The Bossticks - Bling Empire's Christine Chiu On How To Make It On TV, Asian Culture, Playing The Villain, & More

Episode Date: February 23, 2023

#546: Today we are joined on by  Christine Chiu. Christine is a mother, philanthropist, business woman, producer, and star of Netflix's Bling Empire. We get into her & her family's experience with BT...S of Bling Empire, racism, differences between American and Asian cultures, male infertility & her journey with IVF, parenthood and raising kids with character and grit, beauty and skincare secrets, and how to throw the most lavish party.   To connect with Christine Chiu click HERE To connect with Lauryn Evarts click HERE To connect with Michael Bosstick click HERE Read More on The Skinny Confidential HERE For Detailed Show Notes visit TSCPODCAST.COM To Call the Him & Her Hotline call: 1-833-SKINNYS (754-6697) This episode is brought to you by The Skinny Confidential This episode is brought to you by Arrae Arrae's product line is comprised of three products, Bloat, Calm, & Sleep alchemy capsules to help solve everyday problems that women constantly deal with. Use code SKINNY at arrae.com to get 15% off your first purchase + a free Sleep Mini. This episode is brought to you by nez nez is a new clean, aluminum free, dermatologist tested deodorant brand. Customized for different ""sweat moments,"" nez gives you the right sweat protection and fragrance at the right time. Go to nezcare.com and use code SKINNY for 10% off your entire order. This episode is brought to you by Just Thrive These days, stress seems to hit us from every possible angle in any environment at any time, day after day. Enter Just Calm - the breakthrough new stress and mood support formula from Just Thrive. Yes, the same Just Thrive that produces our favorite probiotic! Get 20% off Just Thrive probiotic + Just Calm supplement dynamic duo bundle or any of their other scientifically proven products at justthrivehealth.com/Skinny or use code SKINNY90 at checkout. This episode is brought to you by Branch Basics The Branch Basics Premium Starter Kit will provide you with everything you need to replace all of your toxic cleaning products in your home. It's really a no-brainer. Go to branchbasics.com and use code SKINNY for 15% off their starter kit. This episode is brought to you by DoorDash You've trusted DoorDash to deliver your restaurant favorites and now you can get grocery delivery that actually delivers, too. Get 50% off your first DoorDash order up to twenty dollars by using code SKINNY at checkout on the app. This episode is brought to you by Beekeepers Naturals Beekeepers Naturals is female-founded and the products are clean and effective, third-party tested for all pesticides, and the brand is dedicated to sustainable beekeeping and helping save the bees. Get 25% off your first order at beekeepersnaturals.com/SKINNY or use code SKINNY at checkout. Produced by Dear Media

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Starting point is 00:00:00 The following podcast is a dear media production. She's a lifestyle blogger extraordinaire. Fantastic. And he's a serial entrepreneur. A very smart cookie. And now Lauren Everts and Michael Bostic are bringing you alone for the ride. Get ready for some major realness. Welcome to the skinny confidential, him and her.
Starting point is 00:00:22 I've been holding on to The Secret for 10 years. And, you know, when you're sitting in that interviewing chair and they're grilling you for hours asking you a bunch of questions. You're tired. You're hungry. You're like super emotional. Might have been on my period that day. And they broke me. They broke me in that chair and I just blurted it out. And right afterwards, I felt so bad because, you know, I was putting my husband on full blast for the world to see and here. I cannot believe it's like one of my biggest loopers because I didn't mean for it to come out. Christine Chew is on the skinny confidential him and her podcast today.
Starting point is 00:01:06 I am excited about this interview because we talk about everything. We talk about cultural differences, how to throw the most lavish party, male infertility, and IVF. You guys are going to die when you hear her story. Parenthood, raising kids with character and grit behind the scenes of Bling Empire on Netflix. I love this show. You got to watch it if you haven't. And her beauty and skincare secrets.
Starting point is 00:01:31 She was such a great guest. She was one of those guests that you asked back immediately. We could have gone anywhere with her. And she was really honest, open, raw and real on this episode. I know you're going to love it. So on that note, let's welcome Christine, mother, philanthropist, wife, businesswoman, producer, and star. And I mean star, of Netflix, bling empire to the skinny confidential him and her show. This is the skinny confidential him and her.
Starting point is 00:02:01 What is going on on Instagram? with the llamas. Oh my gosh. I'm obsessed with llamas. They're technically all pockas for like people who are super snobby about things like this. They basically grew up with baby G because llamas have this like super immunity to COVID and that's when we were first oh yeah. When we were first researching like what animals during COVID baby G he's an only child. So he's like bored is all hell and just and we felt bad and we were bored and we're like what animal can we bring in to entertain him and to like play with and cuddle with. And we found that llamas had this weird, rare super immunity to SARS like viruses like COVID. So that's when we started having these
Starting point is 00:02:45 llamas come over. And we would just spend days and nights with the llamas. And, you know, the original Christmas photos were of these baby llamas. And now they're all toddler llamas like baby G. So they're like his brothers and sisters. So the llamas actually help. get rid of the virus? No, they're just immune. They're immune to it. Maybe not fully immune, but it sounds like they have a great resistance. Yeah, and the scientists were studying the blood, their blood to see how at that time it might
Starting point is 00:03:13 be able to help with some kind of a vaccine. Oh my gosh. Yeah. I've heard a lot of wild things on this show and this one's up there. No, but that honestly makes sense. And her husband's a doctor, so her husband knows. Plus, we read the research papers. So never once there was like, hey, maybe like a dog or a cat, it was just straight.
Starting point is 00:03:30 We're going for the other. for llamas. I mean, we did on, I don't know if you guys saw on season two, we did try out a couple of different animals. And that was very much for real. We, we tried out a turtle, much too boring, although super cute. But they lived forever, too. Also a good or bad thing. And I don't think they like to travel. We're a traveling family. I used to have a turtle named Poki, and he got so big and so old. We had to eventually get him adopted for somebody that lived down in the desert because he was just, it was massive. We don't need your whole story. Oh, okay. It was like a 20-something-year-old turtle that was just massive. Okay, so here's my question. I am a big fan of your show.
