The Chalene Show | Pop Culture, Women's Health, & Fitness

Gray divorce has exploded, with the divorce rate for people 50 and older more than doubling since 1990 and this age group now making up 40% of all divorces, up from just 8% in 1990, per Bowling Green State University research. Chalene Johnson breaks down why marriages that looked solid for decades are suddenly ending.
She unpacks a 2024 study on late in life divorce, the empty nest reckoning that leaves couples with nothing left to talk about, and how perimenopause and menopause change mood, libido, and patience enough to end a marriage nobody saw coming.
Then there's the gray affair. Chalene turns to relationship expert Esther Perel's research on why people in happy, decades-long marriages still stray, plus the surprising odds that a couple stays together after one is discovered.
Topics discussed: gray divorce, gray affair, Bowling Green State University, Esther Perel, empty nest, menopause, perimenopause, midlife crisis, betrayal trauma.
 
Join Chalene on Patreon her private podcast to hear all the latest on the Penthouse Drama 👉chalene.com/more 
 
🚨Questions Chalene Wants Your Thoughts on:
Have you ever felt invisible inside your marriage?
Has menopause changed anything in your relationship?
Have you built silent resentment instead of speaking up?
 
Related Links:
Email your Gray Divorce or Gray Affair story Promise to keep them anonymous 👉thechaleneshow@gmail.com
Esther Perel's podcast 👉 "Where Should We Begin?"
Camp Be More 2027 Registration is now OPEN!! 👉 CAMP
Sign Up to Get the Weekly Newsletter and get all of  Chalene's Documentary Picks!! 👉NEWSLETTER
iRestore is offering BIG savings on the iRestore Elite when you use code CHALENE at https://iRestore.com
Organifi!!! Go to https://www.Organifi.com/chalene  and Use the Code CHALENE for 20% off all products!
 
Join the PodSquad on Facebook! 👉https://www.facebook.com/groups/ChalenePodSquad
 
We would love to hear from you! Leave your questions or messages for Chalene RIGHT HERE
 
To advertise on our podcast, please reach out to thechaleneshow@gmail.com and mention The Chalene Show
 
Connect with me on your fav social platform:
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/ChaleneJohnson   
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Chalene   
TikTok: @chaleneOfficial
Chapters

00:00:00 — Intro tease: gray divorce and gray affair among couples married for decades
00:02:28 — Today's topic: gray divorce and gray affair defined, through Chalene's own 32-year marriage
00:04:17 — WTF stat: overall U.S. divorce rate falling since 1990, but not for 50+
00:04:50 — Bowling Green State University: divorce rate for 50+ doubled, 65+ tripled, now 40% of all divorces
00:05:51 — Most gray divorces are first marriages ending, not repeat marriages
00:06:17 — Why gray divorce unsettles couples who "made it"
00:07:42 — A 2024 study: two categories of gray divorce, from couples who always knew to those blindsided after a "great" marriage
00:10:17 — Stat: women initiate roughly 70% of divorces
00:11:13 — The empty nest reckoning: losing the shared project of raising kids
00:14:19 — Social media creators' gray divorce stories and content bias
00:15:07 — The Divorce Club: a TikTok creator blames his wife's menopause
00:17:39 — Women's side: nervous system "fried" after decades of managing a spouse
00:19:19 — Clips: women on leaving toxic, unhealthy marriages
00:21:25 — Ad: Organifi collagen, code CHALENE
00:22:47 — The Golden Bachelor and redefining what "old" means
00:24:00 — Perimenopause and menopause: sleep, mood, libido, weight
00:24:25 — Chalene's before-and-after photo and body image during perimenopause
00:27:52 — Resentment quietly building, then blindsiding the other partner
00:30:56 — Hindsight signs of a partner who's already checked out
00:31:23 — Defining the gray affair
00:32:47 — Outside attention sparks feeling alive and desired again
00:33:48 — Esther Perel: affairs are about a new self, not a new spouse
00:35:03 — Ad: iRestore red light hair growth cap, code CHALENE
00:37:01 — Esther Perel's podcast "Where Shall We Begin?" and Camp Be More shoutout
00:38:11 — The existential clock, aging, and a midlife crisis
00:39:39 — Esther Perel: the spouse gets the "unedited version," the affair gets a new one
00:40:57 — Novelty as the missing ingredient in long marriages
00:42:53 — Undetected affairs and reported lack of regret
00:44:01 — How devastating discovering a betrayal can feel
00:46:12 — Why gray affairs happen: proof of still being desirable
00:48:44 — Why affairs discovered after 50 have the highest reconciliation rate
00:49:34 — Esther Perel: the first marriage is over once an affair is exposed
00:51:26 — Perel: affairs as a painful alarm system that forces honesty
00:52:29 — Other forms of betrayal: porn, gambling, financial secrecy
00:53:23 — Invitation to email thechaleneshow@gmail.com with your story
00:54:44 — Post-traumatic growth after betrayal trauma and closing thoughts

