Perform your Truth with Jenifer Lewis

But I want to know, you know, you love sex, but you have never decided to settle down. Why? Why is that? I've been in debt for two and I've been in debt. That is tied together. That was a rare thing. No, I'm going to tell you right now. I had the sex addiction in my 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and early 60s. And that's in the just today. You got to love it. This episode is brought to you by alloy women's health. Howdy. Hey, we are back. We are back in studio. I am old with Prager Michelle. What's going on, dude? You know, I'm staying at Airbnb. You know what I'm saying? I am a guest. Mm-hmm. But what, you know, what I was thinking about the holidays because we're going to have people with us on the holidays and more than we can fit in our house. Oh, you guys are going to have a big, uh, well, we're going to have more than the people we can, uh, that we can accommodate. And I was just thinking what a wonderful idea it would be to get folks Airbnb's nearby. Yeah. Yeah. So that they don't have to go to a hotel and. Tis the season for Airbnb. And everybody can enjoy the holiday cheer without having to worry. And then you can send them home. And then you can be like, have breakfast at your Airbnb. Don't come over here. Well, I still, I'm still going to be hospitable. Okay. You know, mm-hmm. Yeah. And did you rent a car this time? Or are you driving a Rivian? No, no, I'm not driving a Rivian here. Although I would love to have my Rivian out here in the in the wonderful LA. We're in LA. There are a lot of Rivian owners in LA. That's because of electric cars. Efficiency is key in this area. And, and, and you know, Rivian outfitted Mish and I with R1S's. But I see a lot of R1T's out here, which I don't see many of those in the Midwest. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I'm excited to get started because we got, we, we have a, our guest today, who I love dearly. Yes. And this will be the first time that I get to talk to her talk, like, because I have met Jennifer Lewis on several occasions. But it's always in passing. It's always, I'm as good as you to see you. And, but we are going to have some conversation. We are. Jennifer Lewis, y'all, the mother of Hollywood. No, but to come on, but it's not, not yet, Jennifer. So this is great. This is great because you've got the meter. You've, you've gotten the meter. And I feel like I know her. Yeah. Not through you, but just through all the body of work that she has done. It has been just, I mean, let me tell you. All right. Let's do the official intro. So, Jennifer Lewis is an actress and author and an activist. And she has appeared in over 68 movies. And 650 episodic TV shows, four Broadway shows and concerts all over the world. And I, out of the 650 episodic TV, I'm wonder how many I've seen. I was probably 600 of a 650. Yeah. Yeah. Well, that's why she's the mother of Hollywood. Yes. Because she has mothered her way through Hollywood. On show after show. And she is coming off of a tremendous recovery story that we're going to talk to her about along with I love to hear our origin story. But she lives to be of service. And her, she walked into this building and you could feel the energy change, the energy, change the whole place. For the good. For the good. Yes. So now you can come out. Everybody. Jennifer Lewis. Thank you so much. It's so nice. My brother, big brother Craig. Thank you. Thank you. Hi, everybody. Hi, everybody. Oh, I'm so excited. Welcome, welcome, welcome. What do I call you? Jennifer, Miss Lewis. You can call me Jennifer. Okay. I only have my assistant called me Miss Lewis. So we can keep some. Yeah, she's new. She has been. She told my goodness. She came in the first day. She said, uh, I'm laying up for the bed. You know, Deva in the bed. You know, saying I need to call this one in that one. And then I went off. I said, you know, when I was a child and she said, I'm Miss Lewis. Before you go into that side story, we've got four emails to do. Oh, I never knew they were side stories. She scared the shit out of me. I said, what is that? What they are? Is that what they are to you? Let me ask how old is your assistant? Oh, 33, I think. She's a baby. And she is so efficient. She seemed so grateful to have her, you know, because I'm an independent woman. I want to do it myself. But honey, I turned 68. That's like, I need a mom. I need a mom. I need a girl. I'm so scared. Well, it's good to see you. You are looking fabulous. I feel I am happier. Then I have ever been in my life. Yeah. Yeah. I'm in my skin. I know who I am. I'm far from perfect. Okay, maybe. It's very close. So close. So close. Oh, my girl. There's two more inches. But I'm just happy because I did the work. I went and took care of myself. When did you feel this? Because I'm 61. And I've talked about this a lot. There's something about a woman, a black woman in her 60s where I feel like I am sitting in my wisdom and my confidence in a way that I just never. So it's starting for me when when did you feel that that groundedness in yourself? Well, you know, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Right about that. Yeah. I was in my early 30s. And I wanted to enjoy the fruits of my labor. And I wasn't. You know, I came out with that Michelle. I came out with hope. My whole childhood was, come on in here, Jenny. Come on. Show it. And I was born with it. It was a gift. The gift of leadership, the gift of joy. My job, my entire life was to make people laugh. But I wasn't happy. Yeah. And I wanted on my face what I left with everybody else's face. I wanted to be happy. Yeah. So because I went and stayed in therapy, I had to be erased. When did you start therapy in earnest? I think I was 32. Okay. Right. Right before the diagnosis. Right. And the AIDS epidemic had happened. And I had so many friends that died. And I had a nervous breakdown. I mean, I raised you said you knew more than 200 people who died. That's 100. You know, everybody's gay on Broadway. And those were my friends. And I was on Broadway at the time. And Craig and Michelle, they dropped like slime. That was a pandemic. We were too young to see all that. Yeah. We weren't prepared to experience that. So when my best friend and so many others just, boom, boom, boom. I had what they call a nervous breakdown. I couldn't hold myself in. And a very good friend of mine who was a social worker, she looked at me. She said, Jenny, you need help. I said, I don't need help. I'm Jennifer Lewis. Yeah. And life was good. But guess what? I went twice a week for 20 years to therapy. And it was worth every second. I just love myself. We love you. We love you. We love you too. I'm saying it. I'm saying it. I'm saying it all the time. You know, but we