HATE TO BREAK IT TO YA with Jamie Kennedy

This week on Hate To Break It To Ya, I'm sitting down with Todd Lewis, the guy who directed O.J. Simpson's infamous hidden-camera prank project, Juiced, and helped bring the story back into the spotlight through the new Investigation Discovery documentary, O.J. Unseen: Exploitation of Evil. Todd was actually there, working with O.J. during one of the strangest attempted comebacks in entertainment history. We get into how the project came together, what O.J. was really like behind the cameras, the footage that caused controversy, and why Todd disagrees with parts of the documentary's portrayal of what happened. We also go down the rabbit hole of the O.J. Simpson murder case, including alternative theories Todd has explored over the years. Then we get into the wild early days of reality television, the strange stories behind Trick My Truck, and what it's like being Jeff Lewis's brother in the world of Bravo and Chump Land. This one brings me right back to the era of The Jamie Kennedy Experiment, Punk'd, Jackass, and a time when Hollywood was willing to take some truly insane chances. ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ About Todd: Todd Lewis is a television producer, director, and entertainment industry veteran whose work spans reality television, hidden-camera comedy, and documentary development. He directed O.J. Simpson's controversial prank project Juiced and served as a consulting producer on O.J. Unseen: Exploitation of Evil. His television background also includes Trick My Truck, and he's the brother of Bravo and SiriusXM personality Jeff Lewis. ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Timestamps: 00:00 – Todd Lewis, O.J. Simpson & the New Documentary 07:46 – The Wild Early Days of Reality TV and Viral Videos 15:39 – What O.J. Simpson Was Really Like on Set 22:52 – The Leaked Footage That Derailed O.J.'s Comeback 28:00 – Todd's On-Set Confrontation with O.J. 32:58 – Did Todd Try to Get a Confession from O.J.? 39:23 – Alternative Theories About the O.J. Simpson Murders 47:01 – The Bronco Chase and the Birth of Reality TV 53:14 – What Todd Disagrees With in the Documentary 1:05:48 – The Strange Stories Behind Trick My Truck 1:12:14 – Jeff Lewis, Bravo & the Changing Television Business 1:19:06 – Jeff Lewis's Success, SiriusXM & Chump Land ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ SUPPORT THE POD 💥 Patreon: https://patreon.com/thejamiekennedy 🎟️ Tour Dates: https://jamiekennedy.com 👕 Merch: https://jamiekennedy.com/merch 📺 Subscribe: https://youtube.com/@jamiekennedycomedy

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Everybody has an opinion about comedy these days, but does anybody actually understand it anymore? In this solo episode of Hate To Break It To Ya, I'm getting into the growing epidemic of people who think having a social media following makes them an expert on everything, especially stand-up comedy. From influencers to fellow comedians, it seems like everyone's trying to police what can and can't be funny. And frankly, I'm tired of it. First, I'm breaking down the Raw Dog Radio controversy involving Sebastian Maniscalco, SiriusXM, and hundreds of comedians who were removed from the channel. I share my own experience with The Jamie Kennedy Experiment and how a decision to take the show to ABC Family instead of Comedy Central may have cost me $25 million in potential royalties. That's show business. Nobody owes you anything, and sometimes you have to adapt. Then there's Pete Davidson calling out influencers making millions from social media, and the backlash he received. What happened to earning your place in entertainment? What's the difference between having followers and leaving behind an actual legacy? I react to the response and explain why I think Pete has a point. Finally, we get into the Shane Gillis SNL controversy. I break down his joke, explain why I think people completely missed the punchline, and react to the comedians, doctors, and online critics calling it offensive. I also get into Dan Levy's response, Aries Spears' take, and why comedians criticizing other comedians has become such a problem. We've lost our collective minds. It's time to bring back some sanity. ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Timestamps: 00:00:00 – Nobody Understands Comedy Anymore 00:08:27 – Comedians Policing Comedians & the Shane Gillis Backlash 00:20:34 – Sebastian Maniscalco & the Raw Dog Radio Controversy 00:24:07 – How The Jamie Kennedy Experiment Cost Me $25 Million 00:41:36 – Pete Davidson vs. Influencers: Fame, Money & Legacy 01:04:03 – Dollhouse of Dread: Ghost Face, Pinhead & Jason at Walmart 01:07:49 – Breaking Down Shane Gillis' Controversial SNL Joke 01:16:51 – Aries Spears Defends Shane Gillis 01:30:13 – Doctors, Comedy Critics & the Outrage Over Jokes 01:43:36 – We've Lost Our Minds: Bring Back Sanity ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ 💥 Patreon: https://patreon.com/thejamiekennedy 🎟️ Tour Dates: https://jamiekennedy.com 👕 Merch: https://jamiekennedy.com/merch 📺 Subscribe: https://youtube.com/@jamiekennedycomedy

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Anthony Michael Hall is one of those actors whose movies helped define an entire generation. This week on Hate To Break It To Ya, I finally got to sit down with someone I've admired since I was a kid. The Breakfast Club was one of the movies that made me want to become an actor, so getting to hear these stories firsthand was pretty incredible. We get into his early days working with John Hughes on The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and Weird Science, including the iconic moments he improvised on set. Anthony shares stories about his relationships with Hollywood legends, his experience working with Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan, and how he went from being one of the biggest teenage stars in the world to joining Saturday Night Live at just 17 years old. We also talk about the Brat Pack, getting fired from Taps before Tom Cruise landed the role, his friendship with Robert Downey Jr., and why even after 51 years in Hollywood, he's still auditioning for parts. From the wild days of SNL to The Dark Knight, Reacher, and everything in between, Anthony has seen just about every side of this business. This was a really special conversation for me, and I hope you enjoy it. ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ About Anthony Michael Hall: Anthony Michael Hall is an actor, producer, and director best known for his iconic roles in John Hughes classics Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Weird Science. At 17, he became the youngest cast member in Saturday Night Live history. His extensive career also includes Edward Scissorhands, Pirates of Silicon Valley, The Dead Zone, The Dark Knight, Halloween Kills, and Reacher. Follow Anthony Michael Hall: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amh4real/ ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Timestamps: 00:00:00 – Anthony Michael Hall Joins the Podcast 00:03:05 – How The Breakfast Club Changed My Life 00:09:01 – Edward Scissorhands, Tim Burton & Reinventing Himself 00:14:19 – John Hughes and the Freedom to Improvise 00:21:23 – Hollywood Auditions, Christopher Nolan & Halloween Kills 00:29:30 – How Hollywood and the Entertainment Industry Changed 00:39:51 – The Brat Pack, Molly Ringwald & Tom Cruise 00:48:13 – Reality TV, Alec Baldwin & Ice-T 00:53:52 – Behind the Scenes of Weird Science 01:03:32 – Reacher, Hollywood & What's Next 01:14:32 – Joining Saturday Night Live at Just 17 01:20:16 – Getting Let Go from SNL with Robert Downey Jr. ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Support the Pod: 💥 Patreon: patreon.com/thejamiekennedy 🎟️ Tour Dates: jamiekennedy.com 👕 Merch: jamiekennedy.com/merch 📺 Subscribe: youtube.com/@jamiekennedycomedy

