Making It Awkward
Making It Awkward
Jessica Wilson, MS RD
Cheryl Hines: The Sad Beige Life of a Dangerous Optimist with Alison Pill and Natalie Ingraham
1 hour 16 minutes Posted Dec 4, 2025 at 3:02 pm.
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Show notes

Cheryl Hines, wife of RFK Jr, wrote a memoir and "wrote" is used loosely in this context. Her publication team didn't do her any favors with this lightly edited, sprawling account of Cheryl's life and path to becoming the unwilling wife of the Secretary of HHS–or is he the secretary of HHR?

Cheryl doesn't understand that her choices have consequences, even as they continue to pile up, including the demise of her podcast and relationship with Tig Notaro.

Jessica talks to Natalie Ingraham and Alison Pill about the book and Cheryl's life.

Olivia Nuzzi's book

Secretary of HHR

Cheryl photoshoot

This would have been a better cover photo

RFK Poem

Slate article

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Jessica Wilson's book: It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies