Michelle Obama and her brother to launch a podcast with weekly guests
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The first two episodes — the first is an introductory one and the second features Rae — will premiere Wednesday. New episodes will be released weekly and will be available on all audio platforms and YouTube.
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'With everything going on in the world, we're all looking for answers and people to turn to,' Obama said in a statement. 'There is no single way to deal with the challenges we may be facing — whether it's family, faith, or our personal relationships — but taking the time to open up and talk about these issues can provide hope.'
Obama has had two other podcasts — 'The Michelle Obama Podcast' in 2020 and another in 2023, 'The Light We Carry.' Her husband, Barack Obama, offered a series of conversations about American life between him and Bruce Springsteen.
The new podcast is a production of Higher Ground, the media company founded in 2018 by the former president and first lady.
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New York Post
18 minutes ago
- New York Post
Zohran Mamdani mentions Andrew Cuomo in same breath as Jeffrey Epstein in new video
Mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani is going nuclear on rival Andrew Cuomo — attempting to link the ex-governor to Jeffrey Epstein in a new scorched-earth campaign video. In the 90-second TikTok-style spot, Mamdani, looking into the camera, demands that Cuomo release his list of consulting clients, noting the ex-gov once worked on a luxury marina project with a pal, Andrew Farkas, whose former business partner was Epstein. 'In June, the New York Times found out that Cuomo worked with his longtime friend Andrew Farkas on a luxury marina project in Puerto Rico. Farkas' previous partner on Caribbean luxury marinas was none other than Jeffrey Epstein,' Mamdani says. 8 Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani released a scathing new attack ad against his rival former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. YouTube/@ZohranforNYC 8 The video lists of a number of alleged scandals involving the ex-governor — even linking him to Jeffrey Epstein. SARAH YENESEL/EPA/Shutterstock The mud-slinging from Mamdani comes days after Cuomo hammered the socialist for snagging a $2,300 rent-stabilized apartment in Astoria despite his family's apparent wealth. Cuomo even proposed 'Zohran's Law' to prevent well-to-do residents from obtaining rent-restricted apartments. The new spot starts with Mamdani noting that Cuomo 'resigned in disgrace and you probably know why' — then shows footage and articles about women who accused the then-gov of sexual misconduct and the controversy surrounding his nursing home policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Democratic mayoral nominee demands that Cuomo release the list of clients from the consulting firm he launched in 2022 after he exited the governor's office, Innovative Strategies LLC. Mamdani gripes in the video that Cuomo has not divulged who paid him. But published reports have said Cuomo worked for a crypto currency exchange based in the Seychelles that eventually pleaded guilty to operating illegally in the US. The Democratic socialist Queens assemblyman also notes that Cuomo did not initially disclose $2.6 million in stock options from a nuclear company to the New York City Conflicts of Interest Board. 8 The ad mentions that Cuomo worked on a luxury marina project in Puerto Rico with friend Andrew Farkas — who was a business partner with Epstein. New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP 8 Mamdani's ad highlights a Bloomberg article showing a link between Epstein and Farkas. YouTube/@ZohranforNYC 'His excuse? The stocks were technically owned by Innovation Strategies LLC – where Cuomo is the sole member,' Mamdani says. 'That's the thing about Andrew Cuomo: once you think you've learned all the scandals, you find out there's another. And another. And another. ' Cuomo can clear the air, Mamdani says, adding: 'Habibi – release your client list.' 8 A photo of Cuomo with Farkas shown in the Mamdani ad. YouTube/@ZohranforNYC A rep for Cuomo gleefully responded that they could 'smell the desperation from conspiracy peddling' in Mamdani's attack. '[Cuomo] didn't know Epstein, but you can smell the desperation from conspiracy peddling Zohran,' said Cuomo campaign spokesman Richard Azzopardi. The former governor — who is running as an independent in the November election after getting soundly bested by Mamdani in the Democratic primary — also has vehemently denied he sexually harassed anyone. 8 Mamdani also bashed Cuomo over his COVID-19 book scandal. YouTube/@ZohranforNYC One campaign strategist said Mamdani's ad was a 'gutsy move' — and likely a response to Cuomo scoring points by hitting him for his rent-stabilized apartment. 'It's a gutsy move. Mamdani is defining Cuomo to general election voters on his terms,' said O'Brien 'OB' Murray, who has run campaigns for Republicans and Democrats. He said Mamdani is not leaving it to campaign surrogates to do the dirty work and is willing to go toe-to-toe with Cuomo. 