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This week I sat down with Joseph Whipp, who played Sheriff Burke in the original Scream and Sergeant Parker in A Nightmare on Elm Street, and I realized pretty quickly how much of his story I had never heard. Long before Scream, Joseph was a high school drama teacher in Northern California and spent two and a half years playing Randall P. McMurphy in a San Francisco production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest before Jack Nicholson took the role to the screen. We get into those early theater years, old-school Hollywood, working with Wes Craven, Cheers, The Golden Girls, Sean Connery, Karl Malden, Paul Sorvino, Johnny Depp and a completely different era of being a working actor. We also go back through Scream, why Sheriff Burke was never actually killed, why Joseph still thinks they could have brought him back, the insanity of the horror convention circuit, and his ongoing plan for the inevitable Scream 59. I’ve known Joseph for years from the Scream convention world, but I genuinely got to know him during this conversation. At 85, he’s still hilarious, sharp, full of stories and has more than five decades of Hollywood history behind him. ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ About Joseph Whipp: Joseph Whipp is an actor whose career spans more than five decades. He is best known to horror fans as Sheriff Burke in Scream and Sergeant Parker in A Nightmare on Elm Street. His credits also include Escape from Alcatraz, Cheers, The Golden Girls, Generations, Death Spa, The Hidden and Wrong Is Right. Before his screen career, Joseph taught drama at Carlmont High School and spent two and a half years performing Randall P. McMurphy in a San Francisco production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Follo Joseph Whipp: Website: josephdwhipp.com Instagram: @josephdwhipp ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 – The Scream 59 Origin Story 00:07:57 – From San Francisco to Venice Beach 00:17:50 – Playing McMurphy Before Jack Nicholson 00:28:00 – Sheriff Burke Never Got Killed 00:41:00 – The Biggest Scream Convention Jamie Ever Did 00:49:50 – Hollywood in the ’80s & Creative Friction 00:57:00 – The Cheers Audition With One Hour’s Notice 01:10:00 – Johnny Depp, Wes Craven & Betty White 01:23:00 – Wild Stories From the Horror Convention Circuit 01:33:00 – The Scream Family & Scream 59 ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ SUPPORT THE POD: 💥 Patreon: patreon.com/thejamiekennedy 🎟️ Tour Dates: jamiekennedy.com 👕 Merch: jamiekennedy.com/merch 📺 Subscribe: youtube.com/@jamiekennedycomedy

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This week I’m going down the AI rabbit hole because something about this story is getting seriously weird. An AI researcher leaves Anthropic warning about how dangerous this technology could become, we're hearing claims about rogue bots escaping their sandbox, hacking systems and even leaving self-replicating code around the internet — and I’m trying to figure out how much of this is real and how much could be a work. Right now I’m about 75/25. I think something very real is happening with AI, but I also have questions about why we're suddenly being flooded with warnings, who benefits from regulation, and whether fear could be used to lock down the industry. Either way, I think 2027 is going to look very different. Save the tape. I also explain why I’m convinced we live in some kind of matrix after connecting O.J. Simpson, the Bronco chase, MTV, the Kardashians, Jeff Lewis and my own prank-show history. Then we get into some absolutely insane clips from Los Angeles and Portland, the Sydney Sweeney debate, and finally a “greatest TV shows” list that has me asking how some of the biggest shows in pop culture somehow didn’t make the cut. ______________________ Timestamps: 00:00:00 – Trejo’s Donuts, Life Updates & Full Transparency 00:05:50 – The O.J.-Kardashian-Prank Show Matrix 00:10:32 – Is AI Getting Out of Control? 00:14:43 – The AI Whistleblower: Real or a Work? 00:20:55 – Rogue AI, Regulation & Self-Replicating Code 00:28:31 – My 2027 Prediction: Save This Tape 00:32:21 – The Portland Chromosome Shirt Controversy 00:39:07 – The Sydney Sweeney Debate 00:43:37 – The “Best TV Since 2000” List Makes No Sense ______________________ Support the Pod: 💥 Patreon: patreon.com/thejamiekennedy 🎟️ Tour Dates: jamiekennedy.com 👕 Merch: jamiekennedy.com/merch 📺 Subscribe: youtube.com/@jamiekennedycomedy

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This week on Hate To Break It To Ya I sat down with Mercedes “MJ” Javid, and we had a lot to catch up on. We get into the world of Jeff Lewis and Chump Land, what happens when people fall out of a friend group, loyalty, getting “de-chumped,” and why some people walk away gracefully while others burn everything down on the way out. MJ also opens up about someone dropping dime on her during the first Chump Con, and then we finally get into our own beef. We break down what happened between us on camera, where things went wrong, and why she believes being able to apologize, forgive and move forward is healthier than hanging onto resentment. We also talk about the early days of reality TV and Bravo, Shahs of Sunset, her real estate career, my ridiculous house hunt, where the whole Jeff Lewis universe is headed, and the new chapter she’s building for herself. MJ and I can argue, laugh, go completely off the rails and somehow land on something real by the end of it. This was one of those conversations. ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ About Mercedes “MJ” Javid: Mercedes “MJ” Javid is a television personality and luxury real estate broker best known as an original cast member of Bravo’s Shahs of Sunset. She returned to the Bravo world with The Valley: Persian Style and is also entering a new chapter with her upcoming solo podcast, New Season. Follow MJ: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mercedesjavid/ X: https://x.com/MercedesJavid ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Timestamps: 00:00:00 – MJ Does Her Makeup Live & The Cartier Bracelet Story 00:07:08 – How People Exit Friend Groups: Grace vs. Scorched Earth 00:12:55 – The Chump Con Incident: Someone Dropped Dime on MJ 00:20:11 – How MJ First Got Into Jeff's World & Their History on the Show 00:25:08 – Jamie and MJ's On-Air Beef: What Really Happened 00:39:47 – OG Bravo Wives, Paris Hilton, and the Birth of Reality TV 00:43:02 – The Apology: MJ Says Sorry and Means It 00:54:55 – Forgiveness Is Health 01:02:26 – The House Hunt: Elevator Houses, Freeway Studios & Finding Home 01:09:01 – Where Is Chump Land Headed? Jeff, Howard Stern, and the Future ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Support the Pod: 💥 Patreon: patreon.com/thejamiekennedy 🎟️ Tour Dates: jamiekennedy.com 👕 Merch: jamiekennedy.com/merch 📺 Subscribe: youtube.com/@jamiekennedycomedy

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Your house. Your family. Your peace of mind. Protect it with my sponsor SimpliSafe. Get 50% off your system at https://simplisafe.com/jamiekennedy. There’s No Safe Like SimpliSafe. ✅ ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Back with another solo episode, and this one happened because I came home from the Laugh Factory way too fired up to go to sleep. I went up on a Monday night, the set was going great, and then I tried one joke that completely changed the room. People started arguing, people started walking out, and at one point I actually offered an audience member $100 to leave. They didn't take it. So I wanted to sit down and talk through what happened, why the joke hit such a nerve, and where comedy is right now when a room can go from laughing together to completely divided in a matter of seconds. I also get into what happened after the show, the conversation I had with the person I offended, and why I still think comedy has to be a place where we're allowed to push things, get uncomfortable, disagree, and hopefully still laugh. This one got weird fast. ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 – I Just Got Back From the Laugh Factory 03:16 – The Set Was Going Great… Until It Wasn’t 07:48 – The Joke That Changed the Room 13:24 – I Offered an Audience Member $100 to Leave 20:56 – I Apologized, Hugged It Out… And She Still Wasn’t Happy 27:03 – Can We Still Joke About Everything? 31:25 – Watching the Actual Footage From the Show 37:44 – The Apology, the Hug & What Happened Next 46:10 – Final Thoughts on the Night ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Support the Pod: 💥 Patreon: patreon.com/thejamiekennedy 🎟️ Tour Dates: jamiekennedy.com 👕 Merch: jamiekennedy.com/merch 📺 Subscribe: youtube.com/@jamiekennedycomedy

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This week on Hate To Break It To Ya I sat down with Flash Shelton — better known as The Squatter Hunter — to get inside one of the craziest loopholes in the housing system.

Flash breaks down how squatters and “deceptive tenants” use fake leases, tenant protections and civil law to stay in properties they don’t own — sometimes leaving homeowners stuck fighting for months just to get their own house back. We get into the worst states for it, why police often can’t simply remove someone, some of Flash’s wildest removal tactics, and the cases that pushed him into becoming The Squatter Hunter in the first place.

I also tell Flash about my own experience squatting in Los Feliz when I was a broke actor in the ’90s — and what I discovered after buying a house that had apparently been functioning as a full-blown commune.

Flash also talks about his A&E series Squatters, how his work went viral, and his push to change squatter laws around the country.

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About Flash Shelton:

Flash Shelton is the founder of Squatter Hunters LLC and star and executive producer of A&E’s Squatters. After dealing with squatters in his own family’s property, he began helping homeowners reclaim their homes and has since become one of the most recognizable voices pushing for squatter-law reform.

Follow Flash SheltonInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/flashsheltonX: https://x.com/flash_sheltonYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FlashSheltonTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@flashsheltonWebsite: https://squatterhunters.com/

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Timestamps:

00:00 – How I Met The Squatter Hunter04:50 – How Flash Became The Squatter Hunter19:43 – The Worst States for Squatters28:26 – $130K and a Year to Get Their House Back31:19 – Who Are These Squatters?44:01 – My Own Squatting Story51:41 – The Commune I Found in My House1:00:27 – Flash’s Wildest Squatter Removal Tactics1:05:37 – The Hollywood Hills Squatter Case1:21:00 – Changing Squatter Laws Across America1:25:42 – How to Protect Your Property

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Support the Pod:

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Flash Shelton, Squatter Hunter, Hate To Break It To Ya, Jamie Kennedy podcast, squatters A&E show, deceptive tenants, squatter laws United States, homeowner rights, how to remove squatters, squatter hunter 2026, tenant rights loopholes, Flash Shelton interview

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This week I’m back with another Worlds on Fire, and this one starts with restaurant stupidity and somehow ends with Coca-Cola, predictive programming, Apple, the end times and a conversation with Hayden Panettiere that I haven’t talked about before. I start with one of my biggest restaurant pet peeves: people cleaning around your food while you’re still eating. If the restaurant is open, the kitchen is open — and I definitely don’t need somebody spraying chemicals three feet from my coffee. A Panda Express video sends me over the edge, and it brings back some memories from my own Red Lobster days when I first moved to Los Angeles. Then things get heavier. I get into the debate around Sophie Cunningham and women’s sports, why I think people are deliberately making a pretty basic disagreement more complicated than it needs to be, and why labeling somebody a “grifter” because you don’t like their opinion doesn’t actually answer the argument. From there we get into abortion, the Coca-Cola custom-can controversy, predictive programming, the Twin Towers showing up over and over again in pop culture, and an Apple commercial that sent me down an entirely different rabbit hole. I’m not telling you what to believe. I’m showing you what I’m looking at and asking the same question I keep coming back to: At what point do enough weird coincidences make you stop and say, “Okay… what the hell is going on?” And at the end, I wanted to take a few minutes to remember Hayden Panettiere. I didn’t know Hayden well, but we crossed paths through the Scream world, and the last time I saw her at a convention she opened up to me about losing her brother and what she was going through. After hearing about her passing, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that conversation. ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 – The World Is on Fire 02:59 – My Starbucks Hall of Shame 05:02 – Stop Spraying Chemicals Around My Food 09:53 – This Panda Express Video Is Insane 13:43 – Sophie Cunningham & Women’s Sports 21:04 – When Disagreement Becomes a “Grift” 30:03 – Where I Actually Stand on Abortion 39:05 – The Coca-Cola Custom Can Rabbit Hole 47:04 – Predictive Programming & the Twin Towers 49:30 – Apple, 666 & the “Beast System” 53:55 – Are We Living Through Something Bigger? 54:09 – Remembering Hayden Panettiere ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ 💥 Patreon: patreon.com/thejamiekennedy 🎟️ Tour Dates: jamiekennedy.com 👕 Merch: jamiekennedy.com/merch 📺 Subscribe: youtube.com/@jamiekennedycomedy ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Hate To Break It To Ya, Worlds on Fire, Jamie Kennedy podcast, solo podcast, Sophie Cunningham, women’s sports debate, Coca-Cola custom cans, Jesus Coca-Cola controversy, predictive programming, Apple 666, Apple commercial, Twin Towers predictive programming, Hayden Panettiere, Scream, Scream 6, pop culture conspiracy, current events podcast

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This week on Hate To Break It To Ya I sat down with Dave Sheridan — the man behind Officer Doofy and the actual Ghostface killer in the original Scary Movie — and I have to say, this is one of those conversations where I barely had to do anything. Dave just goes. He's one of the few people who genuinely makes me laugh without trying, and this episode is proof of that. We get into how Dave created Doofy, the strange road that brought him back for Scary Movie 6, and the original $15 vacuum prop that somehow became a piece of movie history. There are also some ridiculous convention stories, including the time that same vacuum helped knock out the power at an entire event in Scotland. But a lot of this conversation is really about how much the business has changed — auditions, comedy, conventions, making your own projects, and what it takes to keep working when Hollywood doesn’t operate the way it used to. Dave is naturally one of the funniest people I know, so this one goes off the rails pretty quickly. ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ About Dave Sheridan: Dave Sheridan is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer best known for playing Special Officer Doofy in Scary Movie (2000) — a role he also performed as the physical Ghostface killer throughout the film. He got his start as an SNL intern, trained at The Second City in Chicago, and broke out with the MTV prank series Buzzkill in 1996, which predated Jackass and Tom Green. His other credits include Ghost World (2001), The Devil's Rejects, A Haunted House, A Haunted House 2, and the Glenn Danzig-directed Hellmask. He returned as Doofy and Ghostface in Scary Movie 6, which opened number one worldwide. He is a father of two and one of the most active figures on the horror convention circuit. Follow Dave Sheridan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davesheridanofficial/ X: https://x.com/DaveSheridan ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ 00:00:00 – Intro & Catching Up with Dave 00:12:32 – Horror Cons, Skeet Ulrich & How Dave Got Into the Circuit 00:15:26 – The Original Scary Movie Vacuum & the $15 Prop Story 00:30:09 – The Scotland Convention Disaster 00:35:32 – How Dave Became Doofy in Scary Movie 00:43:44 – Hollywood Auditions, Three Kings & Office Space 00:54:39 – Scary Movie, the Wayans & Why Dave Disappeared from the Sequels 01:00:00 – Scary Movie 6, Marlon Wayans & Bringing Doofy Back 01:14:05 – Horror Con Economics, Doofy Dollars & Life on the Circuit 01:30:11 – How Hollywood Auditions Have Changed 01:42:22 – Scary Movie 6 Stories & Making Your Own Movies ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Support the Pod: 💥 Patreon: patreon.com/thejamiekennedy 🎟️ Tour Dates: jamiekennedy.com 👕 Merch: jamiekennedy.com/merch 📺 Subscribe: youtube.com/@jamiekennedycomedy ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Dave Sheridan, Dave Sheridan Scary Movie, Doofy Scary Movie, Scary Movie 6, Marlon Wayans Scary Movie 6, Ghostface actor, horror convention circuit, Jamie Kennedy podcast, Hate To Break It To Ya, Buzzkill MTV, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Dave Sheridan interview 2026

