Tig Notaro and Cheryl Hines entertained comedy fans with their “Tig and Cheryl: True Story” podcast, which launched in 2020.

But three years later, Notaro, 54, abruptly exited the project. Her May 2023 departure came one month after Hines’ politician husband, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced his campaign for the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

More than one year later, Notaro confirmed during an October 2025 episode of the “Breaking Bread With Tom Papa” podcast that she had to part professional ways with Hines, 60, as a result of Kennedy’s political advances.

“Cheryl’s married to Bobby Kennedy Jr.,” Notaro said during the episode. “When he was announcing his run, I just felt like I needed to step away … because there are beliefs that were like a gnat on the arm years ago that were getting further into the spotlight.”

Related: Cheryl Hines Reveals ‘Painful’ Friendship Fallouts Over RFK Jr. Marriage

Cheryl Hines opened up about losing friends due to her marriage to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during an appearance on the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast. The Curb Your Enthusiasm alum dived deep into the backlash surrounding her spouse, who went from being a mainstream environmental activist to a controversial member of President Donald Trump’s second […]

The comedian went on to explain that the political stance of Kennedy, the Secretary of Health and Human Services for President Donald Trump’s administration, became too problematic. “My friendship with Cheryl predated her marriage to Bobby,” Notaro said of the couple, who got married in 2014. “He was in environmental law. And again, other beliefs he had were like a gnat on my arm.”

In a new interview for MS Now’s “The Best People” podcast, published on Monday, March 9, Notaro has reflected on her past friendship even further.

Keep scrolling for more insight into Notaro’s falling out with Hines:

Notaro Felt ‘Ridiculous’ After Kennedy’s Power Move

“Tig and Cheryl: True Story” involved the two hosts dissecting a documentary every week, with their musings often resulting in humorous anecdotes and observations. Notaro said during her MS Now interview that the work felt different in the wake of Kennedy, 72, announcing his campaign.

“There were things he thought and felt that I didn’t agree with, but he didn’t have the platform he got in the pandemic. I think that I needed to stop doing the podcast, because it was so ridiculous, it was so stupid— our show — that it was hard to be doing that when he was gaining momentum and speaking,” she told host Nicole Wallace.

Notaro’s Stand-Up Shows Became Impacted

Notaro said during the MS Now interview that her affiliation with Hines and Kennedy led to politically fuelled heckling during her stand-up performances.

“People would interrupt my stand-up shows and yell, ‘Bobby is crazy!’” Notaro said. “I was telling Cheryl that I know it’s a small percentage that pushes back online or yells out at shows, but I was, like, ‘Man, this is not my world. I don’t do this. I don’t want to be a part of this.’”

Notaro noted that Hines was initially understanding of her decision to exit their podcast. “She [Hines] was like, ‘I understand,’ but she wanted to keep doing the podcast. I had to step away, but I loved her so much,” Notaro recalled.

Notaro was replaced by Rachael Harris on “Tig and Cheryl: True Story,” but production ended for good in December 2023.

Their Friendship Dynamic Shifted After Notaro Left the Podcast

Notaro said she was upset as her friendship with Hines changed in the wake of her departure from the podcast. “What was most upsetting to me is we were in such opposing places, but I continued to reach out to her and send her love and support because I didn’t know what was going on behind closed doors. Then things shifted very severely,” she stated in the interview.

“I realized one day that she doesn’t ever reach out to me anymore. She responds to me, but she doesn’t reach out to me. I had to kind of shake myself out of denial that, ‘Oh, she’s gone,’ and, ‘OK, I need to let this go. I need to let it go.’”

Notaro Denies ‘Dumping’ Hines as a Friend

The comedian also claimed that reports stating that she “dumped” Hines were incorrect. “What was a bummer is that there’s some interviews claiming I dumped her and left her in the dust because of Bobby, but I was trying to be a friend to her even though I didn’t feel like I could continue with the podcast,” she said during the MS Now interview. “It’s been very strange, and I think I’ve moved past the confusion and sadness.”

Hines Felt Helpless Amid Notaro’s Exit From the Podcast

Hines said during a November 2025 episode of the ‘“Howie Mandel Does Stuff” podcast that she felt helpless when Notaro left. “When it was feeling a lot for her, there wasn’t much I could do about it other than leave my husband,” she said at the time. “This is what she feels she needs to do for herself … and she feels she needs to distance herself from me.”

Before this cool kid in his fancy beret turned into an American actor, he was just admiring his famous ‘rents and growing up in sunny Los Angeles …

He’s most known for playing Hughie on the hit Prime Video superhero series “The Boys” … as well as playing Marvel in “The Hunger Games.”

