea to chat about how he won over the Pope, why cats should be fat, and the best things about playing unhinged characters. Then: A hungry husband resorts to pre-gaming meals. A girlfriend struggles to deal with her boyfriend’s family.  And a 20-something clocks his dad scrolling on Grindr… while supposedly happily married to his mom.   * 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.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. The new Red Bull Dragonberry and Tropicberry Energizers, now at McDonald's, made with freeze-dried fruit and an electric burst of flavor. The all-new Red Bull Energizers, now at McDonald's. This product may not be right for you. High in caffeine, details of McDonald's.cai at participating Canadian restaurants, excluding Quebec.

I survived nine months in captivity, and I've spent my life, exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart, and these are the Survivor Files. Every week, I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable, abducted, stalked, controlled, and nearly silenced. These are stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to the Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

On the new podcast, Solita, we share the... the messy reality of traveling alone as a woman. I can wait four hours for the next bus or this random dude is offering me a ride on his motorcycle. I chose option B. I'm Julie Pinero and I travel by myself because it's a rare space where I can say yes without asking anyone else first. I'm on a mission to reclaim the word Solita, trading the pity for possibility. Listen to Solita on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If your bookshelf and your for-you page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. Pro Society is a weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for anyone who thinks pride and prejudice and love island to serve the same level of discourse.

Each week, we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and pop culture, with your favorite writers, book talk creators, and plenty of overthought opinions. Yeah, I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed. Listen to Pro Society on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Okay guys, here are my dates for the High and Mighty Tour. In September, I will be in Santa Barbara, San Diego, New York City, Philly, and New Haven, Connecticut. October is Atlanta, Baltimore, Saginaw, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Boise, Idaho, and Spokane. And then in November, I'll be in San Francisco. I'm coming to Salt Lake City, Austin, Houston, Dallas, babies, I'll be there.

And then in December, I am closing out my tour in Denver and Vancouver. So get your tickets at Chelseahandler.com for the high and mighty tour. Hello, Catherine. Hi, Chelsea. Well, what time of day is it where you are? It's around 6 o'clock. 5.30. 5.30.

Yeah, we're going to go in and swim. We went for a little while. It was rainy day today. So that was very nice. Oh. We all sat around and we made sangria, which was really cute. Actually, they taught us how to make sangria at the Spanish school I went to in Madrid one day. I thought they said come meet for sangria after class.

So I went and it was to how to make sangria. And I was like, fuck this. I was like, I don't want to fucking make sangria. I'm like, I am useless in the kitchen. Just wanted to drink this angria. Today we were like, we were about to go for a bike ride. There's like five of us here now. And we're about to go for a bike ride.

And then it started pouring. And I was like, okay. Anyway, so I think we should make some sangria. And then I looked up a recipe. I'm like, it should take you guys about five minutes. Once you have to stop, that's absolutely true. Now, are you doing a white sangria or a red sangria? Red, red.

I'm done with white sangria. But we also use, we use Sprite Zero, so that saved us. Because it's just too, you're supposed to add brown sugar. Like, that's gross. Brown sugar, no. Brown sugar or sugar to it. And then you're also putting orange juice into it. And since, you know, I have an aversion to that level of sugar for my vanity purposes.

But you put some fruit in, I would imagine. You have to, right? Yeah, we put some fruit in and we put some orange juice in, but then we use diet sprites. So that's like getting the fish without the calories. So that's good. Because you know how good diet soda is for everyone. Of course. So I'm on a real health kick.

But we've biked every day. We've swam every day. It's really warm. Nice. The water's really warm, which is really nice at night. And I've had a lot of people coming and going and just, you know, the magic of my orca changing lives. Everyone's life is changing. Since the eclipse, everything's been different. Positivity is on the horizon. Yes. Well, our guest today was super positive, actually. What a ray of

sunshine. Oh, yeah. He's a real cutie. We've had a lot of fun straight guys on or maybe just two. Well, it's because we only allow fun straight guys. Yeah, yeah. Right. Exactly. I liked our interview with Adam Scott. That was really cute. And this guy's another cutie-pituity. fresh and fruity. Also with great hair. Great hair, great. And a little Tom Cruise adjacent, if you will. Sure. Adjacent. In Tom Cruise's heyday. He's been in the studio, the Now You See Me franchise together, and he has a new movie, which is called Idiots, which is in theaters tomorrow. So please welcome Dave Franco. Make yourself cozy. Come a little closer, though, so that you're close to the mic. And we can hear everything that you have.

enough to say. Good here. Too close? All your wisdom that you're going to impart to us. I got you. Oh my God. Dave Franco is here today. We're so excited to have you. I have to ask you before we even start talking about your newest movie. Okay. What is it like being married to a woman that is physically stronger than you? It's, it's excellent. It's intimidating. I'm really into working out. Yeah. And I think she might be the only woman I know of. White woman, I should say, because, I mean, I can't compete with black women's strength. They're always stronger than me. Fair enough. But she is a strong mofo.

She knows what she's doing, too. She walks into a gym and she's like, I'm going to, I'm going to kind of claim my territory. And she goes straight to the pull-up bar and rips out like 10 of them. It's like she invented the pull-up. I know. So I'm glad. Do you feel physically safe around her?

You know, I think for a while I was like, oh, this is a thing that I'm figuring out how to feel about it. And after a while, it's like, she's a badass. She likes to stay in shape. What's not the like? Yeah, that's right. And you guys have a really, I love your vibe. I love global.

You know, I support, like, I love marriages that don't have children. Okay. I think that that is a huge bonus. Okay. And I think that that has the potential to keep a couple together long beyond a lot of couples who have children. Not all couples, but a lot. Sure.

I mean, we, it's interesting. So we are the couple with two cats, very much the cat family. I didn't realize how weird that was until I was the single guy with two 18 pound cats. And that came up in every interview I ever did. I didn't realize 36 cumulative pounds of cat was not normal for a single guy. And it actually kind of weeded out the dating pool for me. Not a lot of girls were into that. Definitely.

So Allison was like, I like that. And I was like, you're my only option. Let's go. But no, we don't have kids. But like the crazy thing is we love kids. Like we have nephews. Totally. I have eight nieces and nephews.

People kind of presume about me, because I bang on a little bit about my child's free choice. But people presume if you don't have children, you don't like children. It's like, no, I don't want my own children. I think that would be a very bad influence on that. Right, right. But like, yeah, we both have nephews that we adore. I was just at one of their baseball games last night. And I was like, it was my first game all season.

And immediately I was like, I will bleed for this team. I will do anything to protect this team. But for whatever reason, it's just not for us. That's great. Yeah, I love that. I love hearing more and more couples doing that. Now, how did you two meet? You and Allison?

I can tell the whole story. Tell whatever story you want to tell. We met at Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Solid. We are the only couple to survive from that. Solid. And basically, I'll give you the somewhat condensed version. Basically, I was working there, and I had the week off

leading up to Mardi Gras and I was like, I've already experienced New Orleans. I need to go home and just rest. And so I came back to L.A. And a couple days after being home, my buddy calls me, he's like, hey, is it so cool if I stay with you for Mardi Gras. And I was like, oh, man, I had told him like months earlier we would have this crazy Marty Gras blowout. I was like, you know what?