8 Mamdani also took a shot at Cuomo's performance in the city's Democratic mayoral primary. YouTube/@ZohranforNYC 'It's a page out of Donald Trump's playbook. When the candidates say something about an opponent, voters pay attention to it,' Murray said. But Mamdani risks 'tarnishing' his image by getting in the mud with Cuomo, even if he wants to keep the focus on the ex-gov's past scandals, said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist University Institute for Public Opinion. 'The Cuomo people are probably happy to draw a response. They want to engage Mamdani,' Miringoff said. 'Zohran risks tarnishing his image.' 8 Mamdani called on Cuomo to release the list of clients involved with his consulting firm Innovative Strategies LLC. YouTube/@ZohranforNYC Azzopardi dismissed the video as 'nothing more than a temper tantrum from an insecure child of privilege who knows his tenuous lead is slipping away.' He said the project in question with Farkas never got off the ground, and in regards to his consultancy business, Cuomo does not comment on those 'private client matters' and has not represented anyone with business before a New York city or state agency. Azzopardi also said the stock options were publicly disclosed in Federal Communication Commission files for years. 'There was a question about if and how they were required to be disclosed on city filings, which, after consulting with the Conflict of Interest board, we corrected the same day the matter was brought to our attention,' the Cuomo rep said. 'Try as he might, Zohran can't distract from the rank hypocrisy of growing up wealthy, owning hundreds of thousands of dollars of land in a country that has the death penalty for LGBTQIA people and making more than $140k a year for a job he doesn't show up to while taking a rent stabilized apartment meant for a working New Yorker, not to mention his flip flopping on the defund the police and supporting pro-Hamas criminals like the Holy Land Five,' Azzopardi said. 'He's a total fraud and with every passing day New Yorkers see it.'
Cosmopolitan
an hour ago
- Cosmopolitan
Madison Beer: "You've got to stand up for yourself or people will just take advantage"
'I can't see shit, girl.' Madison Beer is sitting in a corner booth at a dimly lit Italian restaurant by the beach in Los Angeles, sliding on a pair of glasses to study the menu. And suddenly there is another version of the pop star sitting across from me — someone still dressed in a distinctly Gen Z–esque crop top and low-slung pants, but now softer, more approachable. It's like the reverse of the clichéd high school movie makeover scene where the nerdy heroine takes off her glasses to reveal she's been a supermodel all along. I'm loathed to start the story this way, but it's also the truth: Madison carries the very specific kind of beauty that makes you exclaim, 'Oh my god, you're so gorgeous' the second you see her. Her pale skin, dark hair, and large eyes create the type of image our society — and algorithms — are known to prioritise, the kind social media filters were made to emulate. Internet commenters often compare her to a real-life Barbie doll, surely a boon for any artist in an industry obsessed with aesthetic perfection. Except, as it turns out, there's a fraught shadow side to Madison's pretty privilege, one she's been wrestling with all along. We're at this meal so I can conduct the definitive Madison Beer interview — to explore why the singer-songwriter is famous but not necessarily a household name, despite following every step of the internet-age blueprint for breakout success. Her new album, out later this year, will be the third in her 13-year career, which has included Grammy nominations, platinum-selling records, and heart-wrenching chart-topping ballads. Her peers on this same track, people like Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo, are bona fide global sensations, serving up inescapable hit singles, selling out major venues like Madison Square Garden, and crushing Saturday Night Live appearances. While Madison, with endorsements from some of the biggest names in music (Justin Bieber, Lana Del Rey, Post Malone), an obsessive fandom, and a sky-high volume of 78 million social media followers, is not. Why? The answer starts in 2012, when Justin shared 13-year-old Madison's YouTube cover of Etta James's 'At Last' and his then-manager, industry heavyweight Scooter Braun, signed her. It lies in everything that happened next: almost unimaginable blows to a burgeoning career like the leaking of nude photos taken when Madison was just 15; relentless cyberbullying; sexual assault; diagnoses of borderline personality disorder, OCD, and depression. It flows into and from music Madison tells me she never believed in and felt forced to make and around professional divots like being dropped from her label and splitting from Braun (Madison was one of the first artists to very publicly speak out against his treatment of artists). It's present, if you look closely, throughout her deeply vulnerable 2023 memoir, The Half of It. And it lingers, I come to realise, equal parts on the internet and in her head. 'It's funny when I go on Twitter and people are like, 'Madison would be bigger if this, more successful if that...'' she says. 