Starting point is 00:04:09 And I want to know, first of all, how it came about, but how you convinced your husband to go on the show because it seems like it definitely took some convincing for him. Oh, yeah. But you know what? He's pretty easygoing. And I think his life is so, like, although he loves plastic surgery and it's what gets him on.
Starting point is 00:04:29 up in the morning. He's so passionate. He's like a kid in a candy store in the operating room, but it's also really stressful because, you know, it's a dangerous occupation. And he's cutting people up. And yes, he like husbands high-five him at the end of it all. And he saves social lives and marriages. But like he also needs a little fun outlet. So what could be more fun than making assholes of ourselves on global television? Did you know that the show was going to be what it is. Like, it's a huge show. And I know the first season absolutely crushed it. I'm sure the second season did too. It's very popular. Did you guys know going into it that it was going to be this wild? No, I mean, in all seriousness, because I am a producer on the show as well,
Starting point is 00:05:13 when we were, yeah, I'm an co-executive producer. That's how you do it, Lauren. That's how you do it. Smart. When we were approached with the concept, it was, I mean, at that time, there wasn't an all Asian, Asian American ensemble cast on, you know, national television. And this, of course, was Netflix. This is global television. And so we thought this was such a great opportunity to showcase the many facets of our diverse backgrounds. And because the docu-series space is so cluttered, we were like, we really need to make an impact. I mean, we're going to be like dime a dozen if we don't like nail this. And so both as an on-camera talent and also, behind the camera producer, I felt like double the pressure to make it really entertaining and
Starting point is 00:06:03 exciting and also like authentic and fun. How did you know to immediately get that producer credit? Because that's very, very smart. We actually with the creator of Ling Empire, we have been in years of like different development deals. So we had developed other shows and I love storytelling in any form, whether it's like fashion or art or television and film, and we've invested in different projects. So for me, it was always coming from a perspective of storytelling. So was your husband on board right away? To produce it, yes.
Starting point is 00:06:39 To produce it? To produce it just because you get to have a deeper hand in the storytelling aspect of it. Because we get to be a part of something that's like greater than just us, you know, that can possibly make a mark in history, which I think it did. And, you know, we were new parents and we felt, as you guys know, as parents, you have a different sense of how do I make a difference for the future generation, not my kid's going to be a part of. And we were in the midst of a lot of anti-Asian hate, I mean, anti-Asians and a lot of Asian hate. I grew up in very Caucasian communities and so did my husband. And we both experienced racism and microaggressions and macroaggressions.
Starting point is 00:07:22 And so we thought, you know, why would we say no to something like this? Looking back, what is something that you can put your finger on that's like, oh, my gosh, you look back on it and it was a microaggression? You know, making fun of the way the food I would bring to school smells. I didn't speak English when I was a kid. I immigrated here from Taiwan. So I actually was always made fun of for not speaking English. I remember I would pee in my pants every day at school because I didn't know how to ask to go to the bathroom. or like I would ask and I would get lost and I didn't find my way back so I would just hold it in and then I would pee in my pants and get made fun of.
Starting point is 00:08:00 And the food that I would bring to school smelled and looked funny. And, you know, maybe the clothes I was wearing wasn't exactly what everyone else was wearing at that time. And, you know, my parents didn't look like everyone else's parents. And so, you know, just growing up, always feeling like you didn't belong. and I know that as Asian Americans, a lot of us have felt for a very long time that we were like the perpetual visitor. Although I have an American passport, it didn't feel like I was a part of America. And so when this project came and it was an opportunity to normalize and popularize Asian and Asian Americans, I was like, heck yeah, we have to. We have to do it not only for our community, but we have to do it for Baby G and his generations.
Starting point is 00:08:47 And when I was growing up, I never saw people who look like myself on TV. No way. I mean, and I wanted to be blonde with blue eyes. And all of my friends were blonde with blue eyes. It's fake. I don't know blonde with blue eyes. It's fake. I have the eyes are real. I'm convinced there are no more real blondes. There's no. It's extinct. It's extinct. But, you know, it took, it took decades to really appreciate. And even with participating in Bling Empire, I had a new founded love for my own culture. Did your husband experience similar? You said that he grew up in a Caucasian neighborhood. Did he experience the similar upbringing? In terms of racism, I know he faced a lot of it going through medical school and also going through his residency and fellowship and in surgery. At that time, he's a little older than me, but at that time, it was still a very all-white male-dominated industry.
Starting point is 00:09:44 And so he definitely has stories. stories to share where he really had to fight extra hard. And he was chief of, chief of surgery, chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery. So he really worked his way up there. What's his specialty? He does great. Everything head to toe, but he does the most like mommy makeovers and bodies. So breast the bees, boobs, but, belly. Brees, butt. Belly. Pummy tank? Yeah, boobs, butt. Yeah, yeah. Okay, so you guys come out on the show with the most extravagant party I've ever seen. It's, it's, and like in the best way. Like, it is, it is loud. It is flamboyant. It's amazing. Is that like a normal party in, is that just another day in Beverly Hills? Just amongst us, that party was put together in a week. Because, yes, because we were originally going to do the party at a restaurant. and the restaurant owner kind of screwed us over last minute. And we were going to the Super Bowl.
Starting point is 00:10:51 We were landing. And then we were told that the party at the restaurant was kind of kaput. So we had... What's the reason they just didn't want to do anymore? They didn't want it on film? They decided to raise the price from $188 per person to $1,000 per person last minute. And then they wanted like all of these extra fees for like everything you can think of. And then they like they made the menu.
Starting point is 00:11:16 It was eight courses because eight's a lucky number in Chinese culture. And they reduced it to four. And four means death. Oh. That was a red flag. And so like things just changed really quickly while we were in flight to the Super Bowl. So when we landed, we're like, okay, well, this isn't happening at that restaurant anymore. We have to find another venue.
Starting point is 00:11:38 And we had one week to do it. And we couldn't fit the party anywhere. So I had to basically beg, borrow, steal and all of my contacts to have it there in Beverly Hills, which was like a complete miracle because every store had to sign off on it. And these are big, you know, conglomerates. It was on Rodeo, right? Yeah, too Rodeo. I mean, this party, okay, you guys have to go watch the first season. This is like so wild this party.