do love you. We do. Uh, thank you. You know, uh, I say at the end, I'm going to read some of my one-moment show to you. I said at the end of this show, the show is what is me telling everybody what that fall taught me. The recovery taught me. And just so that we clarify, because we're going to get into it for those of you who don't know, it was it two years. It has it three years ago. Three years ago. Three years. On a trip and we will discuss. Yes. You want to say that that the end of the show says to the world, I just told you what it taught me. But I want to thank everybody. Because it was you that caught me. That's why I'm still here. Talk to them. Yeah. No. I like that. Everybody else taught you, but it was you. I'll never sat down day in my life, but I got sat down. Yeah. Yeah. So let me go back to Misha's point about you getting therapy. Yeah. Y'all keep me on tracks. And we want to hear as many of them as we can. Yeah. But you said for the very first time when you were 32, you went to therapy. Anytime before that, did you? It is ever. I knew you. I knew something was wrong. Yeah. I knew something was wrong. Please. All of my shows in New York, when I did clubs, the titles were Jennifer Lewis in the cosmos. Jennifer Lewis broke and freaking out. Jennifer Lewis on the couch. I knew something was wrong. I was too manic. I couldn't gather my thoughts. And it was the dream. And that's what I want to express today to the people. It was the dream that sustained me. I had to get up, though I was manic and depressed, and baby that depression wasick. Yeah. Hmm. But I didn't know it. Nobody knew it back then. No, nobody knew it back then. No, no, no, by polar. Oh, yeah. I told somebody the other day, girl, I was tri-polar. Hmm. Hmm. Yeah. Sir. Yeah. But it was the dream that sustained me. You've got to find a passion in this life. Hmm. I had to get up and go to dance class. I had to get up and go to voice class. I had to get up and you pushed that getting up because I had a dream. Hmm. I was, the vision was narrow. Can I, can we go ahead? Can we talk about where that dream came from? Can we talk about little Jennifer? Well, you know, I mean, you said you were always this person. You were born with the desire and the ability to bring joy to people. But you also say in your memoir that life was hard. Yeah. Yeah, it was. I'm going to read something to you. This is from your one woman show. So let me just let people know. Jennifer Lewis is working on a one woman show. And we are kind of workshopping here too. So you, you all listeners are going to get a treat because we're not even, we're not just going to learn about Jennifer. We're going to learn about how she processes and creates her, her gift and so one woman show is coming, which is going to talk about the experience of the fall and what it taught you. Absolutely. So we are going to be referring in and out throughout this conversation. Absolutely. Things that are happening. So please take it because you know, I am not a shy person. No. But this is a master. It's a masterpiece. This is my life. And you are not modest. Yeah. You are not shy or modest. You know, there's enough people that are modest. I know. I'm saying, well, for women, let me do that. So after I sing a song about you and some other divas in the world, and I'm not shy either. I hear it in my song. It says, if anybody's confused here, so I'm shy. Oh, you're so cute. Oh, we forgot he was here already. You know, I'm just so cute. Thank you. Okay. Here it is. I say after I sing this song, Black Don't Cry. I said to the audience, you know, I wasn't always this arrogant. I came from great poverty and experienced all the dysfunction that comes with it. I laid it all out in my memoir, the Mother Black Hollywood, the addictions, molestation, abortions, childhood abuse, all of it for the next generation to use and hopefully learn from the GW's ex wise and he's mostly wise. Wow. Well, let's go to the beginning. Yes. Tell us about it. Jennifer, you were the youngest of seven. Yes, ma'am. To a 26 year old mother. Yes, ma'am. In Missouri, a little bitty town. Tell us more about that. I'm going to tell you more because it's right here. Okay. I wrote this. And my mother was alive when I wrote it and she heard it. I'll just sing it down. In these two rooms, we called a house where we lived for three years. Mama was 26 with seven kids, but all along with her tears. We were just too young to understand why my dad had left in 59, not enough food, not enough clothes. So how do you learn to dream in that environment? I mean, what is it that you say? You know, Michelle, I would come here. You know that there are kids that are crushed from those circumstances. Yes. Tell us more. It's the parents that got to bring them out. Yeah. You got to tell your kids they can, they can be whatever they want. Did your mother do that for you, even at her age and in her fear and her joint? She's so it. Hmm. I think she's a little scared of it too. I bet she was. Although she wasn't scared of much. I sang my first solo in church when I was five years old and from the reaction of the congregation. Hmm. This wasn't a shouting church. Yes. But baby when I opened my mouth, they stood up. My mother cried. I'd never seen a cry. The preacher was going crazy. I was standing there with my thumb and my mouth going, did I do that? I said, oh, this is life. And I never look back. Of the dream, being the baby, my life was see me, mama. Yes. I was the baby. You know, there was six ahead of me. See me. So my life went like this. See me. See me. Y'all better. See me. And then it came into this. See me. Oh, you'll see me. Yes. And then you see this position, your arms will eventually get tired. Yeah. So they went down. So maybe you don't need to be seen so much. Look in the mirror and find out who you are, little girl. Amazon has everything for everyone on your list. So you can shop for everyone with Amazon last minute deals. So Mish, what were some of your favorite holiday memories? So we were kids. The holidays were all about what we wished for. Yes. Right. We spent our time going through this list catalog. It was the wish book. Yes. We waited for it to come and that catalog, the big, big catalog full of all the toys that you could ask for for Santa. Right. And I think we spent months and months combing through that catalog. But people should know it was a catalog that just had toys. It wasn't close. It wasn't appliances. But there were some special holiday things that you could get Christmas ornaments here. You could in the catalog. So it was all holidays. That's how it was a special double addition toy section. That was just magical to go through. But that's the beauty of being a kid. You're in the position of doing the wishing. But as