Kate Beckinsale wiped her Instagram last week after trolls decided she must be on Ozempic, then revealed the real reason, tied to grief and a health condition she's had since sixteen. Chalene Johnson breaks down why the internet's first assumption about any thin woman is always the same one, using Lizzo, Kylie Jenner, Kelly Osbourne, and Olivia Wilde as the latest examples.
Then, a new Stanford study analyzing more than 21,000 women found that estrogen only hormone therapy is linked to measurably less Alzheimer's related brain plaque, confirmed by autopsy rather than memory complaints. Chalene explains who actually qualifies for estrogen only therapy and how to bring the research to your own doctor.
She also covers a new survey showing 40% of Americans have already been scammed by AI, a viral video of a woman who refused to train the cheaper replacement who got her promotion, and a new collagen treatment tested on skin from real plastic surgery patients.
Topics discussed: Kate Beckinsale, mast cell activation syndrome, Lizzo, Kylie Jenner, Kelly Osbourne, Olivia Wilde, Stanford study, estrogen, Alzheimer's, Women's Health Initiative, AI scams, voice cloning, Demi Moore, theunobsolete, collagen study.
 
Join Chalene on Patreon, her private podcast to hear all the latest on the landlord dispute drama! And it is JUICY!! Plus Penelope Updates  👉chalene.com/more 
 
Book your virtual visit today with MIDI! 👉chalene.com/midi
 
🚨Questions Chalene Wants Your Thoughts on:
Is your first thought "she's on Ozempic" too?
Have you or your family fallen for an AI scam?
Have you or someone you know been replaced by AI?
Would you refuse to train your own cheaper replacement?
 
Related Links:
Tweezer Sharpener 👉https://amzn.to/4zXXfEN
For more of Chalene's Favs 👉Chalene.com/shopmy
Stanford estrogen/Alzheimer's study 👉https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000218413
Check out Jennifer on IG @theunobsolete
Sign Up to Get the Weekly Newsletter!! 👉NEWSLETTER
Camp Be More 2027 Registration is now OPEN!! 👉 CAMP
Book your virtual visit today with MIDI! 👉chalene.com/midi
Chalene's Favorite Sunscreen and  Body lotion by Oneskin 👉https://chalene.com/SPF  and use Code Chalene at Checkout
Treat yourself to the best bra and  shapewear on the market and save 20% Off your entire order at https://honeylove.com/CHALENE
 
To advertise on our podcast, please reach out to thechaleneshow@gmail.com and mention The Chalene Show
 
