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Before Ricki Lake, Oprah Winfrey and Rosie O’Donnell were talk show hosts, there was Sally Jessy Raphael. As the first woman in the U.S. to have her own major daytime talk show, she was one of Ricki’s role models. Ricki and Kalen catch up with Sally Jessy to talk about her trailblazing legacy. She shares the truth about how her talk show ended. Plus, at 87 years old, she’s still in the dating market. Hit her up if you know any eligible bachelors!

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Transcript: 

SPEAKERS

Ricki Lake, Kalen Allen, Sally Jessy Raphael

Ricki Lake  00:13

Hi, everyone. Welcome to Raised by Ricki with me as always, Kalen Allen. It’s so nice to talk to you today. It’s been a little while.

Kalen Allen  00:21

It has been a little while. How are you feeling, Ricki Lake?

Ricki Lake  00:24

I’m feeling good, but I feel like you’re feeling even better. Now I’m looking at you and you’re wearing the wrong shirt. It says NYU, but excuse me, you’re now a Juilliard acting student.

Kalen Allen  00:37

That’s it. Okay. Okay, so let me tell you, let me tell you about it. So, Juilliard has a program called the Julliard extension program. And the way that it works is that you can go and take and study at Juilliard without doing a full degree program, you still have to apply, you still have to submit a resume, you still have to submit questions, you know, so you don’t have an audition. So that was few, because that would have been nerve racking for me. But you do have to apply.

Ricki Lake  01:05

Okay, and how was it? How was the class?

Kalen Allen  01:08

You know, it was so interesting to me, is, is so interesting now coming from a different perspective of it. Because, you know, from doing movies and doing television shows, and guest starring and stuff now, and you know, my bachelor’s degree is in theater. But I think the difference is, is that now I’m taking it a little more seriously. You know, I think when I did it in undergrad, I didn’t necessarily like I did it. And but because I was good at it, and I was getting cast in shows. I don’t think that I had the same respect for the actual craft that I do now looking at it, if that makes sense.

Ricki Lake  01:42

Yeah. I mean, it doesn’t get more prestigious and reputable than Juilliard, honestly. Now, let me just say, because I, you know, I can’t help but feel like shit about myself. Because I only went to college for one year, I’d never had this like drive to I guess later in life. I’m like, Oh, I wish I’d finished school or I wish I’d studied something else, you know, just to advance my knowledge. But I just feel, I feel lazy when I think of you and all you have going on. I feel. I don’t know. I mean, I’m fine with it. You know, because I’m 54 now I had a birthday last week. I’m 54. And I’m in a coasting period of my life. But it’s infectious to hear all the going on. You’re incredible. You really are.

Ricki Lake  01:42

Oh, my goodness. So thank you. I you know, for me, I don’t know why I have this obsession with learning. I think a lot of it actually boils down to the fact because I started in Hollywood as this digital creator. I walk into a lot of sets, I walk into a lot of rooms, I walk into a lot of meetings where people treat me like I don’t know what I’m doing. And I think the reason why I do all this education, I talk about the degrees I have, because I don’t want anybody to ever try and say that I didn’t earn my spot.

Ricki Lake  03:00

Yes, yes, I get it. So you have something to prove. You think?

Kalen Allen  03:07

That may just be for my own insecurity as well. But there is a way that people treat people that work in digital content, especially people of color that work in digital content. And so that’s why I think it’s important for me to be like, you know, gratefully, we have had people like Quinta Bronson and Issa Rae that have been able to start in YouTube and digital content, and now, you know, are winning Emmys and winning all these awards and creating these amazing shows. With that being said, talking to you know, starting as a kid and being around celebrities and stuff like that. Now, I know you went to Professional Children’s School, right, but I’m guessing this is really exclusive.

Ricki Lake  03:43

No, it’s not. No, I mean, and I went back, you know, we’re talking 1984 to 86′. I was there. I was there for my junior and senior year of high school. And it was it’s, it still exists. It’s on 60th in Columbus between, it’s right across from Fordham University. You probably know exactly where it is. And it’s a school like a correspondence school. So it’s for basically people that are either ballet dancers that go to ABT or musicians or actors, so people that need to do with more of a correspondence program. Now I was kind of a not really a working actor. I was 15 I’d done like an episode of Ate & Allie, have you ever heard of that show? And I did an episode of fame with Janet Jackson, my scene. Janet Jackson but that was basically it. That was like my career. So you know, I went to the school under the idea that I was going to be working as an actor, so I’d need the school basically was three hours of education. It was kind of, I mean, I had fun but I wouldn’t say I got a great education with three hours of learning every day. You know, it’s like compressed, but there were really interesting people that went to school when I was there. So Martha Plimpton, Christian Slater. Anthony Michael Hall was in my class. Who else that the Cosby kids were there. They were a little bit younger Malcolm Jamal Warner was like a grade or two below me, you know was like that the tap dance kid, you know like those. So it was like cool I guess like I felt cool, but I wasn’t one of the real working people there.