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In this solo episode of Hate To Break It To Ya, I get into everything that went down at the Scream 30th Anniversary panel at Midsummer Night Scream in Long Beach — one of the most elaborately produced con panels I've ever been part of, with a full union crew, stage set, music cues, and close to 2,000 people in the room. It was incredible. But something happened that I couldn't let slide, and I want to break it down honestly and respectfully for anyone who's ever been to a con, worked a con, or wondered what it's actually like on our side of the table.

The big story making the rounds involves a fan who aired a grievance at Matthew — publicly, on stage — over an interaction from a few years back. I wasn't there for the original exchange, but I heard the whole thing afterward, and I want to give you the full picture: the fan's theory (which was actually kind of fascinating, connecting Mad Love to Scream through character motivation), what I think really happened in that signing line, and why I pulled the guy aside, talked it out, and got him to a better place. This is a conversation about parasocial relationships, expectations, and what it means to give someone power over your emotional state. I also had my own version of this play out — a woman reached over from the bathroom line and tried to get a free ChapStick signing, I said there's a process, and somehow that made me a D-bag on the internet. I'm going to explain exactly why that's wrong, and I'm going to do it without apology.

I also get into the Famke Janssen yardstick story that's been circulating — a fan paid $80, got told to stay three feet back, and posted about it. I give both sides. And then there's the Nicolas Cage first-con story, which I heard through the circuit and which is genuinely one of the most human things I've come across in a long time. I close out with a story about a fan named Jess the Mess — who did everything right, earned real access, and ended up getting me Dunkin' Donuts coffee the morning after the con in exchange for a picture she accidentally left at my table. That's the kind of experience this can be when both sides show up right.

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Timestamps:

00:00:00 – Intro: Midsummer Night Scream & the Scream 30th Anniversary Panel

00:02:37 – Matthew's Incident: The Fan Who Aired a Grievance on Stage

00:05:22 – Breaking Down the Mad Love / Scream Fan Theory

00:08:06 – Defending Matthew: What It's Actually Like to Meet 5,000 People in a Weekend

00:11:46 – Jamie Talks the Fan Down & What Good Communication Looks Like

00:16:20 – ChapStick Gate: Why I'm Apparently a D-Bag

00:19:26 – Con Economics 101: How the Table System Actually Works

00:27:31 – Both Sides: Celebrities Aren't Always Right Either

00:34:53 – The Famke Janssen Yardstick Story

00:38:49 – Nicolas Cage's First Con & the Little Girl Who Changed Everything

00:41:51 – Jess the Mess: A Fan Who Got It Right

00:45:47 – Outro: Like, Subscribe & Keep the Pod Alive

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Support the Pod:

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Jamie Kennedy podcast, Hate To Break It To Ya, Scream 30th anniversary, con circuit drama, fan entitlement, parasocial relationships, comic con etiquette, Midsummer Night Scream, Nicolas Cage first convention, Famke Janssen yardstick, celebrity autograph signing, Hollywood convention culture 2026

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This week on Hate To Break It To Ya I sat down with Drea de Matteo — Emmy-winning actress, Queens native, Sopranos icon, and one of the most unexpectedly outspoken voices to come out of the COVID era — and the conversation went everywhere. Drea didn't come in with talking points. She came in with a story, and it's a wild one: a foreclosure notice, a flooded house, a lien she needed to pay off fast, and a decision that made headlines around the world. We got into all of it — how refusing the vaccine cost her her agent, her manager, and a string of acting jobs she could have taken; how she went from voting for Biden to campaigning for RFK Jr. to watching the whole political landscape shift under her feet; and how a single bikini photo on OnlyFans paid off a $75,000 lien in 75 minutes. Drea breaks down exactly what was on that page, sets the record straight about her son Blackjack and the viral moment that blew up on social media, and explains why she sees the whole OnlyFans chapter less as a scandal and more as a middle finger to a system that dropped her without a phone call. We also talked about her Queens upbringing, her mother's world in the theater — Herbert Berghoff, Uta Hagen, the whole lineage — and how growing up inside that world made her the last person anyone expected to end up on a fan platform paying her own mortgage. Drea is one of those people who is exactly who she seems like and also nothing like what you'd expect. She's got an Emmy from what is arguably the greatest TV show ever made, she's raising two kids in Laurel Canyon, she's got a t-shirt company, a podcast, and zero interest in playing the game the way the industry wants her to. I loved this conversation. She gave me everything. ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ About Drea de Matteo: Drea de Matteo is an American actress best known for playing Adriana La Cerva on HBO's The Sopranos, a role that earned her the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2004. She has appeared in Joey, Sons of Anarchy, Desperate Housewives, and Shades of Blue, among many other film and television credits. Born and raised in Queens, New York, she is the daughter of a playwright and furniture manufacturer, and grew up in proximity to the HB Studio theater world through her mother's work with Herbert Berghoff and Uta Hagen. She has two children — daughter Alabama and son Blackjack, whose father is musician Shooter Jennings — and is the founder of the t-shirt and media brand UltraFree. Follow Drea de Matteo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreadematteo/ X: https://x.com/dreadematteo ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Timestamps: 00:00:00 – Cold Open: Coffee Stains & First Impressions 00:01:50 – Drea the Groupie: Music, Queens, and Rock and Roll Roots 00:06:55 – Growing Up in the Theater: HB Studio, Uta Hagen, and Hating It 00:13:55 – Sopranos, Staying in Character, and Not Wanting to Be Famous 00:15:55 – COVID Changed Everything: From Checked Out to Wide Awake 00:20:30 – OnlyFans Goes Viral: How It Started and Why 00:27:45 – Losing the Agent, Losing the Manager, and Self-Canceling 00:34:00 – Foreclosure, a Flooded House, and the Trip to Tahoe 00:42:05 – OnlyFans Explained: The Bikini Photo, the Lien, and $75K in 75 Minutes 00:54:05 – Emmy on the Sopranos, Then OnlyFans: What the Industry Did 01:00:00 – Setting the Record Straight: Blackjack and the Viral Moment 01:07:55 – Kids, Social Media, and Living in GTA 01:13:45 – Hollywood, Independence, and Whether the Business Can Come Back 01:25:55 – Witch Hunts, Symbols, and Trying to Understand Everything 01:43:15 – Satanism, Secret Societies, and Participating Without Knowing 01:51:30 – UltraFree, the Podcast, and Wrapping Up ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Support the Pod: 💥 Patreon: patreon.com/thejamiekennedy 🎟️ Tour Dates: jamiekennedy.com 👕 Merch: jamiekennedy.com/merch 📺 Subscribe: youtube.com/@jamiekennedycomedy ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Drea de Matteo, Hate To Break It To Ya, Jamie Kennedy podcast, The Sopranos cast, Adriana La Cerva, OnlyFans celebrity, vaccine mandate Hollywood, Drea de Matteo interview 2026, Emmy Award actress, Shooter Jennings, Hollywood blacklist, Queens New York actress

