The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Fighting Words with Brayden Bowers

Episode Date: July 18, 2023

Ashley is going one on one with one of the most polarizing men on Charity’s season of The Bachelorette! We’re going behind the earrings with Brayden Bowers to get his side of what happened between him and Charity. Brayden bares all and reveals a shocking story from his past that helps explain why he acted the way he did while on the show. Plus, find out if we’ll see Brayden in Paradise!See 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.

Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your... free iHeart radio app search emergency intercom and listen now why are tsa rules so confusing i'm manny i'm noah i'm noah this is devon and we're best friends and journalists with a new podcast called no such thing where we get to the bottom of questions like that why are you screaming i can't expect what to do now if the rule was the same go off on me i deserve it you know lock him up Listen to No Such Thing on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Listen to America's Crime Lab on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcasts with IHart Radio. Hello, almost famous listeners. We have a very special guest today. Braden Bowers is here. The Man of the Hour, if you watch The Bachelorette. Ben is not here, so it's just me and Braden. Braden, if you were to follow our podcast, which we do not expect at all, you would know that you're probably going into one of your easiest exit interviews this week because I have not given you a lot of flack when lots of other outlets have. I've just felt like, okay, yes, you've made some mistakes, but you've also been really honest along the way. How are you feeling now that you can kind of tell the world that you are not the man for charity?

honestly there's a part of me that still like that has that disappointment factor to be honest with yeah yeah i i mean i really did have a connection with her and i think like i think the disappointment factor was like i just got in my head too much and so it's like there's just that like you know it was it was something i want to learn and grow from like not getting my head so much in the future and pursuing future relationships but there's definitely a level of disappointment in that in that aspect so All right, well, we're going to revisit your answer there in a second. But I have to ask first to really set the stage here, have you watched the show before? Has your mom watched the show, like a close friend?

How familiar were you before going on? Yeah, no, I've actually, I haven't ever sat down and watched the full episode of the show. I'd seen a couple like clips in passing just because my little sister's a huge fan. And then my old roommates were a huge fan. But I'd never actually seen the whole thing. and you can kind of tell, I had no idea on the screen. All right. So last week, you kind of called out one of my very close friends

and a Bachelor Nation royalty, honestly, Nick Viall, because he's been giving you some crap on his podcast, and you said, who's Nick? Now, half the fandom thinks that you're being sarcastic, and then half the fandom might just think you don't know, which is totally legit. What's the truth? Honestly, I wish I could say I knew,

and I wish I could say that I was just being sarcastic, but I really, I didn't even know who Nick was. I didn't know he was talking smack on me. I hadn't seen anything. It was honestly just I didn't know who it was. So I feel like, I wish I could claim that I was sarcastic and it was like a clapback, but it wasn't. I didn't know who he was.

Okay. Okay, well, so then my other question has to do with the same. I guess it's going to be the same answer. I've been saying that this week, you reminded me so much of one of the ultimate villains, Chad Johnson because they go to the wood. Do you know who Chad Johnson is? So someone, one of the producers told me stories about him and how he like pooped his pants

next to like Chris Harrison. There's definitely some things that happened that may have been a paradise moment. What I'm referring to is on Jojo season, they went to the woods in the middle of nowhere and then he like ate an apple really obnoxiously kind of the way that you ate the food that you found out in the woods and you are like making fun of like the guy's butt chin the way that he would make fun of him and i see some humor in that for sure it's good for the audience but like you have to go back and watch chad johnson's episode because you were taking some serious direct cues from him oh my gosh i yeah i don't i didn't know that that's uh did they tell you to eat like the

radish or whatever that was obnoxiously um so the thing the thing about the radish it was funny It was like, I was, we were back in the, it was a radish. It was a radish. I think it was. It was a beat. It was a beat. Okay. It was pretty sweet. So it was good. But it was good for anyone asking. It was actually tasty. But no, it was funny because we actually were, we were eating apples up in the room. And I had watched like a show when I was younger Zoe 101. Not sure if you ever watched it. And it's like, basically there's like a clip about how you can tell. Yeah, how good of a kisser is by the way they eat an apple. And I was like, and I made a joke. It didn't make the screen time. But I was like, and I was like, and I made a joke. It didn't make the screen time. But I was. like, hey, can you guys tell him a good kisser? And I was eating in the beat. Like, it was a joke to, like, everyone, but it didn't make the full cut. Okay, gotcha. A lot of moments are ruined by the cut. Okay, so this is all very interesting.