'I hate when people diminish the success of artists because they're not number one. You don't have to be number one to be successful.' That doesn't mean she doesn't still want number one, she clarifies, even if the idea of getting there can feel the time of our interview, I was supposed to have heard and studied Madison's newest single. But I haven't — because it still doesn't exist. Because the pressure of making The Big Thing (everyone around Madison seems to agree this upcoming record will be what scores her household-name status) is like water on the sparks of the creative process. Especially for someone who writes, coproduces, and art-directs her own music and videos with precision and a hyperfixation of how it may be perceived. 'I just want it to be perfect, and I don't even know what that means,' she explains. (In all fairness, it's not just Madison. It's all of us. Chasing perfection with any creative endeavour is an arduous undertaking. Case in point: The story you're reading is the polished version of my sixth scrap-it-and-start-over draft of the definitive Madison Beer story.) Here's the thing though: When the long route to a breakout moment is the only route available to you, the experiences you collect along the way become currency you can use to write a new kind of blueprint. For Madison, those plans include openly moving on from a traumatic past and finishing this next album on her own terms. It's about not making everything (her beauty, her talent, her work) look easy and recognising instead that this path will be — is already — hard. And although she doesn't need or want your approval, she does hope you may recognise a bit of yourself in her music and that it helps get you closer to finding your own way. There's no clocking in and out of the job. The other day, I broke down out of nowhere. I was working with this songwriter I've always wanted to work with and my entire arm started going numb, the side of my head started going numb. I just lost a friend to a brain aneurysm. So I'm thinking I'm having one, straight-up, and I'm freaking out internally. She asked me, 'Are you okay?' I burst into tears. I had just met her an hour before. I ended up taking the weekend to do nothing. I was like, I want to sit in my room, watch stupid movies, play Fortnite, go in my Jacuzzi, drink a beer. Everyone can fuck off, leave me alone. I'm not doing anyone a favour by burning myself out. Why does it have to get to the point of me having a panic attack? It shouldn't, but I'm trying to snap out of it. So stressed, but I'm trying to snap out of it. The pressure of what I hope this next chapter will be and the success that I hope it reaches. I want to make songs I feel really proud of. I want to play Madison Square Garden. I want to play the Forum. In the past, I've done things where I'm like, 'I really don't want to do this, it's going to make me miserable…but let's do it.' Now I don't want to make myself miserable along the way. I want to achieve my dreams and look around me and be like, Fuck yeah and I feel good; if this all went away tomorrow, I'd still be happy. That's what I want. I have the highest goals. This is hopefully what solidifies everything for me, whatever that means. That's why it's been hard to make — there's a lot of pressure I'm putting on myself. So it's taking me a second, but it feels exciting. I don't want to succeed if it means not being who I am. I don't need people to love me. And I don't want people to listen to my music if it's not real. And then I'm simultaneously trying not to have a panic attack thinking about if everything goes super well, what my life will look like. Because that scares me, which is something I'm trying to be honest with myself about. When you work your whole life toward something and then it's right there, it's like, 'Do I want it though?' I do want it. But it's easy to get lost in 'I want to be the biggest and, oh my god, look at this artist and this artist and I want to do all the things they're doing.' I get nervous because I look at some of my peers and friends who have had these huge moments and I'm like, 'I'm afraid of this.' Pretending that part of it doesn't exist is weird. When I was a young girl and bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, I had the curtain pulled back really quickly. I saw a lot of big celebrities doing crazy things, having horrible times. And I was like, 'Whoa, you guys aren't all like fairies. What?'¹ 1. While Madison doesn't name names, in the early 2010s era she's referencing, paparazzi-outside-nightclubs photos were still how many people got their celebrity news. Literally the same day my manager dropped me, my lawyer dropped me, and my label dropped me. Everything in my life went away within 12 hours. I was 16 and my label was like, 'Good luck.' And I'm like, 'You guys just stole years of my childhood that I'll never get back. And now it's just 'good luck' and 'have fun'? I can't go to college because I've been homeschooled. I have a high school degree and nothing else because of my career. My whole family uprooted and moved to Los Angeles with no connections. I have no friends. Are you guys kidding me?' I hadn't been successful enough. There was a conversation around me when I was 14, I remember people being like, 'She's too sexy' and 'We can't sell the sex because she's so young, so we'd have to wait.' This was a real conversation, grown men talking about how I was too sexy. I was 14.