Beginning in 2020, Tig Notaro and Cheryl Hines co-hosted the “Tig and Cheryl: True Story” podcast for three years. However, the comic left the podcast in May 2023, at the same time as Hines’s contentious husband, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., declared his intention to run for president. It wasn’t an unforeseen occurrence.
Notaro subsequently discussed the breakup of her connection with Hines with Nicole Wallace on MS NOW’s “The Best People” podcast, saying, “My friendship with [Cheryl] pre-dated Bobby” (via The Daily Beast).
“There were things he thought and felt that I didn’t agree with, but he didn’t have the platform he got in the pandemic. I think that I needed to stop doing the podcast, because it was so ridiculous, it was so stupid— our show — that it was hard to be doing that when he was gaining momentum and speaking.”
The two hosts of “Tig and Cheryl: True Story” discussed a documentary every week. Humorous anecdotes and narratives would frequently cause their conversation to spiral out of control. After Notaro left, Hines wanted to keep the podcast going, and the former approved the hiring of comedian Rachel Harris to take over as host.
Notaro discussed her choice to leave the podcast. “People would interrupt my stand-up shows and yell, ‘Bobby is crazy! I was telling Cheryl that I know it’s a small percentage that pushes back online or yells out at shows, but I was like, ‘Man, this is not my world. I don’t do this. I don’t want to be a part of this.’ And she was like, ‘I understand,’ but she wanted to keep doing the podcast. I had to step away, but I loved her so much.”
Notaro went on, “What was most upsetting to me is we were in such opposing places, but I continued to reach out to her and send her love and support because I didn’t know what was going on behind closed doors. Then things shifted very severely. I realized one day that she doesn’t ever reach out to me anymore. She responds to me, but she doesn’t reach out to me. I had to kind of shake myself out of denial that, ‘Oh, she’s gone,’ and, ‘OK, I need to let this go. I need to let it go.’ What was a bummer is that there’s some interviews claiming I dumped her and left her in the dust because of Bobby, but I was trying to be a friend to her even though I didn’t feel like I could continue with the podcast. It’s been very strange, and I think I’ve moved past the confusion and sadness.”