Committed

Shannon and Jerome Schwartz are married television writers. But up until a few years ago they had never collaborated on a project. They had their own separate careers and they were very content in their own spheres. But then a project came along that felt like the right thing to do together. And that project was to try to turn the Committed podcast into a television series for ABC Studios. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Larry and Sarah Nannery didn't know that Sarah was autistic when they first met and fell in love. They knew their brains worked differently and sometimes that was frustrating, but very often it was also incredibly interesting. They had their miscommunications, but they made figured them out. And then after about seven years of marriage Sarah got a formal diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. I found Larry and Sarah through their book, What to Say Next, where they break down how they communicate as a Neurodiverse couple. This is a love story about learning how your partner's brain works, how every single person's brain is different and unique, and there are lessons in here for all of us. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

One wife writes romantic comedy novels for a living. The other wife works with the world's most famous relationship guru and had her on speed dial throughout the early days of their relationship and engagement. Does this pairing make for a perfect union? Sometimes it does. But no relationship is perfect. Lindsay and Georgia work at their love every single day and they are the first ones to tell you that it takes a village of other humans to make a marriage succeed. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tim and Susan Bratton found their path to being intimacy experts because their own marriage was falling apart. Tim was cheating on Susan. Susan didn't enjoy sex at all. So they dug in and went to counseling and workshops and they became experts on the subject. And along the way they fixed their own marriage. Today Tim and Susan are two of the most sexually open couples I have ever met. They are in an open and polyamorous relationship, they have a thriving sex intimacy business and they're ridiculously happy and in love. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Christina and Ryan Hillsberg are a real life Mr and Mrs Smith. They met and fell in love while they were at the CIA. Their time as spies shaped who they are, but it also shaped their marriage. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Lauren and Cameron got engaged before they ever set eyes on one another. They met on the reality TV show Love is Blind. If you're not familiar with the show it involves 15 men and 15 women going into this experiment where they see if they can find love through a wall. An actual wall. The two of them fell for each other in just ten days and got engaged without ever touching. It sounds crazy, but they're still together and still really happy. Maybe there's something to being forced to fall in love with your partner's mind before anything else. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Joe served half his life in prison for taking the life of another man. Sheila met Joe while he was serving his time. She was 20 years older than him, a former foreign correspondent for the New York Times, a mother, a homeowner and she fell in love and married a man in prison. Joe was behind bars for twelve years of their relationship. I first learned about Sheila and Joe's love story in an incredible book by Elizabeth Greenwood called Love Lockdown: Dating, Sex and Marriage in America's Prisons. Sheila and Joe's story got under my skin for a lot of reasons. I couldn't imagine how someone like Sheila would fall in love with someone incarcerated for murder. But she did. And their love thrived behind bars and is still thriving today. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When Ash met Chip he was a part of the furry community, a community of people that enjoys an interest in anthropomorphized animals, that often likes to dress up as cartoon animals, sometimes in social situations. Ash had no idea what to expect from this new person that she was very attracted to. She had no idea how to dive into the furry community herself. But she did. Finding the furry community through Chip helped Ash learn to express herself in totally new ways. For the two of them the furry community is so much more than I ever could have imagined. This interview completely blew up any misconceptions I had about this world and how we choose to express ourselves from the inside out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Committed is back for Season Seven on November 17th! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sonya and Paul Kix have been married since 2007. She's a Black woman from Texas and he's a white guy from Iowa. There were zero black people in his graduating class. Living as an interracial couple, Paul living as the only white person in his household that now includes three children, that forces their entire family to have difficult conversations about race on a regular basis. It has been more than 50 years since Loving versus Virginia struck down laws banning interracial marriage. And some may take it for granted that that means life is much less complicated for interracial couples. It is in a lot of ways, but in the face of today's national reckoning on race and systemic racism couples like Paul and Sonya also have to figure out how to best navigate race in their relationship. How can Paul be empathetic to how Sonya feels watching a police shooting of a black man, how can he raise black boys in a world that already sees them as black men, how can he understand what it feels like to be pulled over by the police as a black person? Navigating all of this can be exhausting for everyone, but also completely necessary.Music featured in Now That’s A Great Idea written and performed by Jeff Willett. For more information please visit: www.JeffreyWillett.com/ Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With no previous climbing experience Harold Earls sets out to climb the world's tallest mountain right after marrying Rachel, the absolute love of his life. Rachel had been supportive. Harold's dreams were her dreams. But that year was one of the most dangerous years of all time for Everest climbers and at one point during the descent Harold was caught in a life-threatening snow and ice storm. Rachel hadn't heard from Harold and she just kept thinking, my husband might die, my brand new husband might die.This bonus episode (brought to you in 3D audio) is about dreams and hope and how we help one another accomplish the things we could never accomplish alone. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Broadway actors Amanda Kloots and Nick Cordero were a young and healthy married couple with a new baby when Nick went into the ICU with COVID-19. Nick was only 41. He was strong and everyone thought he would be out of the hospital in a week or two. But Nick's health continued to deteriorate. He couldn't breathe on his own. His organs began to fail. Amanda did everything she could to stay hopeful. She rallied the entire world in song and prayer. We don't normally do episodes with just one part of a couple. But sometimes there is an exception to the rule and Amanda Kloots IS that exception. In her new book Live Your life Amanda is candid and raw and so incredibly honest about what it was like to watch Nick waste away from a disease that no one understood. She reflects back on their few years together and wonders whether she was a good enough wife to Nick at times, whether she did enough to support his dreams. She also painstakingly describes how she has committed to keeping Nick's memory and music alive for the world and for their toddler son Elvis. Her story is heartbreaking, but it also leaves you with hope that we can all get through our darkest moments. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we are bringing you an old episode in celebration of our friend Doree Shafrir’s new book Thanks for Waiting. Doree and her husband Matt have been on the show twice to talk about their long struggle with IVF and what that meant for their family. Doree’s new book is all about hitting life’s milestones (like getting married and having kids) a little later than expected and it is a beautiful read along with her and Matt’s episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Todd Tilghman had been a pastor for more than 20 years when he realized he wanted to do something new. Call it an itch, a calling, a midlife crisis but Todd knew he needed to do something else. And so he tried out for The Voice. This episode is about Todd’s journey from pastor to singing sensation but it is mostly about how his wife of more than 20 years, Brooke, pushed him and encouraged him to get there. Todd and Brooke have weathered so many seasons in their two decade marriage. They got married young, nearly got divorced, came back together, were blessed with eight children, two of them adopted from Korea. They dealt with Brooke’s anxiety and depression, with money ups and downs, raising a family of ten on a pastor’s salary. And when Todd needed that change it was Brooke who pushed him to follow his dreams. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Laura Stachel and her husband Hal Aronson save lives every single day through their work providing solar power to hospitals around the world. Neither of them ever could have done it on their own. Their marriage has informed their work and their work has informed their marriage. Laura is an OB-GYN and public health professional. When she traveled to Nigeria on a research trip she realized that women and children were dying during childbirth because hospitals had no electricity. When she brought the problem to Hal he saw the solution. He immediately began to design solar energy programs for these hospitals. Today We Care Solar is a vibrant nonprofit that has reached more than 6,200 health facilities serving more than 7.5 million mothers and newborns. Visit them at WeCareSolar.org Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is the story of a female police chief in Philadelphia and how she reacted to Floyd’s murder and how she managed her police force through what came next. But it’s much more than that. This is also about the woman who supported that police officer, her partner, now wife, Jackie. This is a love story. But it is also a story about policing and how things do have to change. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When Aimee Oates got pregnant with her first baby she told her husband John that the two of them were hitting the road with him and his band Hall & Oates. It wasn't a thing that usually happened. Wives, babies, they didn't usually come on the road with this old boys club. But Aimee was adamant. And they did it. They traveled as a family with the iconic rock group Hall & Oates. Their son took his first steps in a casino. They barely ever spent a day apart. I have always been curious about what it is like to be married to a rock star. I don't think Aimee and John's story is necessarily representative of all rock stars, but it is so beautiful how they found an unconventional way to nurture their family and their marriage all over the world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