I'll meet you back there. Let's do it. So I'm at the airport in L.A. And I run into my friend Jules and she's with Allison. And so Jules is like, you should come to dinner with us tonight. night and I was like, oh, I'd like to, but my friend got us parade tickets, but I don't know, maybe we'll meet, meet up with you later in the weekend. So anyway, we land in New Orleans. It's pouring rain. All the parades are canceled. And I was like, all right, I guess we'll

go to dinner with Jules and Allison. So get to dinner. I'm an hour late. They're all fucked up. I'm catching up. At one point, I'm sitting next to Jules. Allison's across the table. They're texting each other. Jules shows me their text conversation. And she says, you should make out with Davy tonight. And Allison says, sure. And so Jules tells me, she's like, don't tell her, I showed you this. I love that this is all going on and no one notices at a dinner table, that she's texting her friend about you and you're showing each other.

There was like eight people at the table. Yes, yes, yes. So she's like, don't tell her, I showed you this. I was like, cool, cool. Little do I know, 10 minutes later, they're in the bathroom together and Jules is telling Allison, okay, I showed him the text, he's in. So she manipulated this whole situation. But the great thing about it was we both knew that we were in.

The next bar we go to, she brings me a beer and she says, this has some Molly in it. I think we should share it. And at that point, honestly, I don't know if I had ever done Molly before. And without hesitation, I said, absolutely, let's share this beer. And the rest of the night, there's still photos that we have in our living room of us just like face locked for the whole night. Oh, my God. So we had this incredible weekend in New Orleans. and then the movie took me to New York in Paris

and I had her meet me in those places. Oh, I love that story. That's a great story. That's how someone would capture my heart. I'd be like, okay, maybe I will consider marriage at this point. Okay, so I watched your movie idiots. First of all, yes, of course. And I watched it last night.

And, well, first of all, my favorite, it opens in a way that is just so winning because you're at a desk job, not being professional at all, around people who are looking at you. And I think you pour, is it whiskey or a bourbon or whatever? It doesn't matter. It's just something that I shouldn't be pouring at work.

It really doesn't matter. Into your whatever, coffee or tea or whatever you're drinking at work. And with the absolute right to do it. Sure. Your attitude was like, this is my job and I need to drink to survive. Yeah, I'm vaping. I'm drinking. It doesn't matter.

I'm watching, you know, these degenerates fight each other. And on the computer screen, it's all good. Yeah. So not taking your job serious. Seriously, to 100 respect for that. I like that already. And then you obviously promptly get fired and you have to reroute. And then you're, I don't want to give away anything about the movie that I'm not supposed to.

But then you have to find work. Yes. You and your kind of degenerate roommate have to find work. A guy, actually, it's a guy I don't know. We're kind of paired up. We're a classic odd couple. He's a little more buttoned up. He's a man of Christ.

I'm the guy that you have described. Okay. And we have to pair up and we have to drive a rich teenager to rehab. And what we don't realize is this teenager is a full on psychopath and he's going to make our life hell every step of the way. Yeah, there is a scene. And this is also in the beginning of the movie with you guys trying to secure his person, running around on the lawn, trying to. Which is really ridiculous and really fun and a really fun journey. I can only imagine how much fun you had filming this movie.

It was great. It was so much fun just because it is just a balls out comedy where like we're taking big swings. We're doing the stupidest shit we can ever think of. And I don't think a lot of comedies just like go full comedy these days. And so there's that. And then I'm surrounded by a bunch of people who I know and love. Like I've worked with O'Shea Jackson Jr. before. I had just worked with Mason Thames before the director of Macon Blair. I've known him for 10 years on and off. And so when you're in a situation where you're just surrounded. about people that you feel comfortable with, you're doing your best work because you're just like, I'm going to try anything. No one's judging me. I'm going to try the weirdest shit that comes to mind and that's when the best stuff comes. Yeah, and I think you're right about comedies going hard.

Like, it's really refreshing when you get to watch something where they clearly don't give a shit and they're like going for it. Because sometimes comedies, and I don't know if this is intentional or not, because I'm not in the movie business in that way, but like they are, they present us comedies and they're quite soft. Yes, and it's nice.

And it's feel good. And there's an audience for that. Yes, of course. But it's not like ruckus, crazy kind of, like out of control. Yeah. Like in certain scenes in this movie, it looks like you guys really like lost the plot. For sure. And are just filming and it's just going haywire and it made the movie.

Oh, I'm glad that there's that feeling when you're watching it. I mean, there was a moment in this movie without giving anything away because it's a nice moment where body fluids are involved. And I just remember texting my wife and I saying like, I just did the craziest thing I've ever done on camera, which is saying a lot because I've done some really fucked up shit on camera. You're pretty brave on camera. Yeah, and I don't know what that is because in my real life, I'm pretty even keeled and low key.

And then when you turn the camera on, I'm just like there's no parameters and I'm just going to fucking push the boundaries as far as I can go. Yeah, well, you guys, you and Alison have that in common. Yeah, definitely. You both go for it. Right. Now, on a separate note, what is your skincare routine?

Because you are looking very luminous. Oh, that's very kind. Yes. You know what? Don't you agree? I agree. I agree. His skin is lighting up.

My skincare routine is Allison's skincare routine. I literally took all of her products. I started going to her facialist, Beba. Everyone check out Beba. And that's that. Just Beba. Go outside. Yeah.

You'll find it. You'll find it. You'll find me, Mom. Yeah. Well, of course, you're from three boys, right? What number are you out of your three? Number three. They're five and seven years older.

Okay. And James is in the business, and your other brother, is he in the business, too? Kind of, kind of. He's an artist in his own right. He mainly does painting and sculpture. Okay. But his wife is a producer in film, and so he's kind of like been just a utility player on her sets now.

And sometimes all of a sudden, we'll get a text from them where it's a photo of, they threw him in a scene with Demi Moore. And so, like, he'll pop up now. And are you, do you have youngest child syndrome? Like, are you the baby? in the sense that Have you ever read Like there's a book called

The Birth Order And there's a book called The Sibling Effect I have not read either Okay, they're both about threes Okay, tell me about it. Because I'm from six. So I have three boys, my mom had three boys And then she had three girls in that order.

Oh wow, okay. And so this book basically purports that The oldest child takes on oldest child's responsibility to kind of type A organization. The middle child, if the oldest child doesn't fill that role, the second child will go in to fill that role.

If the oldest is a fuck up or like, you know, a mess, then the second one goes. But the youngest is always kind of the baby, the loudest, the biggest personality. I don't think I fall into a lot of that, to be honest. Really? Definitely the baby. I'll always be the baby.

But I think because the age difference was significant enough, like I was kind of on my own in a way. And also, I was a mistake. And so by the time... A caboose. By the time... All the youngest kids are mistakes. Yeah.

My mom said it was the best mistake she ever made. But like, by the time I came around, my parents were tired. And so they didn't need... They like just didn't have the energy to discipline me or whatever. And so I almost didn't feel the need to rebel. Like, no one was pushing against me. And so I was a pretty good kid. But like, no matter how old we get, I'll always be the baby brother.

Yeah. Yeah, you can't change that. And it's kind of a sweet spot to be in, in my opinion, as a family member, because you grow up with the benefits of your, like, older siblings kind of wanting to, like, look after you. For sure. And so you kind of almost have, like, if your siblings are old enough, older enough, or what am I trying to say, older than you, by far, like, my siblings were so much older than me that I got, like, two sets of parents. Yeah, yeah. Because my parents were also asleep at the wheel, and they had already raised five children.

They're like, good luck with everything. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then so how did you get into acting? Is that like a family thing or did you do that on your own? So growing up, I, like you were saying, the youngest is sometimes the loudest. I was actually the opposite. I was debilitatingly shy where I just didn't even really speak until junior year of high school. And so I had no intention of performing in any way.