Gavin Newsom To Pete Hegseth
You Blew $93 Billion In Taxes On Steak, Lobster & Crab!!!

Published
March 11, 2026
5:27 AM PDT
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Updated
March 11, 2026
6:02 AM PDT

[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Shrinking Season 3, Episode 7.]For three seasons on the Apple TV series Shrinking, Sean (Luke Tennie) has gone from being a client in need of some unconventional therapy from Jimmy (Jason Segel) to a close friend that’s part of a found family that will never let him stop evolving. As he sorted through his own feelings, Sean reconnected with Marisol (Isabella Gomez), made amends for being a jerk, and rekindled their relationship in a much healthier way. Along with helping to guide his friend Jorge (Trey Santiago-Hudson) while he sorts out his own stuff, Sean has found strength in pursuing his dreams.

During this one-on-one interview with Collider, Tennie discussed the upward trajectory of his acting career, also playing characters in Abbott Elementary and The Pitt, how being a former football player is reflected in his current roles, what he’s most proud of when it comes to Sean’s journey, getting to a good place with Alice (Lukita Maxwell), the fun of getting to sing and play guitar with the ensemble cast, and how that shocking final moment of episode seven is going to have a ripple effect.

Collider: As much as I love the scenes that Sean and Jimmy share, and that Sean and Derek share, I also love the moments that Sean has had with Paul. How does it feel to be in a moment in your life and career where you can have Harrison Ford say things to you like, “Don’t be a hug bitch”?

LUKE TENNIE: I don’t know where my career is going from here. I don’t know what I’m going to do. It kind of seems like it’s done. I’m just getting started, but if this is not a peak, I don’t know what to tell you. It’s great, and not just Harrison, but every single cast member on the entire show. With Lukita [Maxwell] and Rachel [Stubington] and Isabella [Gomez] and Trey [Santiago-Hudson], who plays Jorge, I feel like I get to be a part of people who will be stars. And then, obviously, I get to be a part of people who’ve been stars. So, it’s a really exciting position to be in on Shrinking, at this time in my career. No matter where I look, in the next five years or in the past, there’s a bunch of excellent artists who I can say, “Hey, I know that person,” and that’s pretty cool.

Luke Tennie Just Wants To Continue To Elevate the Quarterbacks He’s Supporting in ‘Shrinking,’ ‘Abbott Elementary’ and ‘The Pitt’

“Maybe one day, I’ll be a quarterback, but for right now, I’m blocking, and I’m blocking well and hard.”

Image via Apple TV

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You’re doing this TV series with Harrison Ford, and you’re popping up over at Abbott Elementary. And then, two hit TV shows aren’t enough for you, so you also doing The Pitt. How exciting is it to be doing three hit TV shows all at once? When you go from Shrinking to Abbott to The Pitt, do you realize just how important an ensemble is that really clicks and finds that magic?

TENNIE: You found it. There’s the secret. A lot of people take certain things for granted as performers. I’m comfortable saying, you know the idea that there are no small parts? That’s not necessarily true. I think there are small parts, and there’s a reason for it. I am a supporting actor. That is what I do. I do it well. I used to play football. And for me, to act as though my position on the offensive line is the same as a wide receiver or a quarterback, no, I block a block for the quarterback. I feel like I get to continue to block for all these different quarterbacks. And when I say quarterback in the metaphor that I’m using, I’m talking about people who are multi-hyphenates. Look at Jason [Segel]. He’s a writer, executive producer and star. Look at Quinta [Brunson]. She’s a writer, executive producer and star. Look at Noah [Wyle]. He’s a writer, executive producer and star.

I am blocking for these quarterbacks, and they’re just like, “Hey, man, I’ll have this guy come back for me.” For me, it’s an honor to be in a position where I am playing a supporting part. Every time I step onto the set, it’s for me to support. It’s an honor and a privilege for me, and I take it very seriously because the positions that I’m put in right now are to elevate these quarterbacks in a specific way. Maybe one day, I’ll be a quarterback, but for right now, I’m blocking, and I’m blocking well and hard. I couldn’t be happier. I’m also on the same lot. All these shows shoot at Warner Bros. I know everybody now. I know where the gym is at. I know how to get to the parking lot. I know where the sun sets in the best spot. I’ve been working there all year. By the time I get back to Shrinking, ideally, I’ll be warm, ready, still on the lot, hyping, and ready to go.

I love that Sean has gone from being lost, to running a food truck, to being in this romantic relationship with Marisol, to now pursuing even bigger dreams as a chef. How are you most proud of Sean and who he has become since he started on the show?