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This week on Hate To Break It To Ya, I dive into the release of Anthony Fauci's personal diary and why I think it's one of the most overlooked stories of the year. I walk through the entries that caught my attention, the Congressional testimony that followed, the debate surrounding his pardon, and why so many people still have no interest in revisiting what happened during the pandemic.

From there I revisit some of the moments that changed the way I looked at everything—from the Pineapple Hill protests to restaurants enforcing different rules for different people—and why I think those years permanently reshaped public trust.

Then things take an unexpected turn. We get into a California robotics company unveiling a goat-headed chainsaw centaur, Meta's newest smart glasses campaign that looks like it came straight out of They Live, and why I think we're moving into a future that deserves a lot more skepticism than it's getting.

Whether you agree with me or not, this episode is really about one question: what happens when people stop questioning the people they're told to trust?

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Timestamps:

00:00:00 – Intro: Best Golf Round of My Life00:01:19 – The Pandemic Was a Three-and-a-Half-Year War00:03:28 – Two Types of People: Telephone vs. Banana00:06:06 – The Cult of Closed-Mindedness00:07:06 – Fauci Takes the Fifth — 111 Times00:20:00 – Reading Fauci's Diary00:25:03 – Fame, Money, and Public Perception00:27:44 – Looking Back at Pandemic Policies00:28:52 – Gain of Function and the Lab Leak Debate00:35:52 – RFK Jr. and Questioning the Experts00:44:46 – Why I Almost Quit: My SNL Audition Story00:51:09 – The Fauci Diary Finally Goes Public00:55:15 – The Goat-Head Chainsaw Robot00:58:45 – Meta Glasses, They Live, and the Future01:01:04 – Patreon, Tour Dates & Final Thoughts

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Support the Pod:

💥 Patreon: patreon.com/thejamiekennedy

🎟️ Tour Dates: jamiekennedy.com

👕 Merch: jamiekennedy.com/merch

📺 Subscribe: youtube.com/@jamiekennedycomedy

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This week on Hate To Break It To Ya, I just got back from Galaxy Con, and I'm feeling the effects. I talk about what it's really like working conventions, the fans who make it all worthwhile, the emotional drain that comes with being "on" all weekend, and why I'm starting to rethink how often I do them.

Then I get into something that's been happening right outside my front door in West Hollywood. In just a couple of weeks, multiple major water main breaks have hit the Los Angeles area, flooding streets, shutting down neighborhoods, and even causing water pressure issues miles away. I walk through what I've been seeing, give credit where it's due when repairs happen quickly, and ask the question that's been on my mind: are we simply watching decades-old infrastructure reach its breaking point, or is something bigger going on?

I also revisit the golf cart story and why taking responsibility still matters, even when it's uncomfortable. Somewhere along the way, I accidentally became the guy talking about local news—and honestly, I'm just reporting what I'm seeing.

00:00:00 – Intro: Just Back From Galaxy Con00:01:23 – The Emotional Reality of Working Conventions00:03:35 – Fan Types: The Good, the Sweet, and the Drive-Bys00:06:03 – No Break, No Hiding, No Time to Recharge00:09:28 – My Ideal Convention Schedule00:15:25 – Upcoming Shows and Maybe Slowing Down00:16:22 – The Hole in My Driveway and Where This Started00:17:53 – Water Main Break #1: Sunset Blvd Floods at 5 A.M.00:21:07 – Giving LADWP Credit for a Fast Repair00:25:03 – More Water Main Breaks Across Los Angeles00:30:02 – Anaheim Water Problems and Disneyland Disruptions00:33:37 – Old Infrastructure or Something More?00:34:05 – How Did I Become a Local News Podcast?00:42:30 – The Golf Cart Story and Taking Accountability

💥 Patreon: patreon.com/thejamiekennedy🎟️ Tour Dates: jamiekennedy.com👕 Merch: jamiekennedy.com/merch📺 Subscribe: youtube.com/@jamiekennedycomedy

Timestamps:Support the Pod

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This week on Hate To Break It To Ya I sat down with Shannon Beador — twelve-year veteran of The Real Housewives of Orange County, one of Bravo's most recognizable faces, and a woman who has lived more on camera than most people do in a lifetime — and she did not hold back. We met through our mutual friend Jeff Lewis, and from the first time I saw her handle a room full of big personalities I knew she was the real deal. This conversation confirmed it.

We go deep on how Shannon ended up on RHOC in the first place — a casting number she found in a drawer, a closet with no windows, and an iPhone camera — and what twelve seasons of reality television actually does to a person. She walks me through the affair that unfolded the day after her very first day of filming, why she and her then-husband made the decision to talk about it openly on camera, and what it felt like to watch it all back six months later while the internet weighed in. We also get into the DUI — the real story, what was going on in her life that night, how she broke her nose and her arm, what she did the next morning, and why she chose a mental health facility over a traditional rehab. Then there's the $300,000 defamation lawsuit she won but still lost, the Quiet Woman restaurant drama that Kelly Dodd turned into a press cycle, the Heather McDonald video that got under Shannon's skin more than she wants to admit, and the full story of the golf cart incident at Kelly's Fourth of July party — including what Jamie thinks actually happened and why nobody is saying the obvious thing out loud.

Shannon is one of those people who is much funnier and much more self-aware than the villain edit would have you believe. She's been through a divorce, a DUI, a lawsuit, public humiliation, and a company that cost her everything — and she's sitting in a duplex in Corona Del Mar, single, happy, and genuinely at peace with herself for the first time. That's not nothing. That's actually the whole story.

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About Shannon Beador:

Shannon Storms Beador is a main cast member of The Real Housewives of Orange County, which she joined in Season 9 in 2014 and has appeared on for twelve consecutive seasons, currently airing Season 20 on Bravo. She also starred in Bravo's spin-off series Love Hotel. A Southern California native, Shannon attended USC and raised three daughters — Sophie, Stella, and Adeline — in Orange County. She previously founded and ran a supplements company and is known for her candid, unfiltered approach to filming her real life, including her divorce, her 2023 DUI, and her ongoing journey as a single woman navigating life after a long marriage.