we became adults and parents of our own, we learned that we were the wish grandters when it came to the toys that Santa didn't buy. And that changed the whole memory of Christmas. Because then Christmas became standing in long lines, you know, being frustrated that you forgot the battery for the toys. That's the other thing. You think that all these toys should come with the batteries, but they do not. And then at the last minute, you got to rush out and stand in the long line or at least we did. We did. Yeah, it was, it was crazy. And the thing about Christmas back then is that if you happen to forget someone or forget something, you ended up in that long line. And if you wanted to avoid the long line, that person just didn't get anything. And now Amazon has everything for everyone on your list, like my kids and my wife who wait until the very last second to tell me what they actually want. My wife out of nowhere drops hints about the latest tablet. I'm standing there thinking really all now you tell me and let's not forget every year. It's the same story. We are approaching Christmas and suddenly we forgot to get our neighbors a little gift. What do you get your mail man? Simple. And Amazon gift card. Amazon's got me covered. With their last minute deals, I can still save big on toys, electronics, beauty for the women in our life and all of that good stuff. I don't even have to break a sweat running around the mall. Gift show up right on time, wrapped up and ready to go under the tree. So this year, I'm not stressing. Amazon makes last minute shopping feel like I planted weeks ago. And that, my friends, is a holiday miracle. Shop gifts for everyone with Amazon last minute deals. Well, you as you would learn you had a lot going on in that fabulous mind of yours. Were there any indications when you were that young that you and I know bipolarism shows up later in life? The mania made me, I became a leader. Captain of the cheerleading squad president of my class. When I got to college, I didn't look at the call board. I didn't look at the call board to see if I had been cast. I knew you had been cast. You needed me. See, the arrogance, the omnipotence, the delusions of grandeur came with the mania. Yes. You're unstoppable. By politis order ain't no joke. I would run down the streets of New York. Anybody that came to town to visit, I'd take them right down to the World Trade Center. And I had this one little spot where I would make them stand and look up. They were beautiful. God they were beautiful. But I would stand down there with my crazy self and say to them, be whole. The only thing bigger than me in this city. But then when I would be rageful and out of control, I wouldn't get the job because they would see hard talented. But she's a bit much. This is a bit slightly. When you talk more about those times, those, those, those hard times because there's mania, there's deep depression and there's a whole lot in between there. The depression, you know, the sex addiction started in college. And do you think it was tied to the molestation? Oh, absolutely. You run around once somebody touched you like that. Yeah. You go with the draw and start eating everything you can see. Yeah. Or you see, I had a friend and she became an introvert. I became an after. Yeah. That's why I was shocked that he touched me. Right. Because it's like I'm getting quiet. I'm telling you. Yeah. You fool. But he didn't care. Girl, I, I confronted him. What did you say? Tell us, please. Well, I, when I started talking about the molestation and therapy, it all came back. And because he was a man of God, and we have been taught to revere him. It's so many sick people out there saying I got the power and only God can come through me. Yes. And here come and let me touch you. So anyway, you confronted him. Yes. I called him. I got drunk. I haven't had him. Wait, you got, how old were you when the confrontation happened? This is my third. This is my third. Okay. I didn't drink like that. No, she wasn't drinking it. She was. No, she wasn't drinking it. No, she wasn't. She lived. No, we were coming. No, we were coming from church. Yeah. You know how quiet we are. Yeah. You do do the same. And I got to ride with the pastor. Ciao. Anyway, I called him, there's a chapter in my book, My Memoir, and it's titled, it ain't that kind of call, motherfucker. Um, he thought, I got drunk, because it was hard to confront him. And he asked the phone, and I said, it's Jennifer, and he said, Oh, Jennifer. And you like it ain't that kind of call? Absolutely. We're so proud you're on top of this. Jennifer, I said it ain't that kind of call, motherfucker. Did you say that you ended that way? Just like that. And I asked him why he did that to me. Girl, because the question I asked him in the car before he pulled over and touched me. I said, Pastor, her, do you think I can be a star? In seven seconds after he touched me, he took my entire life from me in seven seconds. He tried to kiss me and he felt my breast, and I pushed him back. It was so. Oh, God, it was the worst. And he took God for me. Yes, he did. He took my mother for me. Yes. And he took my career in seven seconds. Oh, I got it back. Yes, but he tried to snatch it from you. Yes, he did. And what did he say? And when I sat to him in the confrontation, I said, why'd you do that? He said, well, I was just a, you know, trying to guy said shut the fuck up. He was just trying to what? Trying to prepare me for what, you know, being a star with the involves. Oh, yes. Girl, I was a true predator. I cussed that man before man. I cussed that man. I said, and if you hang up this phone, I will fly back to St. Louis and blow that fucking church up. And he's still the head of the church. Oh, no, he's dead now. Oh, I was, he's good at dead. He's good at dead. When you made the call, he was still. Oh, yeah. Oh, yes. So how did it feel for you, too? Because that's one of the things that's... It felt good. It did feel good. But you know, they take everything when they touch you. Yeah. I got over it because, you know, I had another incident where a guy came into my apartment in New York and put a knife to my throat for God's sake. I just a break in. No, he came in. Yeah, he saw I was in the, I was in the New York Post in a bikini. I was young. I was doing a show. I got great reviews. And he must have seen me in the paper. I never knew. But he came into the house and said he had a package. And I had just ran a bath. And I used to put just two drops of peppermint oil in the hot water. Well, that day my little puppy hit my arm and a whole lot of peppermint oil went into this hot water. Yeah. So when he came to the door and the peppermint oil, girl messed him up. Oh, Lord. He couldn't even, he was like, I don't know