The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - I Was Married To A Man, Now I'm In Love With A Woman

Episode Date: August 14, 2025

Amanda Smith was married to a man for over a decade. They had a family, and looked perfect from the outside, but on the inside, Amanda was not being true to herself. Amanda recounts to Cheryl Burke the moment she realized she had to stop pretending to be in a marriage and start living her life authentically. We meet her partner, Jessica, and find out how they reconnected years later, how they now manage a long-distance relationship, co-parenting, and how they seem to fall more in love each day. An episode that will make you believe it's never too late to find the love of your life. 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. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious. Wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, luckily, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon. This person writes, my boyfriend's been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone.

Hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That seems inappropriate. Maybe find out how it ends by listening to the OK Storytime podcast and the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, it's Daniel Fischel. Writer Strong. And Will Ferdell from PodMeets World. We are back in Las Vegas and giving the people what they want, a full week of Y2K content. Tell me why. Well, for the Backstreet Boys residency at Sphere, of course.

We joke and say this is our second marriage, but it takes a lot of communication. Plus, it's carrot top, baby. And finally, Ashley Simpson-Ross joins us to talk about her upcoming sold-out Vegas residency. Listen to PodMeets World on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. December 29th, 1975, LaGuardia Airport. The holiday rush, parents hauling luggage, kids gripping their new Christmas toys. Then everything changed. There's been a bombing at the TWA.

terminal, just a chaotic, chaotic scene. In its wake, a new kind of enemy emerged, terrorism. Listen to the new season of Law and Order Criminal Justice System on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, and I'm the host of the on-purpose podcast, and today I'm joined by one of the greatest athletes of all time, Novak Djokovic. He's won 14 grand slams in a glittering career. Novak, Djokovic.

When you reach your 30, you start counting your days to your retirement. I'm 38 this year. How long can I push my own limits? Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, my name is Enya Yumanzoor. 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.

Welcome back to Ido Part 2. It's Cheryl Burke, one of your celebrity mentors back with you guys again. Sometimes in our I do part two, it's not just about finding love with another partner. It's actually about finding love within ourselves. And today I'm going to be joined by two women who both found each other and years later found each other again. This is an empowering story about why living your authentic truth is the only way to have a successful relationship. It's a story about coming out, finding love, making hard decisions, and living your best life in your I Do Part 2 era. I can't wait to hear about their love journey. Please welcome Amanda Smith and Jessica Gelting to the pod.

So first of all, welcome to I do Part 2. Thank you. And happy anniversary. It's your year anniversary. Is that correct? Yes. Happy anniversary. So I don't know if you've heard this podcast before, but it's all about finding love the second time around.

and we just found your story to be a beautiful story, but just were captivated by it. What was it like growing up as individuals, obviously, in different households? How was love shown in your family, I guess? My parents were divorced when I was like 12, and so, and I grew up Mormon, so it was interesting. My dad got remarried right away. My mom got remarried right away. I didn't have the best examples of love in my life, I guess. But, yeah.

My parents were also divorced when I was in, I think, like kindergarten. And really much don't really have a relationship with my dad. And my mom's always my plus one. I always joke. She helps me with everything. She's always been there. I can relate my parents, too, when I was two years old. and then my dad abandoned us and just left.

So I feel like that's more of a common story nowadays. Yeah. So talk to me about Amanda, your experience just with, you know, being Mormon and realizing, I mean, I lived in Utah for like a year and a half. I'm a ballroom dancer. And so my competitive partner was actually Mormon. And in a way, had a similar story to you, to yours. what was it like just growing up and within that religion of being Mormon and then also knowing deep down inside that maybe you know when it just comes to maybe not living in the

Mormon lifestyle what was that fight within yourself like it was really tricky because you know I didn't I knew pretty early on that I was probably gay but there wasn't a lot of example of that and anything you heard about it was negative it was gross it was perverted all these different things so you just try and shove it down shove it down or part of me also thought like maybe everybody else feels this way too and it's normal you know but and then it was a lot of trying to be what was expected and um just there was a lot of self-hatred a lot of shame a lot of guilt a lot of just i need to fix this i need to change it i can't be this way due to things that my family said, but also things that culturally were said, I lived in a small

town in Idaho where almost everyone was Mormon. And so it was just, you didn't see that. And anything you heard was so negative. So. Right. Yeah. That must have been, it must have been really hard. How about now? How does your family, is your family accepting of you? so some of my siblings i can tell are super super accepting um i do kind of wonder sometimes like other siblings i'm like do that how did they feel about this i don't know they haven't really said much to me about it um my dad hasn't really talked to me at all since i kind of came back out and um divorced my husband and but i have an amazing stepdad who was really stepped up and he just loves me and accepts me and it's just incredible um

