In this episode of On Purpose, Cynthia Erivo, a Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award-winning actor and singer, joins Jay Shetty to discuss her career, her love of the arts, and her passion for the Democratic Party.
00:00:08.240I'm Lex Barrero, inviting you to go beyond the titles and the accolades of the world's most successful entertainers.
00:00:14.420Each week, we take off the cape and get real about the inner battles, childhood stories, and the moments that shaped our guests.
00:00:21.140Get inspired to become the best version of you.
00:00:24.140Listen to You vs. You podcast on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
00:00:30.000Camp Shane, one of America's longest-running weight-loss camps for kids, promised extraordinary results.
00:00:38.380But there were some dark truths behind Camp Shane's facade of happy, transformed children.
00:00:44.020Nothing about that camp was right. It was really actually like a horror movie.
00:00:48.940Enter Camp Shame, an eight-part series examining the rise and fall of Camp Shane and the culture that fueled its decades-long success.
00:00:56.620You can listen to all episodes of Camp Shame, one week early and totally ad-free, on iHeart True Crime Plus.
00:01:03.900So don't wait. Head to Apple Podcasts and subscribe today.
00:01:06.920I came out because I literally had a contract ripped up in front of me.
00:01:13.880On a recent episode of Good Game with Sarah Spain, I spotlighted an inspiring out-athlete, pro golfer Mel Reed.
00:01:20.640It's a part of me. I'm certainly not ashamed of it. And I think that there should be more representation in.
00:01:25.740To hear this and more on identity, inclusivity, and the power of being seen, listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain, an iHeart Women's Sports production, in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment, on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
00:01:40.380Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.
00:01:43.880Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, and I'm the host of the On Purpose podcast. Today, I'm thrilled to welcome back to On Purpose, Cynthia Erivo.
00:01:51.980A Grammy, Emmy, and Tony award-winning actor and singer you know from the color purple, Harriet, and Wicked, Cynthia Erivo.
00:01:59.760And this may be a hard thing to say, but sometimes hurting someone actually aids the growth of another person.
00:02:07.040Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
00:02:14.640Have you ever thought about going voiceover?
00:02:17.880I'm Hope Woodard, a comedian, creator, and seeker of male validation.
00:02:23.480I'm also the girl behind Voiceover, the movement that exploded in 2024.
00:02:28.960You might hear that term and think it's about celibacy, but to me, voiceover is about understanding yourself outside of sex and relationships.
00:02:38.380It's flexible, it's customizable, and it's a personal process.
00:02:43.200Singleness is not a waiting room. You are actually at the party right now.
00:03:59.980You know, and I think if we don't recognize that, we're not going to reconcile where our standing is as it relates to the asymmetry of our communication challenges as a party.
00:04:11.200And, look, you know, I don't know how, you know, I think it was Tucker Carlson even today who basically, you know, was attacking Fox or yesterday was Steve Bannon.
00:04:21.340And, you know, when Tucker Carlson is saying it's in essence a propaganda network, I think that says everything you need to know.
00:04:28.140But it's effective, just like Pravda was effective.
00:04:31.500And it is a communication arm of the Trump administration.
00:04:34.580And their surround sound and their ability to shapeshift conversations to put us on the defense is next level.
00:04:40.660And so I think it's foundational, it's fundamental to, quote unquote, our path back that we start to get more aggressive in mediums like this and build our own capacity, our own capacity, not just to push back against that, but to truly expand that network of communication and engagement.
00:05:01.320Well, I got to ask you, this morning you kind of went into the lion's den writing a Fox News op-ed titled, Trump is trying to destroy our democracy, do not let him.
00:05:10.280What was that op-ed about for those who didn't read and why did you choose Fox News?
00:05:14.720Well, because you got to meet people where they are and you got to hit people that are, you know, that we haven't, quote unquote, already persuaded.
00:05:22.320And I think one of the things that I think people have criticized me and I totally, I deeply appreciate it.
00:05:27.860I'm very, I'm probably more self-critical than anybody listening or watching.
00:05:31.560I'm not even making that up, like actually.
00:05:33.900And so I use the word humility and grace all the time and I'm constantly trying to iterate and try new things.
00:05:39.680And it's in that process of discovery.
00:05:41.800And so for years I've been screaming and yelling and saying, we got to get out of our own bubble.
00:05:46.860And I was screaming and yelling about it, but I wasn't doing it.
00:05:49.580So it's one thing to preach, it's another to practice.
00:05:51.820So I started, you know, I said, called Sean Hannity.
00:05:54.900I said, hey, you've been attacking me every single damn night.
00:05:57.080I invited him to Ronald Reagan's old mansion, the governor's mansion in California.
00:06:01.020And we sat down for an unscripted hour and 20 minutes.
00:23:58.840Head to Apple Podcasts and subscribe today.
00:24:00.860I came out because I literally had a contract ripped up in front of me.
00:24:07.980On a recent episode of Good Game with Sarah Spain, I spotlighted an inspiring out-athlete, pro golfer Mel Reed.
00:24:14.560It's a part of me. I'm certainly not ashamed of it.
00:24:17.200And I think that there should be more representation in.
00:24:19.680To hear this and more on identity, inclusivity, and the power of being seen, listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain, an iHeart Women's Sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
00:24:34.320Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.
00:24:38.160Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, and I'm the host of the On Purpose podcast.
00:24:41.920Today, I'm thrilled to welcome back to On Purpose, Cynthia Erivo.
00:24:45.680A Grammy, Emmy, and Tony award-winning actor and singer you know from the color Purple, Harriet, and Wicked, Cynthia Erivo.
00:24:53.720And this may be a hard thing to say, but sometimes hurting someone actually aids the growth of another person.
00:25:01.460Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
00:25:08.660Have you ever thought about going voiceover?
00:25:11.540I'm Hope Woodard, a comedian, creator, and seeker of male validation.
00:25:17.660I'm also the girl behind Boy Sober, the movement that exploded in 2024.
00:25:23.680You might hear that term and think it's about celibacy, but to me, boy sober is about understanding yourself outside of sex and relationships.
00:25:32.440It's flexible, it's customizable, and it's a personal process.