But I loved movies. I know that's like a very obvious basic thing to say. But like my first job ever, I was 14 years old. I was working at a mom and pop v. video store and it was actually illegal for me to be working there at that age. So they paid me by allowing me to take home as many movies as I wanted. And so that's how I just started watching everything. And it happened to be the year 1999, which is now regarded as like one of the best movie years of all time. It's just like a laundry list of iconic films like The Matrix, Blair

Witch Project, American Pie, American Beauty, Fight Club, Bean John Malkovich. So all these movies that like really formed me and helped me really just like lock in this love for movies. So when I eventually came down to L.A. to go to school, I kind of got forced into an acting class by my brother's manager. And even though I hated it at first, I remember sitting there the first day and I was just auditing the class and the first people up, they start screaming and crying and hitting each other. And I was like, fuck this. But I stuck it out because I was like, okay, I think this is just a way into the movie business. And also, I don't know if I had this foresight yet,

but I just was like, this could bring me out of my shell a little bit. And so I didn't love it for a long time just because I was so nervous every time I was performing. But after a while, I just kind of like let go and started to have fun with it. And at this point, like, I love it. I can't imagine doing anything else. Do you want to mention the acting class or no? Oh, Playhouse West.

Oh, Playhouse West. On Lancashire. I think I've heard of that. Yeah, yeah. I do also, like I found acting classes quite embarrassing because I came out here and I was like, what am I doing? Like I didn't know what I was going to do. Like I didn't, I kind of fell into comedy after a couple of years when I realized I could just write my own material instead of reading others. But I definitely went to acting classes kind of like the ones you're describing where you see people get up and do their scene and you're like, oh my God.

That is intense. It's tough. It's very vulnerable. And I do encourage people to do it, especially when they're starting. because it's a place where you can fall on your face and you can try things as opposed to falling on your face in auditions or on set. It's like you can practice your stuff.

And also I think it helps build confidence because like when you're first starting especially, but always like you can go on 50 auditions and not get a role. And it doesn't necessarily mean you're doing a bad job. It's just how things work. And so after 50 auditions, you're like, I suck. But you go to class and you build your confidence back.

up. You're like, no, no, no, I'm doing something right. Oh, that's cool. What was the best? Can you think of some really, like, the best acting advice you got or career advice? Yeah. Okay. So I was just talking about how, like, I was so nervous and then eventually I realized, like, I need to have fun with this. This is, like, a pretentious story because it's a very privileged story. But basically, when I got to that place where I really wasn't having fun anymore and I was at kind of this tipping point of like, am I going to keep doing this? I was talking to my brother and telling him about it and he said, you should talk to Catherine Keener.

Do you guys know what Catherine Keener is? So she's icon. And I was like, I'm not going to fucking burden Catherine Keener with my problem. And he had just worked with her and he was like, she's the sweetest person. Trust me. Here's her email. Reach out. So I write this email to Catherine Keener just kind of laying out like where I'm at mentally.

I'm not having a good time. And I'm just so... And you just introed like, hey, I'm James' brother. He gave me your email. And I've just been so stressed and whatever. And not only does she write back, but I just remember she writing back this really touching letter. And essentially what she was saying was, if you're not having fun with it, why are you doing it?

And it stayed with me to the point where it was like, it just allowed me to let go and be like, I got to change my mindset about this. I got to stop beating myself up so much. and just let loose and do what I'm doing now, which is just throwing it all against the wall and seeing what happens and having a good time with it. Because when you're having a good time when you're acting, it shows on screen.

Yeah, I think that attitude is applicable to everything. You know, like when, and sometimes it feels empty when someone says, have fun, just have fun. Because there's so many nerves involved with performing and being on camera or like live performance or whatever kind of, you know, performance you're doing. And sometimes when people say, go, just go out there and have a good time.

You're like, have a good time. And meanwhile, I'm a comedian. So it's like, I have to be having a good time. But it takes a long time to understand that that really is the ticket. Yeah. The new Red Bull Dragonberry and Tropicberry Energizers now at McDonald's,

made with freeze-dried fruit and an electric burst of flavor. The all-new Red Bull Energizers, now at McDonald's. This product may not. Not be right for you. High in caffeine, details at McDonald's.ca.com at participating Canadian restaurants excluding Quebec. When I was 14 years old, I was kidnapped and held captive for nine months.

I survived, and I've spent my life exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart, and these are the survivor files. I just remember this low, taunting voice next to my ear saying, shut up, don't say anything. Every week, I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable. I knew if he woke up, without a doubt, he was going to hurt me. I started feeling that there was someone at the end of my bed, and I just started screaming. They are abducted, stalked, controlled, and nearly silenced.

But these aren't stories about what's taken from them. There's stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to the survivor file. with Elizabeth Smart on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the new podcast, Solita, we share the messy reality of traveling alone as a woman. I can wait four hours for the next bus or this random dude is offering me a ride on his motorcycle. I chose option B. I'm Julie Pinheiro, and I travel by myself because it's a rare space where I can say yes

without asking anyone else first. I'm on a mission to reclaim the word solita, trading the pity for possibility. Every time I tried to be alone, I kept meeting people, and they were like, you smiled at us. Not a lot of people smile around here. It's when you're alone that you're most receptive to the world as it is, and not the lies you're sold about it. It can be a time where you push your limits, change your mind, or wake up to a new version of yourself. So whether you're a solo travel veteran or you're too nervous to be. book your first trip. I hope you listen to Solita on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

you get your podcasts. If your bookshelf and your for-you page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. This is Prose Society, the weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for thought daughters, pop culture obsessives, and anyone who thinks pride and prejudice and love island deserve the same level of discourse. I'm Eli Rallo and every week we're the dots between books, the internet, and the conversations everyone can't stop having. I'm going to have to look up this story. I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed.

From best-selling authors and your favorite book talk creators to the latest pop culture moments, nothing is off the table. It's like if you can hide some real messages inside compelling characters, then that is a Trojan horse. Whether you're looking for literary deep dives, smart pop culture conversations, or a community of readers who love to think a little too much, you're in the right place. Listen to pro society on the Iheart radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. See you between the pages. So you recently met the Pope. Oh my God. What happened there? How did you set that up? That's a good question. So, okay, my publicist reached out to me one day,

and she basically said, she was forwarding me this letter. And she's like, I don't know if this is real, but let me know if you want me to look into it. And it was an invite to meet the Pope at the Vatican. And I was like, yeah, definitely look into that. And so she did. And she was like, okay, there's not a lot of details I can get, but it sounds real.

They wouldn't tell me who else is coming. And so my next question was, why me? Why are they inviting me and my wife? That's also my next question. No offense. No, absolutely. How do they choose these people? And so, like, we, at that time, we were promoting this movie that we had just put out, this movie called Together, which is this crazy horror movie where, like, our bodies fuse together.

And we were like, does the Pope love body horror? Like, there's this moment in the movie where, like, spoiler, but like, my penis gets stuck inside of her and just, like, picturing the Pope watching this scene. So anyway, we're like, okay, I mean, we're in. Like this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. We're going. So we show up. We're in Rome. And are you religious at all?

I'm not. I'm like, I'm kind of spiritual, but not really. Good answer. So we find out that the one person we also find out is going to be there is Adam Scott, who we know. And so we just start talking with Adam. We're like, okay, we don't know what we're going into, but let's do this all together. So they kind of just drop us off one morning at this one. end of the Vatican City, and there's like a congregation of like a hundred people, and most of them

are Italian, there's some other actors and directors that we recognize, but they usher usher us through Vatican City, and we get into this big, like, long hallway inside the Vatican, beautiful hallway, and we're just waiting in this hallway for like two hours to go in and meet the Pope. In the meantime, we're talking with Adam, talking with other people, this worker at the Vatican comes up to Adam, who's leaning against the wall, and the workers, like, um, sir, that's one of Raphael's frescoes you were leaning again. He's like, I'm so sorry. So anyway, uh, we're sweating our asses off.