My mom passed away, but I do believe that if she were alive now, that she would be a lot more accepting than she would have been years ago. Yeah, I hear you. So let's go through the timeline of how the two of you met. Oh, my gosh. So I came out when I was like 19, and that was a really hard, tricky time because I just felt so much shame and like, I can't be this. I can't do this. And then there was a lot of like gas lighting. like you're not actually gay because you don't look at you don't you had boyfriends all these

things you know so it's kind of like nobody really even believed me and then i had my mom was telling me like you just need to marry a nice Mormon boy you know so i was out for about two years kind of living that life but there was so much just i felt like a horrible person because of what i had been kind of conditioned to believe and then that's when we met was pretty shortly after i came out. We had a mutual friend, and I think I saw her on MySpace. On MySpace? I remember that good old space. Yeah. Aging ourselves here. Yeah. I mean, I had a pager, okay? So I'm really aging myself. I love that. So I think I saw her on my space. And then we went on a date, actually, to the Mall of

America. We went to an Italian restaurant. Jessica, what did you think of, like, what was your first impressions of Amanda? My first impressions, well, hold on this. Her name was Amanda hardcore in my so I thought she was like the vanilla one. I was like a straight day student, you know, mine by peas and cues. And she was like, yeah, that had all the fun. And I was like, yeah, she's too cool for me. I'm aware. My gosh. I love that so much. But let's go back here for a second. So Amanda, you married, you married a man. And you guys got and then you guys got. And then you guys got back together. Can you just tell me that whole timeline from how, you know, you met your ex-husband and what that was like? Because you guys were married for quite some time, correct?

Yes, we were. Yes. So I kind of went back in the closet because I just, my, a lot of my family members had completely cut me off, you know, and I just felt horrible about myself. I felt like I was going to hell. Like, there was no question about it. I was going to hell. I felt bad about myself. And so I started making a lot of decisions, I think, that I maybe wouldn't have because of just feeling so bad about who I was, which is why I was Amanda Hardware. And so then I kind of went back in the closet. I moved to Utah. I kind of like changed everything. But his sister, I knew his sister.

And she said, you know, I have this brother that I think you would really like that you guys would really get along. And he lived in California. I was living in Minnesota at the time. and we just started talking and we just clicked really well and I was like if I am going to do this with any man this is the guy like he's so awesome he's so great and I was like I can do this and so we got married and we had a really great marriage we get along so well we're such good friends where you know he's an incredible person just amazing person seems like it yeah yeah yeah I have nothing bad to say about him and then

I just really struggled with my sexuality. And I was like, this isn't a marriage. This is not a marriage. It's like a co-parenting partnership, you know? And so we went through, we tried so hard for years of just like therapy for me, therapy for him, for us together, you know, just trying to see if we could make it work. We tried everything besides having an open marriage because neither of us were open to that. Okay.

And it kind of hit the point where I was like, I don't, I don't want to ever cheat on him. I don't want to ever be unfaithful. I just, if we're going to end this, I want to just do it very cleanly. And I don't want to wait until the kids are older, because that's not fair to, and he's older. He's quite a bit older than I am. So I just was like, I don't, this isn't fair to any of us.

And we were living in separate rooms for a little while. And he would have been totally fine doing that the rest of his life. But I was like, this isn't, I want you to find love. You deserve it. He's such an incredible guy, you know? So that's kind of how it was until we both, you know, kind of settled on the idea that we can't keep doing this. And ultimately, too, I mean, you deserve it, right, to live your truth. And so talk to me about your trips to Bali, it was kind of like eat, pray, love.

Was it kind of like that, that experience or? Yeah, I was in really just a super dark place in my life and I wasn't happy. And I just knew I had gone through a lot of different things on top of everything. and my daughter had had cancer. My mom had died. And so it's just there was a lot of heavy stuff. And so I decided to go do a yoga teacher training out in Bali. So I went to Bali.

I was there for three and a half weeks and did a yoga teacher training. And then I went back about six months later and did another yoga teacher training. And then I've been back since two times to do host retreats there. So I've listed a couple of retreats there. And it just has such a special place. in my heart but it's a really magical place and it's like you just are able to connect with yourself and while I was there there was a moment on my second trip there where I was like all by myself I was just there by myself and I was like I would rather be alone and true to who I am

than stay in this marriage so I'm not alone you know and it just was this really kind of aha a moment. So I actually text her when I got home from the trip and because I knew I was going to get divorced. I knew that was happening. And I said like, hey, how did your divorce go? You know, and she's like, uh, why? What's happening? You know? And then we just talked for a little bit and then we kind of stopped talking after that. 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 it's 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. And 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 to 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 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hello, it's Daniel Fischel, writer Strong, and Wilfredel from PodMeets World. And we're bringing you Viva Las Content.