² 2. If you had to pause to exhale, we get it. The roots of misogyny run deep. Honestly, the hardest part was having these people that I thought really loved me never speak to me again. I went from being kissed on the forehead like, 'You're family to us — come to our house for Thanksgiving,' and 'We all love you, you're going to be the female Justin Bieber, give it a year' to being dropped on my head. I felt like I was a dollar sign to them and when I didn't bring in enough money, they didn't care about me anymore. Maybe they shouldn't have signed a 12-year-old without thinking of the consequences of what that was going to do. It feels even crazier now because when I have 12-year-old girls come to my meet-and-greets, I'm like, 'You're a baby. There's no way that I was a signed artist at your age.' It's terrifying. No, it's sickening. The lack of caring about my childhood was so disturbing. I was like, 'Wow, y'all really don't give a fuck.' It's real, girl — I experienced it. Should I keep it inside now the rest of my life? Fuck that. Am I scared of these people? No. The reason it was a thing was because Scooter had signed me and obviously Scooter had signed Justin. Justin had posted a cover and I had posted a cover, so it felt synchronised. But Justin was also only a teenager when I got signed — he hadn't even experienced his adult life yet. He's been through so much, too. I love him and Hailey [Bieber] very much. I was with them recently and we were like, 'How special that we've known each other for so long.' I've known Hailey since I was 10, and I've known Justin since I was 12. We're still in each other's lives and now they're married with a baby. I feel more ready than I ever have. And I'm like, 'Thank god my breakout didn't happen three years ago. My god, I would've died.' Now I'm being real with myself. It's scary, bro. I am already freaked out by how many people know who I am. Imagine it getting worse. The boy who the whole nude situation happened with,3 he reached out to me and was like, 'I had no idea that I hurt you like this. I'm so sorry.' I don't know how it feels to be a 14-year-old boy receiving photos of a girl. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I don't think he was being malicious showing them to his friends. He was a kid. I've had to sit people down and be like, 'Hey, you owe me an apology for what you did to me when I was a kid.' And a lot of the other people from that time in my life — I just have completely severed my relationships with. I don't care to make up with you or be cool with you. 3. When she was a teenager, Madison sent disappearing Snapchats to a boy she was dating. The photos and videos eventually made their way to the internet, setting off waves of cyberbullying and sending a teenage Madison into a depression spiral. No. Sometimes you've got to just let it go. I tried to go the other way and kill myself, and don't get me wrong, I still have those moments. But I was like, 'I need to first prove all these people wrong. And second, maybe I can help someone out there who sees themselves in me in any way.' I like to think that everything I went through and continue to go through is because I'm strong enough to survive and tell the story. Just because I'm okay with it now doesn't mean I deserved to go through it. As much as people mistreated me, who I really have a bone to pick with is the internet. I recently saw this video someone posted on TikTok from when I was 13. It was my first time on a TV show, and I sang a song that I completely botched the ending of. I went back to the original comments. People were like, 'I didn't know it was possible to get ear cancer,' 'I didn't know that you could be talentless and get signed,' 'Oh my god, this girl sucks.' I don't give a fuck that I'm a public figure or that I put myself out there. You don't treat children like that. I've been bullied a lot. They sometimes do interviews with me just to make fun of me. People around me used to tell me 'Shhh, don't speak back, don't stand up for yourself.' But I'm at this place now where I will happily be like, 'What the fuck are you saying?' if that's how I feel. And who I am is someone who does stand up for themselves — someone who can be a bitch, if that's what you deem it as. If I could have a perfect world, I would not be on social media at all. I don't think there's any way to accurately depict yourself online. I'm so conditioned to everything I say and do on the internet being twisted. Though I do, unfortunately, scroll TikTok for hours on end. I want to delete it but I'd lose all my drafts. I don't have Twitter on my phone anymore. I'm not going to die on this hill begging all of you to see me when you are clearly committed to misunderstanding me. I do miss my fans who are on there though —I used to talk to them on Twitter all the time. I really had to ask myself: If I'm going to live, what do I want my life to look like and who am I going to be? It's taken me so long and I'm obviously