We finally, we finally go into this beautiful room. We're all seated. Pope comes out. He gives this like genuinely beautiful 20 minute speech just about film and the importance of film, which I found out after the fact was very important because I guess pretty recently in Italy, they were talking about getting rid of all movie theater. And so to have the Pope coming out and speaking about the importance of cinema, it was like a huge, huge deal. Wow.

I love this new Chicago. This guy is amazing. I know, I know. I love how he inserts himself into all of these global issues because that's what we've been waiting for. Or at least I have it. Like, I don't want the Pope to be just only focused on religion. Sure. I want him to be focused on like the world and the ways.

And it was like a genuine speech that wasn't like, it didn't feel like it was just written for him and he was just reading the words. It came from the heart. So anyway, he does the speech, and then we all line up, and we each get, like, you know, 10 seconds to just shake his hand and have a moment with the Pope. And so we knew that was coming. And so leading up to this day, we were like, what do you say to the Pope? And so we ended up, like, Googling facts about the Pope to see if, like, we could find any common ground. And I actually found a good way in.

He's the youngest of three brothers. And I was like, okay, there we go. So my wife goes, she's in front of me, and we see, as he's shaking everyone's hand and talking to them, you know, he's very pleasant, but like a pretty straight face. And so my wife goes first, and she basically says, like, you know, thank you for having us. It was a beautiful speech. And then she moves on. And then I come up and I say, I'm also the youngest of three brothers. And I just wanted to thank you for giving younger brothers a good.

name everywhere. And Allison looks back and he's smiling and she's like, what the fuck? And we have this beautiful moment of I'm shaking his hand and I got the Pope to smile and it was really nice. Wow. Well, that is a feat. That's exciting. Meeting the Pope is exciting.

It's pretty cool. One of his brothers has a LinkedIn. Like, it's so weird. Is that true? Yeah. He's just like a normal guy from Chicago. Yeah. You guys grew up in California, yeah?

Yes. Northern California, Palo Alto. Oh, Northern California. What do you think is like the biggest misconception about people who grew up in California? Oh, wow. I mean, first off, like, a lot of people think Northern California and Southern California are the same thing. And it's really a different vibe. You tell me, I'm curious why you bring that up. Yeah. Well, I mean, I think you're right. I think it's different because there's like a lot of people like, I've moved out here when I was 19 years old. So I didn't meet anyone that was homegrown until I was like here for 10 years. Because everyone I met were transplants. Oh, sure. Yeah, yeah. But then when like people, when then you start to meet people that are grown up in Beverly Hills or in like these nice areas, Brentwood, Bel Air. And you're like, oh, they've never left because why would they? Sure.

You know, I'm from New Jersey, so I had to get out of there. Yes. I mean, it makes me think of our nephews who have grown up here and who see their aunts and uncle on TV. And that's a normal thing. And then they come to these big premieres and that's a normal thing where like they're like, They, trust me, they have a great time at these premieres, but I almost want to just be like, this is really cool, right? And they're like, it's all right.

It's like, it's fine. But, and then you wonder how, like, people's kids get into show business. It's like, of course they're going to get into show business. Totally. Their whole, this is their whole life. And it feels accessible. It feels real. It's tangible.

It's right there in front of them. But, like, you know, Allison grew up in South Pasadena. And it's like, God, it's just removed enough from like proper L.A. that she did have like a seemingly like quote unquote normal upbringing just living in the suburbs. I think that's true about Pasadena. Pasadena is like is separate from L.A. and Hollywood. I didn't realize you grew up in northern California so that makes sense. And that's also a better place to grow up because that is more, it's just more normal.

It's and it's just so pretty. But like it's changing a lot. You know, Palo Alto, the Palo Alto I grew up in was felt small, very mom and pop vibes. And now it's all tech. Like the whole Bay Area. It feels like a one industry area, just like L.A. feels like mostly entertainment. That said, like, when I go up, I go up a few times a year. I can kind of put my blinders on and ignore all the new shit popping up and just kind of

stick to my old places I used to go to. And my friends who I've known since I was five years old, they still live up there. And so I can kind of hold on a little bit to the old Palo Alto. Yeah. Talk to me about the studio. So you play a real piece of work on the studio. Oh, yeah. You play just like this coked up lunatic. Yeah, which is crazy because I'm literally playing myself.

I'm playing Dave Franco on the studio. But yeah, I'm playing myself while on alcohol, weed, cocaine, and mushrooms simultaneously. That must be so much fun. It was so fun and especially because I'm surrounded by people who I've known for 20 years. I met Seth on Superbad. Right. And so when, again, when you're surrounded by these people, you know in love, you can just be free. And so I'll tell them, I'm like, guys, I'm going to go nuts.

Rain me in if this is too much. And more often than not, they're like, go further, get weirder. And so, like, yeah, when I'm doing these scenes where I'm on this cocktail of drugs, there's almost no wrong answer to what I can do. It's like, I can go as big as I want. And when that's the case, it's just like, I'm just having the time of my life. Yeah. Are you an actor who like prepares for that stuff or like, I mean, obviously you're preparing to work. Am I getting method and doing all those drugs? You're clearly not method. I can already answer that question for anybody who's watching or listening and wondering.

But do you just kind of like get prepared and then I feel like what you're saying is you prepare for your roles, but then you just go for it? Definitely, definitely. I am a nerd and I'll do my homework and I really want to know my lines and come in with ideas. But when I am on one of these sets where I feel safe, I really, I really am on one of these sets where I feel safe, really try to let go and just throw it all away and just kind of be there. But I don't know. Like, just thinking about that show, again, like, I've known Ike Berenholz forever. Oh, yeah. And what I've been trying to do for the last 10 years now is just continue to work with my

friends and family. And I've found ways on, you know, a lot of the time on a smaller scale, whether it's with a movie like idiots. which is an indie movie or that movie together I made with my wife. These are small movies, but we have more control, and we are producers on these films, and so we actually can bring in the people we love. And so I'm having just the time of my life,

and if I can keep going forward doing exactly what I'm doing, that would be the dream. Yeah, you seem like such a nice... I don't want to put any pressure on you, but, you know, I know white men are like under attack right now. I know because I'm one of the people I'm attacking them. But there is a very toxic, masculinity going around and you are the antidote. Like you are just like like, like is that something that you

think about like as a white guy? Like how does that impact you? Because I know that all, so many guys in our industry are not like that. I do know that. And I just wonder how it impacts you as a man that isn't like that to feel kind of all of the conversations going around about toxic masculinity and like, you know, all of that stuff. Honestly, I think. the simple answer is I kind of just keep my head down and just like I I'm like it's weird to say this but like I am a nice person and like Allison and I we feel so lucky to not only have each other but just like have a good community around us to be working the way we are and literally every day like I wake up and I again I'm not religious but I'm spiritual and every every night and

morning, I, like, think about how lucky we are and how we just want to, like, go out and spread joy. Truly, it's a cheesy thing to say, but I'm just like, I want to, like, put out good energy. It's not cheesy. I want to build up the people around me because, like, I know how lucky I am. And let's just spread that. Yeah, I got home from a set. I did, speaking of Pasadena, I did two sets at the Ice House last night with my friend Sarah Silverman.

We went out there and we had this really fun night and Karen game. And I was just like, it was such a lovely night. And I came home and I was like, I got down on my knees. I don't pray. But I got down on my knees, but I always, I do the same thing. I get down on my knees. I'm like, thank you for allowing me to spread joy. Yes.