Starting point is 00:12:08 It's one of the biggest parties I've ever seen. Just do another one and invite me and then I'll be able to understand it a little bit. Yes, let's do it. He wants to be carried in like Baby G though, like a prince. I want to be carried everywhere like that. Well, will you dress up and do some martial arts dancing? I will do whatever you tell me. If you say, hey, you're going to this party and you need me to, I mean, listen, I don't want to, I don't think you might be a little disappointed in the performance, but I'll try.
Starting point is 00:12:32 Oh, I don't know. I think you guys have like a lot of hidden talents. I do have some hidden talents. Ask my husband. Ooh. This is, my mother. This one from an A.N. to a P. podcast real quick. My mother's a black belt in Tonks Udoux. Oh, wow. Yeah. Oh, I tried to put Baby G in martial arts. I made it to orange. That's it. I didn't get to a bar.
Starting point is 00:12:52 Well, life stories are happening all day long. I did ballet when I was three. She broke a brick with her bare head. It's true. Okay, so something I think is so interesting about you is your fertility journey. Yeah. I feel like, and you can speak more eloquently on this than me, but you sort of kept it a secret that, how do I say this right, that your husband was the person that was having issues, but everyone thought that it was you. What was that like to showcase on television? That was, I cannot believe. It's like one of my biggest, at that time, bloopers because I didn't
Starting point is 00:13:30 mean for it to come out. Like, I didn't at all. I've been holding on to the secret for 10 years. And, you know, when you're sitting in that interviewing chair and they're grilling you for hours, asking you a bunch of questions. You're tired. You're hungry. You're like super emotional. Might have been on my period that day. And I really just, they broke me.
Starting point is 00:13:53 They broke me in that chair and I just blurted it out. And right afterwards, I felt so bad because, you know, I was putting my husband on full blast for the world to see and here. And I went home and I immediately apologized. And to my surprise, he, like, embraced me and he was crying and and he thanked me he thanked me for telling the truth and he thanked me for and he I mean he's smart he's very smart and he knew that male infertility is a very very common thing he was never ashamed I think his family it was more of a thing to protect his family I thought
Starting point is 00:14:33 I was protecting him he knew that I was really protecting the family because it's it's still a very like it's a stigmatized, you know, shameful thing it can be for Asian families, especially his. Well, I think it's important that you have the conversation. And because I think when people think about fertility issues, they don't always think it's the males. They constantly like blame the women for this issue. I was talking to a smart doctor friend of mine who actually I'm trying to work to get on the podcast. And he was saying that men do this little like basic test. And it says like, oh, can they swim and, you know, are they healthy? But they don't do a test that's called, and I'm going butcher this, but maybe some of the medical people out there listening. It's called like a cap test.
Starting point is 00:15:14 And they said the sperm can swim really well and be healthy, but if the cap at the head is not pointed, it can't actually penetrate the egg. So the male may think that he's healthy, but it's not. It's his issue. And then what happens is the woman gets blamed for the fertility issue when it's actually a male issue. But people don't talk about it. But I think what I respected so much about you sharing your journey is you were so vulnerable about it. And you took something that's supposed to be so taboo and you just took the energy out of it and it shouldn't be taboo. Mm-mm, shouldn't. And I think it's still very sad that immediately when a couple is struggling, the first person to be, you know, tested is still the female.
Starting point is 00:15:53 Well, that's what I'm saying. It should be both simultaneously. Why not? Yeah, but that's what I was saying is the male sometimes gets tested. Like, oh, it swims and you're healthy, but they don't do that one test to see if it can actually penetrate the egg. So it could actually look healthy and the male can look healthy. And then what happens is the woman has to carry the burden thinking that it's her fault when it's actually. because they don't do this one test. In my case, we started IVF when I was in my mid-20s, 24-25, and that's, I mean, that's really young for going through any IVF process.
Starting point is 00:16:24 And I ended up doing seven rounds of IVF. And it took, I think it took until the fifth or sixth, fifth or six round for them to be like, you know what, it's the male. Okay, wait, hold on. But they couldn't tell before that? Seven rounds? That is a lot of rounds. It's a lot of drugs. It's a lot of drugs. It's a lot of emotions.
Starting point is 00:16:47 It's a lot of bloating. It's a lot of. There's so many layers to seven times. I mean, that is like, that's commitment. Oh, yeah. And that's a lot of, you know, that's, I think more so than the pain because I'm also very needophobic. Oh, that's a lot. Which is like so ironic that I married a doctor. But I have this weird, like I can't go near a needle. even when giving birth to baby G
Starting point is 00:17:09 they had to gas me because they can't put a needle through me She has the same thing It's called Vasco-Vagal or something Vasco-Vagel? I don't know what Yeah so do I And like my whole world is spinning
Starting point is 00:17:20 And I go into like a panic attack When I see needles She does the same thing He's like you need to solve this I'm like I can't solve it Like it's my vagus nerve I've tried like hypnosis too It's I feel the same way
Starting point is 00:17:33 Yeah I mean even just like getting like an IV No that's what she said She had a immunity IV or a hangover IV, she loses it. So, well, I guess you don't know at first you have to do seven times, but the first time, were you so scared? So when I married my husband, I found out the night of our wedding that he was from this very, you know, historical family and they take their heritage very seriously. And I was told that night that it was my duty to carry the family line. And so. No pressure.
Starting point is 00:18:02 No pressure. And like, you know, it wasn't like a very romantic. evening that night after learning about that. That's what I told Lauren. I said, I need you to carry the family line, Lauren. So I always felt this pressure. And I was, whether it was explicitly or implicitly instructed to me, my duty in that family, in my family is to reproduce. So from the get-go, like, that was it. That was top priority. And if I couldn't do it naturally, and I trust me, we tried. I mean, we tried every, like, eating Persian dates facing the east while the sun was, you know, like all sorts of weird stuff, doing sex in a different position to a different music, to like just all sorts of wonky things. And then it was IVF.