the waker. I know. That stupid thought. He was like, I was like, you came into the wrong apartment today. Craig, I can't believe it. Look, Craig. And she said, I should not have done that. Now I'm all in dance class, me in the red diva. Me in the red diva. I'm with taking dance class, Shirley Ralph, all of us. You know, we were all in shape. We were skinny in our 20s. Because you know, we all did dream girls. But Jennifer Hall, they got the part. And hold on. So he's like, take your clothes off. And I'm standing there like, what are we doing? I wish I could say the word. You know what I want to say? I was like, but yeah, it was horrible. And I ended up talking myself out of it. I told him that was medicine. I said, I'm sick. Oh, my God. Girl, it was a scene. It was the greatest performance of my life. You have to read the book. The whole of the details are in the book. But I talked myself out of it. I told him I was sick. That that was medicine. He was smelling. Yeah. I said, Sophie, yeah, I'm your feet. Oh, honey. Yeah. Like I said, it was the greatest performance of my life. And it's scored at him out. So I get, thank you. I sure did. And be well. Yeah, I said, I don't help you, Jane. Here's your knife. Girl, here's your body. And it was like a steak knife. Oh, my goodness. I was like, boy, you ain't go cut me today. And you ain't going to rape me either. Well, and they're, you know, to the extent that your, your mania helped you with that. I was afraid that that bravery. I was on a frame of him. I wasn't afraid of him. I wasn't afraid of New York City. I belonged there. The mania belonged in the city. Yeah. I would walk down those streets, girls so fast. I'd have a coat flinging behind me. A diva. It was a mask. And you were in the perfect place to wear that mask. I knew you're, you probably didn't even stand out. I think it was crazy. It was the 80s. It was the 80s. It was the 80s. You are flying around. Flying. Singing to the Empire State Building. You know, when I had a show, there was a place called tickets. You go get your Broadway tickets for discount. You remember. I used to go over there all those, all those tourists would be in line waiting for their tickets. And I'd go down the line. I lived right up the street on 55th street. I'd go down there and do my hot kicks up and down. I've seen those hot kicks. Michelle, I go, come see my show. You don't want to see that shit. You come see me. Do you know I was sold out? They were like, yes. We going to see her. We'd like tickets to that. But I was out of control. Yeah. But what could not be denied? What's the talent? Yeah. Oh, well, because guess what? People wouldn't put up with it if you weren't. It's a lot. It was a lot. As it is right now, I don't know. My shrink is going to say. My shrink is going to see this interview. She said, I'm my poor brother. He's just like, oh my God. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, pumpkin. This is not what I see on TV. Baby, I'm telling you right now. I've got so many stories. And I want these young kids to go and take care of themselves. You go take care of yourself. Yes. Where's my close-up right here? You go take care of yourself. That's right. If something's wrong and you're depressed, come out of those dark rooms. You can't do it. Can we talk about your, the beginning of your career? Because you mentioned Sheryl Lee Rolf and LaReta Divine and Dreamgirls was that your first big? Well, I was hired. I had already. Right, quickly. When you first got to New York, I got my first Broadway show with an 11 days graduating from college. And you know what? We are not surprised. Because this person walks into New York and is like, it is mine. Yeah. It was. Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine. I think there's something to be said about. And with, you had to have some, let's put. I had so much confidence. I had no fear in me. I went from Broadway show to Broadway show. And then when I got to Hollywood, I'd had to break down because of the AIDS epidemic. And I didn't know who I was. Is that why you came to LA? For what reason? Because you didn't know who you were. No, I came to LA to be a star. And he's like, he's. I can't. I didn't know I didn't know who I was. Until that camera came close. See, I had been trained in the theater. You hit the back row. And you can kind of fake your way through that. That was the diva. That was the mass. But when that camera comes into existence, you got to tell the truth. And I didn't quite know what the truth was. And I'd get in those auditions and go, let's in girl, they go cut. Well, honey, you can. It had to be now. Listen. Yeah. And I didn't know that comes from here. So you struggled probably for the first time in the business. Yes, I should. Yes, it was the first time because I had to find out who I was and how I could continue that passion. See, if I wasn't working, but here's what I did. And I say this in a very famous interview. I created my own job, Starling. That's why this is a masterpiece because I wrote my own one more shows. If the phone didn't ring, I created something. I was always on stage. Girl Nina Simone, Lena Horn. The greats came to see me. I'm telling Ruby, gee, they were all there because my shows became underground. Everybody, it was a what I can't think of the word. It was almost you knew it was something like a speakease. Yes, you got to go see Jennifer Lewis. And this was all in Hollywood. And we're doing L.A. L.A. before the TV shows, like the people from living in living color, they came to see the shows. And they put some of my characters on in living color. So what was happening is the industry would come to these clubs to see me. This new girl. Yeah, it was a new girl in town. She's the new girl in town. And there was the sex addiction. Yes. All the sex addiction. I have sex. Yeah. Right after the show honey. Right. Something had to top that electrifying standing ovation. See, I didn't get standing ovation. My standing ovation were electrifying. People would jump up and I'd be almost instantly. So knowing that the depression that I had to drop from behind. See, hola. Yes. This episode of in my opinion is brought to you by alloy health. Aging happens to all of us, but that doesn't mean you have to live with hot flashes, brain fog, or sleep or weight gain. These changes aren't random. They're hormonal at alloy. Everything starts with science. Their mission is to make evidence based menopause care accessible with real doctors who specialize in carry menopause and menopause. Here's how it works. I'll go to my alloy.com, answer a few quick questions. And within hours, you'll be connected to a board certified menopause trained physician who create a personalized treatment plan for your hormones, mood, sleep, sex