What happens when one of your closest friends — and one of the most fearless humans you know — sits down in The Stiletto Room? You get Chaz Bono, baby. Actor, activist, producer, trailblazer, and someone I’ve walked through sobriety, transformation, and truth with for decades.

In this raw, powerful, beautifully honest conversation, Chaz opens up about growing up as the child of Sonny & Cher, navigating identity long before the world had language for it, and what it really took to step into himself at 40 years old. We talk about transition, chosen family, the brutal political climate, LGBTQ+ rights, the fear and freedom of hormones, and how activism becomes a lifeline — not a choice.

Chaz shares how acting saved him, how independent horror became his unexpected creative playground, and why living authentically at ANY age is not just possible — it’s non-negotiable.

This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt “different,” anyone who’s ever had to fight for their place in the world, and anyone who believes in living boldly, bravely, and unapologetically.

About Chaz Bono

Chaz Bono is an American character actor and activist, and the only child of famed entertainers Sonny and Cher. He is best known for his work on American Horror Story and Curb Your Enthusiasm. An acclaimed author, Bono has written three books, including NY Times Best Sellers, Family Outing 1998, and Transition published by Dutton in 2011, a candid account of a forty-year struggle to match his gender identity. Adding to his multiple hyphenated talents, he has shared his life and experiences in, and produced the three-time Emmy nominated documentary, "Becoming Chaz."Bono has a rich history of advocating for LGBTQ rights, having worked for two national LGBTQ organizations, and as public speaker on college campuses and at events around the world. He continues to be a strong voice the for LGBTQ community, and is a passionate champion of equality for all Americans, especially those discriminated against and targeted because of race, religion, sex, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity. In 2012 Bono decided to pursue his lifelong dream to have a career as a character actor. He’s guest stared in the films Dirty, Reborn, Three From Hell, Reboot Camp, The Bell Keeper, and Burry The Bride and Little Bites, which he also produced. Bono has also guest starred on American Horror Story: Roanoke and American Horror Story: Cult, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Bold and the Beautiful.

If you love the topics we unpack in the podcast, then you'll love Dina LaPolt's new motivational book, Street Smart: Succeeding in a Man's World. Order Now!
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There are artists… and then there are American treasures. And today in The Stiletto Room, I sit down with one of the women who shaped my entire life: Melissa Etheridge.

When I tell you her first album catapulted me into my identity, my career, my purpose — baby, that is not an exaggeration. Melissa talks about writing every song herself, getting discovered in a Long Beach women’s bar, breaking through a male-dominated industry, and the moment she realized her authenticity was her superpower long before the world was ready for it.

We talk Grammys, Oscars, touring overseas, her iconic Janis Joplin performance at the Grammys while she was still in cancer treatment, and the spiritual awakening that reshaped her entire life. Melissa opens up about manifesting her dreams — including her new album Rise, her duet with Chris Stapleton, and the foundation she created in honor of her son to revolutionize addiction treatment.

This conversation is about music, resilience, motherhood, activism, joy, and the wild courage it takes to stay authentic for four decades.

Melissa Etheridge doesn’t just inspire — she changes lives. Mine included.

ABOUT MELISSA ETHERIDGE:

Melissa Etheridge is a Grammy- and Oscar-winning rock icon celebrated for her unmistakable vocals, confessional songwriting, and decades of fearless authenticity. She broke through in 1988 with her self-titled debut and became a defining voice of American rock with hits like “Bring Me Some Water,” “Ain’t It Heavy,” “I’m the Only One,” and the Grammy-winning “Come to My Window.”

Her landmark albums Yes I Am and Your Little Secret cemented her place in music history, earning her ASCAP’s Songwriter of the Year. In 2007, she won an Academy Award for “I Need to Wake Up,” written for An Inconvenient Truth. Etheridge has long been a pioneer in LGBTQ+ visibility and cultural impact, famously performing bald at the 2005 Grammys during cancer treatment — a moment that inspired millions.

She’s continued to evolve with acclaimed projects like Memphis Rock & Soul, The Medicine Show, and One Way Out. Her powerful solo show My Window debuted Off-Broadway before opening on Broadway in 2023 to critical praise.

In 2020, she founded The Etheridge Foundation to advance research and compassionate solutions for opioid use disorder. Her 2024 docuseries and live album I’m Not Broken, recorded inside the Topeka Correctional Facility, showcases the profound healing power of music, storytelling, and

If you love the topics we unpack in the podcast, then you'll love Dina LaPolt's new motivational book, Street Smart: Succeeding in a Man's World. Order Now!
https://a.co/d/6sGKcer

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Welcome to a very special Thanksgiving edition of The Stiletto Room, and by special, I mean my children hijacked my show. Yes, baby, this week I’m joined by Buddy, Wilson, and their brilliant (and brutally honest) friend Tallulah Sykes… and let me just say: the turkey is not the only thing getting roasted.

In true holiday spirit, we talk about everything, school trends (including the unholy nightmare known as “pepper yucky”), Shark Tank projects, hummingbird sanctuaries, bullying, politics, superpowers, and why Gen Alpha apparently speaks its own language. I try to keep control, but listen… These kids have more opinions than a Thanksgiving dinner table after dessert.

We get into phones, friendships, football, Broadway dreams, and gratitude, real gratitude. The kind you feel when you look at your kids, their giant hearts, and their growing sense of justice, and realize: yeah, the next generation might actually save us.

This episode is hilarious, chaotic, tender, and full of Thanksgiving heart. A perfect reminder that family, chosen or biological, is messy, loud, loving, and worth every second.

About Wilson, Buddy, and Tallulah

Wilson Ray and Buddy Lee LaPolt are Dina LaPolt’s 12-year-old twin boys. Wilson loves street art, making slime, and going to Sephora. Tallulah is his best friend. Buddy loves playing football and basketball and is a model represented by LA Models Jr. They love animals and all together have three dogs; Elsa, Doodles, and Gatsby.

Tallulah Sykes 11 years old. Born in New York and raised in Los Angeles. Tallulah loves performing, traveling, making slime, and walking her dog, Baxter.

If you love the topics we unpack in the podcast, then you'll love Dina LaPolt's new motivational book, Street Smart: Succeeding in a Man's World. Order Now!
https://a.co/d/6sGKcer

Follow The Stiletto Room:
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