Starting point is 00:18:50 And that first round, they just, I think they just threw me in with a bunch. They really didn't analyze my case. So they gave me drugs that were meant for like a 40-year-old woman. That first round, they actually burned me out. They burned all of my eggs. And there was, I think, the second or the third round, they actually lost my eggs. So I got- Like they harvest them and then-
Starting point is 00:19:14 They lost them. They misplaced them. And I remember- What do you do about that? We were contemplating whether or not to sue at that time. But I was so, like, emotionally distraught. I went into depression. It's like, my eggs, how could you?
Starting point is 00:19:27 When it's like suing them doesn't replace the- Yeah. And also, you, you. maybe don't understand this, but the work that you have to put into even getting those eggs to have someone lose them, like that's even, it's like you did all this work and then they lost them. That makes me want to cry for you. That's so gnarly. And there were, I mean, with every round, there was like a different complication, of course, and a different situation. And fast forward to the doctor that you see on Dr. Beck, who is so honest.
Starting point is 00:20:01 and so obviously very, very, very intelligent. And she, like, she just, she wanted to do the impossible. And we were the impossible case. I mean, when I say impossible and I don't want to put my husband on full blast again, but it was an impot. Like, we're not talking, you know, men have millions of sperm, right? We're not even talking thousands. We're not talking hundreds.
Starting point is 00:20:25 We're talking a handful that we, you know, we're working with. And then it was none. So we invested in a doctor who, like a crazy scientist guy in Silicon Valley, who was developing even sperm from skin cells. Wow. And Baby G did not come from a skin cell. But, you know, but we got like super high tech and advanced and desperate. But it was a miracle. I think it's a combination of, you know, God and science working together with the right timing.
Starting point is 00:21:00 When I travel, I get puffy. I just get puffy in general. I'm just like a puffy person. And whenever I travel, like I did recently, I went to Vegas. I bring like a bloat kit. So I have like my ice roller. I have water. Sometimes I put ginger in there.
Starting point is 00:21:16 I try to cold plunge or take a freezing cold shower before I get on the plane. And then in my bloat kit is always a ray. Okay. This is amazing. It's 100% natural. And what it is is it's a mix of six natural ingredients. So it has like ginger root, lemon balm, dandelion root, peppermint, Slippery elm, which is my favorite, and then bromoline, which is actually in pineapple and is
Starting point is 00:21:39 actually known to help bloating. So it's five herbs plus one fruit-based digestive enzyme, which I think that enzyme is such a key because it targets bloat. So it helps you feel relief quickly. And how I like to take this is if I eat like a bigger meal, for instance, in Vegas, I did a vodka pasta. I like to take two after I eat it. So if I eat like a hamburger or fries or something heavy, especially pasta though and pizza. I take two and my stomach doesn't bloat and my face doesn't bloat. This with the ice roller mixed together, you can't go wrong. Array's products are laxative-free, vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, nut-free, cruelty-free, and non-habit forming. Also, this doesn't make you run to the bathroom and shit your pants, okay? It's not like a tea that's going to make you have to go poo.
Starting point is 00:22:27 Okay? Go to Array.com and use code skinny at checkout. You get 15% off your first purchase and a free sleep mini. They have little sleep minis. You get one for free. You're going to go to array.com and use Skinny at checkout. You get 15% off your first purchase plus that free sleep mini. We have been talking a lot about clean living. Ever since they moved to Austin, I have really tried to research the best brands. I have really tried to make sure that everything that I'm putting on and in and around my body is not disrupting my hormones or my kids hormones or screwing with the dog. I've gotten that psycho, as you can see. Anyways, one thing that I have done is I wasn't wearing deodorant for the longest time, and Michael was like dying, so I finally found one that is
Starting point is 00:23:19 clean. It's aluminum-free, which was very important to me, and it's dermatologist tested. It's called Nes. You've probably seen this everywhere. I've seen so many celebrities post about it. I even saw it on Kim Kardashian's Instagram. She's obsessed with it. I really, really like the board meeting one. It's so cute. and it smells perfect. It's not too much fragrance. I don't like a lot of fragrance. And it gives you sweat protection. So I've been lifting weights a lot and I'll put this on before I go to the gym. It's kind of like cute and tiny and fits in your handbag. And the best part about it is it's tailored for your moments. So they have workout sash, board meeting, and date ready. So it's going to give you the right
Starting point is 00:24:00 sweat protection and the right fragrance at the right time. But I do have to say my favorite is board meaning. So try that one. You're going to visit nescare.com and use promo code skinny at checkout. You get 10% off your entire order. That's n-e-c-r-e.com and use promo code skinny for 10% off your entire order. This promo code is valid through June 30th, 2023. Check out nescare.com. So here's the deal. Last year I went and did all my blood work. Anyone reading my test and I had multiple doctors do so would think that I had passed the basic health test. When we didn't just check the basic levels either. We went deep. We measured it against all sorts of levels that we consider to be healthy and optimal. But something just told me it was still not right or my system was still not right.
Starting point is 00:24:49 I felt off still. Even with the blood work and all of that data and all things pointing to a healthy system, something to me was still off. So I went and did a gut microbiome test with my friend, Dr. Dale Joffrey, and sure enough, I needed to fix my gut health. One of the tools that we used to do this was one of our favorite products, just thrives probiotic. Lauren and I both take this stuff religiously. We've had the founders on this show multiple times. We think they're best in class. It is like the gardener for your gut. And here's what happened for me. Immediately I felt less stress. My mood was balanced. I gained mental clarity, focus and drive. And of course, my gut started to heal. Most importantly, my sleep drastically improved. Everyone's talking about
Starting point is 00:25:28 probiotics these days, but the question is, which one do you choose? And we chose just thrive because we just think they're best in market, like I said. One of our favorite ways to take the product is with the award-winning probiotic, of course, and their stress-busting Just Calm product. If you take this combo together, you will be less stress, your guttle heal. You'll just feel all-around great. Both of these are going to help you heal.
Starting point is 00:25:48 Like I said, they're going to keep your stress under control. They're going to make you feel good. They're going to make you feel optimized. And, of course, we have a really solid offer. The team at Just Thrive is always super generous. Use promo code Skinny 90 for 20% off and 90-day bottle of Just Thrive probiotic and JustThrivehealth.com.