Thank you for making it a joyful evening. Yeah, yeah. And like really taking it in because it is, I think, especially in times like this, so important to acknowledge, A, how you are conducting yourself and be about putting it out and not just taking it in. Definitely, definitely. And even just when it comes to work, too, like, I've been on the other side of the camera now. I've directed a couple of films.

I've been writing and producing more. And so I've seen every side of this, which has made me enjoy acting that much more. And just look at it in a different way where, like, I've always been, again, I've always been the person who's prepared. I'm punctual and all that. But now I go above and beyond to never be the problem on set. I know how much the director is dealing with. And I'm just like, I will never be your issue. And on the contrary, I will try to make your life as easy as possible.

And so again, that's just like trying to spread that joy on set too. Yeah. So did you, I read that you wore a rock in your shoe while filming The Idiot? That's true. What's that about? I mean, early on in the film, I twist my ankle really badly. And so moving forward, I was like, I don't want to be in a scene where I'm forgetting to limp. Because I have to limp for 90% of this movie.

And so by putting a rock in there, I don't even need to think. think about it. It just makes you walk with a limp. That said, like, again, I'm a psychopath and I was like, all right, can't just be like a little limp. And so I was getting these like chunky, kind of sharp rocks that I was throwing in there. But it helped. And I didn't have to think about that so I could focus on everything else in the scene. I like it. I like it. Were you fine afterward or did you like kind of mess up your a little thing after? A little bit of like, oh, like what's wrong with my foot? Oh, yeah. I was fucking walking around with a rocking it for two months. But like, I do this to my little bit. I do this

myself. Again, like I throw myself into these projects so much where I think back to I, a long time ago, I did this movie where I play a heroin addict and I lost- Which movie was this? It's called Six Balloons. No one's seen it, but it's a good movie. And I'm glad I did it. But it was one of those things where I was young enough. I was like, yeah, I want to do this thing that no one's going to see just for the art. And so I lost like 20 pounds in a month or so, which I'm not a big guy as is. And so I was miserable. And I was like, me just running on a treadmill all day every day, just trying to lose the weight, eating lettuce with no dressing. Anyway, the reason I bring this up is like after that movie ended, because I was running

so much and I was running just like off. Like I was landing just off with one foot. I couldn't walk for like three months after that. It was just like not only did this movie take me down because I wasn't fucking eating and my wife hated me, but then for three months I couldn't walk. What is it like to film a movie like that you put that much effort into, and emotionally. And then, as you said, not many people saw it.

You know, it's interesting. It's taken time. But a lot of the times when directors reach out to me about a project, they'll reference that movie. And I think it maybe shows a different side than people have seen before. But it does come up these days. That said, even if it didn't, I don't know. I still get something out of it.

I've gotten pretty good at not having expectations for, like, my projects to perform. Because that's just never going to end well. Well, being attached to the outcome is never going to. Yes. And you're always going to be disappointed. And so I've gotten pretty good at being like, okay, I truly have no expectations. If this is one of the few projects that does do well, it's a nice surprise. But like, again, I'm just like trying to have a good time while I'm doing this. Like if a movie's taking me away from my wife and my cats for three months, it better be worth it.

It better be a good time. and it better be with people I like. Are your cats still both weighing in at 18 pounds? So those cats passed. That's my favorite body type for an animal corpulose. I like a lot around. I just want to get my hands on you. It's like I'm not interested.

I know, I know. So those. Especially cats. I know. Those were our old cats. They lived a long, great life. So we have two new cats who are much smaller, which at first I was like, feed them.

Let's get them up there. But now our little girl, she just, they're about, six now. She just is a little pygmy. She just stopped growing really early on. She's just this little thing. But now she's getting a little chunky in a good way. She's so small but a little chunky. What are your cat's names? Little girls, Max, little boys, Otis. Okay, I just want you to know how I would never ever ask anyone what their cat's names were unless they were speaking about them in the way that you are. That's very kind. Actually, we had someone else who had a cat on.

It was Gaten Matarazzo. Oh, yeah. Yeah. He's a cat lover too. Yeah. He's a cat lover. Right. Clearly you're a dog lover. Yeah, I'm a dog lover. Yeah, but I'm not an animal lunatic. I'm not one of these crazy people. It doesn't mean you hate the other animals if you're a dog lover. I'm not that interested in your animals. I'm more interested in my own. That's okay. Yeah, I'm not going to the dog park trying to make friends there. You know what I mean? I get, I appreciate you asking my cat's names. Oh, yeah. We're going to, so we, the second half of this, we take callers and we give live advice. But before we do that, do you tint and curl your eyelashes? No.

I mean, did you have your eyelashes tinted and lifted? I've literally never touched my eyelashes. Okay, your whole, your eyebrow and eyelash situation should be a after picture. I'm serious because I get mine tinted and lifted and they don't look nearly as good as tins. What are the lashes doing?

Because no one's ever commented on that. And they're framing your eyes in a really nice way. I mean, honestly, you should be a face model. You should be like, not a face model. A face is just your face. You should be an eyelash like somebody who has a face. body's just okay. Yeah, just from the face up.

They don't have to do anything. They just take the after-micter. Yeah, but whatever you're doing, it's working. That's very good. Good for you. All right, well, our first question is just a quickie. Sam says, Dear Chelsea, I absolutely love my wife.

Since I'm like Chelsea and I'm not welcome in the kitchen, she does most of the cooking. She has a small appetite, so she makes tiny dinners. The truth is, I've been going to bed hungry every night, even losing weight when I'm not trying to lose. When I try to talk to her about making a larger meal, she beats herself up. So I've been pre-gaming after work by getting fast food on the way home. It was going fine until I ran into my in-laws one day and they told on me, my wife was so mad.

What should I do? Sam. He ran into his in-laws at the end. First of all, this is your wife. Be honest. Yeah. Like, who gives a shit? This is funny because I'm on tour and when I go on the road, I have like a little crew with me. One of my assistants comes. And we're all just kind of like, you know, before you perform, you don't want to like have a huge meal. So we always have a light dinner. Plus everybody's on Tres appetite. So we're no, but everybody's appetite is gone anyway. And he's always like, he's always disappointed.

And then at night, he's like, always ordering room service. He's like, I'm still hungry. We don't eat at all at dinner. And I'm like, you're allowed to eat. I'm not telling you can't eat. I just don't want that much food. I'm with you. It's like he's already told her like, oh, I'm a little hungry after these meals.

So he's already been honest about that. Then why do you deceive her by getting fast food? before coming home. You're in a marriage. You're allowed to get. Have some good snacks at home. Honestly, I do this all the time. I'm a terrible cook.

I love my wife. I adore her. She's literally keeping us alive by cooking for us. But like, I eat more than her. And truly half the time I will snack after dinner. And she doesn't, she never bats an eyelash. She's like, yeah, get more food in you. I think this gal is sensitive.