still doing so much work on myself. But yeah, it's been a fucking journey. There've been so many situations in my life where I've been burned….I've been betrayed in every single way. It's really painful. I guess I just got to a point where I was like, 'Feel your feelings about it.' That's me coping with things. I don't fuck with wallowing in misery because I've done that and it doesn't end well. I'd rather be real with myself, like, Okay, you went through this, you can't change it. What are we going to do now? But I also try to be a joyous person that's loving life and has more empathy than judgment. Even for the people who almost bullied me into killing myself. We're alive for a short period of time. I called my mum three nights ago because she is the kindest, most loving person, and she always taught me and my brother about empathy. My dad's amazing, too, but that specific generosity, going out of my way for people, that's really Tracie Beer. I'd done something generous for someone and I was having a reflective moment like, 'I'm so thankful that you're my mum and that you gave me this heart.' It's important to let people know how they positively affect you. I've never wanted to turn hard and cold against the world because I think there are beautiful, amazing people out there. Just because I've experienced a bunch of shitty ones doesn't mean everyone is bad. You've got to try to keep your heart open. Yes. But also, don't get it twisted. Don't mistake my kindness for weakness. Sometimes when people hear me talk, they're like, 'She likes to pretend like she's such an angel.' I'm like, 'Girl, no one's pretending like they're an angel.' I have plenty of demons in my closet. If you fuck with me, I'm going to be the one that's going off on you. I take the way I'm treated very seriously. Don't mess with me. I met a girl, literally out and about, and I was on her phone lock screen, and one of my songs, 'Homesick,' was her ringtone. And I was like, 'How did we just run into each other on the street? I'm going to cry my eyes out.' Those are the moments, honestly, more so than getting nominated for a Grammy…I wouldn't have gotten that without everything that came before it, including the fans who support me. There have been so many moments that are very 'pinch me' vibes. I remember Amsterdam, the first show with over 5,000 people when I headlined my own tour. I was trembling at the sound check. I walked out there thinking, Where did you all come from and why are you here to see me? Transparently, though, after the Life Support tour⁴, I thought I was done. I love my fans, but the experience as a whole was just too much. I was going through a lot and trying to perform and meet 150 or 200 people a night. I was questioning my career. 4. The tour for her first studio album kicked off in October 2021 and had 26 dates in North America and 23 in Europe, often back-to-back. I have thoughts to this day where I'm like, Do I only want to do this because when I was 4 years old, my dad started recording me and I thought, 'Oh, I should be a singer?' But I've been able to arrive at the answer being, 'Yes, this is what I want." And my next tour, the Spinnin' Tour,⁵ proved it. It was an amazing experience because I set boundaries, which I will preach about forever. I hope anyone reading this can hear me through the fucking pages. You've got to stand up for yourself or people will just take advantage and you'll end up as a shadow of yourself. 5. Starting in February 2024, the tour for her Silence Between Songs album had 52 dates but with more intentional scheduling. Fuck that. I'm not just here to make all of you people money. If you want a robot, make one. I cut my meet-and-greets down to 30 people and I have a no-phones rule because of my trust issues. I want to be open with my fans in these conversations, I tell them secrets. Someone posted a video they took secretly and all of the comments were like, 'Delete this. She says she doesn't want this. Do not talk about things that happened in the Q&A.' And I'm like, thank you. I finally have a team around me that gives a fuck. I want to feel like I'm having fun because, hello? We're not working at NASA. We're not doing life-or-death work. Of course, music is so important, but let's loosen up a little and not be so goddamn serious all the time. And by the way, I can already hear the people on Twitter being like, 'Well, this is why you're not as big as the other girls, girl.' And you know what? Maybe it is. Or maybe it is because I prioritise my life and my mental health more than my career. I'm really proud of where I'm at and I'm not putting all of my self-worth into my career. To be so honest with you, a lot of my self-worth is based on the way I look. I'm trying to change that, but it's so deep-rooted. It's been ingrained in me since I was young because of people focusing on superficial bullshit. Unfortunately, that's manifested itself into a place where if I'm breaking out or I've gained five pounds or I don't feel pretty, I don't feel like I'm worth anything. That's genuinely my most real answer and it came into my head and I was like, Okay, do I say this? But it's important because I think a lot of young girls can relate. If you don't