The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Post Vulnerable Messages, And Bachelor Nation Alums Coming To A Store Near You!

Episode Date: April 21, 2026

Taylor Frankie Paul has taken to Instagram to share her true feelings on the last few weeks, and we find out if this outpour of emotion changes how Ben and Ashley see her. Alexe Godin from Grant Ellis’ season opens up about trauma from her childhood in a vulnerable moment that aims to help others feel less alone. Plus, find out which Bachelor Nation alums are coming out with things you can buy! Disclaimer: This episode references child sexual assault, listeners proceed with caution.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits,

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So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Ceno Show podcast, each episode invites you into a raw, unfiltered conversations about recovery, resilience, and redemption. On a recent episode, I sit down with actor, cultural icon Danny Trail to talk about addiction, transformation, and the power of second chances. The entire season two is now available to bench featuring powerful conversations with the guests like Tiffany Addish, Johnny Knoxville, and more. I'm an alcoholic. Without this truth, I'm going to die.

Listen to Sino's show on the IHare Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. On paper, the three hosts of the Nick Dick and Poll show are geniuses. We can explain how AI works, data centers, but there are certain things that we don't necessarily understand. Better version of Play Stupid Games, Win Stupid Prizes. Yes. Which, by the way, wasn't Taylor Swift, who said that for the first time. I actually, I thought it was. I got that wrong. But hey, no one's perfect. We're pretty close, though.

Listen to the Nick, Dick, and Paul show on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO of IHartMedia, and I'm kicking off a brand new season of my podcast, Math and Magic, stories from the Frontiers of Marketing. Math and Magic takes you behind the scenes of the biggest businesses and industries while sharing insights from the smartest minds in marketing. Coming up this season on Math and Magic, CEO of VIII and Marketing, CEO of VATMagic. Liquid Death Mike Sessario. People think that creative ideas are like these light bulb moments that happen when you're in the shower. It's really like a stone sculpture. You're constantly just chipping away and refining.

Take two interactive CEO, Strauss Selnick, and our own chief business officer, Lisa Coffey. Listen to Math and Magic on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcast with IHart Radio. We are back on the Almost Famous Podcast. There might not be a season of The Bachelorette, and who knows if they'll ever be a season of The Bachelor again. We're up in the air on so many things. But one thing is for sure. Bachelor Nation doesn't sleep.

And they always have some news coming your way. And Ashley is here with us to bring it to you. Let's start with this headline, Ashley. Taylor Frankie Paul shares. And I quote, ugly parts of what healing actually looks like after domestic dispute. This is definitely one of those headlines where you're going to want to head to Instagram and actually see it.

So she takes pictures of herself, really her body, showing how thin she is. She wants to gain weight. She's saying the caption said, it was, it's heavy. It said, this public atrocity that I, not only live through once, but now twice, on even a bigger scale, was ultimately the cost to my freedom. I wouldn't wish this upon my worst enemy or even the ones who publicized it. When I read that, I was like, is she mean the press or does she mean like him since he made it public?

I think it's the question. Both. It could be both. Which makes me feel guilty that we were always on here talking about it. but she said, I cried on my knees in pain while also saying thank you. And this was really visual. She says metaphorically, someone witnessed me bleeding out and poured salt all over me. However, I'm still here.

As we can see barely, as she's showing her body, because I believe God helped me through and sent help plus an army, which makes me cry because thank you for all of you who supported me without even having full context. So, I mean, she's been posting a couple things this week, really showing thanks to all the people that helped her send her things, sent her messages to support, were there for her during it all. And it's interesting to see her go through this. It's awful.

Like, I feel, you know, horrible. This is kind of what we can expect. to see from her when the season was canceled, like something where it's like, oh my gosh, like what I'm going through, what I'm going through. And we were just seeing her do more lighthearted stuff. But I think what she's trying to say is like she's been here working through this. It's been a burden and been on her shoulders just as much as we would have anticipated it. But she's just now talking about the weight.

Now we also see Dakota releasing a statement today. I'm interested to know your take on this. I'm like becoming, as I'm watching this story unfold and getting to know these two people better in my parasycial relationship with them, my thoughts are constantly evolving. All right. So this is what Dakota wrote today, like Sunday night. Over the past several weeks, I've taken a step back and had time away from the chaos. that space has been a breath of fresh air and has given me clarity. My focus now is where it should have been all along on my son and creating a stable, healthy environment for him moving forward.