That's right. We are back in Las Vegas, the city of sin, and giving the people what they want. A full week of Y2K content. back in Vegas? Tell me why. Well, for the Backstreet Boys residency at Sphere, of course. We sat down with Kevin Richardson and A.J. McLean just minutes before they took the stage and our very own Wilfredel basically became the newest member of the band. Boy band, please. Plus, the man who has the longest running comedy show on the strip joins us and gets his props. It's carrot top, baby. And finally, we all L-O-V-E-Hur. Ashley Simpson-Ross joins us to talk about her upcoming sold-out Vegas residency.

It's a full week of nostalgic interviews you don't want to miss. Listen to PodMeets World on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. December 29th, 1975, LaGuardia Airport. The holiday rush, parents hauling luggage, kids gripping their new Christmas toys. Then, at 6.33 p.m., everything changed. There's been a bombing at the TWA terminal. Apparently the explosion actually impelled metal glass. The injured were being loaded into ambulances, just a chaotic, chaotic scene.

In its wake, a new kind of enemy emerged, and it was here to stay. Terrorism. Law and order, criminal justice system is back. In season two, we're turning our focus to a threat that high. in plain sight that's harder to predict and even harder to stop listen to the new season of law and order criminal justice system on the iHeart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts hey i'm j sheddy and i'm the host of the on-purpose podcast and today i'm joined by one of the greatest athletes of all time novac jockovic the world's number one male tennis player

He's won 14 grand slams in a glittering career. Novak Djokovic! You've been through so many injuries, loss. I always showed himself. What has Novak Djokovic done? What goes through your mind when you lose? I just want to be left alone. What has it taken to become Novak Djokovic?

It's a consistent practice. It's prayer work, mindfulness, meditation, conscious breathing. It requires more responsibility from you on a daily basis to prepare yourself for the biggest battle. When you reach your 30, you start counting your days to your retirement. I'm 38 this year. How far can I go?

How long can I push my own limits? Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 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 leaps in their lives and careers. I'm Gretchen Whitmer, Jody Sweeten, Monica Patton, Elaine Welteroff. I'm Jessica Voss. And that's when I was like, I got to go. I don't know how, but that kicked off the pivot of how to make the transition. Learn how to get comfortable pivoting because your life is going to be full of them. Every episode gets real about the why behind these changes and gives you the inspiration

and maybe the push to make your next pivot. Listen to these women and more on She Pivotts, now on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Jessica, during Amanda's marriage and her, you know, creating family, you also were married, too, correct? Yep. How, I guess, what did your life look like during that time of different marriages? I was gay the whole time and out. she never went back in got it

so I was with my ex-wife we were together for 13 years and we have two kids six and nine and we had separated and let's see it when you had gotten back from Bali I had already

we had already started like the divorce and everything I think I might have even know you had been divorced because this was in 2020 you were divorced so yeah that was pretty much that's why you reached out

like how did it go Do you need free advice? That's right. Got it. And so in your kids. So, first of all, I'm so sorry. How is your daughter today? Is she cancer-free?

Yes, yeah. So she's 13 now, super healthy. She has blood work once a year. Yeah, it's almost like it never happened. Oh, good. Okay. I'm so happy to hear that. And I'm sorry about your mother.

What, how did your kids take the news? How did you tell them? how did you tell them like the whole process of everything so my daughter i had told that i was gay earlier like a couple years you know and she's just one of those people she never has a lot of she was like okay like what are we having for dinner you know like it was like we always been really open about like that's great all that stuff so it was like it didn't even phase her and then a couple years later or maybe it was like a year before we got divorced i told my son and he had a lot of questions. And it was a really, really tender moment with him because he is just like such a

sweet boy. And he was just like, I am just sad that you don't get to be married to who you want to be married to, you know, kind of thing. And because he just got that. Like, he just understood it. And we kind of talked about church stuff at the time because I had stopped going to church at that time. So I said, do you understand why it would be hard for me to go to church? You know, because he didn't really understand why I wasn't going anymore. Yeah. And I don't think that God said that, you know, it's like that you can't be with who you want to be with. And so it's really cool and just like, you know, it was a really special moment. And then when we were getting divorced and we told them they were sad, they were so sad. And then I said, so if I start dating someone, do you understand what that's going to look like? And they said, yeah, it'll be a woman. And I'm like, okay. Like it was just like. And then my son who's six, he was five at the time. He kind of snicker. a little because he didn't know like oh because it he just was younger and didn't understand and my older two were like that's not funny you know like they just like totally stood up for me and it was so

I was like wow I love that I love that so what yeah I feel like kids are just so intuitive right so and I just love that they um you know shared their compassion and and love um it's so I can't even imagine I don't have kids but you know I'm sure it's just not an easy conversation and then you start to like think about oh no how are they going to react and then really it's just it's okay it's all good and how about so when your guys is families do your kids get along like how is it working out yeah it's they're all here together like a giant and just running around from room to room inside outside upstairs downstairs the boys go off the girls go off and do their makeup play their age range is wide but you can't tell I mean they just

feed off of each other, but also they, like, reset with each other, too. And we thought five is a lot. We thought how it is. It's a lot of house. But they actually haven't shown they need that a whole lot of, like, reset time. We have. We need a right. I love it.