Starting point is 00:26:05 or you can also still use our code Skinny, which is still active, and that's 15% off the entire sitewide. But I would definitely try the combo of the Just Thrive Probotic and the JustCom. I think it's a game changer. Enjoy, guys. Just Thrivehealth.com promo code Skinny 90. Well, I imagine even for your husband, the pressure that he must have felt coming from that line, right? And that family must have been pretty immense for him as well.
Starting point is 00:26:35 He's very good at dealing with stress and pressure, clearly, in his line of work as well. And I think men have a different way of processing stress maybe. At least for him, he chandled it really well and put that energy in that expectation of him somewhere else and did really well with his life. But it was tough for me because when I married him, I was very ambitious. I was doing really well in my career. And I really wanted to continue that trajectory. And I didn't think that I had to set everything in my life aside.
Starting point is 00:27:10 to reproduce and then commit to like so many years of failure. I mean, I was a failure to his family. But so now that his family knows this information, is there a different energy towards you? You know, Asian families, at least this one, very traditional families, a lot is unspoken. Like it's known, but it's unspoken. So I...
Starting point is 00:27:35 Remind me the history of the family again? Is it royalty? Or what is it? They were, he's like direct descent of a dynasty. And I know dynasties are not in existence. And on the show, of course, they ask you questions in a million ways. And then they get you to say stuff. So yes, of course I know that they're not in existence.
Starting point is 00:27:54 But for history buffs and for people who really, and for his family, it's very important. It's like whatever lineage, you know, your family is from. And if you're like a direct descendant, he's 24th generation. So it's like the firstborn. to the firstborn to the firstborn. So there's still an unspoken energy of like not approval? I think that I've done my duty now. I mean, I, the line did not stop with me.
Starting point is 00:28:21 So, you know, the pressure is off of me. So here's what I don't understand about IVF. You've done your duty with me, Lund. You have duties to do for me. Here's what I don't understand. Why do you have to do seven rounds of IVF if you already got the eggs the fourth round. Like, I don't get why you had to keep going.
Starting point is 00:28:42 Why do they make you keep going? And this is just me being ignorant. So because you didn't have the sperm, you had to keep doing it? Yeah. Wow. So if you had the sperm, you could have stopped at the fourth round. I think one round, there was one round we were able to implant and it didn't take. And then the round after that, we both, he and I had to have surgeries.
Starting point is 00:29:06 There was something wrong with, I think by that time, my. I'm not very good. I think I block out things that are traumatizing, but something rotated, and I had to have surgery, and then he had to have surgery. So it was just a bunch of trial and error. How many total years is this working on this?
Starting point is 00:29:21 10 years. Wow. Oh, my. Wow. Oh, my gosh. Baby G. He really is like baby golden, a golden child. A miracle.
Starting point is 00:29:30 He's a miracle child. I mean, and for those who, and there are a lot of people who have undergone IVF, I mean, it's like a number scale. And the older you get, the harder, you know, it is. And I think by that very last round, it really was, like, I think I had like eight eggs, six survived, like four were viable, two were whatever, like, and then one survived. And that one was the one they implanted. And by that time, by that time, to be honest, I was so like not, I wouldn't say over it, but I just, I just, just I kind of lost hope. Also, I feel like if that was me, I would almost disassociate. It's like so painful that you have to just dissociate from it.
Starting point is 00:30:18 So when you, when he took and it happens, one, my question is when they actually implant, is it the, what is it called? Embryo. The embryo. Does it hurt? No. Nothing. No.
Starting point is 00:30:32 Okay. So once it's implanted, when do you know that it's taken? For sure. I can't remember how many days or weeks you go in and you check. Okay. So it's, but it's quick. It's not like you don't like wait like four months. But then, of course, with any pregnancy, you're like cleared with IVF, right?
Starting point is 00:30:51 The IVF was successful, but then now you have to have a successful pregnancy. And that's like, that's like a whole other miracle in it of itself. And I was on bed rest for one third or two thirds of my pregnancy because I was high risk. Christine, this is so much work. Yeah, I was bleeding. I was at high risk of death. So I couldn't even get out of bed. I had to pee in a bucket.
Starting point is 00:31:16 But, you know, by that time, I don't know. I think by that time, like you said, I disassociated. And I just, I just said, whatever happens happens. Like, I've done everything I can and then some. And I leave it up to God. And when he's here and he came, was it just the most joyous? thing that's ever happened. Oh.
Starting point is 00:31:38 I mean, I... When I look at that boy, I would do it over a million times. And all moms say that, but, like, you feel it. I see him and I cannot help but smile. And I just, like, I love him so much. And he happens to be, like, such a funny kid, too. And says, like, the funniest things. And it's just, it's a joy.
Starting point is 00:32:01 It's a motherhood's the best. He needs to meet Zaza. How old is he? He's four and a half. four and a half perfect age difference. Is he going to be a doctor? I hope not. It's so hard being a doctor.
Starting point is 00:32:13 There are like so many other ways to live. Lauren, you know, like... Is he an entrepreneur? When Zaza's 13, we're becoming Amish and moving away to the middle of a mountain somewhere. He will take very good care. All right. Well, Christine, maybe you invited to one of your parties. We can discuss it.
Starting point is 00:32:29 And we have a lot of couture to hand over. Oh, you know what? Oh, she's already sold. She's just siphoning off our children. Okay, I have a question that I think you're the perfect person to answer. How do you plan or how are you raising Baby G in L.A.? There is so much wealth and so much money and you guys are very, very, very blessed. And on the show we see that.