Maybe you could say, like, hey, I know you're cooking for two. maybe you could make an extra two portion so I have lunch tomorrow and then you actually just eat like a little extra. Still being deceptive. Exactly. Deceptive is the word. You're a man. You require more food just by your body composition. Like it's okay to tell your wife, I like the seriousness of this question. But also you need to just tell your wife the truth. And that's a good conversation. That's a good way to handle a minor conflict with honesty and integrity so that when you do have real problems because this isn't fucking one of them then you can you know practice having those kinds of conversation this is a

question from someone who is very naive when it comes to cooking so this is a very dumb question but does it take that much more effort to do to make one extra portion no i don't think so well i i'm you're not that i'm not asking a lecture yeah yeah so yeah there are there we're extra ingredient. Yeah. Yeah. All right. But honesty, let's just be honest. Yeah. We're married now. The new Red Bull Dragonberry and Tropicberry energizers now at McDonald's made with freeze-dried fruit and an electric burst of flavor. The

all-new Red Bull Energizers. Now at McDonald's. This product may not be right for you. High in caffeine. Details at McDonald's.cai at participating Canadian restaurants excluding Quebec. When I was 14 years old, I was kidnapped and held captive for nine months. I survived, and I've spent my life exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart, and these are the Survivor Files. I just remember this low, taunting voice next to my ear saying, shut up, don't say anything. Every week, I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable.

I knew if he woke up, without a doubt, he was going to hurt me. I started feeling that there was someone at the end of my bed, and I just started screaming. They are abducted, stalked, controlled, and nearly silenced. But these aren't stories about what's taken from them. There's stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to the Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. On the new podcast, Solita, we share the messy reality of traveling alone as a woman.

I can wait four hours for the next bus or this random dude is offering me a ride on his motorcycle. I chose option B. I'm Julie Pinero, and I travel by myself because it's a rare space where I can say yes without asking anyone else first. I'm on a mission to reclaim the word Solita, trading the pity for possibility. Every time I tried to be alone, I kept meeting people, and they were like, you smiled at us. Not a lot of people smile around here. It's when you're alone that you're most receptive to the world as it is and not the lies you're sold about it.

It can be a time where you push your limits, change your mind, or wake up to a new version of yourself. So whether you're a solo travel veteran or you're too nervous to book your first trip, I hope you listen to Solita on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or a real show you. wherever you get your podcasts. If your bookshelf and your for-you page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. This is Prose Society, the weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for thought daughters, pop culture obsessives, and anyone who thinks pride and prejudice and love island

deserve the same level of discourse. I'm Eli Rallo, and every week we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and the conversations everyone can't stop having. I'm going to have to look up this story. I'm obsessed. From bestselling authors and your favorite book talk creators to the latest pop culture moments, nothing is off the table. It's like if you can hide some real messages inside compelling characters,

then that is a Trojan horse. Whether you're looking for literary deep dives, smart pop culture conversations, or a community of readers who love to think a little too much, you're in the right place. Listen to pro society on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get. your podcasts. See you between the pages. All right. Well, our next question is pretty juicy.

So Alex is 28 and he says, Dear Chelsea, around Thanksgiving, I oversaw my dad using his phone on a gay hookup site. He's been married to my mom for over 30 years, so I would never expect any infidelity or openness in the marriage. I'm gay, not really out to my parents, but I think they definitely know. I recently wrote him a letter saying what I saw. I was afraid of denial and anger. However, he texted me afterward saying he's not gay, but, quote, has a friend who wants him to be and that my mom knows about the friend. We haven't discussed everything yet, but he's willing to talk through this. I don't want personal details, but I want to make sure my mom isn't being blindsided. Alex.

Hi. This is our special guest, Dave Franco's here today. Hi, amazing. Okay, you're gay and your dad says that your mom knows. Do you believe that your dad, that your mom knows about the guy that your dad's talking to? I don't know. That's a very good question. I, you know, we haven't had any further conversation about this. So, like, I just kind of trust them and move on with everything, but I don't know if I do.

Just out of curiosity is the ideal goal at this point is to just make sure your mom is essentially aware of what's happening. Yeah, exactly. I feel like she's like the main priority. And so, like, I don't want to know all the details, right? Of course. Yeah. You're like, do what you want. As long as everybody's in agreement, everything's safe, and that's your life. When you wrote that letter to your dad, you basically just spelled this all out.

And his response was, can you just say it again, like what he said to you? He basically said, like, he wouldn't hide or hurt mom in any way. Like, he loves me and my mother more than his own life. Like, and he was very open to talking about everything. And I think I've just been kind of affluent because it's very, we're just, like, we never talk like that, like, as a family about stuff. So I think he's very open to talk about it, but we kind of like have pretended like nothing has happened. I think the ball's in my court. But like I said, I don't know if I truly trust everything.

But I think we're all kind of avoid him with it. Okay. Well, of course. Most families are pretty avoidant with a lot of stuff like this. Do you have any inclination or would you be open to sitting down with him and having a really like face-to-face kind of conversation with him? so you could get a better read on the situation and express to him that you need to be really confident that your mother is aware of this? Yeah, I think so. I just don't want to come off as like accusatory or anything in that sense. But, you know, this is your mother and it's your father

and it doesn't have to be accusatory. It just has to be out of love. Like, I'm coming to you out of love. I love my mother. It would break my heart if she's being hurt in any way. So I just really need you to explain to me what's going on because I did see what I saw and I want to support you too. You're my father. I love you just as much as I love my mom. And if there's any way, he knows you're gay, right? Yes, he does. Yeah, like if there's any way that you're having these kinds of feelings or questions and you want to talk to me, it's almost like an invitation.

Like, hey, you can talk to me if you are having these feelings. I am gay. I'm out. You know that. But like trying to just even stretch the conversation open more so that you, you can talk. can either allay your suspicions or confirm that maybe there is a little dishonesty going on. Because as you're like, you know, if it's my pay, as your mother's son, you obviously are not, you're going to want to protect her from any sort of lies or deceit. Yeah, for sure. And I guess,

you know, I think the issue is like if I don't trust what he's saying, then do I bring my mom into this? I think you do. I do. I would. But, I mean, it's not for everyone. Like, I think if you don't trust what your dad is saying, then you have to challenge him and say, hey, like, then let you, me and mom sit down and discuss this. Then if it's all open, I just want to have a better understanding and I'm really protective over my mother as I'm protective over you, but I can't stand the thought of you deceiving my mother or doing anything behind her back that would devastate her in this way.

So let's all just sit down and make sure we're all on the same page without inserting yourself into his, you know, into their sex life, like you did see something. You should say something. These are your parents. It's not like people from work that you're just, you know, getting involved in their relationship. I think I know I need to do that. It's just the, this is going to be so awkward. I know. Yeah. I know it is. Just to give you, just to what's already admirable about what you've done is first even writing this letter, that's amazing that you were able to be just open and honest about that. And then just to kind of acknowledge like the situation, you know, regardless of who knows what, like I can imagine like it's also a big thing for you to be going through. Just to even find out that it may,

even if your mom does know everything, that this is like, oh, wow, this is a new thing that I'm dealing with and like learning about my parents. So I just think like allow yourself to feel those feelings. And it's like, it is an intense situation. It is an awkward situation. And that's, that's okay to feel that too. And it's also like these are kind of, um, to finding moments in life when you have to kind of face something that is really uncomfortable and really awkward. Like, I know it feels overwhelming and almost maybe insurmountable, but you did take the first steps. Like Dave said, that is hugely admirable. And it's worthwhile to follow through on that. Just as a person who's going through the world so that when you are facing difficult conversations,

you actually have experience in dealing with them head on instead of being avoided, you know, instead of looking the other way. And who knows what you'll open up? You know what I mean? Who knows what kind of open dialogue you'll create? When your dad responded about the guy, did he give you any, like, okay, this guy wants to have sex with me or is trying to,

I don't know, you said make him gay? Can you expand on that a little? Yeah, he said, I have a friend who it is and kind of wants me to be. And then he said, I'm not. And I'll explain everything to you. And so I think that, he is open to talk and I do want to give him the chance to share that story.