TENNIE: That’s connected to your first point about this ensemble. There is no way that Sean would have access to any of that without the other characters. He wouldn’t have the truck if it wasn’t for Liz. Liz wouldn’t have had the money for the truck if it wasn’t for Derek. Sean never would have had the idea to start the truck if he wasn’t at the art gallery with Gaby. And Gaby was the person who make sure that Sean had a therapist, in Jimmy. It’s all connected. All this growth and opportunity that Sean is having is because of the environment that he’s in and all these people just saying, “Oh, can I help here? Can I help there?” And Sean wouldn’t have the truck if it wasn’t for Alice invoking the stones, so that he could get it from Liz and Derek. It’s all connected in such a beautiful way.

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Alice and Sean have really been able to talk things out together this season. I love the moment that they have in episode five when Alice reminds Sean that she tried to kiss him and she tells him that they’ve both been hiding from the world because of what they’ve been through. What was that scene like to share with Lukita Maxwell and how did it feel to really get them to that place, especially since it has been a journey to get there?

TENNIE: Yeah, it’s been a long time coming. In Shrinking, we see a lot of balance in relationships. There are mirrors that Bill [Lawrence], Brett [Goldstein] and Jason [Segel], and the rest of the other writers nail. If you remember the speech that Jimmy gave to Liz about, “You’re unforgiven. You’re banned from my house,” I love that speech because it’s incredible. You can see the other side of that from Liz’s perspective, as these characters grow. Sean is somebody who’s been on the older end of that relationship with Alice and hasn’t really experienced a real check from her, and he maybe took for granted the fact that he’s got a couple of years on her and thinking that there’s only learning happening in one direction. When she then schools him, he’s got to either live up to it or let his ego take over. I think that Sean is mature enough at this point to begin participating in his life and join Alice in not hiding anymore, which is a really cool thing to see.

The Ensemble Scenes in ‘Shrinking’ Often Feel Like Big Holiday Gathering Moments

“It should feel like a family reunion.”

Image via Apple TV

I also loved the moment in episode seven with everyone around the piano singing together and you’ve got a guitar. What was it like to have a moment like that where you guys are all together and singing, and then you also throw in some laughs with Cobie Smulders singing so off key?

TENNIE: That’s our show. That’s Shrinking. All these little scenes build up to when the family gets together again for those big scenes. For a lot of people, that’s how life is punctuated. A lot of people don’t have those families to connect with over the holidays. The reality is, when the family is together in a healthy moment, that’s what can punctuate a lot of people’s lives throughout the year, and that’s how the show is punctuated. We’ll have these two people over here, and these two people there, and then every once in a while, you’ll see everyone together again. When viewers see that on Shrinking, it should feel like Thanksgiving, it should feel like Christmas, it should feel like when everybody gets together on the 4th of July. It should feel like a family reunion, to a degree.

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Did you know that song at all? How did you come to play guitar in that scene?

TENNIE: Did I know that song? Have I seen Twilight? Absolutely! I did learn the chords in my trailer for a bit because I said to the director, “Is it cool if I played his guitar?” He was like, “Oh, it’s real cool if you play the guitar. Do you know the chords?” I said, “I just learned them in the trailer.” He said, “If you know the chords, then you can play it.” I was like, “All right, I’m playing it. Let’s play it!” I got to play because I just felt like that would be something that Sean would do. Sean is low-key and understated. He probably would sing if his friends wanted to, but to do something where he gets to hide a little bit, I obsess over the little details. The guitar being in front of you versus singing was one of those things where he got to participate in a low-key way, so I’m glad that they accepted that.

Losing Maya Will Have a Ripple Effect Through the Remainder of ‘Shrinking’ Season 3

“It’s going to change the direction of how they live their lives.”

Along with all the funny this season, there is a serious moment when Gaby learns about the loss of Maya and how that ripples through everyone on the show, including Sean. What is it like to throw Sherry Cola into the mix this season and to have her on the show?

TENNIE: I started following Sherry after I met her on socials. She’s everywhere. She’s in this show, that show, the up show, the down show. She’s everywhere. She’s able to fit into so many different pieces of art because of how versatile she is a performer, but also because of the warmth that she brings to her characters. She was perfect for that part in Shrinking because we knew where it was headed, and it needed to be a lasting impression. Sherry is the performer that can make that happen. The impression that she put on the show will live in Sean and Gaby. It’s going to change the direction of how they live their lives. It’s going to make them pay a lot more attention to how they operate and move through this world where they are aware of how therapy can potentially help people. Her contribution was a lot more than just being funny and witty and warm. It really alters the entire course of a couple of characters on our show. It was a pretty important part to cast. Shout-out to (casing directors) Brett [Benner] and Debby [Romano]. They did it again. They found the perfect performer for the part.