So then my, like, the most general question is probably just like, okay, so you had to know the premise of the show was that you're supposed to, quote, quote, be ready to get engaged at the end of it. And you didn't seem to be on board with the premise at all. but did you know that that was the expectation it was yeah I did and honestly I thought that thought I could get there um I definitely had like my reservations coming into it I was like it was kind of like if it happens it happens and it was like an all or nothing to get married or you know what I mean it was like and I think that's more what kind of shocked me is it was like the hyper

focus on the engagement over the connection like there was a time when some of the guys were like she didn't come here for a connection she came here for an engagement and they're they're like oh, she couldn't be as opposite of that. And I disagree. I think she did come there for a connection because we can't have an engagement without a connection. And so I think my biggest point of contention with the guys was just that like they were so like talking about this engagement

and saying we need to get to this point of engagement. And they never even considered worrying about like actually getting to know her. You know, I think I made a comment like they didn't even know her favorite color. Like they weren't asking these questions like what her favorite food was. Like, you know, what her favorite animal was? Like what she had fears of and stuff like that. And some of the guys did. I mean, I got to give a shout out to Doughton.

Like, he really genuinely just like, you know, like watching him back, he had those conversations with her. He didn't get caught up in the drama and stuff like that. So I have to say, like, some of the other guys, I mean, they had, they weren't. Yeah. Okay. So this is where I kind of agree with you. And this is also a Chad Johnson moment where I was like, this guy has been using

Chad as his role model because Chad had this song or he, he watched the other guys sing a song about Jojo after like three days of knowing her. And he's like, how weird and creepy is that these guys are making up songs about a girl that they basically just said hello to? Yeah, it was just bizarre. It was like they came in. I think, I mean, I guess I can, I don't, I have to, I don't want to say I can relate to Chad Johnson yet because, again, I haven't seen his whole fail.

I don't want to directly compare you to Chad either because that would be unfair to you. He's a whole other level. I don't consider you anywhere near. Okay. Well, I appreciate that. But I, I mean, I can see that. Like, they were coming in there day one, like, oh, I'm ready to get married to charity. I'm like, dude, you haven't even met her yet.

Like, you know what I mean? It was just like, I didn't even understand like how they could be in that place. You know what I mean? And it's like, you know, I've heard like the attrition rate of like relationships after the Bachelorette. And like for me, it's like if I was going to get engaged, I wanted it to last. You know what I mean? Like I don't want to just get engaged for a show or anything like that. And I feel like the guys were just in the place where they're willing to get engaged just to get engaged.

that's not when my heart was at. So I just couldn't, I don't know, couldn't relate to him. I appreciate you saying things on air, even if the premise of the show is to hopefully end in marriage. I do think that, like, the focus is on that a little bit too early on. And I think it can get, like, it just can get a little strange. However, you know, you know how it goes. And people love to focus.

The cast loves to focus on that. They love to villainize a person who says, like, can we just not talk about engagement right now? Because, like, she's dating, like you said, about 20 other people right now. Yeah. And I'm, I don't want to, you know, like shade at anyone, but at the same time, like, if you looked at the previews, I wasn't the only one that turned out to be having a little bit of doubts about engagement. Like, I'm like, these guys came at me.

These guys came at me and wanted to like, you know, wanted to just like, you know, I don't even know what, right? yeah they were they had the same reservations i did they just they lied and they didn't you know step up to the plate and say they did you know we're like oh i have no doubts about you charity i have no doubts that i want you to meet my family and then it's like i don't know if i want you know what the hell but i don't know hypocritical a little bit maybe i don't know okay well you did end up getting a little caught up in the idea that you couldn't do it relatively early on became a point of contention with the guys and then worrisome to

charity, you sit down with her and then the conversation kind of goes to you, a self-eliminating. Did you, would you call yourself a self-eliminator or do you think it was more of a mutual decision? What did we miss, if anything, from TV? I would say, I don't know. I think it was a level of self-elimination, a level of her, like, you know, realizing that she couldn't reach me where I was at. Like I had just like kind of closed off and just saying, hey, I'm going to walk you out.