Connect with me on your fav social platform:
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/ChaleneJohnson   
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Chalene   
TikTok: @chaleneOfficial
Chapters
00:00:00 — Intro: GLP-1 body policing, AI scams, and today's teasers
00:02:33 — Hack of the day: sharpening dull tweezers
00:05:06 — Rethinking how the show covers true crime and pop culture
00:19:10 — New Stanford study: estrogen and Alzheimer's brain plaque
00:26:46 — Women's bodies and why we police each other
00:28:50 — Kate Beckinsale, Kelly Osbourne, Lizzo, Kylie Jenner & Olivia Wilde on Ozempic speculation
00:35:00 — AI deepfakes and fake AI-generated profiles
00:36:53 — 40% of Americans scammed by AI (plus real scam clips)
00:47:20 — Ageism at work: the viral "refused to train my replacement" story
00:51:55 — A new collagen study Chalene is personally testing
00:56:10 — Storm update, landlord dispute, and Patreon

Listen to the full 1 hour Between Friends episode. Go Directly to this Patreon Episode
"I Cross-Examined the Home Owners Association Plus Pet Psychic Reading for Penelope" https://www.patreon.com/TheChaleneShow/posts/i-cross-examined-168017190
 
Picture this... your sweet, quiet dog is recovering from surgery, and you decide to try something completely outside your comfort zone. Chalene Johnson shares what happened during a pet psychic reading, the surprising things she said about Penelope, and the one detail that genuinely stopped Chalene in my tracks.
 
This story is part of The Saturday Spill series a little peek into the wild, unfiltered stuff that usually stays on Patreon. Some weeks it's hilarious, some weeks it's jaw-dropping, but it's always real life that doesn't quite fit on the regular show. If you're into a little chaos and behind-the-scenes tea, you're in the right place. If you love it, amazing…you can listen to the full, unedited version here https://Chalene.com/more

Meta's AI has started suggesting questions like "Who is this child?" under totally innocent family videos, and one mom watched Facebook piece together her kids' names, birth dates, and deleted childhood photos, all from posts she never made public herself. Chalene breaks down the new Meta policy behind it, and why almost nothing you post online is as private as you think.
Then, the true crime case investigators are calling the House of Horrors, a self published horror novelist accused of recruiting vulnerable women for violent films, tied to missing women and zero recovered bodies. Plus a wild turn in the Lindsay Clancy trial, where a deadlocked jury got a rare Allen charge and a retired nurse was arrested for filming jurors outside the courthouse.
Chalene also breaks down Bethenny Frankel's surprise trip to Burning Man, and casting news fans are calling the biggest shakeup Real Housewives of Beverly Hills has had in years.
Topics discussed: Meta AI, Facebook, doxxing, social engineering, Bethenny Frankel, Burning Man, The Man Will Burn, Lindsay Clancy, Patrick Clancy, Allen charge, Kevin Reddington, Dawn Light, House of Horrors, Raymond Horsch, Eugene Horsch, Leah Remini, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
 
Join Chalene on Patreon her private podcast to hear all the latest on the Penthouse Drama and the episode with a Renowned Pet Psychic  👉chalene.com/more 
 
🚨Questions Chalene Wants Your Thoughts on:
Do you think Meta's AI has gone too far and are you concerned? 
Could you survive Burning Man?
Do you think Lindsay Clancy's jury will reach a final verdict?
 
Related Links:
Sign Up to Get the Weekly Newsletter and get all of  Chalene's Documentary Picks!! 👉NEWSLETTER
Mom's IG Post about Meta AI 
Chalene's Favorites! OneSkin Body lotion 👉https://chalene.com/lotion use Code Chalene at Checkout
Organifi!!! Go to https://www.Organifi.com/chalene  and Use the Code CHALENE for 20% off all products!
Camp Be More 2027 Registration is now OPEN!! 👉 CAMP
 
Join the PodSquad on Facebook! 👉https://www.facebook.com/groups/ChalenePodSquad
 
We would love to hear from you! Leave your questions or messages for Chalene RIGHT HERE
 
To advertise on our podcast, please reach out to thechaleneshow@gmail.com and mention The Chalene Show
 