Ricki Lake  03:44

Got it. Okay, so today we’re talking to Sally Jessy Raphael.

Ricki Lake  05:17

I love her.

Kalen Allen  05:18

So you know, I got my almanac ready. Okay. Now Sally show premiered October of 1983. What was going on in your life at that time?

Ricki Lake  05:32

I was a sophomore in high school. Laura […], my best friend had moved on to another girl. I’d lost my best friend. Yeah, yeah, I was, you know, trying to like kids to be in the club. I was in chorus. I was in you know, performing. I you know, I wasn’t I wasn’t the lead in anything. But I was, you know, holding my own and, and I probably did watch daytime television at that time. As just you know, was Oprah on at that time. Do you know?

Kalen Allen  06:03

Oh, no. Okay. So it didn’t air till 1986. So at this point, Oprah more than likely was working at a new station.

Ricki Lake  06:10

Right. Well, back when I was young. I mean, I did three shows that I watched Phil Donahue. Oprah and Sally Jessy.

Kalen Allen  06:18

Yes. Okay, let me tell you what was going on. During you know, on the world, you ready? So the top songs from 1983 are Every Breath You Take by The Police. A classic. Yes. A Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler.

Ricki Lake  06:36

That is one of my favorite songs actually. Very hard song to sing for karaoke by the way.

Kalen Allen  06:42

She works hard for the money by Donna Summer.

Ricki Lake  06:45

Oh, nice. Nice. Yeah, those are those are classics.

Kalen Allen  06:49

And top movies. We have Flash Dance. We had ET.

Ricki Lake  06:54

Do you love ET? Do you love that movie?

Kalen Allen  06:59

I do. I remember really just watching it as a kid. You know, I am all about that. I think movies that were made from you know, before the like, I would say before 2012 are better than what we have today.

Ricki Lake  07:12

You mean what was CGI and stuff like you think that’s better?

Kalen Allen  07:16

I honestly say that. I think the quality of cameras has gotten too good to where movies look too realistic.

Ricki Lake  07:24

I can’t watch ET because I cry so hard. Like, it pains me to see.

Kalen Allen  07:31

That’s Drew Barrymore, right?

Ricki Lake  07:33

Drew Barrymore she was amazing. I mean, it’s an amazing movie.

Kalen Allen  07:36

You know what, let me tell you this. Did you ever see the new Westside story?

Ricki Lake  07:41

I did. I liked it. I didn’t love it. You loved it?

Kalen Allen  07:51

I did. But let me tell you why I loved it. I loved it. Because it felt like a classic movie. And when I say that, I’m talking more so about the cinematography of it, because it felt like it felt like it was made like movies used to be made.

Ricki Lake  08:08

I agree with you. I just didn’t, I didn’t buy like I didn’t like him. I didn’t I wasn’t into him. I didn’t I didn’t like his I didn’t feel the chemistry I don’t know. But the original the original is always best.

Kalen Allen  08:24

I agree. You just saying it because of hairspray.

Ricki Lake  08:28

How did you know?

Kalen Allen  08:30

Oh, honey, I caught it. You know, baby, I caught it.

Ricki Lake  08:37

Okay, let’s take a quick break. When we come back. We’re going to talk to Sally Jessy Raphael.

Kalen Allen  08:54

Okay, let’s get to Sally. So Sally Jessy Raphael, was the first woman to host a national syndicated daytime talk show when it debuted in 1983. It was three years before Oprah became a national syndicated show, right? Now you talked about studying Oprah now did you study Sally too?

Ricki Lake  09:15

Well, study is really like too strong a word. I was a fan. I was an avid watcher. It wasn’t like you know a chore for me to watch either of those women. Sally’s show felt more like it was almost like a bridge between Phil Donahue which was more like issue oriented. She would do that. But that it felt like very familial. Very much like she’s like the older kind of auntie. I mean, really, because she was significantly older than I think even Oprah and she had like a good sense of control with her audience, things would get a little bit wild, I’d say more wild than Phil are in a different way. Phil was more sort of intellectual. And I think Sally was more this wiser older woman but like it felt like on our level, it didn’t feel too highbrow. You know?