Follow Shannon Beador

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannonbeador/

X: https://x.com/ShannonBeador

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shannonbeador

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Timestamps:

00:00:00 – Cold Open: Reality TV and Appearances

00:01:39 – RHOC Season 20 and 12 Years on the Show

00:05:46 – How Bravo Gatekeeps (and Why It's Outdated)

00:06:46 – How Shannon Got Cast: The Drawer, the Closet, the iPhone

00:08:13 – The Affair: What Happened and Why She Talked About It

00:14:04 – Live Shows with Vicki and How the Show Has Changed

00:20:29 – The DUI: The Real Story, the Crash, and the Aftermath

00:23:41 – Accountability, Mental Health, and Learning to Be Alone

00:29:31 – The Quiet Woman Restaurant Controversy

00:41:26 – The Golf Cart Incident at Kelly's Fourth of July Party

00:56:49 – The Johnny Carson Rule and Jeff Lewis Loyalty

01:00:26 – Kelly Dodd: The Hot-and-Cold Friendship

01:03:15 – The Heather McDonald Video and the $300K Defamation Suit

01:09:49 – Shannon's Storyline This Season and Life in Corona Del Mar

01:14:09 – Dating at 62, Being a Sapiosexual, and the Kissing Bandit

01:19:13 – The Mercedes Fight and Jamie's Apology

01:24:30 – Where to Watch RHOC Season 20

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Support the Pod:

💥 Patreon: patreon.com/thejamiekennedy

🎟️ Tour Dates: jamiekennedy.com

👕 Merch: jamiekennedy.com/merch

📺 Subscribe: youtube.com/@jamiekennedycomedy

⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻

Shannon Beador, Real Housewives of Orange County, RHOC Season 20, Hate To Break It To Ya, Jamie Kennedy podcast, Shannon Beador DUI, Shannon Beador interview 2026, Bravo podcast, Jeff Lewis, Kelly Dodd, Heather McDonald, RHOC cast interview

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In this solo episode of Hate To Break It To Ya, I get into the AI and automation wave that is coming for your job whether you're ready or not. By 2030, half the positions that exist today are gone — middle management, drivers, all of it — and if you're still going to baseball games and barbecues like it's 2015, you are going to get hit in the face by reality. I lay out exactly what I think you should be doing right now: investing, building a personal brand, and seriously looking at owning a self-driving vehicle that earns money while you sleep. I also talk about where I'm at personally — the hospital stay, getting my health and finances dialed in, the upcoming cons, and why I'm done waiting on Hollywood to hand me anything. From there I get into the state of the pod itself. I'm honest about the views, the clips that pop off, the guests who rock with me immediately versus the ones who give me the Hollywood runaround. I've reached out to big liberal voices in comedy and media and the silence is deafening — which tells you everything about how "inclusive" that side of the aisle actually is. I also react to the disgusting social media behavior I saw after Lindsey Graham's passing, and I make the case that you cannot call yourself open-minded and loving while wishing harm on people you disagree with politically. Then I react to a viral clip of a young actor — six episodes into his career — grabbing a fan's autograph and trying to light it on fire. I tell a Courtney Cox story from the Scream set in 1996 that changed how I think about fame, I break down what Russell Crowe, Al Pacino, and even the wrestlers get right about dealing with the public, and I explain exactly where this kid crossed the line from "setting a boundary" into something genuinely psychotic. I close out reacting to the Messi and Lamine Yamal prophecy photo, a manifesting breakdown that I think is real science, and a wild GTA-level scene I witnessed outside a coffee shop in LA that you have to hear to believe. ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Timestamps: 00:00:00 – Cold Open: State of the Pod 00:01:42 – Why I Started HTBITY and the Guest Booking Reality 00:04:38 – Fox News, CNN, and Who Actually Returns Calls 00:07:47 – Upcoming Cons and What's Next for Jamie 00:09:02 – The 2030 Warning: AI Is Coming for Your Job 00:12:50 – The Left's Inclusivity Problem and Lindsey Graham Tweets 00:19:27 – Hollywood Pays to Play: How Bad Movies Get Made 00:26:19 – LA Is GTA: Coffee Shop Story 00:31:37 – Robocar and the Self-Driving Taxi Opportunity 00:37:50 – Reacting to the Hudson Williams Autograph Meltdown 00:38:13 – Courtney Cox at the Mall: A Scream Set Story 00:44:22 – What Al Pacino, Russell Crowe, and Wrestlers Get Right 00:49:37 – Six Apps Deep: Where the Line Was Crossed 00:52:34 – Manifesting, The Simulation, and The Secret Is Real 00:56:47 – The Messi and Lamine Yamal Prophecy ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Support the Pod: 💥 Patreon: patreon.com/thejamiekennedy 🎟️ Tour Dates: jamiekennedy.com 👕 Merch: jamiekennedy.com/merch 📺 Subscribe: youtube.com/@jamiekennedycomedy

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This week on Hate To Break It To Ya I sat down with Stu Stone — actor, filmmaker, rapper, podcast pioneer, and one of my oldest friends in this business — for a conversation that was 25 years in the making. Stu has been on this couch more than anyone else, which tells you everything you need to know about the quality of what he brings. We went deep on the era that defined both of our careers, the hustle that got us there, and the economy that's keeping us alive today. We covered a lot of ground. We got into how the convention circuit has quietly become one of the most reliable income streams in Hollywood — Eli Roth called it "the new residuals" and he is not wrong. We talked about Tremors 5 selling 863,000 DVDs, residual checks from Enemy of the State, and why getting on Netflix might actually be the worst financial move you can make. Then we went back to the origin story of "Rolling with Saget" — the song that started as a demo recorded in a porn warehouse in the Valley for $40 an hour, almost starred Jeff Goldblum, got passed on by every rapper in the game (including Akon, which we will always regret), and then went to number one on MySpace overnight. We watched footage from the MTV show Blowing Up, including a clip of Bob Saget rapping in the Hummer on Sunset, and we talked about the meeting at Warner Brothers where we had to explain the concept to the chairman of the label by singing "Boogie in Your Butt." We also got into how I created a fake manager named Marty Power — a cross between Robbie Benson and James Woods — to get my first auditions, and how selling sandwiches to Barry from Barry's Boot Camp was the beginning of learning how to sell myself. Stu is one of the few people who has been there for every version of me — Lexus Jamie, Hummer Jamie, Bentley Jamie, pandemic Jamie — and watching these old clips together reminded me how much we actually built from nothing. This one goes long and it earns every minute. ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ About Stu Stone: Stu Stone (born Stuart Eisenstein) is a Canadian actor, filmmaker, rapper, and producer who has been working in the entertainment industry since age two. He is best known for playing Ronald Fisher in Donnie Darko, voicing Ralphie Tennelli on The Magic School Bus, and co-starring with Jamie Kennedy in the 2006 MTV reality series Blowin' Up. He is a director and co-founder of 5'7 Films, whose horror feature The Haunted House on Kirby Road won Best Horror Feature at the Toronto Independent Film Festival. His current projects include the film Don't Mess with Ghosts, a re-release of Faking a Murderer, and Dark Side of the Ring Season 7. Follow Stu Stone Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stustone/ X: https://x.com/stustone ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Timestamps: 00:00:00 – Welcome Back, Hall of Famer 00:05:12 – Tom Green, Podcasting and the Early Internet 00:13:03 – Fame Then vs. Fame Now 00:19:07 – The Convention Circuit and Hollywood's New Residuals 00:29:02 – Convention Horror Stories 00:34:18 – Why Hollywood Doesn't Work Like It Used To 00:44:34 – The Death of the Movie Star 00:50:05 – Jamie's Early Hustle 00:56:57 – The SNL Audition 01:00:51 – Chasing a Record Deal 01:02:15 – How Rolling with Saget Was Born 01:09:01 – Going Number One on MySpace 01:10:37 – Convincing Warner Bros. to Make It 01:15:04 – Blowin' Up Turns 20 01:25:18 – T-Pain, Bow Wow and MTV Memories 01:29:03 – Wrapping Up ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Support the Pod: 💥 Patreon: patreon.com/thejamiekennedy 🎟️ Tour Dates: jamiekennedy.com 👕 Merch: jamiekennedy.com/merch 📺 Subscribe: youtube.com/@jamiekennedycomedy

