The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Answering The Tough Questions

Episode Date: June 19, 2025

Jana Kramer is joined by her husband Allan to deep dive into topics they've never talked about before!Was Allan scared of Jana's "baggage"? When they first hooked up - who did they tell after the fact? Was Allan's athletic career a red flag for Jana?This I Do Part 2 couple is spilling all the tea!Email us at: [e-mail] or call us at 844-4-I Do Pod (844-443-6763)Follow I Do, Part 2 on Instagram and TikTokSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Hi, my name is Enya Eumanzor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble.

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app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I was diagnosed with cancer on Friday and cancer-free the next Friday. No chemo, no radiation, none of that. On a recent episode of Culture Raises Us podcast, I sat down with Warren Campbell, Grammy-winning producer, pastor, and music executive to talk about the beats, the business, and the legacy behind some of the biggest names in gospel, R&B, and hip-hop. Professionally, I started at Deadwell Records. From Mary Mary to Jennifer Hudson, we get into the soul of the music.

and the purpose that drives it. Listen to Culture raises us on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The U.S. Open is here, and on my podcast, Good Game with Sarah Spain. I'm breaking down the players, the predictions, the pressure,

and, of course, the honey deuses, the signature cocktail of the U.S. Open. The U.S. Open has gotten to be a very wonderfully experiential sporting event. To hear this and more, listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain, an IHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment

on the IHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Brought to you by Novartis, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports Network. It's I-DU part two, and I'm one of your hosts. It's Jana Kramer. And most of the time I'm on this podcast. I'm talking with celebrities or people that want to share their divorce stories. but I'm kind of excited because today my guest is none other than my husband, Alan Russell.

Welcome to the podcast. Thank you for having me. So today we're going to dive into some questions. Maybe we haven't answered before. Give our listeners a little more insight to who we are as a couple. You know, we share on my, you know, wind down and adult education podcast that we do some things about our relationship. and I feel like we've opened up about, you know, certain things, whether it's parenting or our marriage,

but we're going to get a little deeper. So to give people a little backstory that don't really know our relationship, Alan is from Alabama. He's got a beautiful southern accent. Right, babe? I do, yeah. Yeah, he's from, Glasgow, Scotland. And we have been together. All right, babe, how many years have we been together

for? How many long, long years? Nearly three. Yeah. So we've been almost together for three. We've been married for almost a year. Our year anniversary is coming up on July 13th. And we have a 19-month-old baby. This is technically our fourth year together. because we met in 22. I mean... 24 together and that was 25. So we're in a fourth year of knowing each other.

I don't... Can you do it like that? You can do it however you want. That's funny how you make the numbers work for you you know, one way. If you wanted to work the other way, you minus. Like, oh, we were just, you know...

Yeah. A few short months. Manipulation. So when I was single, this basically how we met because that's one of the things that people ask us all the time

so when I was when I was single obviously I got a DM from Alan he slid into my DMs very respectfully He's just

you always use the word to slid Well what would you like to call it jump You jumped in you Slid's such a looking creepy, horrible way to describe it. As I've mentioned many times. Okay. How would you like to describe it then?

I respectfully and politely entered. Enter. That sounds, that sounds even creepier. I entered the premises. Aye. Okay, yeah, I DM'd you.

Yeah. Yeah. And so, um, so that was, so that was that. Um, a few thought starters though on, on this. Mm-hmm. just in general about when we started dating, you know, because I have been married.

So obviously you Googled me. I mean, you had to. Yeah. That's, I googled. But not like a, not like any sort of, I knew you were, I knew you were an actress and a singer. But that was kind of, that was kind of, really. I kind of left it at that. You knew I was a mom.

You knew more than that. Yeah. I knew you were a mom. Yeah. But I didn't, in no way did I had doing. deep dive into your career, your acting career, your singing career, your past, nothing like that. I don't know if I have a hard time believing that because, I mean, you flew from another country to meet me. And that was, that's the little research you did. I'm not saying I did little

research, but I didn't do a deep dive into because people's, people's past as they're past, isn't it? Yeah, but I think your past tells a lot, though, about who the, that person is. It does. It does. It tells you the experiences they've had. It doesn't. And I always said this to you from the very beginning.

It tells me what your past was, but it does not define what your future is. And I've always said that to you. Right. But I didn't have to do a deep dive because I knew that you were respected in your industry. you were clearly a really great mom. So it's not like there was, I wasn't out there digging and searching for things. I just wanted to get to know you.