I realized that I can't keep going down this road. And so it was like, I think it was more of a mutual decision I would like to say just because it's like, I realized that like I kept trying to be okay with the process. I mean, my journey through The Bachelor, it was like, I know people didn't get to see, but like that night one when I got the like, yeah, I got the first impression rose and that was great. But it was like there was a level of that where I, it didn't necessarily feel that amazing way I got the. Like I like I went from being on cloud night because we had this bomb like amazing connection and then all of a sudden I thought I was like the biggest dick in the world and I thought I had like disrespected her and I thought I was getting sent home and all of a sudden no I was actually I actually made her feel good and then like the next week and so it's just like there was like a lot like every week I kept getting caught up in this drama and I wasn't sure if I was doing it I mean I was doing it to myself because I just talk too much I guess I got just like too open with everyone there but uh I don't know it was just like I I realized that I, because I kept having all this drama, I couldn't get out of my head and there was a way that I was going to be able to get to the point of getting me at the end of this experience. And that's what she wanted and I couldn't give it to her.

So I didn't want to waste her time. And I think she just realized that I came to that conclusion and there was no reaching. It was just, it was making decisions. Do you feel like getting the first impression, Rose, put a target on your back? Yeah, I think it did. It was, it was bizarre because, like, one of the craziest things for me is Aaron B. We were in the limo together. smoke and um he had come up to me and he was like oh we're san diego boys like we're we live right

up the street like i want to get you you know i want to get you plugged in with my people all hang out and stuff and i'm like okay like cool dude like it's nice to meet you man like you know it's like chaos like we're going to be bros or whatever and then like uh and then just to see that night one um him saying he was going to war with me i had no idea i was going to war like i was like i was like okay this guy came up to me he shook my hand and he was my friend and it's like for me it's like I guess like I'm a very what you see is what you get kind of personal like what I say to your face is what I'm saying behind you know behind closed doors like even those like roasts I did of Sean and stuff like that I told Sean to his face all

those rooms I didn't I've done the same stuff the butt chin thing yeah yeah the butt chin I actually might have gone a little bit worse because I was like I brought some clothes paper out I'm like here you go bro and it was like kind of funny they might have cut that part as long as he was down to make of himself. Plus, usually a chin nipple is a nice thing on a man. No, it is. He's a good... The thing was, is he's a good-looking dude. You know what I mean? It was like... And I said that. I was like, bro,

you're uncomfortably good-looking, bro. Like, I wish I looked like, you know? But it was just like, again, we were roasting each other. Like, you know, when you're alone and you're, like, joking around and you do a life... Everyone's joking. But it was just like, it was kind of like crazy. I only seen my jokes being said. I was like, ah, this is not a good luck, you know?

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 IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom. And listen now. Imagine that you're on an airplane and all of a sudden you hear this. Attention passengers. The pilot is having an emergency and we need someone, anyone to land this plane. Think you could do it?

It turns out that nearly 50% of men think that they could land the plane with the help of air traffic control. And they're saying like, okay, pull this, do this, pull that, turn this. It's just, I can do my eyes close. I'm Manny. I'm Noah. This is Devon. And on our new show, No Such Thing, we get to the bottom of questions like these. Join us as we talk to the leading expert on overconfidence.

Those who lack expertise lack the expertise they need to recognize that they lack expertise. And then, as we try the whole thing out for real. Wait, what? Oh, that's the run right. I'm looking at this thing. Listen to No Such Thing on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Ed. Everyone say, hello, Ed.

I'm from a very rural background myself. My dad is a farmer and my mom is a cousin. So, like, it's not like... What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? I know it sounds like the start of a bad joke, but that really was my reality nine years ago. I just normally do straight stand-up, but this is a bit different.

On stage stood a comedian with a story that no one expected to hear. Well, 22nd of July 2015, a 23-year-old man had killed his family. And then he came to my house. So what do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? A new podcast called Wisecrack, where stand-up comedy and murder takes center stage. Available now. Listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app, podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.