I regret not stepping away from a difficult cycle sooner. I'm not perfect. I take accountability for my part. I'm sincerely sorry to those that I've hurt. At the same time, I don't agree with how the situation has been portrayed publicly. It does not reflect the full context of what has occurred or the impact that has had on me and my son. I've chosen to step away from the spotlight and to focus on my family, my growth, are healing, and that's where my energy will remain. I'm closing an unhealthy chapter and moving forward

with hope for better days ahead. I'm grateful for all the encouragement and support that I've received and I'm committed to showing up in a way that reflects that. My intention over time and when appropriate is to use what I've learned in a way that supports others navigating similar situations. For now, my priority is showing up as the best father I could be forever. I guess what I mean when I say, I have ever evolving thoughts on the two of them, is that I'm growing, I'm getting my, I'm growing empathy for Taylor and Dakota, I am

more, more skeptical of. What are your thoughts? I can't put a, I can't put my, I can't put my, finger on it. You just got a feeling like you just like as you it's like the, when you read stuff like this you're like I just feel like there's more to the story than what he wants to even portray.

Yeah, like some things that are like coded in there like at the same time I don't agree with how the situation has been portrayed publicly. It doesn't reflect I just like kind of wish that he had just stopped after like saying my focus right now is where it should have been all along on my son and creating a healthy environment for him

moving forward like just period the end. That's been awesome. I think it's interesting timing that it came out after that show came out on YouTube. Yeah, me too. I mean, it was obviously filmed way long ago. Well, not way long ago. I think it was February. It was February. But, like, still, it's just interesting timing that that show's, you know, last episode is posted.

And then you're like, I'm taking a break. Yeah. Yeah. You don't have anything else in your... Yeah. Maybe this... You just don't have anything happening. How do I feel about it all?

You know, I think through this whole thing, it is so messy. I've always held, and I think you do, and I think most of the public does, is can we get some type of solution here because I can't imagine the heaviness that is sitting on the children? I think that's always been kind of the thought. And I only say that, and I don't say that to make it like a politically sound response. It is because I don't know what happened here. There's so much being bounced around. It's hard for me to form an opinion. And so I'm kind of waiting for the evidence to get released

and for the court cases to be heard before. Because here's the thing. With social media, everybody's really good at turning people on their side. It's very easy to craft up a really nice message to make somebody either feel guilty for disliking you or feel bad for you or whatever. And so I'm not taking much weight into. the curated response. What I want to know is what happened here.

And then we can kind of make a call. So I'm not like team anybody. I'm more, can we figure this out for the kids? And then once we have the most evidence available to us, then we can kind of say, yeah, that's messed up, that that happened. Or we can say, wow, these two people should never be in the same room ever again. But I don't, it's weird.

the thing that was weird with me with the Dakota announcement, I guess, was the public's way of covering it. And I'm like, weren't you? Like, maybe he wasn't, but wasn't the rumor that he, he was the one with the video in the first place, right? What do you mean? It was his video that was released. It wasn't anybody else a third party taking the video.

Yeah, like he definitely was the one that put it out there. And so, of course, people are going to cover it, you know, based on what they have. You were part of them having the information. they had is like yeah that's kind of where i'm at too it's like oh at first i was like oh he's really a victim of domestic violence which he is but also i think that he has a lot there's just more to the story i yeah there's like so much there there's more of the story we don't know it yet it also has to do with you and i having like not watched through that last season of secret lives because people who have

seem to have a different opinion, a stronger opinion on him. Okay, let's go into our next headline. Also, a serious, oh, serious one. We fell in love with her on Bachelor in Paradise. We really did. We love her. Alex Godin reveals she was sexually abused as a child. And the quote is, it doesn't define me. She said because March is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

that she wanted to get on Instagram and talk about an experience that she had as a child. She said I experienced sexual abuse by someone who was close to me. It was something that I have processed on my own over the years and truly is something I'm still processing. She said that she ever had a platform that she wanted to use it for something meaningful. And she feels that this obviously is something meaningful. She says it doesn't define me. But it is definitely shaped how I see boundaries, trust, and honesty, also relationships. If this is something you've been through, just know that you're not.

not alone. She didn't give any details about the alleged incidents, but she said that sharing and speaking out is kind of a therapeutic experience for her. She said, of course, you, if you've experienced it, don't have to do a public video for it to be valid, but everyone does heal differently. And for me, part of that is feel able to share and talk about it openly. She also shared a link to Rain, which is the U.S.'s largest antisexual violence association. Next headline, And former, we covered this story it feels like for a long time and we're getting some answers now. But former Bachelorette shares emotional health update. This is in relation to Michelle Young.