My mom's here helping. Good, good. It's even we're not together, though. They're still, like, communicating. They, like, share a group message, and they send pictures and videos and we'll FaceTime a lot. They, you know, pop in and they always know what's going on in each other's lives and what's important to them. That's great. And so how, talk us through how you reconnected after all these years.

Like who, who text who first? So this was, it's wild. Like, it's one of those, like, crazy, crazy things. So I hadn't been back to Minnesota for, like, 12 years probably. My family moved away and nobody lived in Minnesota anymore, except her. But anyway, my stepdad was from Minnesota, which is why we had originally moved here. And he wanted to do a family reunion for his birthday back in Minnesota. So, and I was kind of like, oh, you know, like Minnesota, okay, you know.

And so we came for the 4th of July. We were coming for the 4th of July. And I flew in on a Saturday. And then Sunday afternoon, she had heard a song. on Spotify or something that had this little phrase in it that I used to say to her. And she was just like, sent me the song and said, hey, I just heard this song and thought of you because it says this in it. And I was like, guess where I am right now?

Like, that's just how I responded. It was like, guess where I am right now. And so I just sent her a screenshot of like my location. And she's like, oh, hometown. Great. What are you doing here? You know? And then we just started talking about like, I'm going through the, I'm going to, I'm going

through that divorce now. So this had been, the last time we had text was in October when I got home from Bali and this was July. So we hadn't talked for a month. And she just texted me out of the blue right after I landed. And normally we wouldn't have just done that. And I even sat on it from Friday until Sunday. So it was like some playlist that came up and it was like, there's one line in the song that is like a longstanding joke between us that I've never hear. I've never heard. And then it came up and I laughed when I heard it. And then so I was like, oh, you know, whatever. And then I heard it the second time and I laughed again. And I was like, I have to share this with her.

So I sent her up. I didn't expect her to be in Minnesota. So then she was like two hours up north. And then I drove up and saw her and we hung up for just like two hours. And there was, you just caught up or like was there instant connection. Did you feel like, you know, that feeling when you know it's like right. She touched my knee twice. It's so weird.

we've been texting all week and then right before I flew out I was like so are we going to like see each other or you know and so yeah yeah I'll come up to where you are I had no time to visit her I had that entire day was fully booked to like I was like going from one thing to another that had like times with people I had to be there and I was like sure no problem I can be there I'll drive two hours and two hours back two hours oh my gosh yeah so she got up there and yeah I was like I don't say that. What? I was like, I thought you. That's the first thing she said. She's like, I don't know what you are or something like that. Oh, my gosh. I'm sitting up wrong, girl.

Not as much as no. We haven't seen each other for so many years. But then it was like, she doesn't share much on social media. And so I didn't really know much about, I knew she had to kids, you know, so I didn't really know much. about her in her life and we just connected and we didn't want to stop talking. I just, and I touched her me twice. You guys are the cutest ever.

So you guys were obviously following each other during your time of just like, yeah. So, okay, so you kind of knew a little bit. So who posts the most out of the two of you? You're more socially accurate. Okay. So, yeah, so Jessica definitely knew more about what was happening in your life that vice versa. So now, I guess, today, are we planning on maybe moving closer to each other or you're going to, obviously your kids, you know, are a priority and what's life like now? Right now it's just this.

We don't really have a long-term answer. And I know kids sometimes ask us and it's as simple as this is what it is right now, you know? Exactly. If they're like there, we have our life here. Is there a way to make that work for everybody? future and what does that look like we don't know and it's okay to talk about that if they have questions because sometimes they have worries that have come up like what would happen if this or what would happen if that so it's definitely talked about but not in a way that's like here's our

plan right and honestly you can only live day by day right like yeah and it's like her ex is here stationed here my ex is there stationed there so it's just a lot of back and forth and we this summer we've been able to see each other almost every other weekend so So on the other co-parents' day, a lot of times I come here. It's easier for me to come here than it is for her to go there. So I come here a lot and this is like my second home. So it's almost like I live part-time in Minnesota, part-time in California. But it's really great when I can bring my kids and kind of bring them into this world and have the two worlds combined.

I honestly think it's healthy. I mean, you know, at the end of the day, some space, you know, it just makes you miss each other more. It's like I think that if you want to make it work, you make it work. right and it's kind of i always think it's like as hard as it is and said for us it's um it's okay for our kids how you know they both had families that had split and now they get us all to themselves majority of the time and i think that's pretty special like during their ages right now they're they're going to be older and they're going to ditch us and they're not going to want to hang out so this stage like is so temporary anyways i feel like as much as i get sad about not

being able this year. I'm still like okay with that. We get to like really focus on our kids. That entire time we're with them. We're with them. You're so right, actually. Yeah, that's a good point because I have to say my mom, she worked so many hours. You know, she just created a business or started a business when they divorced. But still, I was able to still have more one-on-one time, I think. Everything's meant to be, you know, and I feel like you guys, you have such a strong connection and bond that nothing will break it. So thank God for technology nowadays, huh? Yeah. It's also kind of been nice, too, because this is my first time on my own, really, you know? And so it was kind of nice to, like, have these moments of, like, doing life on my own and can I do this and just kind of building my confidence and, like, I can do life on my own?

