Hold On, I'm Calling My Mom

This week I called my mom because we're FINALLY back from Mexico, and let's just say our family vacation came with a few unexpected surprises… including someone nearly ending up in a Mexican jail. We're recapping our trip to paradise, where an airport incident nearly derailed the entire vacation, a few "innocent" comments led to tears, and an unexpected family confrontation had me questioning how...

This week I called my mom because a mysterious stranger showed up at Barb's home claiming to have legal papers for her… and now we're trying to figure out what the HELL is going on. We discuss the man who aggressively banged on her door, claimed he needed to deliver a subpoena, and then seemingly disappeared without a trace. Who sent him? What does he want? And why does Barb seem more concerned ab...

This week I called my mom because Barb went viral… and apparently we have a much bigger problem to unpack: why does this woman insist on living in 1996 when the rest of us are in 2026? We discuss her completely normal decision to visit not one, but TWO different banks just to pay her car payment and her insistence that everyone else is doing the exact same thing. Meanwhile, I experience my first r...

We're back for a whole new season :) This week I called my mom because she's getting ready to move across the country to Southern California and thought she found the one that would make it all worth it… until it wasn't exactly what she expected. We recap my latest trip back home to New Jersey to help my mom get her shit together and discover a homemade shrine dedicated to the last family member I...

This week I called my mom because after months of searching, she finally found the place she was going to call home and was getting ready to move across the country to be closer to me. Then her dream home fell through. We talk about the disappointment of hitting a major roadblock in a move we've been planning for months, my first-ever Erewhon experience (yes, it only took me 10 years), and whether...

This week I called my mom because there was a lot to catch up on! We talk about her birthday, her Joshua Tree adventure, and continue our search for a new place for her and my brother to call home in LA. But somewhere in the middle of the conversation, I tell her something I've been feeling since her trip. Sometimes I feel like she protects my brother more than me. Definitely not in a way where sh...

This week I called my mom because it's her mothafuckin birthday… and somehow that turned into me going through decades of home videos realizing our entire relationship has basically been documenting itself in real time. Between Spice Girls performances in the living room, me telling my mom to "shut up" as a child, emotional homecoming speeches, vag wax updates, getting lost in a lake, and me disco...

This week I called my mom because it's Mother's Day… and naturally, we decided to test the boundaries of a mother/son relationship. Shout out to our listener-submitted situations, Barb and I try to figure out what's actually considered "too far" between a mom and her adult son… which quickly spirals into oversharing, my biggest insecurities, Barb's biggest ick, and a childhood memory involving our...

This week I called my mom because I think showing up for myself is starting to upset people. What started as a conversation about something happening in my own life quickly turned into something bigger, about boundaries, sensitivity to other people's energy, and the pressure to stay in a version of yourself that others are comfortable with. After being told to "stay in my role" and not use my voic...

This week I called my mom because… my high school bully just followed up asking to hang out. And I don't know how to feel about that...  Which it made me think about the episode where he first slid into my DMs AND came out to me. At the same time… a year ago, my mom was hesitant to even think about moving across the country. Now she's sending me listings every day trying to find the perfect place...

This week I called my mom because… she set a boundary with me. And naturally… I challenged her on it :) It's been a week where social media has had a lot to say. People are coming for my mom for loving me and my brother for being gay, while at the same time people think I'm in a feud with NeNe Leakes after a post I made. The truth is way less juicy. It made me realize how one post can create so ma...

This week I called my mom because… I didn't feel like myself anymore. So I did something random and a little unexpected. I went to visit Marilyn Monroe . Standing at her grave, in the middle of Los Angeles, turned into something bigger than I thought. It made me question everything I've been taught about this industry… especially the idea that you're supposed to be seen and not heard. Because righ...

This week I called my mom because… family therapy hit a wall. Me, my mom, and my brother couldn't get past a hurdle, so we brought in backup, my boyfriend. We're joined by Brett and Jordy, who give us the outside perspective we probably needed and definitely weren't ready for. Let's just say, everyone gets called out. Before that, we start a little chaotic. My Lexapro ordeal (yes, I dropped it in...