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This week on Hate To Break It To Ya I sat down with Michael Rapaport — New York City legend, actor, comedian, podcaster, and one of the most outspoken pro-Jewish voices in the country right now — and we went everywhere. I mean everywhere. We started where any two white boys from our era have to start: the White Boy Hall of Fame. Who’s in, who’s got a wing, who owns the whole compound. And it escalated from there in the best possible way. We got deep into Jewish identity, Zionism, and antisemitism — and Michael broke it all the way down. He explained what Zionism actually means at its most basic level, why he refuses to separate anti-Zionism from anti-Jewishness, and why he has zero patience for people who want to debate him on it. He talked about the rise of what he calls “reimagined, remixed” antisemitism, what happened at UCLA, why he’s deeply critical of NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and why he’s seriously considering running for mayor himself. He also explained the one reason — and it’s a big one — why he retired his longtime nickname for Donald Trump. Nine trips to Israel in two and a half years, conversations with hostage families, and a clarity about what actually mattered to him in the last election. That’s a real answer from a real person, and I respect it. We also got into the Kevin Hart roast fallout, why Michael thinks the comics complaining about it are out of pocket, his memories of the Improv in the early 90s when he and I were both coming up, his arc on Only Murders in the Building, and his Tribe Called Quest documentary — which he started filming at Rock the Bells with a camera in his own hands. Michael Rapaport is one of those guys who has always been exactly this — loud, funny, passionate, and completely unfiltered. Social media simply gave everyone else a window into the guy people in comedy and Hollywood have known for decades. ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ About Michael Rapaport: Michael Rapaport is a New York-born actor, comedian, director, and podcast host who has been a fixture in film and television since the early 1990s. His film credits include Zebrahead, True Romance, Higher Learning, Cop Land, Dr. Dolittle 2, and Big Fan, and on television he has appeared in Boston Public, Prison Break, Atypical, Justified, and Only Murders in the Building. He directed the acclaimed hip-hop documentary Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest (2011) and the ESPN 30 for 30 film When the Garden Was Eden. Since October 7, 2023, Rapaport has become one of the most prominent pro-Jewish, pro-Israel voices in American entertainment, using his I Am Rapaport: Stereo Podcast and his massive social media following to speak out against antisemitism — and he has recently announced he is considering a run for Mayor of New York City. Follow Michael Rapaport Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelrapaport/ X: https://x.com/michaelrapaport Website: https://www.michaelrapaportcomedy.com/ ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Timestamps: 00:00:00 – Cold Open: Hidden Cameras & Old Friends 00:01:00 – The White Boy Hall of Fame: Who's In, Who's Got a Wing 00:07:00 – Mark Wahlberg Owns the Compound 00:09:00 – Larry Bird, Elvis, and the Hall of Fame Debate 00:12:00 – Robin Thicke, Gary Owen & Scott Caan 00:16:00 – Jews, Hollywood, and the "Run" Conversation 00:19:00 – Antisemitism Is Back With a New Publicist 00:21:00 – What Zionism Actually Means 00:27:00 – The Jewish Tunnels of Los Angeles 00:33:00 – Free Palestine, Hamas, and Iran 00:43:00 – Kanye West, Redemption, and the Music Question 00:47:00 – Michael's Early Career & the Improv in the 90s 00:53:00 – Brooklyn Is Cotton Candy Now 00:58:00 – Zohran Mamdani: "Zoran the Moron" 01:03:00 – Spencer Pratt, the LA Mayor Race & Michael Running for NYC Mayor 01:08:00 – Trump, October 7th, and Why He Retired "Dick Stained" 01:21:00 – The Movie Business Is Broken 01:31:00 – The Kevin Hart Roast Fallout 01:43:00 – The Tribe Called Quest Documentary & Rock the Bells 01:47:00 – Wrap-Up ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Support the Pod: 💥 Patreon: patreon.com/thejamiekennedy 🎟️ Tour Dates: jamiekennedy.com 👕 Merch: jamiekennedy.com/merch 📺 Subscribe: youtube.com/@jamiekennedycomedy ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Michael Rapaport, Hate To Break It To Ya, Jamie Kennedy podcast, White Boy Hall of Fame, antisemitism 2026, Zionism explained, NYC mayor race Zohran Mamdani, Kevin Hart roast controversy, Tribe Called Quest documentary, Beats Rhymes and Life, pro-Israel Hollywood, Michael Rapaport interview 2026

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This week on Hate To Break It To Ya I sat back down with Corey Feldman — actor, musician, and we went deep. The last episode we recorded together had to be pulled for legal reasons tied to an ongoing fakumentary lawsuit, so this one picks up where that left off.

We got into why Corey has never once been booked on a major late-night show — not Kimmel, not Colbert, not Fallon, not Letterman, not Carson — and why he believes his speaking out is the direct reason. He walked me through the exact moment everything changed: watching the 2010 Academy Awards and seeing Corey Haim's name left out of the In Memoriam segment. That was the night he went to ABC Nightline and said out loud what nobody in Hollywood wanted said. He also shared something I'd never heard before — the promise Corey Haim made him take a year before his death. That conversation hit different. We also got into the smear campaign that's been running against him for fifteen years, the people he believes are paid to keep it going, and what happened the night his documentary screened at the DGA — with Rosanne Arquette, Matthew Modine, and a plug that mysteriously got kicked out of the wall.

From there we went into the Epstein files, why Corey thinks the current geopolitical noise is a distraction from accountability, the difference between real corroborated evidence and whitewash lists, and where he draws the line on what he'll say publicly versus what could get him "suicided." We also talked about what's actually going on in his career right now — a new rock collaboration with Fred Durst, a song he's writing to raise money for Epstein survivors, a Steven Soderbergh-presented film called Sour Party screening at SAG on July 7th, and the Stand By Me Live and Goonies tours drawing thousands every night. Corey's busy, he's clear-eyed, and he's not done.