You know, and that's been good, too, rather than, because we kind of just jumped right into it after my divorce. And so it was like, bam, bam, and I didn't really have that. And so. And I had three years out. So I went through my divorce. I went through my, you know, finding myself. I rented for a year and then I bought a house. I built this for the kids.

So it's like I needed that time anyways. And I just kind of got into like the, okay, maybe I can just buy a camper van and hang out with my kids for the rest of my life stage and then in walks her. I love it. So are you guys going to get married? Do you believe in marriage again? Like what is what is your view on marriage and are you two thinking about it? So we have both been like never again.

Like, I went into, like, like, there's no way I'll ever get married. Like, why? Like, why would I ever get married? Like, that'll be fun. Really? That's what I was like a hard no. Hard no. No.

And then. Suddenly we're like, well, that would be fun. You want to plan it? We may have a Pinterest board. We brought that back. 12 years. I love lots of ideas. it's fun i mean come on i feel like you guys are but no pressure no pressure i love me a good old

Pinterest board so i'm sure i'm sure i'm sure i'll see your beautiful wedding sets in the near future probably on people magazine or people dot com thank you yes actually i could be your wedding i'm a great wedding planner okay thanks send you our boards you're hired I want no confetti pinons. That's all I want. Yes. I mean, we should get those big ones, like that we, you know, that you see on television, those like big confetti pants.

It's going to work. We're good. We're good. I'll just borrow it from like the set. Yeah, we're good. Okay. 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. 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 it's 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. And 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 Meets. 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 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Hello, it's Daniel Fischel, writer Strong, and Wilfredel from PodMeets World. And we're bringing you Viva Las Content. That's right. We are back in Las Vegas, the city of sin, and giving the people what they want. A full week of Y2K content. Wait, we're back in Vegas? Tell me why? Well, for the Backstreet Boys' residency at Sphere, of course. We sat down with Kevin Richardson and A.J. McLean just minutes before they took the stage and our very own Wilfredel basically became the newest member of the band. Boy band, please.

Plus, the man who has the longest running comedy show on the strip joins us and gets his props. It's carrot top, baby. And finally, we all L-O-V-E-Hur. Ashley Simpson-Ross joins us to talk about her upcoming soul. sold out Vegas residency. It's a full week of nostalgic interviews you don't want to miss. Listen to PodMeets World on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. December 29th, 1975, LaGuardia Airport.

The holiday rush, parents hauling luggage, kids gripping their new Christmas toys. Then, at 6.33 p.m., everything changed. There's been a bombing at the TWA terminal. Apparently, the explosion actually impelled metal glass. The injured were being loaded into ambulances. Just a chaotic, chaotic scene. In its wake, a new kind of enemy emerged, and it was here to stay. Terrorism.

Law and order, criminal justice system is back. In season two, we're turning our focus to a threat that hides in plain sight. that's harder to predict and even harder to stop. Listen to the new season of Law and Order Criminal Justice System on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, and I'm the host of the on-purpose podcast, and today I'm joined by one of the greatest athletes of all time, Novak Djokovic. The world's number one male tennis player.

He's won 14 grand slam. in a glittering career. Novak Djokovic! You've been through so many injuries, loss. I always showed himself. What has Novak Djokovic done? What goes through your mind when you lose? I just want to be left alone. What has it taken to become Novak Djokovic?

It's a consistent practice. It's prayer work, mindfulness, meditation, conscious breathing. It requires more responsibility from you on a daily basis to prepare yourself for the biggest battle. When you reach your 30, you start counting your days to your retirement. I'm 38 this year. How far can I go? How long can I push my own limits?

Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 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, leaps in their lives and careers. I'm Gretchen Whitmer, Jody Sweeten, Monica Penn, Elaine Welteroff. I'm Jessica Voss. And that's when I was like, I got to go. I don't know how, but that kicked off the pivot of how to make the transition. Learn how to get comfortable pivoting because your life is going to be full of them. Every episode gets real about the why behind these changes and gives you

the inspiration and maybe the push to make your next pivot. Listen to these women and more on she pivots now on the iHeartRadio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts hey guys it's charl burke okay so i have to put you on to these leggings i've been so obsessed with lately they're from this brand called tona and get this the designer behind them also created lulu lemon so they know exactly what they're doing these leggings are next level think buttery soft super flattering and very comfortable also they are supportive in all the right places. I started wearing them for when I take my dog on walks, but now I'm basically living in them. And here's what makes them even better. Every pair you buy helps fund a mental health

counseling session for a teen in need. Tona's on a mission to end teen suicide and self-harm, which we think is so important and incredible. And we've partnered with Tona to give you 20% off your order and free shipping. So head to Tonaactive.com and use code iHeart for 20% off and free shipping. First of all, your story is so beautiful. To anyone who is listening, who may be struggling in a marriage or just struggling with their own identity, I guess, what would you say to them? I would say, talk to your support people that are your safe people and be honest and be open and don't protect other people. And that's not just like protecting, you know, it's like take care of yourself first and put your. around people that are going to support you doing that.