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Release Date

January 27, 2023

Network

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Apple TV

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Shrinking is available to stream on Apple TV.

Kyle Cooke
I’m Not Dating Ava Dash…
and Amanda Ain’t Dating West Wilson!

Published
March 11, 2026
5:35 AM PDT

As a genre, true crime has dominated television for years. Massive documentary hits like Netflix’s Making a Murderer and HBO’s The Staircase proved just how captivated audiences can be by real-life criminal cases. But as the genre has grown more popular, networks and studios have increasingly looked for ways to tell these stories outside the traditional documentary format, creating scripted series that allow writers and actors to explore the personalities and circumstances surrounding the crimes in greater detail.

That was the approach NBC took in 2022 when it teamed up with Blumhouse Television to produce The Thing About Pam, a limited series based on one of the strangest murder cases in recent American history. Rather than presenting the story as a grim procedural, the series leaned into the bizarre nature of the real-life events and the outsized personality at the center of the case. The result was a show that blended crime storytelling with dark humor and an almost Coen Brothers–style sense of absurdity. The tonal gamble didn’t work for everyone, but four years later, The Thing About Pam remains a fascinating look at a real-life story that was already stranger than fiction.

What Is ‘The Thing About Pam’ About?

The Thing About Pam is based on the real-life murder of Betsy Faria (Katy Mixon) in Troy, Missouri, a case that quickly spiraled into one of the most convoluted investigations in recent memory. When Betsy is found stabbed to death in her home in 2011, suspicion immediately falls on her husband, Russ Faria (Glenn Fleshler). Despite a lack of convincing evidence and the fact that he had a strong alibi, Russ is ultimately convicted of the crime, largely due to a deeply flawed investigation.

At the center of the story is Pam Hupp, played by Renée Zellweger, a seemingly friendly acquaintance of Betsy who becomes increasingly entangled in the case. As the investigation unfolds, Pam’s role begins to look far more suspicious than anyone initially realized. Over time, prosecutors and investigators begin uncovering a web of lies and manipulations that point to a far more disturbing truth behind Betsy’s death. The series also features a strong supporting cast, including Judy Greer as prosecutor Leah Askey and Josh Duhamel as defense attorney Joel Schwartz, as the case becomes increasingly bizarre.

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What sets The Thing About Pam apart from most true-crime adaptations is its unusual tone. Rather than presenting the case strictly as a grim procedural, the series often leans into the absurdity of the situation, from the baffling and botched investigation to the unusual personality of Pam herself. That tonal choice set the show apart, in both good ways and bad. At times, it risked feeling like it was adopting the darkly comedic style of shows like Fargo while telling the story of a very real murder. Still, the strange twists of the case, and Pam Hupp’s outsized personality, help explain why the creative team leaned into a more stylized approach. And much of that tone ultimately works because of Renée Zellweger’s bold performance at the center of it all.

Renée Zellweger Delivers One of Her Boldest Performances in ‘The Thing About Pam’

Looking at Renée Zellweger’s impressive resume, it might be surprising that her first real foray into television came through a network true-crime series. But Zellweger herself was introduced to the story of Pam Hupp while listening to Dateline’s popular 2019 podcast of the same name. As she explained in a 2022 interview with Entertainment Weekly, the case was so strange that it immediately drew her in. “You can’t quite believe the facts that surround the case,” she said, describing the story as an “escalating absurdity.” That sense of disbelief ultimately became central to her performance.

Zellweger commits fully to the role, leaning into Pam’s strange blend of seeming totally relatable while also being incredibly manipulative and unpredictable. It’s a performance that feels very different from the other real-life figures she has portrayed in the past, including Judy Garland in Judy, which earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress. Pam Hupp is not a tragic icon or beloved public figure, but someone far messier and far more baffling. That challenge results in a deliberately heightened performance that matches the show’s unusual tone. The Thing About Pam also marked a milestone in Zellweger’s career: not only was it her network TV debut, but she also served as an executive producer, helping shape the tone of the series while anchoring it on screen.

Looking back four years later, The Thing About Pam remains one of the more unusual entries in the ever-growing world of true-crime television. Its willingness to blend dark humor with a real-life murder case remains controversial, but the show’s attempt to capture the bizarre nature of the story, and the odd person at the center, gives it a distinct identity among a crowded field of true-crime adaptations. For viewers who missed it the first time around, the six-episode limited series makes for a quick and compelling binge.

Superhero Video Games
Non-Stop Action
Save the City … Finish the Villain

Published
March 11, 2026
12:05 AM PDT

Kandi Burruss & Ex Todd Tucker’s
Restaurant On The Hook for Six-Figure Settlement!!!

Published
March 11, 2026
2:00 AM PDT