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? I wanted to be successful on my own, not just because of who my mom is. Like, I felt like I needed to be better or work twice as hard as she did. Join me for conversations about healing.

and growth. Life is freaking hard and growth doesn't happen in comfort. It happens in motion even when you're hurting. All from one of my favorite spaces, The Kitchen. Honestly, these are going to come out so freaking amazing. Be a part of my new chapter and listen to the new season of the Overcomfit podcast as part of the My Cultura podcast network on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Do you think that maybe you were a little bit more villainized because there wasn't truly somebody who was really creating chaos? See, yeah, I think the villain of the season didn't necessarily,

I actually think the villain of the season did create chaos. I mean, I'm not going to say who I think the villain is quite yet. Somebody to come? I think that the true villain of like, in my opinion of who I thought the villain of the season was, I mean, I think he's shown himself already, and I think he's going to root of some of the drama, but I think people will be able to see

a little bit more later on. I wonder who that could be. If that is Aaron B. Do you, how do you see your maybe stint in paradise because I'm going to heavily presume that you're going to paradise with him to be,

if he were to go to paradise as well and not make it to the end of this thing with charity? I mean, I'm not really the type of person holding me graduates you know what i mean like i like i don't have any bad blood i was ready to fight him when i was leaving um and like everyone's like oh violence isn't the option violence isn't the answer i'm like no sometimes i feel like it is you know i was really like i tried to walk away from that situation and like he had like he had like literally like my back was against the wall kind of situation i'm like okay dude like this is enough like this is where i'm going to fight me and so like

i i definitely at that point i was definitely but i have no no bad blood i have no no bad wishes for him. I wish him the best with everything. But I just, we just didn't see eye to eye. I just felt like he was kind of being, you know, again, I just didn't agree with the way he went about a lot of things in the show. But first it started out with, what's his name? Who like really had a vendetta for you early on? Oh, Adrian. Adrian. Yeah. So how did it move over to Aaron? I think it was just, I don't know. I think it was funny because like, I forget it who said it but someone came up to me and they're like uh they're like Adrian took a shot and he missed and I'm like okay pro and I'm like and then I guess he just realized that he wasn't gonna like

I don't know take me down I guess or anything and so someone else wanted to take another shot and then all of a sudden all 10 guys were taking shots at me and I'm like dang here we go like I'm fighting one on 10 so you end up interrupting John during his one-on-one time with charity to basically say I'm sorry to charity about just how everything went down you weren't asking to come back or were you secretly trying to ask to come back and we didn't really gather that no i i wasn't really asking to come back and like also like i mean i know i know he's saying i was interrupted him um but i don't know if you guys saw but i was i was standing there for like a cool five to ten minutes watching their whole conversation like it was very

uncomfortable like i mean i watched them talk about like the family their interest all that stuff and then all of a sudden saw him making out in front of me and i'm like dude like I didn't I didn't interrupt your conversation I let you finish I let you finish to the point where you guys were wiping the makeup on your face and you're about to go back to the guys like that was terrible like you know how just like I talked about it a little bit it's crappy to watch the person you like kiss someone else like you know what I mean and I understood that I was leaving at that point I had nothing to really say like I just wanted to apologize and I didn't want to interrupt the connection she seemed to be formal with john so I literally

sat there and just like took it on the chin I felt like I just watched it and I was like this sucks so bad But I don't feel like I interrupted him. Again, it may look like I did. He may feel I did. I'm sorry if he feels I interrupted, but I tried to win him. Well, I'm also sure it wasn't your choice as to when you were to come and give your apologies. So. No comments on that.

But that is true. If you did stand back for so long, we did see a little snippet of you waiting there in the wings. And Ben and I are, well, we both agreed, but, like, argued for your sake that, like, they were just in the middle of making out. And the making out portion, especially on the show, always wraps up the conversation. They weren't going to be saying anything more. Yeah, but, I mean, again, everyone, I think it was just like, I think everyone saw me as the villain. So everyone was kind of hopping on that trend and just, like, again, trying to, you know, validate themselves a little bit more by, you know, saying, oh, yeah, he's such a bad guy.

So I don't know. They got to do what they got to do, I guess. out of all the comments that you've seen from social media the media about you being on the show what has hurt you or shocked you the most um nothing's really like nothing's really hurt me too much um the worst comment that i got so far on social media had to be someone that said that they had cancer in 2017 and seeing me on tv was worse what in the f yeah that is that is Just the strangest thing ever. Okay.