feel hot, you feel like you're nothing. It sucks. I've gotten better by not wearing makeup or by going out in sweatpants, by not feeling 'hot' all the time. It's a double-edged sword, because people are like, 'Oh, boo-hoo, people think you're pretty.' That's not at all what I'm saying. I'm trying to say that I feel like I have a lot more to offer. It feels like the opposite of who I am. I get so frustrated because I'm like, Well, girl, you can talk the talk, but you don't walk the walk because when you're not feeling cute, you feel like you are the worst person alive. I know that that's a trauma response, that it's related to my borderline personality disorder and OCD. I know that it stems from years of people making me feel like that's all I'm good for. But I'm also asking myself, What are the things that make me feel like I have purpose and value? It's having deep conversations, doing kind things for others, and spreading love. As cheesy as that is what makes me feel like I'm worth $1 trillion. My heart. Because I'm picking myself apart. I'm my biggest critic. Everything I say and do, I'm like, You're being annoying. Shut up. Why'd you say that? But my brain is wired to care about it. Like I said, I had grown men in the industry being like, 'She's too pretty' or 'She's too sexy.' And let's not even get into just being a woman in general. What we're told from so young is 'Be pretty, be hot.' Society just continues to perpetuate this. It's terrible. I don't want my self-worth to be caught up in that because when I feel the best about myself is when I'm performing. Or when I meet somebody and we have a beautiful moment of connection. For sure. I love people. I meet someone, I love them. I'm like, 'Okay, I'm never letting you go. You'll be with me forever until you hurt me.' That's the deal. I think I also, because I have such a weird life and never feel safe and comfortable with someone, when I cross that line of 'you're my boyfriend,'6 it feels really big. 6. Madison is dating Nick Austin, a TikTok star and influencer. I really don't. I joke that I'm a sapiosexual,7 because honestly, make me laugh and we're good. Truthfully. Sometimes also there's just a…thing. 7. Meaning someone who is attracted to another person's intelligence. Yeah. You could literally look so different from anyone I've ever been with. And if there's just that thing, it's there. I love people's souls more than anything. I'm just like, 'Yeah, I don't really know why you give a fuck that I want to date a girl.' I've never understood homophobic people, because I'm just like, 'Why are you affected by someone else's sexual preference?' It doesn't affect me unless I'm trying to sleep with you and you don't want to sleep with me. I like to speak about it because I know how much the gay community has been through. My grandfather married a woman and had three children with her because he was trying to convert himself. It makes me so upset that we live in this world where you can't just be who you are. A bit needy. I love all the attention in the world, which sometimes means I shoot myself in the foot because obviously no one can give me that all the time. But I'm just a lover girl. I'm sure my boyfriend would have a different answer. And I'm a Rising Gemini and Libra Moon. He's Cancer, Cancer, Cancer. It can be good and bad. It's intense and fun, but it's good. We've been together for four years, which is nuts. No, neither of us are equipped for whatever the fuck might come. But it's kind of exciting to be like, 'We're going to figure all this out, hopefully together.' Yes, I know he's going to support me, but do I think that he knows or I know or my parents know or my brother knows how we're going to feel or go through it if and when that does happen? No. But in terms of certain other people, don't think that if and hopefully when this album goes crazy, I'm not going to be like, 'You didn't give me the time of fucking day and now you want to be my best friend. Goodbye. Get out of my face, genuinely.' I love my new followers, I love them so much. But I'm also so close with my fans who have been with me since the beginning. I'm thinking of so many of their names right now, and I'm like, 'When I'm doing an arena tour, I will see you in the front row and you will be the reason I'm emotional because you've seen me and you've been a part of this journey this whole time.' When a lot of people didn't get it, they did. Styled by Harper Slate. Hair by Mel Dominguez at Forward Artists. Makeup by Sandy Ganzer for Saie Beauty. Manicure by Sreynin Peng for Aprés. Production by The Morrison Group. VP of video: Jason Ikeler. Director of video: Kathryn Rice. Senior producer: Rae Medina. Producer: Phoebe Balson. Associate producer: Jordan Abt. Director of photography: Darren Kho. Senior editor: Jeffrey Sharkey. Camera: AJ Lodge. Sound: Griffith James. Editor: Sarah Ng. If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual violence, consider reaching out to the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673 or using the online chat feature at In a crisis, you can call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 to speak to a trained counselor. We've rounded up more mental health resources here.