I think girls definitely do more of a deep dive, although it was a little harder to deep dive yours because you had a private Instagram. Things were a little bit more. Tight-lipped on your side. Yeah. I knew you kicked a ball around because you were a professional athlete,

professional soccer player, sorry, football player. And then you were coaching when I met you. Yeah. So when you found out, because I mean, obviously when then you did on your search, I mean, it's right there on the Google page how many times I've been married. Like, you have to have been like, ugh. I would.

I mean, I judged my past all the time. No, I used to. I don't anymore. But I mean, on paper. looks being terrible. Yeah. I'm not saying

it looks terrible, but you can tell that you made shitty decisions when it wasn't because, like, I think one of your

marriages was, what, like a week or something, I don't even know. Yeah. So you can see, okay, it might look

married four times, but when you actually look at it, it's like, okay, well, one of them was probably a,

a real long-term proper marriage and the rest of them were maybe just decisions that weren't wise when you were when you were younger which everyone does so it wasn't a turn off no not at all i have ever made you feel like it like it was a turn off because i told you i would never judge you on your past no and i love that and i think with one of the reasons why i it was hard and it was hard for me to date post because i'll never forget a date that i was on when someone brought that up and said my sister doesn't want me to date you because of how many times you've been married.

And so immediately it was like, oh, there's shame around that. Like, it's, you know, this is bad and no one will then will want to date me. And so. Yeah, I think, I think I've, and again, it goes back to things that I've always said to you, right? And I've always wanted you to feel like I would never shame you because there's shameful things that I've done in my past. maybe not as public as things maybe happen to you

but I would never want to be judged or shamed or that to be called out just because I've made crap decisions in my past everyone makes them you've made pretty poor ones

with your marriage side of it I've made pretty poor ones when in certain phases of my life through anger or or too much to drink or whatever it may be that's

that stage. And I would never want you to feel shamed and I would never judge you, which is why I've never done that. I don't think I've ever once brought up the fact that you were married for times. Even in an argument or... No. No. Well, because it's so to me, I mean, it's kind of

I don't know to say irrelevant, but it's been dealt with. Yeah. Right? Yeah. Yeah. Were you nervous about dating a woman with baggage? Defined baggage. Like everyone, we're 40 years old, baby. Everyone's got baggage.

I mean, I would say with, you know, you're right. Like, I feel like once you, once, if you're dating in your mid-30s, someone's either most likely been married. Or kids. Got kids or has been through something in their life that has shaped them. Has abused, has been abused, has, those. Yeah. And so I, I actually don't like the word baggage. No, it's a, it's a, if, you know.

It sounds like. a damaged, what? Yeah, and that's where I don't like it. It's like, we've all been through things and it's kind of, it's a very shaming word to put on someone. Well, yeah, well, what's your baggage? You have kids. It's not baggage. That's life. Yeah, that's actually beautiful. You're a mom and you're a father. You have previous marriages like I do. Therefore, you learn for them and you become better. I think baggage. is just another word for you've you've lived life a little bit and you've experienced life. Yeah, I think baggage is such, it just sounds so negative.

My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly and now I'm seriously suspicious. Oh, wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast. So we'll find out soon. This person writes, my boyfriend has been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think is a problem, but I don't trust her. Now he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone. Now hold up, isn't that against school policy? That sounds

totally inappropriate. Well, according to this person, this is her boyfriend's former professor and they're the same age. It's even more likely that they're cheating. He insists there's nothing between them. I mean, do you believe him? Well, he's certainly trying to get this person to believe him because he now wants them both to meet. So, do we find

out if this person's boyfriend really cheated with his professor or not? To hear the explosive finale, listen to the OK Storytime on the IHeart 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.

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But the whole pretending and cold, you know, it takes a toll on you. Listen to the new season of Grasas Has Come Again as part of my Cultura podcast network on the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, I'm Janica Lopez, and in the new season of the Overcover podcast, I'm taking you on an exciting journey of self-reflection. Am I ready to enter this new part of my life? Like, am I ready to be in a relationship? Am I ready to have kids and to really just devote myself and my time?

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Okay, so I've got a question for you. With me being a professional athlete and then being a professional coach and being involved in the professional sport world, that gets a certain reputation. Like I remember dating some people and the last. like, well, my friends have told me not to date you because you've been a professional football and you're a professional coach because there's a stigma attached to professional athletes. Some

justified. Yeah. And some not. Yeah. Was that, did that raise a red flag? I don't think you're going to like my answer. You're actually going to hate my answer. They either raised a flag or it didn't.

Well, but the answer is, is the I've never dated a soccer player as an athlete. Okay. I've dated all the other ones, but I've never dated. So I didn't know about the soccer world. Like, I know, like, the different sports. They have, they have reputations.