COVID-19 has divided Americans in so many ways in the past year. Many Americans have completely opposite views on whether or not they want to be vaccinated right now. And those conversations are happening very close to home, sometimes within the same home. We were so curious to know what was said behind closed doors when one spouse was pro-vaccine and the other one was against getting the COVID-19 vaccine. We put out a call to the Committed community and got way more responses than we expected. Today's episode contains two stories of couples who do not see eye to eye on getting the vaccine and how they manage to get through being on very opposite sides of the issue. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you binge-watched Tiger King during the beginning of the pandemic like Nick and I did then you may think you know everything there is to know about Carole and Howie Baskin. You probably have an idea about them in your head, maybe even a suspicion or two. But there is so much that you didn't see on Tiger King. We got to interview Howie and Carole about it all -- the documentary, Joe Exotic, the murder for hire plot, the cat sanctuary, Dancing with the Stars -- but most of all about their beautiful love story filled with compassion, humor and dedication to a cause. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chris had proposed to Goldie when they were 18. He got down on one knee at Cinderella's castle. When you're that young you think marriage might be like a fairytale, that the prince being down on one knee is the one thing that will make it all better. But their first years of marriage were hard. They were totally broke and Goldie was dealing with trauma from past sexual abuse. She developed an autoimmune disorder where she was in pain all the time. Pain that made her want to take her own life. Chris never gave up. When Goldie tried to commit suicide he doubled down on his efforts to be by her side, to provide constant hope and optimism, to do anything and everything to save his wife's life. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Reverend Roxy and Reverend Joshua come from completely different backgrounds. He’s a white guy from Colorado. She’s a Black woman from Brooklyn. They met while they were both chaplains in the military. They fell in love fast and hard despite all their differences. Being in an interracial couple in America has never been easy, but right now, as our country deals with a much overdue racial reckoning, there is often even more of a learning process involved. Joshua had to learn how to grow and adapt and restructure his world-view in a multitude of different ways because he was raised in an environment where race or racial issues weren't really something he was ever confronted with. Roxy had to learn to educate Joshua, and also when to step back and let him educate himself. They both had to learn how to have an open and honest dialogue to express how they really felt.They really enjoyed figuring out how to grow together. And after they got married they discovered they loved working with other couples to do the same thing. Together they created a premarital counseling and wedding officiated business. Reverend Roxy is something of a wedding celebrity these days. She’s performed ceremonies on shows like Love is Blind and Married at First Sight, usually in some fantastic designer gown that should be on a red carpet. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Leah was terrified of getting married. She didn’t want to give up her independence. But a terrible accident at a construction site changed everything Leah thought she wanted. Her longtime boyfriend Kelsey rushed to her bedside to be with her and she proposed to him from the hospital. The two of them have had to figure out how to navigate their first year of marriage during a pandemic and with Leah paralyzed from the waist down. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For forty years Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas tried to keep their celebrity marriage out of the spotlight. But after being married for four decades, or what felt like a hundred years as Phil says, they got interested in researching what makes a marriage work and last and thrive over such a long period of time and they decided to put their own marriage front and center in a new podcast. Marlo never wanted to get married. But she was so smitten with Phil after appearing on his show in 1977 she finally took the plunge. Marlo became a stepmom to Phil's four boys, they lived long distance and figured out how to make it work. They survived Hollywood and cross country moves and jealousy over co-stars. Their wit and wisdom about commitment is unparalleled. We are so excited to share their long love story with you and introduce you to their incredible new podcast called Double Date. Fans of Committed will just adore the interviews Phil and Marlo do on double date with celebrities like Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka, Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen, Sting and Trudy Styler and so many more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Committed is back for Season Six on April 14th! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our host Jo Piazza has a new podcast series called Under the Influence. Of course she found a married couple while reporting it. She finds couples for Committed everywhere! Paul Vlitos and Collette Lyons are a married couple who recently wrote a novel about mom influencers together. An entire novel! We interviewed them to find out how a married couple manages to do anything creative at all while raising a toddler and also while getting COVID over Christmas. If you haven't listened to Jo's new podcast yet it is a deep dive into the world of mom influencing on Instagram. Check it out here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/under-the-influence-with-jo-piazza/id1544171101 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What was supposed to be a few months of travel for Garrett and Jessica Gee quickly turned into a lifestyle and a career. The couple figured out how to become travel influencers, how to get brands to pay them and their young family to travel the world. Part of me wanted to find out that this wasn’t a dream...that traveling with three small children was actually exhausting and tedious, but the truth is that Jessica and Garrett make it seem easy, and beautiful. And in a time when we are all stuck at home for the foreseeable future, their nomadic family feels like the escapism we desperately need. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kate Pierson and Monica Coleman run the super hip Catskills motel Kate’s Lazy Meadow together. Kate is also a member of the new wave band The B-52s.The two women have been up in the mountains since the pandemic began, taking care of the motel, bird watching, gardening, canning tomatoes, and hiking with their German Shepherds. This is also the longest amount of time they’ve been together now that Kate isn't off on tour.Listening to the two of them you can hear how fascinated they each are with one another and how they support one another creatively.Kate and Monica met in New York City back in 2000. At the time both of them were with other people and Kate had never been with a woman, but Monica wasn't just any woman... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This past November Pennsylvania's Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman was thrust into the national spotlight as he defended his state against voter fraud. Suddenly the second couple of PA, John and his wife Gisele, were instant social media celebrities. Gisele refers to herself as SLOP, the second lady of Pennsylvania. John and Gisele are a delight. They're intensely compassionate and committed to making the state of PA a better place. Talking to the two of them you get the sense that either of them would have completely thrived in public service and advocacy on their own, but together they’ve been able to do it a dozen times more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I will read anything about how other couples and parents are getting it done during the pandemic. That’s why I couldn’t turn away from a profile I read about Carl and Jesse Crawford in the New York Time. It was about how Carl moved out of their house so he could work at a power plant as an essential worker and how Jesse was left behind to home school their kids while working a full time job. Jesse is a super-mama and the fact that she essentially ran a kindergarten through a middle school completely inspired me to stop moaning about parenting my own two babies. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jana Kramer and Mike Caussin had the makings of a fairytale love story. She had a successful acting and singing career...he was a professional football player...they fell in love hard and fast and had a picture perfect wedding. But fairy tales don’t exist. Jana and Mike learned that the hard way. It was only a couple of months into their relationship that Jana discovered that Mike was cheating on her. And then she learned about more affairs. Mike admitted that he was a sex addict, a story that was picked up by US Weekly. Jana and Mike had to live out the worst moments of their life in the public eye. But Jana and Mike were committed to trying to work through all of their crap. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The celebrated children’s book author Amy Krouse Rosenthal passed away from ovarian cancer on March 13, 2017, just 10 days after her essay looking for a new love for her husband Jason was published in the Modern Love section of the New York Times. Amy wanted to give Jason the chance to love again, to keep living life to its fullest after she was gone.This episode focuses on the 26 wonderful years Jason and Amy were together, how they faced her mortality, and how Jason learned to grieve Amy and rebuild his life after she was gone. We also got to talk about Jason's wonderful new book, My Wife Said You Might Want to Marry Me. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In March of 2017 Andrew and Edward Senn received a call from a social worker that they were chosen to foster a set of premature nine day old twins who had been born with drugs in their system. The couple had been hoping to enter a long-term private adoption but they knew right away that these babies needed them. Becoming parents and going through the very slow roller coaster of the foster system, getting the family they always wanted in a very unconventional way has changed Andrew and Edward in ways they never could have imagined. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Shaun King has been advocating for justice as an outspoken Black Lives Matter activist since 2014. He’s incredibly outspoken about his work on Twitter. He’s beloved by some people and hated by others. Amidst it all he’s raising five children with his high school sweetheart Rai. And even though Rai steadfastly supports Shaun she never exactly chose to be married to the movement. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Francis Cretarola and Cathy Lee opened their restaurant Le Virtu on Philadelphia's Passyunk Avenue right before the economy collapsed in 2008. This restaurant, one that serves Abruzzese Italian food is Francis and Cathy's passion. They survived 2008 and together they have created community and family for their staff and their patrons. But then the pandemic happened. And Cathy and Francis have had to hunker down and make some incredibly difficult decisions, decisions Francis says are way above his pay grade, to try to keep their staff and their patrons safe while keeping their restaurant afloat. Running a restaurant is like walking a tightrope. Margins are thin and the stress is high, but Cathy and Francis have powered through the pandemic with grace, compassion and humor. I love this story because it's here in my hometown of Philly and it shows just how hard we're all working together to get through this tough year. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Skyler knew he was gay when he met Amanda. But he loved her and he wanted to start a family with her. Both of them are members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They believe that marriage is so much bigger than just the two of them and this life on Earth. And through countless difficult discussion they’ve found a way to build a marriage not in spite of Skyler’s sexuality, but in addition to it. They’ve started to try to build a family and both of them say that Skyler being gay isn’t the hardest thing they’ve faced in their marriage. The loss of their baby Milo at 24 weeks was much more difficult for them to get through and out of necessity they became even closer as a couple. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Codie and Tommy Oliver met, got engaged, got married and created a blockbuster television show together in the time that most couples start leaving a toothbrush at one another’s apartments. Their show, Black Love, is about to start it’s fourth season on OWN. It is a beautiful docu series that shatters stereotypes and showcases incredible love stories. Creating something from scratch is never easy, but it’s even more challenging when you’re doing it with your partner. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bestselling author Caitlin Moran has been married to her husband Pete for 25 years. When Caitlin first book, How to Be a Woman, turned into a global phenomenon, Pete stepped back from his successful career as a journalist to pick up the slack at home and take care of their two daughters. Caitlin credits Pete with helping her career thrive, for not being her glass ceiling. This episode is a beautiful portrait of the middle of a marriage, of how we sustain love over the decades, of how we support one another, of how sometimes we schedule sex in a calendar invite and why that is completely OK. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Committed is back for season five on October 14th! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You guys might already know our guests today—Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman. Interviews with Megan and Nick usually kick off by talking about how they’re something completely out of the ordinary—a Hollywood couple that has stayed together for about two decades. I love these articles because they use language like they’re describing aliens or pandas mating in captivity in a suburban American zoo. In Hollywood terms, a love story that lasts longer than the production of a single movie is considered successful. But Nick and Megan do have a secret, a reason they think they’ve stayed together so long: They commit to truly being together. Also...they like one another. And liking your spouse tends to go a long way. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 2016 Shapearl Wells was ready to end her marriage of 19 years to her husband Brent. Then her son was killed by gun violence in Chicago. In the worst moment of her life she realized that Brent was her safe place, the only person who could support her as she embarked on an investigation into Courtney’s death, an investigation that would eventually become the basis for the podcast Somebody. In the months and years following Courtney’s death Shapearl and Brent discovered a new way to be together that was shaped by their shared history, their friendship and their faith. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Shazi and Joe met while Shazi was building her company, the organic baby brand Happy Family Organics. Their storybook romance completely changed when their first child Zane was diagnosed with regressive autism. Shazi and Joe were forced to re-examine everything about their lives and their marriage to figure out how to parent Zane. But they did it; their family didn’t just survive, they thrived. Their family motto is “we win,” because they refuse to give up. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pregnancy is difficult no matter who you are. But it can be even harder when society sees you one way, pigeonholes you, thinks they know exactly who you are. Spencer and Kelly’s journey to parenthood was a long one...and a beautiful one. Spencer identifies as a queer male. His husband Kelly also identifies queer. And even though Spencer is also transgender and had gone through a medical transition to present as a man, he was still able to carry their baby. Kelly and Spencer’s story first appeared on the website MotherMag.com and my friend Erin Fehrer did a beautiful job documenting the two of them becoming parents to an incredible little boy named Alexis. That’s how we found them. Today they’re dads, raising Alexis, living in Sydney, Australia and navigating the very real ups and downs of marriage after having a baby. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nick and Hana met as Marines on active duty and got married fast. They hardly had a honeymoon or a courtship. Demanding military jobs and having young children took a toll on their relationships. But Nick was also suffering from the aftershocks of something that happened before he met Hana. He was a Marine in Fallujah, Iraq during Operation Phantom Fury and still suffered PTSD from it years later. Hana and Nick had to learn how to confront his PTSD and traumatic brain injury together in order to save their marriage. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It was fitting that we did today’s interview during the COVID-19 pandemic because it’s different from the shows we usually do, but it makes sense in the strange new world. Hannah and Kelty Luber aren’t married to each other….they’re twin sisters. Both of them are married to men, but they have chosen to live together on a farm outside of Portland, Oregon. On the farm they share their lives and their parenting duties. They’re twins...they’re incredibly close, but this decision wasn’t just about them—first they had to convince their husbands to join their families together. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Since we're all hungry for things to listen to we wanted to drop some old episodes in your feed. Bestselling author Emma Straub's new book All Adults Here was released today and it is the perfect quarantine read about the very real messiness of family life. Way back in season one we interviewed Emma and her husband Mike about following their dreams and launching an independent book store. It's just a nice listen right now as a reminder that we can and will create beautiful things out of our dreams again soon. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When Caroline Wright was told she had a brain tumor that was so fatal doctors nicknamed it The Terminator and that she only had a year left to live she started writing…She began to write for her two young boys and for her husband Garth. She filled dozens of black and white marbled composition books.. And in those notebooks she wrote them a blueprint for what their lives might look like after she was gone. Writing just became this ritual, this hopeful landscape that was distanced from the craziness of being a patient. It gave Caroline this hopeful version of what motherhood and marriage could look like. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cecilia Latorre and her partner Gerry tried to blend their two families under one roof. But their children had very different lifestyles and everyone was unhappy. We often take for granted that living together is a hallmark of commitment. That couples must cohabitate if they’re serious about their relationship. But what if cohabitating actually makes the relationship worse? Cecilia and Gerry decided to stay together by purchasing separate houses that are side by side. They have their own bedrooms, their own bathrooms, their own lives…. and they’ve never been happier. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. David Fajgenbaum has been read his last rites five times. He suffers from the extremely rare and deadly Castleman disease, an orphan disease with no known cure or treatments. To buy himself more time to marry his college sweetheart Caitlin and start a family with her David embarked on a journey to find the cure and treatment for his disease on his own. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Glennon Doyle was still married to the father of her three children when she saw Abby Wambach across a room and felt something that can only be described as love at first sight. Glennon didn’t think it would be possible to be with Abby, to be with a woman, to blow up the carefully curated life she had been taught she was supposed to have. But she did it anyway. And It wasn’t easy, because life isn’t easy or simple. But it was possible and once Glennon realized it was possible she began to live the truest and most beautiful version of her life. Glennon and Abby’s love story cracked our hearts right open and we couldn’t be happier to bring it to you to launch season four. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Three stories of love and commitment in the age of COVID-19. A Maine doctor moves out of his house to protect his wife, toddler and unborn child from the virus. A local cardboard factory steps up to make cardboard cutouts of the 120 guests who won’t be at a young couple’s wedding. And one couple who got married without leaving their apartment...in the Nintendo video game Animal Crossing. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.