And it's a big, scary step, and it affects a lot of people, and it feels really selfish. But we only have one life here. And there are ways to do it, fortunately, and you can come out on the other side of it, and it's hard to even remember not being able to be in that mindset. So you do get there. And it does take time. You do have to put a lot of work in. You have to be very intentional with what you do and what you spend your time doing.

I feel like you either go one way or the other and it takes a lot of work to go the right way and you have to keep making those decisions. It's hard. It's hard. I feel like life is not made for a singleton. It feels easier with somebody else. So it's intimidating. It's scary, but it's worth it.

I would say that things, I carried two words with me through the whole process of my divorce and kind of getting there is intentional and deliberate. Like I wanted everything to be very intentional and very deliberate. I thought everything through. I weighed everything out. I was like, how is this going to affect my kids?

How is it going to affect him? How is it going to affect my community? I'm going to lose my community, you know, and friends and family and just all these people I'm going to lose. But I was like, I don't want to just make this rash decision, you know, and just be like, I can't do this anymore. I'm out. So I was just very intentional, very deliberate.

And I just got to the point to where I realized I can't show up as the mom I want to be when I'm struggling with this so much. Like I got to the point. where I was miserable. Like I just was so unhappy and I have this perfect life. You know, I have this amazing husband and like these beautiful kids and, you know, and it was just like everything seemed so perfect, but I was so miserable. And I just felt like I was trying to take care.

I was sacrificing my own happiness for everybody else. And I got to the point where I was like, I can't keep doing this. Otherwise, I'm not going to make it to be the mom that they need me to be, you know, And so once I kind of started making choices for myself, it was like it improved their lives. It made their lives better. I'm able to show up as a better mom, as a better. Even with him, the relationship that we have now is so much better because there isn't this weird tension. And so whole parent better and we get along better and just all of this, not that we didn't get along before.

It just it's like a different relationship where I don't build this pressure to show up as a white. to a husband that was like weird for me to say husband i was like i don't want a husband i didn't want a wife but i'm like we all change we all evolve yeah no i i mean not the same story but i can relate like this is a great lesson because at the end of the day you can't fill up anyone else's cup until you fill yours up right and and that is that like inner voice and that feeling of just you know i i truly believe doctors will come at me but that is the type of stuff that creates diseases and like that just feeling of not being able to be your fully authentic self. And I think that this is such a great example of of it. And you guys are living proof that, you know, you do

have to be who you are and the people that don't like it. Oh, well, bye. You know, you have to be okay. People down essentially. And that's, I think, hard for both of us. We didn't want to let anybody down. Yeah. But, you know, we both, even when we entered our relationships, you know, I was 20 years old when I started dating my ex and you think what you change is you go through from 20 to age 34 when we got divorced and it's okay that we grew apart, but our lives were so intertwined that it felt like I was tearing everybody's life apart, our friends, our families that emerge, our kids obviously are everything when we knew and it's it feels so selfish to say and to fight for. But selfish is a good thing. It's a good word. I know there's such a bad meaning

when people say oh you're selfish you have to be it's your life you know you have to give to self before you can give to others i mean it's just a it's backs and um what have you both learned in this relationship that you didn't know in your previous relationships well i learned that all the things that are in like books or all these taglines that people say about being like so in love and this is different and this is blah blah blah i was like whatever Like, I read every romance book before, and I was like, whatever, gag. I loved it. I love homework.

I love me, a Hallmark movie. I always want a homework ending. And, like, all the things I feel like I say, and she says, it's, like, so corny. It's straight out of all these books and movies. I love it. But when you really feel it, it's real. And, like, I feel like a lot of people don't know that it can be that intense and that constant and fun and easy. I've learned that.

All the time, we're like, is this real? Like, how do we keep loving each other more? Like, surely we can't fall more in love. And then, like, each day happens and she has something else. And I'm like, I love you more. And it could be something bad that happened. It could be, like, our worst moment. It could be, like, we're struggling.