life, weight, hair, and skin. Five years ago, my friend Michelle Obama invited me on her podcast to talk about menopause. And that conversation actually led me to alloy. The founders heard it, reached out, and now I'm proud to be their chief medical adviser. After nearly 30 years in private practice, I get to share what I've learned with women everywhere. So join the 95% of women who tried alloy and saw relief in the first two weeks. Head to myalloy.com and tell them all about your symptoms and you'll get a fully customized treatment plan. And you'll get $25 off your first order today when you use code IMO25. Head to m y a l l o y dot com and enter code IMO 25 to get $25 off your first order. This episode of IMO is brought to you by Colorguard, a non invasive colon cancer screening test. The American Cancer Society now recommends that if you're at average risk, you should start screening for colon cancer at age 45. During my visit to the Colorguard lab in Madison, Wisconsin, I learned that there are an estimated 60 million adults over 45 who aren't up to date with their current screening. That's way too many. And I got to see firsthand how Colorguard is committed to changing that. And what really stood out to me is how their commitment goes far beyond the lab. From hosting community events and local health fairs to educating on prevention, sharing screening options and providing access to preventive care. The Colorguard test is designed to help you feel more in control of your health and your screening process. The test is delivered right to your door and you can collect your sample comfortably at home on your own schedule. Then you just ship it back to the lab and your results are ready in about eight to ten days. Simple as that. And the best part, you can start screening for colon cancer without all the hassle of preparing for a colon cancer. Not preparing for a colonoscopy, no fasting, no drinking that prep liquid, no requesting time off work. Most of your patients even find they paid nothing out of pocket. That's why 20 million Colorguard test have been used and hundreds of thousands of health care providers across the country for the private for their patients. There's no excuses. Get screened for colon cancer. So if your 45 are older and at average risk, ask your healthcare provider about screening for colon cancer with the cologuard test. You can also request the cologuard prescription today at cologuard.com slash podcast. The cologuard test is intended to screen adults 45 and older at average risk for colorectal cancer. Do not use a cologuard test if you have had adenomas, have inflammatory bowel disease, and certain hereditary syndromes, or a personal or family history of colorectal cancer. The cologuard test is not a replacement for colonoscopy and high risk patients. cologuard test performance in adults ages 45 to 49 is estimated based on a large clinical study of patients 50 and older. False positives and false negatives can occur. Cologuard is available by prescription only. Every year around this time, my skin reminds me that winter is officially here. The cold air outside, the heat blasting inside, it's a whole situation. That's why I love Sarah V's new intensive moisturizing cream. The number one dermatologist recommended skincare brand developed with dermatologists to keep your skin hydrated and comfortable all season long. Now I'll tell you, the moisturizer I used in my 30s just isn't cutting it anymore. As I've gotten older, I've noticed that it's harder to moisturize my skin, especially in cold weather. I used to apply skincare cream once a day. Now I have to apply it at least twice and sometimes three times a day. In warm weather, I need to pay attention to my skin as well, making sure that I'm moisturizing adequately because you don't tend to moisturize as much in the summertime. That's why I like to use Sarah V. Their new cream is their richest formula yet made with Hydro-Yuria, three essential ceramides and Shea butter, so it gives deep, lasting radiant hydration for up to 72 hours. Release 99% of itchiness and help strengthen your skin barrier in just one use. It goes on smooth, no sticky, greasy feel, just soft, healthy, comfortable skin that looks as good as it feels. So if your skin's feeling tight, dry, or just ready for some extra care, give it the comfort it deserves. Sarah V. Intensive Moisturizing Cream, developed with dermatologist and trusted by them too. Learn more at SarahV.com. It took you some time too because once you started taking the medication, you had to find your balance. Yes. When you get on the meds now, if you get on meds, I ain't pushing meds. You find your story. It's what I did when I finally agreed to do medication because I thought it was going to take my edge. I needed my edge. It was Jennifer Lutz. I had a lot of anxiety. When I took the meds the first time I got side effects, dry my own, and my sexual desire went away. I wasn't having any. You just went in. We had to fix that. We had to fix that. We had to fix that. We had to fix that. So did you find that the work led help you in your, did you see the success? Did you see? Well, girl, I started working. I got fresh. Prince, I got this one. I got that one. As soon as I could just breathe, but it took a long time. It took a long time for me to get it. I remember the day I got it. Talk about that. Well, LaRetta Devine was doing a show down in LaHoya, I think. And I went down there. You know, it's my girlfriend. We've known each other since I was 19. And I was with a girlfriend who was a shrink. And that night at her party, I got drinking. That's a days of drinking. Got up on the table, up on the table at her party. Doesn't surprise me, Jennifer. I mean, I'm just like, that's a Tuesday. You said that like, can you believe it? That's like, yeah. I want to say something to you before I finish this. Do you know how funny you are? Girl, you are right there with me. Poor Craig is like, I ain't saying anything. But you, you're right there with me. I'm glad. Good for you. I'm scared of you too. Michelle is going, why do you think you're late? Why do you think you're slept with him? But where am I? What story? Where are the tapes? The tape. He's gone on his table. You're off. I'm paying attention. She's telling you some paying attention. You're on top of the tape. Are you going to take... Oh, Jesus. So, and I put a song and I'm like, and I call everybody, you know, cuss everybody out, but in a play way. Yeah. Yeah. And naughty. It was, it was Loretta's night. Oh, yeah. But my girlfriend, who was a shrink. Hmm. The next morning at breakfast, she said, oh, I'll never forget it. She said, Jennifer, what's wrong with you? She said, what's wrong with you? I said, what? Oh. She said that. That was Loretta's party. I said, Loretta wanted me to say, she said Jennifer, it was inappropriate. What you did. She said, I don't think she appreciated it. See, it was that kind of thing. Yeah. I just didn't know. And then the medication had to calm me down. Yeah. Now I just get on top of a tree. Yeah, now, Jennifer. Now, Jennifer. Calm. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. So you talked about that you started getting fresh prints and then living color. Yeah. And rock. And oh, I just started going. And were you able to enjoy that? Yes. Okay. But I was also having sex and dressing. Can you talk about some of the fun times? The ditching was still there. Yeah. Until I woke up one day and I actually called my therapist. She was on a train. And I was like, I'm going to have a forget this moment. It was after I addressed my behavior at La Rada Divina's party. And I called her. Oh, what could I journal? Yeah. That's why the memoir's so good because I've been journaling. Yes, since I was seventh grade. And guess why journal? Why? Because I knew I was going to be a movie star one day. And I would need my book. And you know what she said to me? She said, that's what saved you life. Yeah. Because you were journaling. But I want to know, you know, you love sex. But you have never decided to settle down. Why? Why is that? I've been in marriage for a few years. And now that is tied together. No, I'm going to tell you right now. I had the sex addiction in my 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and early 60s. And that's in the gesture day. I was 20 minutes ago. You missed it. So in wait. Yes. You got a lovely. Oh, now that's in the show. Yeah. That's good. I love that. I love that. I love that. Believe me. Girl, I didn't know it was an addiction. I thought everybody was doing everything every night. Yeah. I didn't know. But after the molestation, yes. You run a mock because you're looking for something that's not so ugly. But I didn't know where to look. So I looked everywhere. Okay. And because of the mania, I wasn't afraid to bring a stranger to my apartment. And that's often coming from the street. That's often hard to find the lines. Oh, I think it's an accident. But why did you just never found the one? Or did you make it? I was with Miguel. I was with Miguel. Yeah. He was the first one I met him in college. He was a mathematician. Why didn't you all get married? He, I was too young. He asked me when I was like 19. I was like, baby, yeah, mom was going to be a star. Yes, I don't want to get married. Have no kids. Yes. Because I wanted my mother to love me, Michelle. Well, let's talk about the fall. The fall. Here it is in a nutshell. The itinerary on this vacation. Lori P. Talk had helped me write my second book. And she wouldn't let me pay her. I said, girl, then come on. I said, you're going to Africa. You're a dear friend of Lori is here. Where is she? Come on in. Lori, she's watching. I said, come on, go to Africa. I never travel with anybody. Lori wouldn't let me pay her. She said, you put money in a friendship, a friendship. So like, but you're, oh, Michelle, I want your money. She's a white woman of leisure. But anyway, you got to love me. I say that in the show too. I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I make a wish that I you can be in the serengeti and it's empty, right? The animals have moved on. That's right. So you had this incident with the men in these camps of the migration. The animals are everywhere. And at night time is the time they're the most active. So anyway, yes, they're out of the heat of the sun. So the next stop was supposed to be the Seychelles Island. But let's just say I never got to sell seashells by the sea shore on the seychelles. That's in there too. So we checked in girl, you know, the four seas in the serengeti hot mess, you know, money. Don't ask me for not. So anyway, I love that. Still. OK, girl, let me calm down. You make me laugh. So Laurie checked out, went to her room. I ran out to the water hole to see the elephants. Oh, it was so majestic and prehistoric. You know, I've been before. But you're different when you go back. You see. So the sun went down. I stayed and watched the sun set. And we all know that when the sun goes down in the serengeti, ain't no street lights. So my little young African butler escorted me to my room with a very large flashlight. You get it? Anyway, oh, girl, I'm a mess in this job. Yeah. I said, when he left, I undress for bed. Well, good. And I sleep. They let him leave. Yeah, I let him go. You doing the whole job. I love you. I love you. So in this letter of lead, and here I go, after he left. I was. Oh, he was a cutie, but he was mad. All right. So never stopped you before. But anyway, you love that line. So I took off all my clothes. Oh, you know you've imagined it. Where is it? Yeah. And I'm about to submerge my soft silky, sexy skin onto the silk sheets. But then I see an infinity pool out on the deck. So I thought a little colored girl from Kenlock, Missouri would go out and take in the fact that she had returned to the motherland. So I'm just walking on the deck. La-di-da-na's pitch black out in the savannah. And a little light, little bit of light that if there had been a sign, I would have seen. But I'm like, la-di-da-di-da-di-da-da-da-da-da. Brrrr. 10 feet down. Oh. Totally unbreast, too, because that's like, but thank God, because I know when I was falling, I would have tight and broke something. The right buttocks took the impact. The shoulder hit a stone, but the head, the shoulder protected the, girl how I didn't hit my head. A boulder that's like, is that to be right? Oh, right. Oh, and that grass that the cat stalled through. That ain't so. No, it's not. That was all in the back, Lori had to book the, oh, Lord. So I'm down there and I'm like, I fell, pitch black. And you didn't lose consciousness with your self. I was in and out, in and out. Okay. So girl, let me read this thing to you. It's brilliant. Hold on, because here it is. Let me just read it. All right. It says here it goes. I fell 10 feet from an unsecured deck off my hotel room into a pit of wild animals. And no Anthony Anderson, I was not drunk. That's in the show. Is that good? That's so good. And that good. Doctors without borders came to rescue me and air vac to me from Tanzania to Nairobi, Kenya. I underwent a 12 hour surgery at Agacon University, hospital, not Shaka Khan, but Agacon. So stupid. I had three blood transfusions, six nights in ICU and after I cussed out everybody in English and Swahili, they couldn't wait to ship my ass back to the States. Now, from the helicopter, now while I'm down on the ground I mean, in one of your videos, there's a huge water buffalo. Roman, just feed away from where you