Buzz Feed
2 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
'Little House' Carter Family Actors Talk Final Season
It's been over five decades since Little House on the Prairie first graced television screens, and the beloved drama still inspires generations. While fans usually associate the iconic little house with the Ingalls family, Season 9 introduced the Carters: Sarah, John, Jeb, and Jason. Continuing to celebrate 50 years of Little House, I sat down with Stan Ivar and Pamela Roylance — who played John and Sarah Carter — to talk about stepping into television history, favorite behind-the-scenes memories, and reuniting for the play Love Letters. BuzzFeed: You both entered the show in Season 9, when the Carter family moved into the Ingalls' house. What was that first day on set like, starting as new characters on an established show? Stan Ivar: Our first day was in Simi Valley, on location right in front of the little house. It was a scene with Pam and me facing each other, and then Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert standing right alongside us. The four of us were standing in a tight circle, and it was when Charles was turning the house over to the Carter family. We're doing our lines, and I'm just not getting them out right; I keep flubbing them. Michael was directing, and he said, "Let's cut. Stan, why don't we go out behind the little house?" So we did, just he and I, out of earshot of everybody else, and he asked me, "What's wrong?" I said, "I'm just nervous. I mean, I'm here with Little Joe from Bonanza, and Half-Pint!" He said, "Look, don't worry. I'll make you a promise. I'll never let you look bad. So leave it up to me, and don't you worry about it. You just do what you do, and I'll tell you if I don't like it, okay?" He took the pressure off me completely. He was a great guy that way, and then we filmed the scene, and it was fine. You know, Michael was from New Jersey, and I'm from Brooklyn. Every now and then, my New York accent would come back. Sometimes when he was directing, and I had just filmed a scene, he would walk up behind me and whisper (in New York accent),"I hear New York!" Pamela Roylance: That first day was really beautiful because it was the four of us, and the whole cast and crew were very gracious and accepting of the new actors. For me, Little House was a dream come true. It was one of the shows that I wanted to do when I left my teaching job in Portland, Oregon. I remember standing in the little house and looking up at the loft for the first time. I was thinking, "I am the only woman on this entire planet who gets to be in these boots, in this prairie dress, and have this be my home for however long it lasts." I love Season 9. I love the edginess of it. We entered an iconic show with the gift of being series regulars. We got to live in the little house and be best friends with Laura and Almanzo. Michael really set it up so the audience would accept us. He gave us two adorable boys who were irresistible. He brought in Shannen Doherty to play Almanzo's niece. Michael put us in a position of being able to be utilized almost every episode that season. It didn't occur to me that people might not like us. It wasn't until recently, meeting fans and doing autograph signings, that I discovered not everybody liked the Carter family. I understand where they are coming from — as a fan, I wouldn't have liked seeing my favorite characters leave either. But I was so happy to be a part of it. The Carters had a few run-ins with my personal favorite character, Mrs. Oleson. Can you share what it was like working with Katherine MacGregor? Stan: Katherine was special. The first day I worked with her, it was on the soundstage, and I was in my dressing room getting ready. All of a sudden, there was a little knock on the door. She didn't wait for anybody to open it; she opened it herself. She peeked in, looked at me, and said, "So you're the new stud in town!" She was generous in a lot of ways. I'd never done a TV show before, but I had worked on stage and in some commercials. I remember our first scene was with Billy Barty [the episode "Little Lou"]. We had a scene together outside the Oleson's store. We were standing around, and during the filming, she looked at me. In the script, she didn't need to look at my character at that time. When it was all over, she said, "Do you know why I looked at you? I looked at you because then the camera has to come to you." She was a pistol, but she was fun to work with, a really, really great gal. Pamela: She was so intelligent and articulate. It was wonderful to just sit and visit with her off-camera when we weren't working. We enjoyed talking about the old days, talking about her husband, and talking about the actors that she had worked with. I remember when we did the scene in the newspaper office. She brought such wonderful energy. As Sarah Carter, you couldn't help but be intimidated by Harriet — you couldn't help but do a better job because of the talent she brought. Katherine and Richard [who portrayed Nels] would give gifts as Nels and Harriet at Christmas time. I still have the 'Nels and Harriet' platter that they gave me, and it's just lovely. I also remember driving in the lot one evening, and Katherine saw me leaving. She saw me in my Nissan Sentra, and she said, "Oh, we'll get you in a Mercedes in no time!" (Pamela laughs) She was kind-hearted, and I saw her years later and just really enjoyed laughing with her. She could seem scary as Harriet Oleson, and like you said, Stan, she was a pistol, but there was this heart under there that was easy to access. There were some incredible child actors in Season 9. David