So remember how we talked about how Michelle Young was there mold or she had mold poisoning or something was in her environment and was making her very sick? Well, it led to something awful. It's called dysautomonia. It's a disorder. of the automatic nervous system, and it's often associated with pots. Yeah, so it's pots. It controls functions like heart rate, blood pressure, breathing. So oftentimes if you are sitting upright, standing, you can just get like this increased

heart rate and you'll get symptoms like fatigue and dizziness, difficulty concentrating. You're just like kind of like always, not always in a state, but like often in a state of just being like flustered and feeling like almost panicky like you're about to have a panic attack and she posted on instagram like a whole bunch of moments from her past year or so including you know her honeymoon her wedding her bachelorette parties and how like behind the scenes like it looks it was just it was draining for her to get through it all and it was she wanted to put a happy face on but it was just they were tough times to get through and now she's kind of talking about her day to day with pots.

It's just awful. Like the poor girl, like can't do much comfortably with that it's not just doing work sitting down the couch. And she is getting treatment for it. And she says the treatments have been making things much better. And I really hope they can continue so that she can live some sort of a regular life. Because right now she definitely isn't. It's been a story. You're right.

I mean, if people flash back from a long time ago, we were covering this and talking about it's got to be a frustrating time too because it's been such a long journey to get some type of clarity and what is going on and then also how to treat it. There's no cure. There's no cure. There's just treat it. But you can treat it. Yeah, you can treat it. You is throwing it back. To the days of huge hits and unforgettable items. A nonstop stream of the biggest and best. Drake, Rihanna, Beyonce, Katie Gaga, the weekend. and more. All your decade defining favorites all in one place.

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Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the... away, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream,

this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. On a recent episode of the podcast, Money and Wealth with John Hobriant, I sit down with Tiffany the budgetista Aliche

to talk about what it really takes to take control of your money. What would that look like in our families if everyone was able to pass on wealth to the people when they're no longer here? We break down budgeting, financial discipline, and how to build real wealth, starting with the mindset shifts. Too many of us were never, ever taught. Financial education is not always about, like, I'm going to get rich. That's great. It's about creating an atmosphere for you to be able to take care of yourself and leave a strong financial legacy for your family.

If you've ever felt you didn't get the memo on money, this conversation is for you to hear more. Listen to Money and Wealth with John O'Brien from the Black Effect Network on the I'd Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, earners, what's up? Look, money is something we all deal with, but financial literacy is what helps turn income into real wealth. On each episode of the podcast, Earn Your Leisure, we break down the conversations you need to understand money, investing, and entrepreneurship. From stocks and real estate to credit, business, and generational wealth, we translate complex financial topics into real conversations everyone can understand.

Because the truth is, most people will never taught how money really works. But once you understand the system, you can start to build within it. That means ownership, smarter investing, and creating opportunities not just for yourself, but for the next generation. If you want to learn how to build wealth, understand the markets, and think like an owner, earn your leisure is the podcast for you. Listen to Earn Your Leisure on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Completely switching gears.

And that is a fantastic transition if you think too much about it. Knowing what's to come, that was a great transition. Tyler Cameron and girlfriend Tate release Custom Tool Line for Target. It's very cool. So they have collaborated with the company Tinker to create a company, Tinker, to create a custom tools that are not only aesthetic, but easy to use. I don't want to put a gender on it, but think of them as like kind of, kind of girly tools. Like, they say aesthetic, right?

Ben, if you were to pull out like this nude colored hammer from your toolbox, I'd say that was a weird color selection, you know, that looks like really soft and it's very, it's a pretty tool right there. So if basically, I think that if you, if you, if. There's so much there that sounds so weird. That is also it. That's what she said. I was going to.

I wasn't going to, so I'm glad you did. That's a pretty tool in there. So basically think about if you're a girl, if you're, you know, getting tools for your first apartment on your own. You're trying to make it like a chick-fick place. You're trying to learn tools on your own. This is the perfect line to build up. have the most aesthetically pleasing tool set you've ever seen. It's so...

Do you use tools? So cute. I'll do the hammer because I will do a lot of things on the walls because I'm much more OCD about picture placement than Jared is. Tate measures, balances, all of that. I could definitely have cute stuff. The one thing that I wish I had skill in, or I guess I could learn any time I should, is using the drill because I do the walls, right?

but when it's something really heavy, I have Jared do it, but I usually map it out, you know, with pencil, like where I need the whole drilled into. But it would be so nice if I could just have that capability on my own. I have that new almost famous light sign that they sent us. But I need to wait for Jared to put that up because it needs a drill. So I need to go get this tinker.

Hey, Tinker! Hit up your girl. She's an influencer. Kit Kee, Kee. You remember her, Ashley? Yeah, actually, I looked at her Instagram today because of this headline, and she's got a good gram. Yeah, she kind of came on the show a few years ago and was a big deal because of her background and kind of she was a big name coming on this show. She wasn't around for very long, but she's still done so much with the platform that she had before the show and then the platform that the show did for her.

