Tig Notaro breaks silence on ‘very strange’ split with Cheryl Hines as politics overtook friendship
tig notaro is publicly describing what she calls a “very strange” and painful end to her longtime friendship with actor Cheryl Hines, after political tensions connected to Hines’ husband, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., became impossible to ignore. Speaking on MS NOW’s “The Best People with Nicolle Wallace, ” the comedian said she ultimately felt she had to walk away. The discussion aired as Notaro reflected on the personal toll of staying connected while Kennedy’s political profile grew.
What happened: A friendship ends as politics intensified
Notaro said the relationship unraveled over time, with the final split landing after Kennedy endorsed Donald Trump in August 2024. Notaro described reaching a point where remaining close felt like “okaying a particular ride for this country to go on. ”
“I had to kind of shake myself out of denial that, ‘Oh, she’s gone, ’ and, ‘OK, I need to let this go. I need to let it go, ’” Notaro said of Hines on the podcast hosted by Nicolle Wallace.
Notaro emphasized that her friendship with Hines began long before Hines’ marriage to Kennedy. She said she initially viewed some of Kennedy’s beliefs as minor irritations, but felt the situation changed as his platform gained momentum and Hines encouraged Notaro to “hear Bobby out. ”
Tig Notaro on stepping away from their shared podcast and public backlash
Notaro connected the strain in the friendship to her decision to stop co-hosting “Tig and Cheryl: True Story, ” the podcast she and Hines ran from 2020 to 2023. Notaro said the show brought some of the “deepest, hardest laughs, ” but she also felt the tone of their project no longer matched the moment.
“I think that I needed to stop doing the podcast, because it was so ridiculous, it was so stupid — our show — that it was hard to be doing that when he was gaining momentum and speaking, ” Notaro said. “I had to step away, but I loved her so much. ”
Notaro also described the political fallout spilling into her work, saying Hines’ politics became a distraction during stand-up performances when some audience members heckled her about Hines. Notaro said she did not want that conflict to become her “world, ” and recalled telling Hines as much. Notaro said Hines responded, “I understand. ”
Notaro added that she has “never heard from her again. ”
Immediate reactions: Named voices and what they said
Notaro’s comments were made in conversation with Nicolle Wallace, host of MS NOW’s “The Best People, ” where Notaro discussed the friendship rupture and the decision to disengage. In the same appearance, Notaro also spoke about her Academy Award-nominated documentary “Come See Me in the Good Light, ” along with the healing power of comedy.
Hines, for her part, has said in interviews that she has lost friends who are “so emotional about politics” that her marriage became a dealbreaker. She also expressed deep sadness over the end of the shared podcast.
Quick context: How close they were before the break
Notaro and Hines were longtime friends and former co-hosts, and Hines is credited with helping Notaro get her start in Hollywood by taking her to talent agencies after seeing her perform stand-up. After Notaro left the podcast in 2023, it briefly continued with Hines and comedian and actor Rachael Harris before eventually ending.
What’s next: Where things stand now
As of the latest comments, tig notaro has framed the split as final, saying she needed to accept the loss and “let this go. ” Any future reconciliation remains unclear, but Notaro’s account signals she has chosen distance as Kennedy’s political role and the surrounding controversy continue to shape the fallout that ended a once-public creative partnership.