Friedman and Lindsay Kennedy played Jason and Jeb Carter, and Shannen Doherty portrayed Jenny Wilder. What was it like working with them? Pamela: Those three kids were amazing. I didn't get to work with Shannen as much as I did with the boys, but they all really seemed to enjoy each other and get along. It was amazing having the little Carter family, especially for me, the only female around these three male energies. They were hysterically funny and always cracking jokes. Stan had those boys laughing all the time. I don't ever remember us having a difficult time together; it was a joy to be there. I remember doing the scene in "The Last Summer" where I go up to the loft, and Jason is exhausted after working for Ruthy [portrayed by Vera Miles]. In the scene, I reached out and touched his cheek. I just remember the love I felt and how special it was to have that moment with him. It was such genuine love from Pamela to David, not just Sarah Carter to Jason Carter. Stan: Yeah, definitely. They were great kids, and now they're great men. The scene I really remember was with Lindsay, when John and Jeb talk about swimming. I remember when I read the script at home, I said, "My gosh, I hope I don't have to go in the water and show this kid how to swim!" I graduated from the New York State Maritime College, and I went to sea on container ships before I started acting professionally. Even though I sailed all around, I don't know how to swim! When we did that scene, I knew I was going to get phone calls left and right from classmates of mine from the Academy. (Stan laughs) There were never any rough spots; the four of us fit together as a family. We really enjoyed working together. Shannen was great as well. I didn't work that much with her on Little House, but I did do a Beverly Hills, 90210 episode years later, where I saw Shannen again. Stan, I want to hear your thoughts about the episode "Alden's Dilemma," where John and Almanzo have quite an adventure in California. Stan: It was fun! I enjoyed that episode a lot, because we went to San Francisco. It was the first time in Little House that I had been away from Walnut Grove, so it really was cool. With the bath scene, we got to work with Professor Toru Tanaka [professional wrestler], and it was a fun scene to do. I have a tattoo of an anchor on my left shoulder, so they had to cover it for that scene. We got to work with a lot of extras in the Grange convention that John and Almanzo attended. Pamela, I would love to hear about "The Last Summer," where you got to work with the legendary Vera Miles. That episode always makes me cry! Pamela: It's a beautiful episode. When I discovered I got to have two scenes with Vera Miles, I can't even tell you how honored and excited I was. When I first met her, it was in the dressing room, and she was so sweet. She had watched the episode "Sins of the Fathers" that had just aired, and she said, "You really got me last night." I probably floated 10 feet off the floor! Later, we are filming the scene where Sarah goes to Ruthy and apologizes. I'm sitting on the couch with her, and she reaches out and puts her hand on top of mine. It was so tender and touching. In that moment, I immediately logged that as something I was going to cherish for the rest of my life. We proceed to do the scene, and all of a sudden, [director] Maury Dexter calls cut. He says, "I'm hearing the same voice coming out of both of you. I can't tell the difference between your register and your pitch. Let's pick up the energy." I offered to fix it, and he turns to Vera and says, "No, no, let's let the pro do it!" I was humbled, but in the most beautiful way. Afterwards, Vera sent me the most beautiful card, which I still have. As you open it up, there's this delicate lace, and it's handwritten. It's one of the things I still cherish to this day. Finally, you are both reuniting to star in the play Love Letters, directed by Little House casting director Susan McCray. How has it been to reunite? Susan McCray / Via Susan McCray Stan: We haven't seen each other a lot over the years, but we have stayed friends. We have a bond. Pam said it to me a long time ago — we really bonded when we had to interview for NBC. They weren't sure about us newcomers coming onto Little House. Michael called us each at home and said, "You have to go over and do the interview again for the bigwigs at NBC. But I don't care what they say, because I want you, so don't worry." We just clicked, and we always supported each other. It was comfortable working with Pam, and the four of us together as the Carter family. Still to this day, it's comfortable. You know, I don't have a sister; I know Pamela has a brother, and I've met her brother. I love her, and the same with the boys. It's never changed. Pamela: I will second that. We really bonded during the audition process. Stan was just wonderful and made me feel so comfortable. When we did that NBC audition, Stan was the one who said, "Meet me in the park across from the studio, and we'll just rehearse the scene and relax," and that's exactly what we did. There was always this wonderful chemistry between the two of us. It's been wonderful to be able to stay friends and keep in touch, however frequently or infrequently. We always pick up where we left off, and Stan is always loving and kind and generous and funny. Here we are decades later, and we're doing this play where these people meet as children, and then their lives are intertwined. We're the same way; we always come back to each other, and we have that bond. I think that's why Susan saw this was going to work, because it was our real life, and here we are now stepping into it.