Connect with me on your fav social platform:
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/ChaleneJohnson   
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Chalene   
TikTok: @chaleneOfficial
Chapters
[00:02:56] Intro — episode preview and topic rundown
[00:04:56] Penelope's surgery and vet update (acute stress response)
[00:08:56] The Instagram troll comment and "going FBI mode" to unmask her
[00:12:24] Social engineering explained
[00:13:23] How Meta's AI does this at scale
[00:15:16] TikTok mom's story — Meta AI surfaces her child's identity and location
[00:18:55] Why this is dangerous — doxxing, stalking, misidentification risk
[00:21:30] What to do to protect yourself and your kids online
[00:26:37] Bethenny Frankel at Burning Man
[00:35:39] Lindsay Clancy trial update — deadlocked jury, Allen charge
[00:41:14] Juror-videotaping incident outside the courthouse (Dawn Light)
[00:44:17] The House of Horrors true crime case (Raymond Horsch)
[00:49:22] Sharenting documentary — kids and content creation risks
[00:51:24] Happy news: Leah Remini joins Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Eli Lilly is testing a new GLP-1 called brenipatide in phase three trials, and weight loss isn't even the main focus, researchers are watching it for alcohol use disorder, opioid addiction, bipolar disorder, and IBS. Chalene Johnson also breaks down a new Yale University study on why the hunger hormones ghrelin and leptin roar back the moment someone stops taking a GLP-1.
Then Chalene calls out an Instagram account called Baddie Bethany (also posting as Baddie Betty on Facebook), nearly a million followers and Instagram is rolling out a brand new AI content label. She also flags an AI "Dr. Chen" wellness account blending real health facts with false ones to earn trust.
Plus, five new health devices she's watching, including a toilet sensor called Throne, an AI skin scanner called SkinBit, and a caregiving wearable from the founders of Fitbit.
Topics discussed: Eli Lilly, brenipatide, Zepbound, Yale University, ghrelin, leptin, berberine, Baddie Bethany, Baddie Betty, Dr. Chen, Chen Family Wellness, Carrie Sisson, Instagram, Throne, SkinBit, Prenuvo, 3D Radiology, Eight Sleep, Apple, Fitbit, Lufu, Lindsey Clancy trial.
 
Join Chalene on Patreon her private podcast to hear all the latest on the Penthouse Drama and the Session with a Renowned Pet Psychic  👉chalene.com/more 
 
Book your virtual visit today with MIDI! 👉chalene.com/test
 
🚨Questions Chalene Wants Your Thoughts on:
Would a GLP-1 built for addiction, not weight, help you?
Do you want a button that filters AI content out?
What is something you do today that AI will likely be doing for you in five years?
 
Related Links:
Check out AI Accounts @badiebethany  and @chen.family.wellness 
Eight Sleep: https://chalene.com/coolbed Get $300 Discount
Luffu Link
Link to the Yale Study
Sign Up to Get the Weekly Newsletter!! 👉NEWSLETTER
Camp Be More 2027 Registration is now OPEN!! 👉 CAMP
 
To advertise on our podcast, please reach out to thechaleneshow@gmail.com and mention The Chalene Show
 
Connect with me on your fav social platform:
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/ChaleneJohnson   
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Chalene   
TikTok: @chaleneOfficial
Chapters

00:00:00 — Intro: the Lindsey Clancy trial + episode preview
00:02:15 — Personal update: Penelope's mastectomy surgery and recovery
00:05:39 — Miami penthouse construction saga
00:08:18 — New Yale University study: GLP-1s, hunger hormones, and weight regain
00:12:10 — Losing weight naturally in perimenopause and menopause
00:13:21 — Eli Lilly's new peptide, brenepatide, for addiction and IBS
00:19:03 — Calling out "Baddie Bethany," an AI-generated Instagram account
00:21:31 — Instagram's new AI content labeling policy (Dr. Chen example)
00:28:13 — Instagram's July AI tagging feature backlash
00:31:10 — Health tech roundup: Throne, SkinBit, Eight Sleep, Apple, Fitbit's Lufu Link
00:45:37 — The 2031 journal exercise: predicting the next five years