Kalen Allen  10:02

Okay, so you’ve talked a lot about like when you got to the Ricki Lake Show and they kind of wanted you to dress like Sally. So explain it to me.

Ricki Lake  10:10

Yeah. So I mean, Sally, I you know, I remember the wardrobe stylist putting me in these clothes that were just could have been out of Sally’s wardrobe. I remember the yellow blazer with the big giant shoulder pads. I didn’t have the red glasses as her but they wanted me to seem as mature as possible in the role.

Kalen Allen  10:27

Well, Ricki Lake, you know, me and our trusty team, we have a way of bringing in some special guests. So I think I hit a doorbell.

Ricki Lake  10:37

Oh, boy. Sally Jessy, it is so wonderful to have you. I want you to meet Kalen Allen, my amazing co-host, who’s starting his career as a talk show host. 

Kalen Allen  10:49

Thank you. Thank you, Ricky Lake, that’s a big prop to me. Hello. It is such a pleasure to meet you. I’m a huge fan. This is truly an honor for me.

Sally Jessy Raphael  10:57

Thank you, Kalen. That’s very nice of you.

Ricki Lake  10:59

So Sally, I haven’t seen you in a very long time. Do you remember the last time we saw each other? 

Sally Jessy Raphael  11:04

Was it Oprah? 

Ricki Lake  11:06

Absolutely. And I found a picture which you know, of us.

Sally Jessy Raphael  11:09

We look terrible in this picture. You’re not gonna show.

Ricki Lake  11:14

Well, first of all, this is podcasting. So they’re never gonna see it. It’s just for you to see. I don’t think we look terrible.

Sally Jessy Raphael  11:21

Yeah, we both don’t look too great.

Ricki Lake  11:24

Honestly, I think you look fantastic. And I’m a fan of my cleavage in that picture. So I’ll take it. But the bottom line is was we’re still here. And I don’t know if I’ve ever talked to you about how you got your show in the first place. Like what is your origin story with the Sally Jessy Raphael show?

Sally Jessy Raphael  11:42

Oh, dear, you know what very few people asked me that. As a matter of fact, I started as a quiz kid at six years of age. I’m third generation in broadcasting. And then my parents said, no, this is very bad. And so what they did was they sent me to all the lessons. In other words, I go to public school, and then I come home and I’d have to take top lessons and fencing lessons and Shakespeare lessons and singing with a third the bow on a piano lessons. And then I got married. And we went to Puerto Rico and I started as the morning man on the radio station.

Ricki Lake  12:31

The morning man. It was called the morning man at that point?

Sally Jessy Raphael  12:34

Yeah, well, they didn’t have women. So then I did radio, and then I kept getting fired. I think I’ve been fired Ricki 27 times.

Ricki Lake  12:45

Wow. And why were they firing you? Because you weren’t a man?

Sally Jessy Raphael  12:48

No. People fired me for 27 reasons. I mean, everybody had a reason for firing me.

Ricki Lake  12:56

Yeah. But you kept getting back up. You kept getting back up and you started you’re.

Sally Jessy Raphael  13:00

No, my husband, alright, so after the four year marriage, I met Carl the love of my life. He died this week, two years ago.

Ricki Lake  13:11

Bless him. I knew Carl. I knew Carl, met him many times.

Sally Jessy Raphael  13:14

He insisted that we continue when we went to Miami. And then I became an all-night radio person and was all night for NBC. Very funny. My agent went and asked for a raise. And the NBC guy said, if the broad doesn’t want to work, we’ll get another broad that what he you didn’t know was the agent male was a feminist. He said you’re not working for them anymore. You’re working for ABC. So we took all those sponsors and everything and went there. And then Phil Donahue heard me in Albuquerque, New Mexico. And he said the company should have a female. Me.

Ricki Lake  14:07

What year was that? What year did Phil Donahue pick you and put you on the.

Sally Jessy Raphael  14:11

I would say it was early 82.

Ricki Lake  14:15

So where were you Kalen, during that time?

Kalen Allen  14:18

I wasn’t born yet.

Ricki Lake  14:22

Sally. Hold on to your chair. Kalen wasn’t born until 1996. True story.

Sally Jessy Raphael  14:27

I have shoes older than that. All right. So let me tell you what I’ve been doing. Can he go away for a while and like, girl talk?