Starting point is 00:32:53 Like, I mean, you guys have everything you can ever imagine. How, what is the conversation like between you and your husband of how you guys plan on raising baby G? It's an ongoing conversation. And it's like, it's such my worst fear, even before having baby gene, my worst fear is just to raise a spoiled, entitled, like, uncaring kid. I think my greatest accomplishment in life would be to be helping to produce like a compassionate person of character. In L.A., it's very tough. Too much is at his disposal. And then as a parent, like, do you, I know this is such a really, really silly question, but it's like,
Starting point is 00:33:34 like a kind of something that parents might have to think about. Like, do you, if you're able to, if you're flying business class, do you put your kid in economy to show him that he has to earn his way? Or do you, like, at what point do you, I guess, restrict privilege? Yep. I talked to a friend of mine who, you know, grew up very humble beginnings and he made, he did very well for himself. And, you know, he has all the abundance that a person can have. And he was talking, he was like, how do you, and he used his words, he said, how do you not raise a little asshole? Because it's the same thing. He's like, how do you enjoy the spoils that you've worked for in your life that you were able to attain by, you know, hard work and grit and all
Starting point is 00:34:15 those things and character, but not just hand it to your children while still also being able to enjoy kind of the spoils of life for yourself? And so he's like, it's a very kind of difficult thing, because you want to raise a young individual with character and grid and you want them to work, you want to be caring, and you want them to be grounded. And you want to be grounded. and humble and all these things. But if they're exposed to a different lifestyle than maybe you were when you're growing up, it's hard, right?
Starting point is 00:34:39 Like maybe live in a bigger house, flying business, some people buy even better, right? The difficulty also for growing up in privileged areas is you could be the most on top of it parent in the world. You could be the most grounded parents, but then you're also surrounding them with a lot of other friends and kids with that kind of privilege as well.
Starting point is 00:34:57 And so it's hard, right? And I don't know if anybody fully has the answer. I think it requires, a lot of conversation and a lot of context, right? And a lot of understanding of like, hey, this is not yours. This is mom and dads, right? How they get there. I don't know.
Starting point is 00:35:12 I mean, our kids are still young, but we'll see. Yeah, I think you are onto something. I think it does take constant explanation and you have to go out of your way to explain. Even at a very young age, he understands. I mean, for us, it's really important to instill work ethic because both my husband and I, although we both grew up in a very blessed, fortunate settings, both sets of parents were hardworking. As long as you're showing them by action and by example, I think that's a good first step and then explaining. But Baby G is also a little, he's a little smart for his age.
Starting point is 00:35:52 So sometimes he'll, we'll say, like, you know, we have these nice things because we work for them, because you work for it and we're paying for the house and the food and all of your clothes and he'll be like, well, I don't want nice clothes. I want simple clothes. I'm like, what, that wasn't my point? Or like, we'll say, like, you know, you get to have this nice cake because mama and dadda work really hard. And he'll be like, oh, I don't need the cake. I'll have crackers. I'm like, what? Okay, is he fucking with me? Like, what's happening here? Why is he not getting the point? But I think deep down he does because sporadically, he'll say things like, can I share with this person? Or I'll see little, I don't know.
Starting point is 00:36:32 if you guys see in your kids like little signs of empathy and just caring for someone else, whether they're sad or maybe they're little cold or just little signs. I read this quote on Instagram and it's so true. And it says, ever notice the more you remove synthetic and toxic sense from your life, the more sensitive you are to them. Sense changing our whole entire life to non-toxic. I'm so sensitive. So what I did like to set the foundation of this in my home was I switched all of my cleaning products to branch basics. I am obsessed, you guys. It's non-toxic, hypoallergenic, free of fragrance, hormone disruptors, and harmful preservatives, but most importantly, it's baby and pet safe. I started to really take note of the products I was using because
Starting point is 00:37:22 Zazzo, when she was a baby, was crawling on the floor. So I switched everything to branch basics. It could not be easier. I'm obsessed with this brand. They make it so simple for you. They have this premium starter kit, so they send it to you in the mail, and it provides you with everything you need to replace all your toxic cleaning products. So all the toxic cleaning products in your home are replaced so easy. I mean, this is like a no-brainer. There's not a lot of mess. You just fill up a bottle. It's fragrance-free, which I love. And once you run out, the only thing you need to repurchase is the concentrate and the oxygen boost. Also, it comes in the most beautiful chic glass bottles. It's clean and it's cost-effective. Most importantly, you don't have to go do all this research.
Starting point is 00:38:01 They've essentially done it for you. And if you have a baby like me, who's close to of the ground or a dog that's like sniffing the ground. You want to go non-toxic. And once you switch, you will never go back. Like I said, you'll be so sensitive to anything that's super toxic. So if you want to do the fragrance-free non-toxic hypoallergenic route, you have to check them out. We have a code. You can save 15% when you use code skinny at branch basics.com. Their premium starter kit replaces all your cleaning and lasts forever. Again, that's code skinny 15 for all starter kits. there is nothing worse than when you're about to dig into something and something's missing. Like say you're about to eat a hamburger and you don't have mustard or ketchup, but no fear.
Starting point is 00:38:50 DoorDash grocery delivery is here. This is going to get you what you want right when you need it. It is all about convenience. But you know what it's even more about? Saving time. And that's what DoorDash does. You can literally stock up for the week or if you're in a pinch and you want to order something quick, You have a craving.
Starting point is 00:39:09 I know when I was pregnant with towns, I would always want this specific cashew butter chocolate. And I would always use DoorDash to get it to me immediately. All you have to do is try the grocery delivery from DoorDash. Everything you want delivered when you need it right to your door. I am all about the delivery life, especially since moving to Austin. I just think it saves me so much time. And honestly, to have everything just arrive at my door with all these options to choose from
Starting point is 00:39:37 is incredible. It's like, why would I go to the grocery store? You should also know you get 50% off your first DoorDash order up to a $20 value when you use Code Skinny at checkout. I'm using my own code. This is a limited time offer terms apply. That's 50% off up to 20 no-min sub-total and zero delivery fees on your first order when you download the DoorDash app in the App Store and enter Code Skinny. Don't forget that's Code Skinny for 50% off your first order with DoorDash. Don't forget that's Code Skinny for 50% off your first order with DoorDash. Quick break to discuss beekeepers naturals. It is so important to Lauren and I to be functioning at our highest level every single
Starting point is 00:40:21 day. We have two kids under three years old. We're running businesses. We're hosting the show. Speaking to guests every week. We're going to the gym. We're traveling. Da, da, da, da, da.