Right. Yeah. And, you know, some are, some they say are worse than others, like, but I don't I don't think it comes down to the sport that they play even though some people will say otherwise it all comes down back to the person but yeah of course I mean there's the stigma for a reason there's there's the stats for a reason the stats who looked into stats well this that's this is there are like professional athletes cheating like there's you know what's the stat and that it's a lot higher than

someone that's a teacher yeah so yeah okay you weren't I think what was helpful is that you weren't an active player at the time. I think if you were a player still, it would have maybe swayed my flag to being more cautious. I think since you're out of that world in that arena, then it didn't make me feel as nervous about it. But, you know, the coaching aspect, there are, you know, players in that too.

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. So, again, I think it just goes back to, and you could say the same thing about actresses, right? You know, with being with people and actresses and dating co-stars, I mean, that's possibly a flag. Some were thrown around in there, too. But I think it just goes back to the person. I think there are some incredible, I know some very incredible athletes that, you know, are married, that are good men. that are, you know, good Christian men, that are family men. So it's like, it's not fair to put that stigma on every athlete

that they're going to achieve for. I agree. So, no, I don't think, I think it helped that you weren't playing, though. Yeah. Okay. When we first met, were you thinking marriage? Or was it that even on your radar? I mean, for me...

I, I'm not, I've never been one to like to date to just date. So it's like, all right, if I want to date it and then see if there's, am I going to, what is the point of, of just dating to date? I mean, I actually see a point and I did for a minute there just to see what I wanted. Because I don't even know what I like. Because I'm always constantly asking other people, do you think they're cool? Do you think they're cute? Do you think they're this?

And I'm like, I never, I, and then I would maybe. stay dating with the person because I'm like, oh, well, they think he's cute or they think he's X, Y, Z. Like, I never went with my own opinion or gut with things. So with us at that stage in my life, especially having, you know, the two kids and stuff, I was always like, yeah, I want, you know, I wanted to get married again. I know it sounds crazy. But I am the like, hopeless romantic with I got it wrong one, two, a couple times. And I still believe that my, the right one was out there. And I know you were too because when we had our first few dates, which by the way, this could, this could look a little love bomby. But it wasn't because I think

we're at the same page. But like you sent me when you were flying back to England, you sent a picture of a ring but like anybody else i'd be like oh girl they are love bombing you run yeah but it was like we just knew yeah absolutely but yeah anybody else i'd be like that is a massive red flag and not when it was happening to me i think and i think that's one of the things of been married before and being through the dating side of it and being through these experiences and now were in my foot is you know what you don't want and you know what you want. Yeah. So therefore your decision making becomes a lot clearer and a lot easier.

I'm saying it's always right, but you know what you want. I mean, that comes along then, like I knew straight away that we'd get married. When we had sex, who did you tell? Who did you call? My brother. Ew. I didn't call him and say Oh, we had sex

We spoke the next day And he asked about What I'd been How things had been gone Yeah So what'd you mean ooh Oh then what'd you say What if I'd say to you

Oh my phone my mom I phone my dad Well that's even grosser But I'm just like Like not a friend You didn't phone a friend Oh yeah He's like my best friend

That's true Did you tell him we hooked up Alan it's not like like my brother is like I speak to him most day like he's my okay and what did but who did you tell my best friends what's the difference this is just way different that's not yeah it is your best friends friends uh yeah yes queendom um what did you say though to your brother because it was cute I mean I know what you said

but you know what I said yeah what did I say when you say like I'm screwed or something yeah yeah yeah basically for people who are dating long distance in their chapter two or three um like we did how do you suggest people keep it spicy when they're far apart well we didn't do long distance for that long did uh October November December January February five months yeah long distance but we weren't like the we seen each other a lot sexy kind of I think it's quite cheap that

I mean there's times we've done it have we yeah not sex no I need the phone sex I don't

have we done that times will have been kind of played with it a little bit but like never situation not that

right but we've never no I think the spiciest thing is just communicate. How old do I sound? But like sending cute picks and little flirty picks, I think that keeps it spicy. Yeah, and I think it's also good to be honest on how much that you miss someone.

Like, I was craving you when you weren't there. I really missed you. So it was important that I told you that. What did family members, anything they say after we met them for the first time? My mom loved you. My dad loved you. My brother loved you. My son loved you. So, no, there was zero negativity. My family just couldn't understand you, but I, they loved you. When you and I met, I already had a podcast where I talk about, you know, my relationship history. Part of, you know, being in my life is also about sharing that aspect and being open. You know, what did you think about that early on? and then what do you think about that today? Very good question.