Ricki Lake  14:42

I think Kalen can handle some girl talk.

Sally Jessy Raphael  14:46

Okay. What I’ve been doing is since Carl has been gone for two years now. I went through the grieving process. I went to the hospitals they were wonderful. Have I been trying to find? You can’t say a boyfriend of my age? That sounds ridiculous. So what do you call some.

Ricki Lake  15:11

A companion? You’re looking for a companion. A better half.

Sally Jessy Raphael  15:15

Well, a companion sounds like. But Ricki, would you really say I’m looking for a lover? I don’t know. It sounds like a bold.

Ricki Lake  15:26

I don’t see anything wrong with it. So you Okay, so since Carl past you have been on the prowl, looking for a new mate.

Sally Jessy Raphael  15:33

No, no, no, no, no, no, go. Oh, no. I had to go through all the grieving.

Ricki Lake  15:39

I understand. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. And I relate to that, actually. Because I lost my beloved husband five and a half years ago to mental illness and suicide, sadly, and I just remarried this year. So I just I found my lover, my new lover, my new companion. It was very serendipitous. But I want to focus on our talk show experience, because I’ve never gotten to ask you. When I went on the air, and I’m happy to be a matchmaker for you and kind of talk about you off offline about what you’re looking for and help you find your, your new companion.

Sally Jessy Raphael  16:12

Oh, I can tell you very quickly. Okay, 70’s or 80’s, not rich, and not poor. An ordinary joe.

Ricki Lake  16:21

Somebody wants to have fun. So whenever it’s a good sense of self.

Sally Jessy Raphael  16:23

Let’s talk, talk show.

Ricki Lake  16:25

Okay, let’s talk shows. So do you remember when I came on the scene in 1993? 

Sally Jessy Raphael  16:30

Yeah, of course. 

Ricki Lake  16:32

And so what was your What did you think that I was, like, 24 years old and doing your job? Or trying to?

Sally Jessy Raphael  16:38

No, I didn’t think that at all. I thought she was good. That’s all.

Ricki Lake  16:43

You know, because at the time, it really did kind of change, tell talk television in a lot of ways, right?

Sally Jessy Raphael  16:50

Television should always change. So that’s not negative. That’s positive.

Ricki Lake  16:56

And did you see us as different than what you guys were doing at the time?

Sally Jessy Raphael  17:01

I just saw a younger version. Somebody good doing the same thing from a younger point of view. That’s

Ricki Lake  17:09

And you were on the air for 18 years? Is that right? 

Sally Jessy Raphael  17:13

22. 

Ricki Lake  17:14

And how did you manage that like with your with your life? You lived in New York at the time your show was also done in New York? 

Sally Jessy Raphael  17:20

Yeah, but wait, I lived in France that made it really while. I do two on Monday, two on Tuesday, two on Wednesday, Wednesday night. I would fly to Nice where I live. And I’d be there on Thursday morning at the […] having breakfast. And I’d be there all Thursday, all Friday, all Saturday, Sunday, I make the reverse, and come back and make the early morning show on Monday.

Ricki Lake  17:56

And you did that for how many years? 

Sally Jessy Raphael  17:59

22. 

Ricki Lake  18:00

The whole time you were living in France while you were doing your show?

Sally Jessy Raphael  18:03

Well, I didn’t go absolutely every time. But I went almost every time.

Ricki Lake  18:13

Okay, we’ve got more with Sally right after this. Stick around. I would see you every year at the […] convention. Do you remember those days?

Sally Jessy Raphael  18:32

That’s where I first met you. It was an opening at a movie or something where there was a red carpet. And I remember standing back, and you were the big star there. And they had you walking up the red carpet. And I just said, oh, I know who that is, that’s Ricki Lake.

Ricki Lake  18:58

And as far as talk television, I mean, think like those were the good old days. Wouldn’t you say that? 90s for us. It was such a fun ride.

Sally Jessy Raphael  19:09

You mean compared to what they’re doing now?

Ricki Lake  19:11

Yeah. So I was going to ask what you think of today’s talk television in general.

Sally Jessy Raphael  19:15

When I started I talked to presidents of the United States. I talked to very famous people. It was mostly celebrities and interviews with celebrities. And then when a company got a hold of it and wondered who’s your baby mama type of show? That’s when it all went downhill. Are you sleeping, Kalen?

Kalen Allen  19:49

I’m invested.