Well, I'm glad that you are handling it like a champ. And it sounds like you're in the spirits and possibly being able to go to Bachelor in Paradise, which has already filmed while the cast has been back for quite some time now. If you do go to Paradise, which I know you cannot confirm or deny at this point, are there any girls in the community that you know that you'd be interested in? Honestly, I would have to go back and watch that see. because I have not, like, I mean, I don't really know too many of the girls at all,

but I know a lot of them get pulled from Zach season. And so if I go to Paradise, I'd definitely have to watch and see possibly who I could talk to because I hadn't really watched it all of Zach's entirely. I watched the hometowns to see who Charity was and get to know more about her. And then I watched her one-on-one date with Zach, where she did the piggyback riding and stuff. But I only watched her episodes before I came in the show. So I don't really, I don't really know. so much about the other girls, but I'm going to go and do my homework.

And hopefully watch a couple more episodes at Paradise to try to understand what the concept is. Because, you know, we know I already came into one up one show not understanding what was going on. I don't want to do that in another. Paradise is a lot less serious about the engagement at the end, especially as seasons go on. And they see that there's a high success rate, myself included, when they let people have their time post show to get engaged in more of a quote normal person timeline what will you change behaviorally if you go to paradise or will you stay true to the braden that we saw on charity season um i don't know i would i would like to try to change some things maybe if i do go on um

i don't know i i don't know i don't really think i'm going to change too much i'm going to try to be nicer. I'm going to try to be more considerate and not roast too often. But it's like, it's hard because it's like joking around people's fun. You know, maybe they might just not throw all my jokes in there. That'd be kind of nice. But I think I'd be, I think I'd worry more about like, you know, interacting with others maybe. I don't know. I don't know. I'd have to have to hit the playbook or drawing board on that one. I don't know. All right. Well, I hope that you and Aaron if you both do go have different taste in women. Because a love triangle between you guys would hurt.

And as you said, could end in a fight, a physical fight. Anyway, let's move on to... I should have said that. I should have said that. No, it's fine. We've seen... It can get real hot in paradise in many ways. You mentioned at the top of our show that you still sort of have like these lingering feelings and doubts.

as far as you as far as you leaving charity as early as you did so can we elaborate on this like do you think about her often do you really wonder what if and if she were to not end up like let's just say i don't know for any i don't know for certain that she ends up with anybody but if she does let's just say down the road they don't make it is that like somebody you're going to think like oh i should reach out to them yeah i mean um so one thing that like one of the the reasons why I also came back and apologized. I don't think it made the cut of show, but like one thing that happened was when I was leaving, and I gave her a hug before I got in the limo or the suburban the first time,

and I was just like, hey, like, you know, I know that I couldn't handle it here, but if I wish you the best in this, but if it doesn't work out, I'm not there, you know, maybe connect again and see if something could happen on the outside. And I really did mean that. Like, me and her had, at least for me, I mean, again, I felt like we had chemistry. I had so much fun every time I was hanging out with her. I think she was a great woman.

I really enjoyed my time that I got to spend with her. It was just, again, like, I got so caught up. And that's the part that I'm disappointed in is I got so caught up and it's like, I got caught up in the drama

with the other guys. And it's like, instead of just like ignoring them or like not interacting with them what I should have done, you know, is just kind of focus I was talking to her

and not like really engaging with them. I let them get in my head or not, yeah, I let them get in my head. And it kind of like is what ended up leading to me, what I feel like ended up leading to me just like leaving the experience. Because it's like I liked her.

I just was like, I just couldn't get over. Like I guess like seeing some of the guys that she was picking to, it just pressured me because I'm like, how can you pick this guy? Like this guy is like, I don't, you know what I mean? Like you have, I think Aaron said it about me.

And I mean, I felt the same about Aaron. This guy shouldn't pop me here. You know what I mean? And when you see someone here there that you don't feel like should be there. It's just like so frustrating. Like how'd be like that. guy at me at the same time. You know what I mean?

Everybody who's done the show, we've all felt that way at one point or another. Do you regret kissing and telling so much, especially up front that first night? So that first night, I mean, I can't give away too much. But like, everyone saw me kiss her. Like, the thing was, like, so I know that, I know that it looks like I was going around and telling everyone, yeah, I kissed her and stuff. And I did. Like, I was really excited about kissing her. But a lot of people were like, I saw your kiss. How was it? And I was like, oh, it was really good. you know? Like, for me, like, if, like, I knew they saw me kiss her, like, she knew they saw the kisser. And it was like, again, like, they were, people came up to me and were asking me,

like, oh, I saw your kiss. I wasn't. Or like, you know, and even in one of the clips, you hear Caleb say, like, oh, I heard you got a snooge. And I'm like, yeah, dude, it's awesome. You know, it's like, I don't know. Like, if, like, if people ask me, I guess maybe that's, maybe I won't do that in the future. If I kiss someone, I'll just say, no, I didn't kiss. But, like, I don't But then I feel like that could have been spun around another way, too. Like, oh, he's denying that he kissed you, but everyone saw him kiss you. Is he ashamed him saying he kissed you? You know what I mean?