This week I called my mom because I was literally showing her the place she was going to live in in Los Angeles… and then the universe had other plans. I thought Barb was one step closer to Hollywood, but not so fast. From there, we get very Hollywood. With the Real Housewives of Rhode Island premiere coming up, I'm talking to my mom about casting and developing the show and what it feels like bei...

This week I called my mom because I feel like I need to get my shit together. From feeling stuck in my routine to spiraling about how to get my groove back, we get into my curiosity around trying to quiet the food noise and why I feel like I need some kind of reset. Somehow that turns into a very real conversation about confidence, especially after noticing that someone who used to be in my DMs wh...

This week is Oscars weekend, so naturally I called my mom to talk about the difference between the glamorous moments everyone sees on the red carpet and the chaos that actually happens behind the scenes. We relive some of my red carpet horror stories over the years, including the time an Emmy winner asked me for $10 for someone "special" in his life. Somehow the conversation turns into beauty hack...

This week my boyfriend triggered a childhood memory and it opened up a bigger conversation between me, my brother Brett, and my mom that we've actually been unpacking in family therapy. We talk about family triggers and how no matter how old you get, they always seem to show up. I also tell my mom about an awkward encounter with my doctor where I somehow ended up apologizing for my grooming situat...

This week, I called my mom because I'm a hot ass mess right now. I told her I'm locking in with what I eat again and somehow 48 hours later I've already ordered McDonald's for breakfast and I'm running on three hours of sleep, so clearly I'm thriving ;) We talk about cutting people off and why I don't give endless chances. I've watched my mom be so kind her whole life and I've seen people take adv...

This week, I called my mom because putting myself out there more has been bringing up things I didn't expect. Sharing more of myself online has felt freeing, but it's also made me realize how much of myself I've been editing for years. Especially the kid who learned early on that being fully himself could make him a target. I gave her an update on where things stand with my dad since last week and...

This week, I called my mom after an emotionally layered 48 hours. The day before Valentine's Day, I was venting about the learning curve in my boyfriend's and my communication styles and how out of sync it felt. Twenty-four hours later, he helped me have a breakthrough that shifted something in me. It reminded me how complex love really is. It's not linear, but it can evolve. Then I unblocked my d...

We're back! This week, I called my mom because I've been feeling unfulfilled in Hollywood, in my career, and in myself. Season 3 begins with a shift. My mom has put dating on pause, and together we're starting family therapy to unpack the patterns we've lived with for years and figure out how to move forward without repeating the same roles. Wish us luck :)

After leaving the last episode — the first part of Paul and Barb's matchmaking segment — on a cliffhanger, Barb returns to share what's really been going on, including a recent health diagnosis tied to stress and how it's reshaped her outlook on life. Paul and Barb open up about why the finale was delayed following the sudden loss of Paul's grandmother, and how navigating grief has brought their f...

It's finally here—the first ever Barbchelor , a matchmaking experiment where Barb puts everything she's learned this season to the test. But with fewer bachelors than Paul promised, the episode quickly unravels. Emotions flare, regrets surface, and Barb begins to question what she truly wants out of love—and whether she's ready at all. One shocking exit leaves the journey hanging in the balance. W...

This week, it's a full family affair! Brett joins Paul and Barb to share his thoughts on Barb's dating journey so far — where he hopes her love story will end up, and the kind of man he and Paul would love to see their mom with. With the big matchmaking season finale right around the corner, Barb's heading into it with her favorite boys by her side, giving her all the support (and opinions) she ca...

Only two episodes until Paul & Barb's two-part matchmaking finale… and Barb is already feeling sentimental about how far this season has come. This week, they're answering your questions in a special listener mailbag episode — reflecting on the journey, laughing at themselves, and spilling some family tea. Paul is gearing up to work the Emmys, but of course Barb is more excited about who he might...