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About Corey Feldman:

Corey Feldman is an actor and musician who has worked in Hollywood since childhood, with iconic roles in The Goonies, Stand By Me, The Lost Boys, and the original Scream. He is widely recognized as the first public figure to openly discuss the prevalence of abuse in the entertainment industry, a stance he has maintained for over three decades despite significant personal and professional consequences. He is the author of the memoir Coreyography and the creator of the documentary (My) Truth: The R*** of 2 Coreys. He currently fronts his own band, runs an independent music label, and is actively touring with Stand By Me Live and Goonies Live events across the country.

Follow Corey Feldman:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cdogg22/

X: https://x.com/Corey_Feldman

Website: https://coreyfeldman.net/

Corey’s New Single:https://youtu.be/JnRWBAlOGcE

Corey’s Birthday Party Shows:

7/25: The Arrow Room [Rancho Cucamonga, CA]

7/26: Garden Amphitheatre [Garden Grove, CA]

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Timestamps:

00:00:00 – Corey's Back: Why the Last Episode Got Pulled

00:02:23 – Legacy vs. Viral Fame: Art Is Forever

00:05:20 – Jimmy Kimmel, Loyalty, and the Pilot That Never Paid Off

00:09:58 – Exiled from Late Night: The Price of Speaking Out

00:13:39 – The 2010 Academy Awards and Corey Haim's In Memoriam Snub

00:19:03 – Corey Haim's Final Promise

00:21:26 – Judy Haim, Gaslighting, and Where Was the Mother

00:24:27 – Paid Opposition: The 15-Year Smear Campaign

00:25:44 – The DGA Screening, the Pulled Plug, and Two Years Blacklisted

00:30:13 – Out of the Shadows, QAnon Whitewashing, and the Real Epstein Flight Log

00:45:38 – Epstein, the War, and What's Being Covered Up

00:49:27 – Satanism, the Illuminati, and Hollywood's Dark Side

00:55:37 – Faith, Prayer, and How Corey Stays Centered

00:58:09 – New Music: Fred Durst Collab and a Song for Survivors

01:01:00 – Sour Party, the Goonies Tour, and What's Coming Next

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Support the Pod:

💥 Patreon: patreon.com/thejamiekennedy

🎟️ Tour Dates: jamiekennedy.com

👕 Merch: jamiekennedy.com/merch

📺 Subscribe: youtube.com/@jamiekennedycomedy

⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻

Corey Feldman, Hate To Break It To Ya, Jamie Kennedy podcast, The Goonies cast, Stand By Me cast, The Lost Boys, Hollywood pedophilia, Corey Haim, Epstein files Hollywood, child actors abuse, Corey Feldman interview 2026, celebrity blacklist Hollywood

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This week on Hate To Break It To Ya I sat down with Barry Katz — legendary talent manager, producer, and founder of the Boston Comedy Club — and what started as an interview turned into one of the most honest, wide-open conversations I've had on this show. Barry has managed or launched the careers of Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Dane Cook, Wanda Sykes, Jay Mohr, Bert Kreischer, Whitney Cummings, Jim Gaffigan, and more than a dozen other names you know by heart. He is, as I told him to his face, the last of a breed — a manager who actually goes to the club, watches the set, and builds the hour alongside the artist. Nobody does that anymore. We got into all of it: what Barry saw in me thirty-two years ago at a Stand-Up New York SNL audition and why he says the Jamie Kennedy on stage today is almost unrecognizable from that kid; the three things that actually make a great stand-up comedian; and why he believes I've been leaving something on the table. That part stung — and I had to sit with it — but he's not wrong. We talked about the 90-10 reality of the manager-artist relationship and why it's structurally set up to end in a firing, how Barry got fired by fax, by FedEx, and in person, and why he'd sign every one of those clients again without hesitation. We went deep on Dane Cook's social media revolution, the Brad Williams YouTube story that changed a comedian's business overnight, and why Barry thinks doubt is the single greatest dream killer working against comedians today. We also got into the Malibu's Most Wanted origin story — Nick Swardson, a spiral notebook, and a fax machine — which is one of the best stories I've heard in years. Barry is one of those rare people who makes you want to go out and destroy. By the end of this conversation I was fired up in a way I wasn't expecting. He's built more careers than anyone I know, he's taken more hits than anyone I know, and he's still smiling. That's the lesson. ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ About Barry Katz: Barry Katz is an American talent manager, television and film producer, and the founder of the Boston Comedy Club in New York City, which he ran for seventeen years and which served as the launching pad for some of the most significant careers in modern comedy. Over four decades he has managed or developed Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Dane Cook, Wanda Sykes, Jay Mohr, Bert Kreischer, Whitney Cummings, Jim Gaffigan, Darrell Hammond, and many others — selling forty-five out of forty-six comedy specials he has taken to market. He was the executive producer of the Emmy-nominated NBC series Last Comic Standing and has produced Grammy-nominated comedy albums, including Jay Mohr's Happy. And A Lot. He currently hosts the Industry Standard podcast, runs the Blueprint for Success mentorship program for emerging comedians, and continues to manage, produce, and consult across the entertainment industry. Follow Barry Katz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barrykatz/ X: https://x.com/BarryKatz Website: https://www.barrykatz.com ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Timestamps: 00:00:00 – Cold Open & Barry Roasts Jamie's House 00:03:20 – What Barry Saw at the SNL Audition 32 Years Ago 00:09:00 – The Three Things That Make a Great Stand-Up Comedian 00:16:00 – Barry's Honest Take on Jamie's Stage Persona 00:23:00 – Jamie's SNL Audition Story & Life After the Rejection 00:26:00 – Jamie's Career: Auteurs, Roles, and the Town That Changed 00:36:55 – The Gene Simmons Story 00:39:20 – The Dog vs. the Wolf: Barry's Philosophy on Creative Freedom 00:51:20 – The Boston Comedy Club & How Barry Got to New York 00:53:40 – The Client List: 20 Legends and Counting 00:55:50 – Jay Mohr, Addiction, and 30 Years of Partnership 00:58:45 – The 90-10 Truth About the Manager-Artist Relationship 01:03:40 – Barry's Strength Is His Weakness: Doing Everything 01:13:00 – Dane Cook, Social Media, and Changing the Business Forever 01:16:00 – The Brad Williams YouTube Story 01:29:00 – The State of Stand-Up: Too Much Noise or More Opportunity? 01:39:00 – Legacy, Lyrics, and What It Actually Takes to Leave a Mark 01:44:00 – Bombing, Thick Skin, and the Trump Blinders Metaphor 01:53:50 – Kill or Be Killed: The Comedy Store Mentality 02:00:00 – Stock Rising, Stock Falling, and Talent That Never Dies 02:05:50 – The Malibu's Most Wanted Origin Story: Nick Swardson & the Fax Machine 02:10:30 – Closing: Barry Gives Jamie His Flowers ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Support the Pod: 💥 Patreon: patreon.com/thejamiekennedy 🎟️ Tour Dates: jamiekennedy.com 👕 Merch: jamiekennedy.com/merch 📺 Subscribe: youtube.com/@jamiekennedycomedy ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Barry Katz, Barry Katz podcast, Hate To Break It To Ya, Jamie Kennedy podcast, comedy manager Hollywood, Dave Chappelle manager, Bill Burr manager, Dane Cook social media, Boston Comedy Club, Last Comic Standing producer, Industry Standard podcast, comedy business 2026

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