Like, I don't know. Like, it was a lose-lose. Like, people were going to, like, people were going to be upset anyways because they saw me kiss her. And it was like they were upset that I kissed her, I don't know. Mm-hmm. No, I don't know. I see that. Hi, my name is Enya Emanzor.

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 IHeartRadio app Search Emergency Intercom and listen now Imagine that you're on an airplane And all of a sudden you hear this

Attention Passengers the pilot is having an emergency, and we need someone, anyone, to land this plane. Think you could do it? It turns out that nearly 50% of men think that they could land the plane with the help of air traffic control. And they're saying like, okay, pull this, until this. Turn this. It's just... I can do my eyes close.

I'm Manny. I'm Noah. This is Devon. And on our new show, no such thing. We get to the bottom of questions like these. Join us as we talk to the leading expert on overconfidence. Those who lack expertise lack the expertise they need to recognize that they lack expertise. And then as we try the whole thing out for real.

Wait, what? Oh, that's the run right. I'm looking at this thing. Listen to no such thing on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Ed. Everyone say hello, Ed. Hello, Ed. From a very rural background myself, my dad is a farmer and my mom is a cousin, so like it's not like...

What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? I know it sounds like the start of a bad joke, but that really was my reality nine years ago. I just normally do straight stand-up, but this is a bit different. On stage stood a comedian with a story that no one expected to hear. The 22nd of July 2015, a 23-year-old man had killed his story. family. And then he came to my house. So what do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club?

A new podcast called Wisecrack, where stand-up comedy and murder takes center stage. Available now. Listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Your entire identity has been fabricated. Your beloved brother goes missing without a trace. You discover the depths of your mother's illness, the way it has echoed and reverberated throughout your life, impacting your very legacy.

Hi, I'm Danny Shapiro. And these are just a few of the profound and powerful stories I'll be mining on our 12th season of Family Secrets. With over 37 million downloads, we continue to be moved and inspired by our guests and their courageously told stories. I can't wait to share 10 powerful new episodes with you,

stories of tangled up identities, concealed truths, and the way in which family secrets almost always need to be told. I hope you'll join me and my extraordinary guests for this new season of Family Secrets. Listen to Family Secrets Season 12

on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So I think that if you find the love of your life on this show, which I did, and I felt it at first sight, now I love at first sight, I don't think that all marriages, like long-term marriages have to be like a love at first-site situation. I believe that like love can definitely grow if that's how it was for my husband. but I do think that like in my case seeing him even as hard as it would be if he were the lead and I had to watch other people date him and go through that whole process I would sacrifice that and like go through all that pain in order to be with him at the end so that makes me feel like you just ultimately didn't think that charity was your person and I think that's I think that's a

fair, I think that's a fair perspective. I mean, I, I could see how, you know, people could say, like, you know, love, like, love, like, love endures all. You know what I mean? It's like, I know that's a, that's a, that is a, I think that's a verse, but in the Bible, I'm not sure. But I think love and durs is like, uh, is definitely something. And I don't know. It was just, I, it was just, I don't know. It's just like, if it was a different girl, like, maybe you could have handled it longer. Honestly, I think it was, it was also just really close to home. Um, with some previous stuff that I had experienced in a past relationship as far as like having someone that I love, you know, like knowing that she was with other people, you know what I'm saying? And I thought like coming into it, like, I'd gone to counseling and I'd gone and talked to someone and like, you know, really tried to handle a lot of like, you know, the trauma of like, you know, having someone cheat on you and things like that. And I thought I had dealt with it. But when I got in this situation and I'm seeing someone say that they have this connection with me and kissing other people at the same time, I know it's not the same because, you know,

again, that we signed up for the show. We all came in with the understanding of that's what it was going to happen. But when I saw it, I reacted in a different way than what I thought I was going to react to it. You know what I mean? Does that make sense? Like, I truly thought that I had dealt with all that stuff in the, that I'd already dealt with it. You know what I mean? Yeah.