Sally Jessy Raphael  19:54

Okay. All right. So everything was great till they kept selling the show to someone new. And when they finally sold the app, why? Why should I be nice, NBC universal? So they finally sold it to NBC Universal, and they wondered, who’s your baby’s mama? You know who that who’s your baby daddy, that kind of thing. And the producers were bound to do that kindness show. And I said, that’s not the show I want to do. But that was at this point. I was living a lifestyle where I needed the money to have that kind of show. And I didn’t own it. I don’t know if you owned yours.

Ricki Lake  20:43

No, I mean, I certainly didn’t have the power to control the topics. I mean, you know, I had some sort of power. But at that time, I didn’t really want the power. I was just willing to. And I have to say my show, though, it did kind of get close to the line of being, you know, borderline x. Well, it was exploitative. But crossing the line of where Jerry Springer kind of went there with you know, the guests and the, you know, all that stuff that they got into I think we didn’t go that far.

Sally Jessy Raphael  21:13

Yeah, but NBC Universal on Jerry and […] and me. I see. And I’m the one who wouldn’t do the stuff. So they let me go.

Ricki Lake  21:23

So they went, they let you go, they let you go. And you didn’t have to do the shows the way they wanted to do them? Is that what you’re saying?

Sally Jessy Raphael  21:30

No, they fired me.

Kalen Allen  21:33

The was canceled.

Ricki Lake  21:35

Oh, oh, I thought that you would have had a say in in the canceling at that time. Did you just finish your contract?

Sally Jessy Raphael  21:41

No, not only didn’t I have a say. But let me tell you how bad this was. I had 250 employees. That’s the crew. And everybody. And I had told them because I was told by the company. Okay, go buy a house, have a baby. We’re going to be renewed, everything is fine. And then they called me in one day, my agent didn’t even call me so much for them. Maybe they didn’t know. But they called me in and said no, we’re not continuing the show. You’re off. So I had to call the 250 employees together, some of whom put down money on the house, some of whom gotten pregnant, all these things. And I had to say, I’m terribly sorry. I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but I was lied to. And that was the end of

Ricki Lake  22:52

that. And it was because you did not want to go in the direction that they wanted the show to go.

Sally Jessy Raphael  22:57

No, no, I was continuing to do it. I needed the money.

Ricki Lake  23:02

So why in the end, do you think they pulled the plug and fired you?

Sally Jessy Raphael  23:06

I think they’d like Maury and the Jerry more?

Ricki Lake  23:09

I see. I see. I have

Kalen Allen  23:11

a question. So what I can already tell from your story in general is that you just naturally have a very resilient spirit about you. And you have a strong sense of self of being willing to know what you want to do and what you don’t want to do. So my question is after experiencing this truly toxic masculinity from people that are at the head, especially in comparison to Jerry Springer, and Maury, as you’ve talked about often, how did you bounce back? Was there a moment that you felt like you were going to give up? Or how did you find yourself again, post the show cancellation?

Sally Jessy Raphael  23:49

I didn’t. They agent sent me a VAZ that said the best is yet to come. But if you look at my resume, I haven’t worked since then. Haven’t earned a dime.

Ricki Lake  24:09

Wow. Wow.

Sally Jessy Raphael  24:13

So when they said it’s over, and the agent said, oh, we’ll find something. I called them. I kept calling him I went to the head of CAA. He’s told the agent I’ll find her something, they never did. They never found one other job since 2002.

Kalen Allen  24:38

So in the space of when you talked about that you feel like you never figured out what was next. How did you find joy? How did you find a new beginning and a new life for yourself?

Sally Jessy Raphael  24:51

When the show was when I was fired? How would I find a new life? I guess So I didn’t, I guess I didn’t find a new life.

Kalen Allen  25:04

So do you think that you just figured out a way to continue to be who you were, but in a way that worked for you by still doing interviews by still doing web series? No,

Sally Jessy Raphael  25:17

I don’t do interview. This is one of the rare times when did I do my last interview? That had to be three or four years ago. And I did Tamron Hall once.

Ricki Lake  25:31

Okay, I’m honored. You’re talking to us today.

Sally Jessy Raphael  25:34

Well, nobody asks, so don’t feel too honored. Ricki, it’s not fun. There’s a line outside the house in New York.

Ricki Lake  25:45

I get it you were available. Well, it mean, for me, it just brings me back to that time when magic was happening. I mean, when we were on the air all those years. I mean, I look back on it as just very fond memories.

Sally Jessy Raphael  25:58

I do too. And you know what, I still am in touch with almost every one of the people that I worked with.