Starting point is 00:40:29 And we are not the only ones. Everyone is busy. Everyone is trying to be the best version of themselves and get it all in. You'll have other people tell you, slow down, take it easy. You can't do it all. I do not believe any of that, and I try to prove those people wrong every single day. Because of this, we need to be the healthiest and most energized versions of ourselves every single week. One of the tools that we can't live without is Propolis.
Starting point is 00:40:51 If you've been listening for a while, you have heard us talk about the Beekeepers Naturals Propolis. We've had Carly, who's the founder of Beekeepers Naturals on this show, talking about the many benefits of bee propolis, and all the benefits it can offer our system, especially our immune system. Here's why it's so powerful. First, it's natural. It's made by bees, and Propolis contains. antioxidants, vitamin C, zinc, iron, B vitamins, all the things you need to support the human
Starting point is 00:41:14 immune system. It's literally the defender of the hive that bees use to protect their hives from bacteria that might harm them. Beekeepers Natural products is of course made with all clean ingredients, certified keto, paleo, gluten-free, and natural, no artificial colors, preservatives, fillers, gluten, GMOs, or refined sugars. I keep one in my bag. I keep one on my desk at home. I keep one in the car, at my desk in the office, in the studio. I use it every single time we travel and every single time before we do an interview. It completely saves my voice, keeps me healthy, and now you can try it too. Today, beekeepers naturals is offering you an exclusive offer. Go to beekeepersnatrals.com skinny or ender code skinny to get 20% off your first order. That's B-E-K-E-E-E-P-E-E-P-E-E-R-S-N-A-T-E-E-E-KE-E-KE-E-KE-E-KE-E-KE-E-KE-E-KE-R-A-L-L-L-L-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-K-E.
Starting point is 00:42:09 How was it for you to skyrocket to sort of fame from this show? Like, what is that experience like for you? Like, I'm sure your Instagram following went off the charts because I remember when this aired, it's like it was all the buzz. You guys are doing season three, right? We already did season three. Oh, okay. I've watched season.
Starting point is 00:42:33 I've watched all of them. Oh, yeah. Okay, yeah. So, that was three. Four. You're doing season four? Can you say? Who knows?
Starting point is 00:42:39 I don't know. They have to do season four. The show is so good. I honestly, you guys, I totally recommend everyone go watch it. How is that for you when you skyrocket? I don't remember skyrocketing. I don't, like, I'm just, I'm the same. Because I think my husband and I before the show, like some of the other cast members
Starting point is 00:42:58 maybe were a little bit more private before the show. But my husband and I have always been kind of like a little bit out there just because the nature of our business and we haven't really, our life hasn't really changed. we were gradual yeah we were doing all the same things i don't like i really don't feel that tick i just remember because i came off a little villainy and bitchy off of season one i think people were less prone to walk up to me to say hi but like in two and three now everyone says hi to me in public but season one you have to have a villain to make things interesting right yes she's a producer What you have to the villain?
Starting point is 00:43:38 We always talk. By the way, if I ever did reality television, I want to be the villain. You're going to be the villain? Yeah, I want to like, it's fine. You're like acting. I don't know if I can sign up. I don't know if I can be the husband. No, I don't know if I could be on reality television.
Starting point is 00:43:50 I don't think that I think feel like I'm boring. But I want to be the villain. It's nice to have like that ultra ego come out and play a little bit. Yes. Like stuff you would never say, you're like, I'm going to go for it. So how much of it actually is real? Or is it all real and they just pull clips and edit it? together? I don't think reality television is ever 100% real, right? So you think it's like exaggerated
Starting point is 00:44:13 versions of super, super, of course. For me, I can speak only really for myself. Season one, I did sign up to play this like, you know, that TV show dynasty. So they wanted Anna and I to have that dynamic. And I was like, fun, let's do it. Like, why not? And we have to, we have to set ourselves apart from the rest the reality TV shows, why not like give it our all? So I did sign up to do that and I was spicier than real life on the show season one. And to be honest, I regretted it a little bit because, and I know people like to say never regret anything in life, but I regret it because I think, well, no, I think I had a moment of reflection and I said, yes, that character helped contribute to like the pizzazz of the show. But, I think I had a moment of reflection. But, I said, yes, that character helped contribute to,
Starting point is 00:45:04 When people hated that character, they weren't hating me. And I want people to make an opinion on the authentic version of me. So whether you love me or hate me, at least at the end of the day, I want it to be really me. Sure. So seasons two and three, I was just like, ah, screw it. I'm going to just be me. And then you can really form your own opinion. But do you think you needed to kind of be that in season one for the show to pick up the way it did?
Starting point is 00:45:30 Oh, yeah. Nicely, nice doesn't get anyone anywhere. Yeah, because you know these shows come out, some people that go. on these shows, they don't want to kind of push the envelope. But what happens is it just comes off as boring television that you don't ever hear from those shows again, right? It's almost like, oh, it's too nice. It's too, like, kind of groomed, if that makes sense.
Starting point is 00:45:46 And it was harmless. It was, like, harmless poking at each other. And, like, you know. And what's it like in real life? Are you guys friends in real life? Do you have a conversation and say, hey, we're going to really go out of each other, but we're good? Are you guys, like, not acquaintances in real life?
Starting point is 00:46:01 All of the friendships have taken, like, different turns throughout the process. as with, I'm sure, most reality shows. In the beginning, some of us knew each other, some of us knew of each other. I was introduced to some people, but we made an effort to hang out more in advance of the show coming out. So, I mean, it just would be more authentic. In real life, I didn't hang out with any of them because we're just in different circles. And I knew of Anna and I only met her once or twice, maybe three times prior to the show.
Starting point is 00:46:34 And I thought she was like an interesting lady, but, you know, I liked the dynamic they wanted us to have. And I thought that was fun. And we hung out after the show. So I thought she was like totally in on it too. But I think what happened was the popularity towards her swayed so much that like she started to believe there was a rivalry between us, which I thought was so ridiculous. And I had to like show them pictures. I'm like, remember we went out to eat afterwards? I like hung out at your house.