And, like, but I realized that I hadn't dealt with it and I wasn't okay with it. And I couldn't get myself to be okay with it. Like, it just kept making me, it brought up a lot of old feelings and a lot of old emotions of feeling, like, you know, unimportant and insignificant and stuff like that. And so I think that's a lot of why you see me react the way I do. And it's not an excuse. Like, again, like, I knew it's like,

I knew she was going to be kissing other people. I should have came in and, like, been fine with it. But again, like, you can think you're going to react in, like, one way. Yeah. And you're in the situation and you're experiencing it. You're acting a whole different. So, um, I don't know. I don't want to necessarily say that it wasn't that I didn't have feelings from charity

because I did. But, you know, maybe, maybe I will meet that one person. someday that could do something like that and I'd be okay with that I don't know you know it's like I don't know I totally understand

being on the show I definitely reacted in situations a lot crazier than I would think I would before getting into it right um all right so I'm thinking though

that those experiences that you did have going you know previous did they possibly play a role of the way you responded when she had the on stage kiss competition with Joey because after that you pulled her aside and said like I didn't like the way that you went with that. If you had been The Bachelor in that moment and you were given that staged moment, a real produced moment, a game show, how would you respond? It wasn't that she kissed

Joey for five minutes. Like that wasn't where my issue was. Yeah, I know. It was doing it like on stage in front of all the guys. Yeah, it was the guys having to sit front and center. And I mean, I I mean, I know we can all say how we would react or what we would do in that situation. I would like to think that if I was in that situation, I would have sold the producers to, like, you know, have the guys go first and leave and, like, let it be a private

moment between me and the person. But, I mean, again, like, I do want to address one thing on that. Like, a lot of people who said that I called her classless. I never said she was classless. I said that I felt like the situation was like

the event itself was kind of disrespectful to those guys that were there. You know what I mean? Like, I don't think that her kissing someone for five minutes is classless at all. Like, that's what you,

like, when you're meeting someone, you're getting to know people. That's not what I had the issue with. It was like, I was just like, did she know that those guys were front and center? And like one thing that didn't make the cut

or didn't really show like in it is like when we had our conversation too is like she didn't know that the guys were going to be forced to stand front of the center. Like she didn't know that. Like it ended up being something that happened. You know what I mean? And so she had to feel. like whatever happened after that but she didn't intentionally say like know that the guys are

going to sit in front center and want to put them through that and so when we talked about that and she told me that like that's why I apologize I was like you know I quite the fact that I even thought that you know the fact that I even thought that you know that fact that I even thought that you would you know that it wouldn't do I don't know like I was just apologizing because I was wrong for questioning her character in that moment you know but like again it did bring up those past things and past relationship like I had someone that you know that had done something like that to me and I felt like they net they didn't even care that they did you know what I mean

did what they did to me you know what I'm saying like if that again it's different but it's like similar there's similarities between them I guess no we've really appreciated getting like a lot of context from you I think that people are gonna leave this interview being hopeful that you'll be

on paradise let's let's wrap this up with a few fun questions where do you get your earrings from do you collect them I do collect them I'm not wearing any right now I know I work and I work in psych. And so if I'm wearing my danglies, I can have a patient, like, tear them out. You know what I mean?

But I typically go to farmers markets. Some of the ones you guys saw me where I actually bought in Skamania. There was like a little gift shop. And it was like a handcrafted one by someone that lives out there. And so I bought a couple of pairs out there from there. And then back home at farmers markets and stuff like that. But I have like over 30 years. So you guys will see more if I ever come on anyways for minutes. And Paradise would be a place to wear tropical earrings i always bring the tropical looking jewelry there let's just say i have a jewelry board that if i went somewhere i would work okay cool uh all right so you are a traveling psychiatric nurse do you how do you okay i don't understand a traveling nurse like why choose to be a traveling nurse

over a nurse that has more of a base um so one i've been also wanting to go back to school i want to eventually go get my np um and so i've been liking the fact that like i'm able to bounce around from the contract to contract and kind of have my schedule change rather than be stuck in like one specific schedule. The pay is a lot better. You get paid for traveling nurse. Yeah. So you get paid, travel nurse paying is really like really nice.