fell. And there was a little, there's an antelope. And these buffalo are vicious. Oh, girl, they are, you know, this isn't just, you know, oh, no, I was down there. I mean, these are wild, very aggressive buffalo who will charge. Oh, they will charge. Now, and you said you heard a lion roar. Oh, yes, the lion roar. So you're sitting there alone, waiting for help. The dark, the epipodermist comes over. And is this for real? No, it's not. But just checking, you know, I mean, they're really, my sister's getting in the way of the story here. All right, yeah, no, it's just hysterical. Okay, all right. What I've done, guys, if I've taken the biggest tragedy of my life, and I'm going to make it last. Mm-hmm. Craig Robinson here. And as the holiday season comes closer, it's time to plan our holiday travel. And you know, as our family gets older, it makes it harder for all of us to cram into one hotel room for an extended period of time. So we have six or seven adult sized people traveling simultaneously now that the kids are getting older. So we need a little more space. We need a little more freedom. That's why booking a stay on Airbnb makes so much sense for our family. You know, imagine heading to South Carolina with friends for a cozy fall weekend or taking the family to Orlando over the Thanksgiving break. Instead of being stuck in a hotel lobby or eating takeout food on the bed, which can be kind of fun, you've got a living room to gather in, a kitchen to cook these great holiday meals and make memories. You even could cook out outside, which I love doing in the fall weather. It makes the trip feel warmer, more personal and way more memorable. It's those little things, more space, more privacy and staying in the coolest parts of town that make an Airbnb trip better than a hotel. Working on your mental health doesn't happen all at once. It happens in moments, one conversation, one deep breath, one session at a time. Growth therapy makes it easier to begin. As a coach and an athlete, I've always believed taking care of your mind as part of taking care of your overall game. You train consistently, you build the right support around you and you give yourself space to improve. Therapy can be part of that routine. Whether it's your first time in therapy or your 50th, growth makes it simple to find a therapist who actually fits you. They connect you with thousands of licensed therapists across the US with virtual or in-person sessions, including nights and weekends. You can search by insurance, specialty, identity or availability and start in as little as two days. No subscriptions, no long-term commitments, just pay per session on your time. Whatever challenges you're facing, growth therapy is here to help. Growth accepts over 100 insurance plans, including Medicaid in some states. Sessions average about $21 with insurance and some pay as little as $0, depending on their plan. Visit growththerapy.com slash IMO today to get started. That's growththerapy.com slash IMO. Growththerapy.com slash IMO, availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan. But then I heard the animals grazing and, but then I heard the animals grazing and, munching and crunching and, you know, and having sex. I got a joke in this show about it. I was just saying, you don't want it without me. You are good, but everything you say is in the show. And I'm trying to be nice. And then I say, now I can see the animals, but I know what happens to sex. I feel like I'm in your brain now. I said, there were two little pink booty baby baboons that came and swung out of the tree. They said, if you're going to fall this close to our tree, you need to be properly groomed. Never. So let's have a little antelope. In the Tanzania is officially called a dick dick, D-I-K, D-I-K. Now you can't make this up. What do you think I did with the dick dick? And I didn't have any clothes on. So the dick dick was crazy. It's just like, listen to your crack. Lala, lala, lala. No, no, no, no, I was just asking. Look, it was animal. The dick dick was grazing nearby. And he mistook my private area for grass and began to graze. I grabbed him by the back of his neck. You didn't expect that, didn't you? Listen here. I grabbed him by the back of his neck. I've been showing this joke. I grabbed the little dick dick by the back of his neck. I said, now you listen to me, Mr. Dick Dick. On any other circumstances, I would enjoy what you're doing. Is that good? You can't make a dick. We don't have any way. Dr. Rocco, because I'm going to tell him to watch this. When I got to see the Sinai here in Los Angeles, after they brought me home, the doctor's there saw the X-rays. I fractured my acetabulum by the way. And that's the, here are the femur bones. And here's the hip bone. There's a socket that holds the femur in the hip bone. So when my right buttocks hit, this is what happened. Don't ever fracture your acetabulum. It was horrible. So when we got to Nairobi and he said, you fractured your acetabulum, I said, I broke my head. It's like the last thing. And he says, we have to get you to the sea at a mum. Mum. I said to the sea, brother. Brought with where? And he said, no, that's not that bitter. What we, the room we perform, the surgeries in Miss Lewis is called the theater. I said, well, then get me to the theater. That's all in the show. But they did, they did a 12 hour surgery. I didn't call my family, Michelle. What were they gonna do? Fly down there. And I didn't. When did you tell them? When did they know? I told them about three weeks after. Couldn't, you know, well, you talked about that. As I shared that with Craig, when I heard you say that you needed all of your energy, I needed all of my energy. When I came out of that first MRI, or X-ray, whatever it was, and the gurney rounded a corner. I said to myself, you ain't telling nobody, you're gonna need all of you. And didn't nobody push you, Miss Lewis. You pushed yourself. And now you get a, hmm. And I didn't want none of y'all to know I had fallen. And no one needed it. Until I was able to tell you how I got up. I had to wait a year and a half before I called Rob and Roberts. I had to be able to tell y'all how I got up. Anybody can fall. You can fall out of love, fall out with your parents, fall on the ground. How do you get up? How do we get up? I couldn't separate my knees for four months. Talk about karma. I know you were coming in, girl. No, you were coming. I couldn't walk for 13 months, Miss. You see, I'm walking in, I got the high kick back. Oh! You see that? There you go. Where's that angle? I want a good angle. That's, you see that? We got a girl that could not separate her knees. She's back, y'all. Bitches back. That's what, no, that's, that's, that's, might be the name of the show. But I'm very