Starting point is 00:47:05 There's like, we're not fighting. This is just for fun. And I think by then she had forgotten. So she held a grudge. And she was weird after that. But I really love Kevin, who's become like my, really like my little brother. And I really like his girlfriend, Devon. I think she's such a great addition in his life.
Starting point is 00:47:27 I thought he was going to, for a second, I thought he was going to get with him. Yeah. That chemistry was real. They did have some. thing there, whether it was playful or, and I like him. Like, she's fun. She, I call her the mass apologizer because before every season, she'll, like, call everyone and say, like, I'm sorry for what I said, like, when I was filming, if I said
Starting point is 00:47:48 anything. So I appreciate that. And in this last season, I was really surprised that, I was really surprised. I was blindsided that kind of everyone tried to gang up on me or take me down. I thought that was a little... I think, though, with every single season, they try to take someone down. Like, I'm a huge housewife watcher,
Starting point is 00:48:10 which, by the way, you would be so good on Housewives of Beverly House. I would never survive on that show. I don't know. I feel like you would slay. Why, you think that's just... The women there are too tough? No. Like, the Bravo universe is like...
Starting point is 00:48:25 It's intense. It's like... Yeah, but you would be a whole other universe. I mean, I would cast you if I was a producer. I would love to see you on Housewife. wise of Beverly Hills. Before you go, I have to ask you your beauty secrets because you're beautiful, your hair is shiny, like your skin is glowing. What are some products that you use that you cannot live without that our audience can maybe go grab? Let me get my notebook out. You could use a little shine and... Oh, stop. You guys are gorgeous. I hate to say this, but I slept in my makeup.
Starting point is 00:48:57 Oh my God. I love her own. We're coming in a few years. makeup sometimes sometimes you sleep in your makeup. We're coming off New Year's. Give everyone a break. Your makeup does not look like something. The biggest Zit right now. No, I don't see that. I'm just lucky because I have a cheat sheet and his name is Dr. Chu.
Starting point is 00:49:15 So I ask him to help me curate and then then I just, I just use like, I'm a spot user if that makes sense. Like I don't just stick to one thing all the time. I like to use a couple of different things. and sometimes I split products on my face. Like sometimes one side of my face behaves in the other doesn't or the top behaves in the bottom doesn't. And I don't need to use one product all over the face. So I think I'm very lucky that I have a lot of stuff to play with.
Starting point is 00:49:45 What's your number one brand? Right now, because I'm getting older, I would say TNS essential serum is a pretty good one. You're on that. I am? Yes, my facelist just put you on that TNS. I am. Yes, it's the syrup.
Starting point is 00:49:59 It's growth hormone. It's good. Yeah, I'll show it to you. I just use the stuff. She gives me. She's your cheat sheet. Yeah, her and everybody that comes on the show. I'm not kidding.
Starting point is 00:50:08 I keep mental notes. And the mask all the time, whenever possible. What's your favorite mask? Do you have a brand? I love trying new masks. So if you go to Korea Town, you can buy like masks for a dollar or like $2. We don't go there. I stock up and I just pop different things on and then stuff that I really like.
Starting point is 00:50:26 I go back and buy more. And then I also use like medical. grade masks. So I use like those type of really cool K beauty masks and then stuff from my husband's office. Okay, so here is the move. I'm gifting you an ice roller. You're going to love it.
Starting point is 00:50:41 But this is what you do with the ice roller. But this also looks like a sex toy. It does look like a sex toy. Tell your husband it's not for his ass. Wait. Wait, is this a twofer? You know what's really funny that you say that? I actually designed it after a dildo. Like I sent a dildo to the person who
Starting point is 00:50:59 The material. The silica. So it's really funny that you say that. This is what you do. Take your masks, your medical grade mask, or your regular one. Put it on and then ice roll over it. And look like you? Yes.
Starting point is 00:51:12 It's the holy grail for puffiness. If you're puffy, put the mask on and ice roll over it. You're going to love it. I am going to do this like in the car. And you brought me mochina, which I did really quick before you go. What is this? Okay. I'm not an investor.
Starting point is 00:51:27 It's really cute. It's like east meets west. It's like I love mochies and I love donuts. And it's basically a mix. It's a mix of both. I have sex. I love it. Okay.
Starting point is 00:51:36 Mochi nut. That is this way, learn. Yeah. I'll take care of those. Wait, open it. Okay, you got to show us. Once you have one, oh my gosh. I know, but how do we stay as slim as you and eat mochi nuts and have wine?
Starting point is 00:51:47 What's the trick? There's this thing called Amscalt. Does that really work? Yes. Definitely. Oh my God. Those are beautiful. What a chic thing to bring to the podcast.
Starting point is 00:51:56 Look at these things. This is such a good thing to bring to. bring, though, like to someone's house. This is beautiful. Taylor and I will get after those things. This is gorgeous. Oh, it tastes really good. Okay, so I need to try M-sculpt. You don't need anything. But if you want to, it works. Oh, yeah. And does your husband do it? The machine does it itself? It's a machine. So you just go and you lay there. You strap it on. You listen to your podcast. Uh-huh. Catch up on all of it. Christine, you're amazing. There needs to be a season for and putting it out there into the ether.
Starting point is 00:52:28 Where can everyone find you? Where can they stalk you on Instagram? Reach out if they have questions. Tell us. I am usually found at Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery. At the southeast corner of Wilshire and Beverly Drive, eating mochi nut strapped on to an Enstval machine. So if you want to stop by and say hi.
Starting point is 00:52:48 And what's your Instagram? Christine Chu and that's C-H-I-U. Thank you for coming on. Thanks for having me. Is it over? It's over. No. I know.
Starting point is 00:52:57 It's fun, right? We could do it again sometimes. You can come anytime you want. Come back when your next season comes out. You guys are getting your next season. Wait, don't go. We want to know who you want to hear next on the Skinny Confidential him and her show. We are always taking your feedback and making lists of who you guys want to hear on the show.
Starting point is 00:53:17 So let me know on my latest post at Lauren Bostic and make sure you've rated and reviewed the show on iTunes. And we'll see you on Monday with a solo episode. Something different. and Michael.

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