And then also like I like to kind of like mix up what I'm doing from time to time. Like I don't want to be like sometimes. I mean, I do like psych, but a lot of times like you can get burnt on stuff. Like I've done hospice before and I did hospice for a while. It's got to be the most emotionally draining. Yeah, it was one of the toughest jobs I had. And it honestly gave me like one of the greatest appreciations for life. And like, honestly, it's the reason why I kind of like am a bit of the way I am

because it's like I'm so like every experience I'm enjoying to the max because I know that a lot of people don't get to enjoy all these experiences. But yeah, so I don't know. I like to bounce around so I don't get burnt out, you guess. And so I think that a lot of nurses, like because jobs are so difficult, it's like to get burnt out for kicking. So, yeah. So then do you, how often are you in a different city?

Isn't it like as little as three months? So it could be like a really good job for a single person, right? Yeah. So, I mean, I was in Santa Barbara previously and I was there. I mean, you can get extensions on different contracts, but I was there for about a year. I'm now coming up on about a year mark in San Diego. I don't know if I'm going to bounce around it somewhere else.

I was thinking about potentially getting my license. I'd be extended to another state, to be moving in another state. I just love the beach too much. I love surfing so much. And I've had quite a bit of friends that I've made out here in San Diego that I love spending time. So it'd be hard to do. So maybe I might look at a more permanent job in the short future.

Well, how did you get into nursing? What interests you about it? Originally the goal I wanted to go to med school. That was originally the goal. So I joined the Army out of high school. They had an MOS like 6th, which is a licensed practical nursing specialist. I went in, did all that. got my nursing license. And then after a few years, I ended up coming back. I went to, I transferred

by the reserves after that. And then I was just going to school. And then I graduated last year from UC Santa Barbara. And I got my bachelor's plan was to go to med school. But now I'm kind of rethinking that and thinking that, you know, MP is more important. What's MP stand for? Nurse practitioner. Oh, okay. Okay. Great. All right. Well, Braden, you're super interesting. And I would love to know more about just just one more thing about your career has anybody in like the hospital you work at the out of a hospital or an office i work at a hospital has anybody recognized you when you go to a patient since the show no none of my patients really recognize me i think uh i'm very different when i'm

working than i am when i'm out and i i mean i still have fun and i still have fun with my patients and stuff like that but as far as like um as far as the wildness that i i feel like i feel like i have in my non-work life, I don't have that necessarily no one time. I like to be professional, like to, you know, make sure that people are going to go in there making feel like therapy and taking care of. So I don't think they really recognize me. Also, I'm in like in Tognito mode right now. I've been growing the facial hair out, you know, letting the hair dangle.

So no earrings in, you know. Yeah, if you did have like feather earrings on, it would be a giveaway. You probably get recognized more. The only time I've ever been recognized is when people like see me from behind. They're like, wait, is that braided? I'm like covering my earrings out because they see the dangles from behind. All right. Well, Braden, Ben and I always say that it's hard not to like someone when you get to know them. And I feel like that has definitely occurred here with a lot of Bachelor Nations fans out there listening. So thank you so much for sharing your story, opening your heart, especially there at the end. And maybe we'll see more very soon on our TVs. And you'll come back if there's more to chat about there. It sounds good. Thank you so much for having me.

Thanks, Britain. Bye. Follow the Ben and Ashley I. Almost Famous Podcasts on IHartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Hi, my name is Enya Humanzor. 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 IHeartRadio app Search Emergency Intercom And listen now

Why are TSA rules so confusing You gotta hood of you, I'll take it all! I'm Mani I'm Noah This is Devin And we're best friends and journalists With a new podcast called No Such Thing Where we get to the bottom of questions like that

Why are you screaming? I can't expect what to do Now if the rule was the same Go off on me I deserve it Lock him up. Listen to No Such Thing on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. No such thing.

I'm Dr. Joy Hardin Bradford, host of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast. I know how overwhelming it can feel if flying makes you anxious. In session 418 of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast, Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett and I discuss flight anxiety. What is not a norm is to allow it to prevent you from doing the things. that you want to do, the things that you were meant to do. Listen to Therapy for Black Girls on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Let's start with a quick puzzle.

The answer is Ken Jennings' appearance on The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs. The question is, what is the most entertaining listening experience in podcast land? Jeopardy-truthers believe in... I guess they would be Kenspiracy theorist. That's right To give you the answers And you still blew it The Puzzler

Listen on the IHeart radio app Apple Podcasts Or wherever you get your podcasts This is an IHeart podcast This is an IHeart podcast