We're going through something really hard, and we're not available in, like, the way that we want to be for each other. Especially when you're long distance, it's hard when you're struggling to be there for somebody. But it's actually not. Like, the way that we communicate. and connect it's very safe and we even have like an emoji when we're spiraling or when we have a white flag day where it's like i just i'm waving my white flag i just i can't give anything right now and then that the other one i've spiral so i found her the spiral i'm spiraling i know just then i know she needs a few more positive oh i love that to confirm we're good and like that's it it's like

communicating just our needs and our wants and and the goods and the bads and it's like what did you mean by that? What did you mean by this? Or I felt this and we do it in like a very, I always say she gives me the benefit of the doubt. So she lets me explain it, you know, if something came out from, I like that she'll ask me because I didn't mean it, you know, in a meaningful way. And I always feel bad if she took it that way. But I love that we're able to give each other that time. And we trust each other that it was not intentional to hurt each other. And we were just misunderstood. And I think that's probably one of the biggest things is like you can just honestly communicate me through it. And that is a great thing about long distance. It's forcing you to communicate more

it. Right? Lots of that. So I'm that, you know, coming from a divorce and just obviously being a bad picker in general, I've just been like, real, I've been that woman who's like, you know, life is not the notebook. But now you're making me feel like maybe that maybe it can be. It's obnoxious. It's annoying. I always say, this is what's seriously what I say. It's annoying how much I love you. Like, it's obnoxious. I wish I didn't love you this much. Oh, I love that. I love that.

We say that each other all the time. Like, can I just not love you this much? It would be so much easier. And when you guys, is it communicate, would you say, named like two things that really keep, keep you guys connected. Is it communication and communication and I think it's like a respect for each other and just like openness? Openness. And like. Very honest.

and open and I think that's where the communication comes in important because you're exposing you're vulnerable you know you're like exposing your worst parts or or the things that you want the most you know I can feel risky and Jessica you said something like safety I think that's so important you feel safe yes it's like I can't do something that's going to turn off her love for me she's not going to like she doesn't get mad at me it she gives me the time in the space to figure out how I'm feeling and what I meant to say and what I meant to say or how it was supposed to come out or how I thought it came out and that safety in that time and knowing that she's giving me the benefit out during that time is like invaluable. Absolutely. What are your what is your love

language the two of you? All of them. Do you know what's interesting that you ask this? This is so interesting you ask this because my love languages were like gifts and words of affirmation for like ever. The lowest was quality time and physical touch. Like I was like, I don't need that. And it's interesting because now I feel like quality time and physical touch. I'm like, these are like my love languages and they weren't because I wasn't in a relationship that made me want that. And now that I'm in it, I'm like, on the time. Like, physical touch.

Well, I literally like, tell me how much do something. She said it would be fine if I said it every five minutes and she gave me an extension. It could go to 10. Oh my gosh. I love this so much. How about yours? Jessica, what's your what's your lovely good? Mine's definitely quality time at the top and I was really honestly worried because that's like the thing to get the least up, you know? So on paper to me, I was very, very worried and I was guarding my part a lot in the beginning. But I learned that quality time doesn't have to be physically together. We spend a lot of quality time together at the end of our

day talking about our days and really breaking down our entire days she I can call her in the middle of my workday tell her about a good meeting and tell her about a hard meeting I can say something at a doctor appointment like the quality time is different for a lot of it but it's quality time focused on each other presence and when we are together we are very intentional about like doing things and going out or if we're here just like we have that quality time of We're just, we have so little of it that we take full advantage of the time that we do have together and, like, maximizing everything. Everything. We sit at the counter for hours and talk about everything and nothing at the same time.

I love that. So you guys are, like, not obviously distracted by your phones. You're intentionally in this together, which is beautiful. So what's next for you two other than me planning your wedding? what's next um we just honestly what's always next is we always keep planning our next trip who's coming who's going and like my kids want to go there again so we'll probably start planning that racking up the miles yeah what car should we get right exactly counting down until the next time that we're together and like holidays like what do you guys do for holidays you guys just

Are you going to switch? We're going to spend one together. We did spend the 4th of July, this 4th of July. We spent the 4th of July and Valentine's Day. So we've got to. But now we have Thanksgiving coming up, and I feel like that's like a real one. Yeah. Yeah, my ex is taking my kids on a cruise.

So they'll be gone for a week. And I'm like, I get to spend it. So I'm coming for Thanksgiving. And it's just going to be the two of you. No, we're going to host it now with my whole family. Oh, got it. There's a big change because I'm the last. asked in the world to host anything.

And I'm like, I'll go up to your house on your house. I'll be up for it. Yep. So are you told the family? They love her. They're already accepted her whole family as mine. So that'll be fun. What do you guys think of certain celebrities?

I'm not sure if you're, if you know, if you, if you know, I'm sure, you know, you've heard of like Sophia Bush that, you know, are actually coming out and and being their true selves. What do you think the shift is in this generation that we're living in? Like, why all of a sudden? Love it. When I got married, it was illegal to get married as two women. So we lived in Minnesota at that time, and it wasn't legal. We got married in Cancun. It wasn't legal.