Ricki Lake  26:09

Your beloved Sally, people just, and I’m one of them. I am one of those people that I’ve always admired you. You were so good at your job. And you know, you look the same to me. It’s like you still got that hair. You got the glasses.

Kalen Allen  26:27

Well, I wanted to say that, you know, I first and foremost, I want to apologize that Hollywood did not give you what you deserve for all the years and the work and the credit that you deserve. Because you truly are the blueprint, there would be no Ricki Lake show if it were not for you. And so I hope that through all this, you are able to receive your flowers and that you feel that the world does love you because they truly do. I mean, when people talk about talk shows and iconic talk show hosts on social media, you are always the first name that they bring up. And I think that speaks volumes to your character in the work that you put in for so many years. And I just want you to know that we truly do love you even if people didn’t see it.

Sally Jessy Raphael  27:09

That is so sweet. Thank you Now you’re gonna make me cry.

Ricki Lake  27:15

You’re a legend. I loved like even just reaching out on Twitter and connecting. Kalen wrote me, Sally Jessy Raphael is like me. You’re the OG and we’re so honored that you talk to us, you know, on this show that we get to represent you and your story. And we love you Sally Jessy Raphael.

Sally Jessy Raphael  27:36

I love you too Ricki Lake. She’s great. She’s great. Thank you darling. Goodbye

Kalen Allen  27:55

All right, well, oh, my God. That was a lot on my heart. It was a lot on my heart. This is what I want to say about it just right off the bat.

Ricki Lake  28:10

I love her.

Kalen Allen  28:14

I do too. And I wish that this industry in the world we lived in. I feel like we wait too long to give people their flowers.

Ricki Lake  28:27

She was a pioneer. She was the first you know, in that genre. And we have to give credit where credit is due. And it’s unfortunate that, you know, to hear that she never worked again. Because you know, she’s still very with it. Very, you know, I mean, she’s got a great sense of humor about herself. But she is a great sport. And I’m grateful to her. I’m grateful. She helped me along the way. And she was always kind to me when I’d see her at the conventions every year. And it was great to reconnect with her.

Kalen Allen  28:58

Yeah, I would agree. You know, I think somehow she still has this very vibrant spirit. She’s fun to talk to. And still has that pizzazz. And I think that’s more so a statement on you know, you say all the time that people can’t be taught to, you know, be a talk show host. But I think that’s the proof in the pudding that you have to be born with that type of charisma, you know, and that’s something that you never lose.

Ricki Lake  29:30

Absolutely.

Kalen Allen  29:31

Yeah, absolutely. And I do think if this was, you know, the industry has changed so much. And I think that if this would have been a case where Sally Jessy, Raphael, and this would have happened to her recently, and instead of being in a place of not being able to find work, I think now we have so many different outlets that you can create it yourself, whether that be YouTube, tick tock, or a podcast, you know, and it’s unfortunate that things were not like that back in the day. 

Ricki Lake  29:58

I’m so glad we got like, bring her back in some way. She is still very much alive and a beautiful spirit. We love Sally Jessy Raphael. And how about she is looking for love. You gotta respect that. We all deserve a partner and man; she’s still got it. 

Kalen Allen  30:19

We need to put her on Bumble or something

Ricki Lake  30:23

There’s one for over 50 I actually considered it before I met Ross. Wait, what is it called? Farmer John. There’s one for like our time, it’s called our time. Like that’s in my like my brain that I could have pursued a guy on that. Yeah, lucky. I didn’t. I didn’t have to but.

Kalen Allen  30:49

I may need to get on their try to find me a sugar daddy.

Ricki Lake  30:55

I love writing profiles for people. I’ll do that. Thank you so much for listening. Make sure, what do they have to do? They need to rate and review.

Kalen Allen  31:09

Tell your mama, daddy, auntie, uncle, everybody, baby mama too.

Ricki Lake  31:12

Absolutely. See you next time.

CREDITS  31:17

Raised by Ricki with Ricki Lake and Kalen Allen is a Lemonada Media Original. This show is produced by Claire Jones and Nancy Rosenbaum. Our associate producer is Tiffany Buoy. Our senior director of new content is Rachel Neill, VP of weekly production is Steve Nelson and our executive producers Stephanie Wittels Wachs, Jessica Cordova Kramer and DeRay Mckesson, and the show is mixed by Johnny Vince Evans. Music is written and produced by Jellybean Benitez, Jason Peralta and Jay Coos for Jelly Bean Productions.