Yeah. I feel like it took me a while to write that letter and then he responded and now it's still taking me a while to like circle back. Yeah. I feel like for a big conversation like this, maybe it's like, hey, dad, can we go to dinner? Can we like go out just you and me? I want to like talk and just connect on some things. So like you know that there's sort of a time in place for this as opposed to feeling like

every time you walk in the house like, should I say? it now, should I say it now? Like set a time for you guys to sit down together. Yeah. Yeah, that's a good point. It took me about to write the letter because I wanted to do it in person. But every time I had the opportunity, I just chickened out. I was like, yeah. Completely. Yeah, but you didn't check it out in the end. You wrote it. That's great. So do this. Have a conversation with him first, just one on one. And then from there, you'll gather the information of what you should do next. But please get back to us after you have the first conversation and check in and let us know what happened. And if you want to talk about it further, we're totally down.

But also, also, obviously, we're just meeting you, but you do seem like just such a kind, warm person that I think, I think this, you don't have to look at it like a confrontation. I think you have already in you just the ability to bring it up in a way that it's like, it's coming from a good place and just wanted to protect your mom and make sure everyone's on the same page. Thank you. I appreciate it. words and that's kind of how I wrote my letter coming off. It's like this is coming from love. Yeah. And the more time you take, like, you know, I could tell that you're carefully thinking

about this because you took your time to do it. You're not being reactive. You're responding. And that already is a sign of maturity and growth. Have you been to therapy already? Not about this, but I've done the therapy many times in the past. Yeah. It seems like you've been to therapy so that you have like a mature outlook and, you know, not to do things with a knee-jerk reaction because that doesn't always, you know, net well. What a compliment. Thank you. Oh, yeah, of course. Yeah. But let us know how that goes, okay? Have that conversation and then check back in with us. Yeah, I will. Thank you so much. Okay. Awesome. Thanks for calling. Thanks, man. Bye. Oh, wow. I know. And I'm also sort of like sometimes people explore things and then nothing

happens with it, right? So he might find out like, oh, sort of a false alarm, but you just never know what he's going to uncover. The binary reactions to things. Like, okay, yes, he's on a gay website. Yes, he's talking to a man. Most people listening to this are going to be like, okay, obviously something's up. He's full of shit. But I do think there is room for nuance with everybody. Like some people are just, like, some people aren't just, it's not automatically that

this guy's gay and lying and has a secret life. It's a possibility, but it's not just a definite assumption to make. There's a version where, you know, the mom does know, but also her and her husband haven't even fully talked about it. Like maybe she doesn't want to address it yet. Right. But like with what he's going through, clearly he needs to get it out. You can't just let this sit there forever.

Yeah, well, with your own parents. Like if I knew that, I would immediately just pack my dad's bags and be like, you're out of here. You know, with no conversation about it. That would have been my reaction. So I love that he's like so mature and thoughtful about it. Yeah. The new Red Bull Dragonberry and Tropic Berry Energizers, now at McDonald's, made with freeze-dried fruit, and an electric burst of flavor.

The all-new Red Bull Energizers, now at McDonald's. This product may not be right for you. High in caffeine, details of McDonald's.cai at participating Canadian restaurants, excluding Quebec. When I was 14 years old, I was kidnapped and held captive for nine months. I survived, and I've spent my life exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart, and these are the survivor files. I just remember this low, taunting voice next to my ear saying, shut up, don't say anything.

Every week, I'm with survivors who lived through the unthinkable. I knew if he woke up, without a doubt, he was going to hurt me. I started feeling that there was someone at the end of my bed, and I just started to They are abducted, stalked, controlled, and nearly silenced. But these aren't stories about what's taken from them. There's stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to the Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the new podcast, Solita, we share the messy reality of traveling alone as a woman.

I can wait four hours for the next bus or this random dude. is offering me a ride on his motorcycle. I chose option B. I'm Julie Pinero, and I travel by myself because it's a rare space where I can say yes without asking anyone else first. I'm on a mission to reclaim the word solita, trading the pity for possibility.

Every time I tried to be alone, I kept meeting people, and they were like, you smiled at us. Not a lot of people smile around here. It's when you're alone that you're most receptive to the world as it is and not the lies you're sold about it.

It can be a time where you push your limits, change your mind, or wake up to a new version of yourself. So whether you're a solo travel veteran or you're too nervous to book your first trip, I hope you listen to Solita on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If your bookshelf and your for-you page

are equally important to your personality, welcome home. This is Prose Society, The weekly podcast, that's part book club, part group chat for thought daughters, pop culture obsessives, and anyone who thinks Pride and Prejudice and Love Island deserve the same level of discourse. I'm Eli Rallo and every week we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and the conversations everyone can't stop having. I'm going to have to look up this story.

I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed. From bestselling authors and your favorite book talk creators to the latest pop culture moments, nothing is off the table. It's like if you can hide some real messages. inside compelling characters, and that is a Trojan horse. Whether you're looking for literary deep dives, smart pop culture conversations, or a community of readers who love to think a little too much, you're in the right place.

Listen to Pro Society on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. See you between the pages. So Mia is writing in and she says, Dear Chelsea, I'm 33 years old and I've been with my boyfriend for three years. Overall, our relationship feels about 80% great and 20% in need of work. My fear is that the 20% could grow over time and start to overshadow the good, especially if we decide to have children. The main challenge is his family. His mom is wonderful, but I struggle with his two sisters who have never felt fully comfortable

around. One sister is particularly religious, and sometimes I feel judged by her. The other has an extremely negative personality, scolding her husband and kids over small things and speaking in a demeaning way. Being around her is emotionally draining, and I strongly dislike you. it. Family gatherings are especially hard for me. There's a little meaningful adult conversation, and I leave feeling depleted. I often tell my boyfriend that I just don't want to attend, which leads to arguments. The holidays are particularly difficult. We don't agree on how to divide time,

and I tend to avoid his family, which has led to a lot of resentment. My boyfriend understands how I feel, but gets hurt and says he can't understand why I can't just be present for him, while I feel like I'm constantly protecting my emotional energy. It's starting to impact our relationship, and I worry it'll only get worse if we have kids. So I'm left wondering, is this something that can be worked through with boundaries and compromise or are we fundamentally incompatible when it comes to family? Thank you, Mia. Hi, Mia.

Hey, Mia. Hello. Hi, this is our special guest day, Franco. How's it going? Oh, it's going great. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. Wow, that's really an interesting question.

Yeah. Because I don't, like, I mean, you guys are both married and you're like, what do you? I'm not married to someone specifically because I don't want to deal with someone else's family. We're actually not married. I know, I know, but you're thinking about spending your life with him, right? So I'm curious, what's his own relationship like with his family and his sisters? Well, it's a very interesting one. He would say that they were extremely close.

You know, they grew up with a single mom. Their dad left them when, well, he was about six years. old and he would say that they're very close but when I'm around them there's very little interaction my boyfriend is very quiet um I feel like his sisters don't really ask him any questions like how you know how school how's work you know so it's very very little to just low communication but you know he's very much there for for them whenever they need any kind of support whenever there's a family event, gathering, a birthday, dinner, he's always there. So he does try to be very present.