It wasn't something that I'm used to, like being a professional coach, I'm used to keeping things as private as possible because it normally will come back and bite you in the ass in the professional world. So I remember the first time I went on the podcast

and the producer of the thing kind of prodded a little bit, remember? And I didn't like it. So yeah, I found that it was way out of my remit and what I normally do in a daily basis or how I apply myself. So

I found it quite tough, but I've grown, I know there's, listen, there's a business aspect. There's so many different aspects to it that it has a lot of intelligence and there's a lot of reasons why it's good to be less private on things.

So I think I've grown to I've grown to almost normalise it over the last two and a half years, three years, and see the benefits. It will not always be beneficial. It will have its downfalls at some points.

But early on it was tough because I'm like, like you would ask things. I'm like, I don't want to talk about that. Or I don't feel that's right to speak about that. That doesn't sit well with me. And you could probably see it in my face. Whereas, I'm

probably still a little bit like that because my default is always to go private but I think I've become better at opening up and seeing because a lot of the stuff that you do that as private stuff helps people I'm not saying anything that comes out of my mouth that's going to help anyone

on that level but yeah I've got better at recognising that there's benefits to sharing your experiences and not keeping them locked up yeah I mean I think there was a part in our relationship early on where I would post something or say something and you would be like, why did you say that? Yeah. And it wouldn't have even been about us. It was like my my past or my, you know, past relationship. I was like, because it's, this is my life. Like I,

I want to help other people. I want to share these things in hopes and efforts to help other people if they're going through both parenting or cheating or trauma or DV or any of those aspects. And I think that was and I was like please like don't make me feel like what I'm sharing is or that I that I need to like stop that because I was like that one that was a piece for me I was like this is this is my life too and this is how I've chosen to live it I think I went through this to them be able to share it and help people right and I think you've definitely gotten better with you've never you haven't said that to me in a long time about anything that I've noticed in why you do things yeah yeah and then I I know our boundaries of what we share, like, on our adult education podcast and, you know, all that.

So I know, and it's important not to, and it's important to respect your boundaries around it, too, and meet in the middle and be like, all right, I got an Instagram. This is a part of, of, of this world that I've created that I, you know, I do enjoy showing my family and in you and, I mean, people were obsessed. with the stuff with you and Jolie the other day and seeing y'all's relationship and you know I think that's important to weave in like who wants to watch someone's page that's just add add ad ad ad ad add it's like no one would come to the page it's like you have to you have to bring people in

share life with them to then you know you can't just be selling stuff 24-7 absolutely not you know yeah so I'm glad you came a little first full circle on that one wait I have so many questions that we still need to to get through and then I kind of want to know so how about we take a break and then come back for another episode sweet hi my name is enya umanzor and i'm drew Phillips and we run a podcast called emergency intercom if you're a crime junkie and you love crimes we're not the podcast for

you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free I-HeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. If a baby is giggling in the back seat, they're probably happy. If a baby is crying in the back seat, they're probably hungry. But if a baby is sleeping in the back seat, will you remember they're even there?

When you're distracted, stressed, or not usually the one who drives them, the chances of forgetting them in the back seat are much higher. It can happen to anyone. Parked cars get hot fast and can be deadly. So get in the habit of checking the back seat when you leave. A message from NHTSA and the Ad Council. Have you ever wished for a change but weren't sure how to make it? Maybe you felt stuck in a job, a place, or even a relationship.

I'm Emily Tish Sussman, and on she pivots, I dive into the inspiring pivots of women who have taken big leap. and their lives and careers. I'm Gretchen Whitmer, Jody Sweetie. Monica Patton, Elaine Welteroff. Learn how to get comfortable pivoting because your life is going to be full of them. Listen to these women and more on She Pivotts,

now on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I was diagnosed with cancer on Friday and cancer free the next Friday. No chemo, no radiation, none of that. On a recent episode of Culture Raises Us podcast, I sat down with Warren Campbell, Grammy-winning producer, pastor, and music executive

to talk about the beats, the business, and the legacy behind some of the biggest names in gospel, R&B, and hip-hop. Professionally, I started at Deadwell Records. From Mary Mary to Jennifer Hudson, we get into the soul of the music and the purpose that drives it. Listen to Culture raises us on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The U.S. Open is here, and on my podcast, Good Game with Sarah Spain. I'm breaking down the players, the predictions, the pressure, and of course, the honey deuses, the signature cocktail of the U.S. Open. was open has gotten to be a very wonderfully experiential sporting event.

To hear this and more, listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain, an IHeart women's sports production in partnership with deep blue sports and entertainment on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Brought to you by Novartis, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports Network. This is an IHeart podcast.