We didn't get legally married until we had moved to California. Now to be living in a time. Oh, yeah, and I came out when I was in high school, and it was not cool. It was not cool. It was, I was, that was a big deal. It was a big high school, and people had a lot to say about it. And my own family wasn't even accepting until. I came out when I was outed when I was 17, and I didn't really have my family backing me until two weeks, no, two months before I got married when I was 24.

So that was a long time to go without that. And now to have more people, really famous people, people that they look up to, and so out there on the Internet and available for everyone to see and live in it, and I think it just creates a safe culture for people to come up. I have to say, too, I had, it was, in 2019, I remember this happening specifically, Taylor Swift had released her, like, lover album, and there was, you need to calm down on it. And she had said, like, she never made anybody less gay. And that whole song was basically about, like, being treated yourself. And, you know, you guys all just shut up and let people live their lives. And I just remember being, like, the world is changing.

The world is changing. And it's going from, like, how it was when I was out before to this. like being more accepted and having celebrities like Taylor Swift accepting people and like showing their support and that video came out and I was just like oh my gosh like we're going in this beautiful direction here and I feel like that kind of helped me a lot and that was like a little mental shift for me to be like this is different for sure strength and numbers is a real thing it really and also this is where social media is beautiful right like just being able to really express who you are you don't need to you don't need to be on TV to do it anymore like you can

use your own platform and it doesn't matter of all walks of life has glennon doyle been um somebody of somebody you love been in events have you done her podcast yet i'm a i'm obsessed with their podcast no no but it's actually interesting because when i had gone to bolly in october and felt like i could be alone by myself i met a girl there and she said you need to listen to this book untamed by Glenn and Doyle. And I had listened to it before, but it wasn't the right time. And so I listened to it on my fight walk in Bali. And I actually had quoted this in this magazine article where in the in the book it says, um, I'm doing this for my children basically, but what I want this for my children. And it just really hit me in. So it was like, yes, Glenn and Doyle had like a huge

role in me being like, okay, I can do this. You know, and just some of the things she said in that book, just, I bawled the entire way home from that flight and was like, I need to do this. And I feel like her book untamed was kind of a huge part of that. Do you guys listen to that? We can do hard things. You guys listen to? Yeah. I listened to a couple.

I'm not, I love it. It's amazing. I literally have listened to every episode, I think. I've obsessed. But yeah. They're hilarious. I'm so relatable. Like, like, I'm like, I guess.

She calls her sister sister. I just like, I'm obsessed with her sister as well. It's just a great. you know, trio. Anyway, you guys are so, this, thank you for sharing and taking the little time you have together to doing this. So we really appreciate it. And, yeah, I mean, positive love energy to you. Thanks for like, maybe me thinking, maybe I'm like, okay, maybe there is, I can find this type of love. I'm not so jaded after my conversation with you. Don't settle until you get that different. I'm not even dating. I don't even want to date. I'm just perfectly happy alone with my

friendship. Let me tell someone who wows you and wows you and wazzy and wazoo again, because that's not supposed to show up all the time. Exactly. And not through a dating app. Thanks. Thank you guys so much. And yeah, enjoy your time together.

Thank you. Thank you so much. Thanks again to Jessica and Amanda for sharing their love journey with us. Have you recently left a marriage for a brighter future, wanting to live authentically but don't know where to start? Well, we can help. Call us or email us. the info is in the show notes.

Follow us on socials. Make sure to rate and review the podcast. I do part two. An IHeartRadio podcast where falling in love is the main objective. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly and now I'm seriously suspicious. Wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, luckily it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast.

So we'll find out soon. This person writes, My boyfriend's been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone.

Hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That seems inappropriate. Maybe find out how it ends by listening to the OK Storytime podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, it's Daniel Fischel.

Writer Strong and Willfordale from PodMeets World. We are back in Las Vegas. and giving the people what they want, a full week of Y2K content. Tell me why. Well, for the Backstreet Boys residency, it's fear, of course. We joke and say this is our second marriage, but it takes a lot of communication.

Plus, it's carrot top, baby. And finally, Ashley Simpson-Ross joins us to talk about her upcoming sold-out Vegas residency. Listen to PodMeets World on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. December 29th, 1975, LaGuardia Airport. The holiday rush, parents hauling luggage, kids gripping their new Christmas toys. Then everything changed.

There's been a bombing at the TWA terminal. Just a chaotic, chaotic scene. In its wake, a new kind of enemy emerged, terrorism. Listen to the new season of Law and Order Criminal Justice System. on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, and I'm the host of the on-purpose podcast. And today I'm joined by one of the greatest athletes of all time, Novak Djokovic. He's won 14 grand slams in a glittering career.

Novak Djokovic. When you reach your 30, you start counting your days to your retirement. I'm 38 this year. How long can I push my own limits? Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 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 IHeart radio app, search Emergency Intercom, and listen now. This is an IHeart podcast.