excited. I'm very happy. I'm very happy in my life because I didn't know how not to come back. We, we tried to help our listeners with your stories and the stories that we have on here. You've been doing that throughout this entire conversation. You have really bestowed on us a lot. You know guys, I've had a lot of energy. I shouldn't have drank this coffee. My, my strength's gonna kill me. Well, listen. When you look at death in the face, if you come back, you're different. Because you ain't scared no more. I wouldn't scared, that's scared before, but now I'm unstoppable. Yes, but with love, yes, and with grace and gratitude. I filled every, I took an imaginary water hose and filled every room in my house with liquid gratitude and swam in it throughout that physical therapy. Yes. You got to hold on to life. You got to know something's coming. Be ready. Well, we have a listener question. And I think it, it sort of speaks to, we have a young woman who is asking for advice and... Lynn from Illinois. Let's hear what? Let's hear a little question from us. What a man, what a man girl. At 23, I sometimes feel like I climb forward, only to fall back to rock bottom, carrying burdens and responsibilities heavier than most my age because of where I come from. How can I achieve young people from disadvantaged backgrounds keep fighting the strength and hope to chase their dreams when life feels overwhelming and assistance feel like barriers? Lynn, my love for people is tough love, as it is for myself. You might have heard at the beginning of this conversation, you heard me say, there's no time for despair. Nobody stopped me or kept me from all the horrors that I experienced in life. But I say to you, have yours. Have them because they will make you stronger. They will give you courage. Life is hard, baby. That's what life is. It's lesson, after lesson, after lesson. And if you hold on, I promise you. I give you my word and that's a word, darling. It's right around the corner. It's right around the corner. You got to get up. Well, and it starts there. Like you said, it's the belief in herself. Yes. You know, an understanding that she's going to run into people who don't believe, who don't have her best interests at heart. But in the end, all of that is noise if she can hold on to the light that she knows she has. I mean, just like Jennifer said, she was born knowing that she had a light, a gift. I believe that all of us are born knowing that you've got that light. Yeah. It's there. Nobody, everybody was given, we're all God's babies, whatever that means to you. You keep that light on. Nobody's better or worse than you. The day I became a true star was the day I realized everybody was one. And you also talked about the importance of having a dream. And a passion, a passion, and people say, how do you find your passion? What makes you smile? What in a day if you're walking around laughing and smiling is two different things. You can't fake, you can't fake a smile. You can fake some laughter, but not as much people who go, you can see that. You know that you know they folks. Right. God. That night. Anyway, nasty smile. Right. Yeah. What made you smile yesterday, but more important, what's making you smile at this moment? That's your passion. And that's part of the journaling process, too. Absolutely. Because if you're writing down your experiences, you know, and if you're paying attention, because writing it down means you're paying attention. Yeah. And the other thing, one other thing I say is, and especially in these days right now, what we're living in, you have only one weapon. There's one. One weapon. No, that's a sign that I make a sign that I make a sign that I make a sign that I make There's nowhere to run. I try to run and I got money to run, but you meet yourself. You will meet yourself when you get there. So there's no running. So go in here. Go in here and straighten your spine. You sit up. I mean, you walk in a room, you hold your head up. Yes. Sit up, stand up, get up. You can be, you can have despair for two minutes. And get up. Don't cry. No, I am just not. I am. I just want to thank you for the wisdom. I didn't get to say nothing. No, that's okay. Hey, listen, I get to say. No, no, no, you are welcome back here all the time. And she is laughing because she talks too much. I love it. But what do you know what? And that's another thing about you. And you have watched the show. Everything else say. I know for a holiday. I ain't no like some dumb shit. It's like they said something. That's a word. All right, I'll tune in. Thank you. That's really nice of you. I love you. This has been fun. Yes. It's been heartbreaking. It has been true. And it's been entertaining. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes, that's a good one. is about. You know, it's, you know, it's like, and I said at the outside, we've met on several occasions, but this is the beginning of knowing. Okay, I do still want to hear, but before we go, I want to hear my song. Which one? Okay, here it is. It's so good. It's so good. This is the best one. Here it is. And it goes a little bit like this. Now don't clap because I'll go off rhythm because I'm just pleased I've written some white people because you go. Maybe when the white people chime in on the rhythm, I'm gonna know something now. That's part out. We want to keep our weight. But you'll just when we start doing things just sit still. Now there's Miss Diane Carroll. I lean a horn in Eartha kid. Da da, they stayed on top for ages, but their looks never quit. Da da, now when white women get older, their skin gets creased and lined. But because of my race, look at my face. Socked as a baby's behind because black don't cry. Da da, I tell you, black don't cry. Now Cardi B and Beyonce certainly know how to make a buck, but being sued for fights are on Grammy nights. They don't need no nipping stuff. Da da, now now now. Da da, now Harriet's got her railroad. Sojourners got her truth. So common in the house. And Jasmine Crockett could be a choice at the voting booth. The Oprah Winfrey's got her billions. And Michelle's got Obama. And I still look good out in Hollywood playing everybody's mama. I tell you black don't cry. Oh, so white girls get your face lifts to your foreheads on your back. Cause I'll be having fun out in the sun. Just baby, black don't act. Woo! And then shut up on. That's the orchestra going. Don't know. All right, we that way. Yeah, Jennifer Lewis. Todd, man, we stay tuned. Stay tuned for that one woman. I will be right there. Oh, I hope so. I'll be right there. Thank you. Thank you so much for being here for sharing. And thank you for doing the work. All right. And Craig don't talk so much next time. I didn't enjoy this because I didn't get a word.