This is really fun. Keenan is publishing her first cookbook. You don't hear about this too often. So her mom is Cynthia Raleigh, and Kit has really developed her Instagram based on, you know, the little TV time she did have on The Bachelor. That was Matt season and really curated something very fun. She does a lot of fashion. I mean, her mom is a very, very well-known fashion stylist. Kit just has a really cool way of making things, like, pretty but not overly influenced her.

style, if that makes sense. She is also really into cooking on her social media. And I like the way she does her cooking tutorials. They're really, they're really well done. They're simple. And I want to eat everything. And now she's put together a cookbook. It's called In Good Taste, Effortless, Sheik recipes for every occasion. She said she's been working on it for years and has a dream come true. It's being published by Simon & Schuster. It doesn't come out for a while. November 10th And she has a whole bunch of things that you'll see on Instagram That'll be in the book

I don't know if you can get all those recipes now Because like she's she's teasing us really well with this book Because she's like you're going to have to get the book To get this recipe but doesn't it look good It's going to be strength salads pasta Everything Do you follow cookbooks? I've like never really followed a cookbook

But I'll do you know sometimes online line recipes. And I just love my Hello Fresh. Hello Fresh. Oh, my contract. I love my Hello Fresh. My parents are using that now, and they love it. It's so good. It's so good for two people. It's like a little, it's a

surprise every single time. We're like, is this one going to look? It's as good as it looks, and it always does. Yeah. This is not an ad. This is not an ad. This is my true love for Hello Fresh. Like, I get so excited when I have a Hello Fresh ad. We, you should go back if you're listening to this.

And if you haven't listened to our breakdowns of the Real Housewives of Rhode Island, you need to go back and listen to that. I break those downs with, down with Ashley's sister and Lauren. She's fantastic. Speaking of food, Lauren shared something with us during the last breakdown of the Real Housewives of Rhode Island. That should be a headline here. Hmm. Do you want to know what it was?

That I'm always eating. My dad texted me that last night. He was like, you know that in every single scene tonight you're eating? And I'm like, I love that about myself. No, that's not. What it was? That when you make a salad or when you serve your kids, instead of using a knife, you chew it up and spit it out like a baby bird. Okay.

Well, with Hayden, I need to have small bites for a lot of things. And sometimes it's just quicker, more efficient to just rip it off with my teeth and just plop it on this plate like that. But I do do that with croutons for Jared and my salads because croutons often come to. too big. The perfect crouton is like one-fourth of your traditional looking crouton. And I'm not going to cut it there with a knife. And if it's just Jared and I eating it, then I just chew it up with your teeth. Bite it up and sprinkle it into the salad. I think that's fantastic and fascinating, really. Hey, make sure you go back and listen to the breakdowns of the Real Housewives of Rhode Island,

starring our very own Ashley I. Also, we have breakdowns of the upcoming court case between Taylor, Frankie Paul, I guess, Tate, and Dakota. And then more headlines coming your way. So the Almost Famous Podcast doesn't stop. So you shouldn't either. Go out rate and review us. Leave us a really positive comment that's uplifting and encouraging. And we'll be back next time.

breaking down and talking about everything happening in Bachelor Nation. Until next time, I've been Ben. I've been Ashley. Bye. Follow the Ben and Ashley I, almost famous podcast on IHartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing. all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw unfiltered conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not

only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the senior show podcast, each episode invites you into a raw unfiltered conversations about recovery, resilience, and redemption. On a recent episode, I see a recent episode, I sit down with actor. Cultural icon, Danny Trail, to talk about addiction,

transformation, and the power of second chances. The entire season two is now available to bench, featuring powerful conversation with the guests like Tiffany Addish, Johnny Knoxville, and more. I'm an alcoholic. And without this probe, I'm going to die. Listen to the Cino show on the IHare Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

On paper, the three hosts of the Nick Dick and Poll show are geniuses. We can explain how AI works, centers, but there are certain things that we don't necessarily understand. Better version of Play Stupid Games, win stupid prizes. Yes. Which, by the way, wasn't Taylor Swift who said that for the first time. I actually, I thought it was. I got that wrong. But hey, no one's perfect. We're pretty close, though. Listen to the Nick, Dick, and Paul show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, Hi, I'm Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of IHeart Media, and I'm kicking off a brand new season

of my podcast, Math and Magic, stories from the frontiers of marketing. Math and Magic takes you behind the scenes of the biggest businesses and industries while sharing insights from the smartest minds in marketing. Coming up this seasonal Math and Magic, CEO of Liquid Death, Mike Cesario. People think that creative ideas

are like these light bulb moments that happen when you're in the shower. It's really like a stone sculpture. You're constantly just chipping away and refining. Take-to-interactive CEO, Strauss-Zell-Nand-E. And our own chief business officer, Lisa Coffee. Listen to Math and Magic on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.