It's a tough situation. I mean, I know people who are in a similar situation, and I'm trying to think of how they've dealt with it over the years, because, you know, obviously his family is very important to him, and he wants to spend time with them. And, like, on the holidays, like, he will be with them. I'm thinking about my friend, she endures that, you know? it's never going to be easy for her to be with her partner's family, but she's found ways to handle it, whether it's just even little things that add up, whether it's like, okay, when I'm at, you know,

some sort of event or some sort of holiday with your family during the morning, I'm going to go on my morning walk, just me. I'm going to go get my coffee. I'm going to spend time by myself, and I can just kind of be away and just get a little more zen. And then knowing that, like, it doesn't sound like it's ever going to be like a beautiful harmonious situation with this family but I just think you need to do things for yourself I just another question I imagine like you seem like a nice person I imagine you've tried to bond with the sisters you've tried to make it work you've tried to make it more cordial yes definitely I do try I feel like when I'm around them I'm like invisible like they don't really try to talk to me it's just it's a very interesting

dynamic. So I feel like I have to like insert myself, share, you know, a random story. Otherwise, I could just be quiet the whole time that I don't want to be, you know. Does your partner recognize that it's awkward for the whole family or does he not see it that way? I think he has come to recognize, you know, because I have told him again and again like, hey, like try to start up a conversation to get us like both involved, you know. I think it's just hard for him because it's just how it has been, you know, forever. Yeah, so around the holidays, this big event occurred. It was Christmas Day.

We went over to open a present and him and I shared that we were going to go on like a New Year's trip to Costa Rica. And his sister's birthday is on New Year's Day. So it meant that we were going to miss her birthday. And she got really upset and like she cried about it. And then he started getting really emotional. So it was like a whole thing. And when we left, you know, he just kept telling me that I don't understand their family traditions. And I think that after that things, I think a lot of resentment has built up.

And just being around his family has become even more uncomfortable. for me. Oh, you seem so sweet. And I know what you mean. Like, I can totally relate to this, just not from my own personal experience, but from friends and so many people that have dealt with this because it is a really tricky subject because family dynamics are family dynamics, and you will never know what happens with that family growing up and how they interact and how they operate. And to get involved is very tricky. And I think the only thing that you can do is to really sit down and maybe you want to do this with a therapist, you know, a couple's therapist, just so that you have like, you know, a third party there that can navigate the conversation because you're

coming from a really sweet, loving place and it isn't your family, but you do want to be respectful of his relationship with them. But that doesn't always need to include you. There can be boundaries that are created in a really healthy way around the fact that you don't feel so comfortable. you feel like there's some unhealthy attachments, you know, and all of this in a non-judgmental way. Like, you're not going to say unhealthy attachments. That's probably what the therapist is for to just point out, you know, adults having to celebrate their birthdays as adults is a little bit silly, quite frankly. You know, like if my brother was upset with me for not being there on his birthday,

I would tell him to go fuck himself. Like, that's absolutely not happening. So, and I understand that there's a tradition, blah, blah, blah. But these are kind of, they sound like childlike traditions that you're not necessarily going to take into your adult life. So I think it would behoove you to have a third party involved with your husband to kind of lay that out for him. So you're not the enemy because you're clearly just coming from a very reasonable place. Yeah, I agree. And you know, I think the goal would be to figure out when you're with this family, how to best,

engage. And also, like, what is the ratio? Is it one and four that you attend of these family parties? Is it a couple times a year? You know, what sort of makes sense for their family? But also one thing I would recommend when you do have to go to these is have something outside of just conversation. That's something you can do together. Chelsea's going to hate this. But whether it's a game or, dare I say, a puzzle. A puzzle is something everybody can be working on. You can talk. You can not talk, but you have something to do. that's like communal and like it kind of just like helps smooth over some stuff. So having something that's outside of yourselves that's like a little project or a game or something can help take the pressure off of like, damn, these people are really boring or like unpleasant to be around. And I also think, yeah, those are good ideas. And I mean, there's not a lot of talking that goes on with a puzzle anyway. So that's kind of perfect.

But I also think the way you introduce this subject to your partner, like introducing the idea of like, listen, I really, you guys are kind of planning to be together for life, right? Like, that's what we're talking about. Like, and this is your, this is a concern of yours. Like, if you say, hey, listen, I really want to make this work with us. Like, what's the best way for us to move forward? And actually, maybe let's get another, like a third party involved, like a couple's therapist, just to talk about the family stuff, because I think that's our only area that we really need to work on. And I don't want to impose or insert myself in any way that's inappropriate, but I do need you to hear me. And I do want to figure out the best way to move forward and so that I'm protected and that

you're also getting to spend quality time with your family. You know what I mean? You could just introduce the whole thing in the most loving way. And the real key is to always go to a therapist before you have the problem. You know, so you can kind of frame it like that. Like before it becomes a big issue, let's figure out the best way we're going to deal with it. Do you feel comfortable doing something like that? Yeah, definitely. We have talked about going to therapy, and he is open to the idea. Oh, great.

Great. So then there you go. Then that's what you do. That's your next step. Okay. Or you can bring him on this show, and we can talk to him and see how that goes. We always welcome couples. Yes, for sure.

But, yeah, so that sounds good. And good luck with everything. Keep us posted. Let us give us a report back. We love those. All right. We'll do. Thank you so much. Thanks, Mia. Thank you. Thanks, Mia. Bye. Dave, have you ever worn headphones before? Are you trying not to mess up your hair? What is going on over there? We can take them off now.

We can take them off? Yeah. It's over. It's over. Chelsea, you are, both of you guys are very good at this. Oh, you did great too. You did great. You were great. No, but like, it's, it's tough, like, giving advice because this is, people's real lives. And like, you don't want to send them off in the wrong direction and say, do something that's going to blow up their relationship.

But, like, that was really tender and nice. Oh, well, thank you. Thank you. You guys, you can see idiots. It's in theaters tomorrow. It's real fucking funny. So if you want to reprieve from the world that we're living in, please go and see it. You can also catch Dave in the disaster artist, the studio, together.

Now You See Me Franchise and Neighbors. And also, you have a new movie Forgotten Island that's coming out. That's right. Right, a Filipino story. Oh, yeah. Are you Filipino now? No, it's basically me, Jenny Slate, and all the Filipinos. Let's go.

Just joke away in it? He's an ex- Oh, my. Yes. What are the chances? Oh, my God. But it's a beautiful, beautiful movie. I'm like so proud to be in this movie.

Oh, that's awesome. Yeah. I love it. So what's your relationship to all the Filipinos in the movie? You know, so it's an animated movie. I play a were-dog. It's kind of like a werewolf, but the dog version. So I'm just like a little creature on this island.

Okay, well, hopefully they'll be able to feature your eyelashes. Thank you, Dave Franco. You've been such a pleasure. Thank you, guys. That was awesome. If you want advice from Chelsea, write into Dear Chelsea Podcast at gmail.com. Dear Chelsea is a production of iHeartMedia.

Follow Chelsea on all socials at Chelsea Handler and find Catherine on TikTok at Flashcadabra. Dear Chelsea is edited and engineered by Brandon Dickert, executive producer Catherine Law. Find full video episodes and minisodes now on Netflix and get tickets to see Chelsea Live at Chelseahandler.com. I survived nine months in captivity, and I've spent my life exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart, and these are the Survivor Files. Every week, I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable, abducted, stalked, controlled, and nearly silenced.

These are stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to The Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the new podcast, Solita, we share the messy reality of traveling alone as a woman. I can wait four hours for the next bus or this random dude is offering me a ride on his motorcycle. I chose option B. I'm Julie Pinero, and I travel by myself because it's a rare space where I can say yes without asking anyone else first. I'm on a mission to reclaim the word Solita, trading the pity for possibility. Listen to Solita on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

If your bookshelf and your for-you page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. Pro Society is a weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for anyone who thinks Pride and Prejudice and Love Island to serve the same level of discourse. Each week, we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and pop culture. with your favorite writers, book talk creators, and plenty of overthought opinions. Yeah, I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed. Listen to Pro Society on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Let's go! The countdown is on to the most talked about music festival on the planet.

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