Modern Love: episodes

60 recent episodes from the show's feed. Back to the show

1. The Real Story Behind Jennette McCurdy’s Novel “Half His Age.”

   Feb 4, 2026 · 44 min

   Please note: this episode contains explicit descriptions of sex. Jennette McCurdy pretty much grew up in front of an audience. In her role on the Nickelodeon show “iCarly,” she seemed like a bubbly, happy teenager. Behind the scenes, though, she was struggling. In her 2022 memoir, “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” McCurdy described her toxic and often abusive relationship with her mother, her struggles wit

2. I Was the Fun Dad. It Almost Destroyed My Marriage.

   Jan 28, 2026 · 43 min

   When Jordan Carlos looks back on the role he was playing in his family a few years ago, he does not like what he sees. He was bringing home a good salary as a comedian, but doing only the bare minimum as a husband and a dad. When Jordan did show up at home, he was more likely to take the kids out for an all-day candy binge than to take them to the dentist or to tuck them in by bedtime. But Jordan

3. I Tried to Toughen Up My Son. He Had Other Ideas.

   Jan 21, 2026 · 56 min

   Sam Graham-Felsen was not a tough child. He feared violence and didn’t feel that he could stand up for himself when he was bullied. His fear ate away at his confidence; he was afraid to go on dates, afraid to try hard in school. As an adult, he thought he had moved past those fears. But then he started to notice some of those same tendencies in his young son. Sam wanted to change that, so he took

4. Was I Married To A Stranger?

   Jan 14, 2026 · 55 min

   Belle Burden was living the kind of life most can only dream of. Born into a wealthy New York family, she married a dashing attorney who had swept her off her feet. The couple had a beautiful apartment in Manhattan, a summer house on Martha’s Vineyard, three children, and what Belle thought was a happy marriage. Then, after 20 years, with no warning, her husband told her he wanted a divorce. Bel

5. Want to have better sex this year? Here’s how.

   Jan 7, 2026 · 41 min

   Do you think you could be having better sex? Are you confident you know what really turns you on? What makes your body feel good? How do you communicate about it? Nicole McNichols wants everyone to be asking these questions. Dr. McNichols is a psychology professor at the University of Washington, where she teaches a class on human sexuality to over 4,000 students a year. She has immersed herself i

6. Andrew Garfield Wants to Crack Open Your Heart (Encore)

   Dec 24, 2025 · 49 min

   The actor knows life is fleeting, but he wants to hold onto every moment.

7. I Cashed Out My 401(k) to Build a Women’s Only Retirement Community

   Dec 17, 2025 · 28 min

   When it came time to retire, Robyn Yerian didn’t feel like she had enough money saved. She didn’t want to depend on her children or end up in a nursing home, so she cashed out what she had in her 401(k) and bought a plot of land in East Texas. She built spots for tiny homes and called the area the Bird’s Nest. Over time, the Bird’s Nest has become home to a community of women who are rethinking r

8. Jessie Buckley Became a Mother for ‘Hamnet.’ Then She Became One for Real.

   Dec 10, 2025 · 36 min

   The actor Jessie Buckley says she wasn’t surprised that she got pregnant right after she finished shooting “Hamnet.” The film — starring Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare and Buckley as his wife, Agnes — tells the story of a couple grieving the loss of their only son. “When I was filming ‘Hamnet,’ I deeply wanted to become a mother,” Buckley says. “And it was such a gift to move through this woma

9. Finding the Magic, Just in Time (Encore)

   Dec 3, 2025 · 41 min

   Clare Cory was 59 years old and had been single almost her whole life. She thought her love story was over. Then everything changed.

10. A Therapist’s Emotional Tool Kit for a Better Holiday Season

    Nov 26, 2025 · 44 min

    The holiday season is upon us. It’s a wonderful time, but if we’re being honest, it’s also a little stressful. Whether you’re worried about hosting a big family gathering, talking with cousins who have very different perspectives on politics or awkward questions from prying aunts, the holidays are full of complicated relationship dynamics. On this episode of “Modern Love,” Nedra Glover Tawwab, a

11. There's a Better Way for Couples to Talk About Money

    Nov 19, 2025 · 43 min

    According to Ramit Sethi, a personal finance author and coach, a lot of couples get stuck bickering about everyday purchases. If you’re hung up on what’s in the cart at Target, or who’s buying too many iced teas on the way to work, Sethi says you’re missing the bigger picture, and a chance to live what he calls a truly “rich life” together. Sethi is the author of “I Will Teach You To Be Rich” an

12. On Our Third Date, I Asked for a Joint Bank Account

    Nov 12, 2025 · 46 min

    Janene Lin loathed the moment when the dinner bill would hit the table. When her date would pay, she felt like her love was for sale. Splitting the bill felt like no one had anything at stake. Most of the time, she would pay the bill herself, but that left her feeling uncared-for. So Janene prepared a pitch: On her next date, her third with a man named Aodhán, she would ask to open a joint bank ac

13. The Love Poem Andrea Gibson Wrote for Their Widow...and for You

    Nov 5, 2025 · 56 min

    Andrea Gibson was the poet laureate of Colorado and a giant of the spoken word poetry scene. This past July, Gibson died of ovarian cancer, leaving behind their devoted fans, friends, family and longtime partner, the poet Megan Falley. For the last year of Gibson’s life, a film crew followed Andrea and Megan as they navigated countless treatments and moments of triumph. In the darkest of times, t

14. W.N.B.A. Star Natasha Cloud Doesn’t Play When It Comes to Love

    Oct 29, 2025 · 38 min

    Natasha Cloud is a powerhouse. The New York Liberty point guard seems to have it all: a successful W.N.B.A. career, fierce confidence and a loving relationship with her girlfriend and teammate, Isabelle Harrison. On and off the court, Cloud radiates self-assurance and seems to know exactly who she is, but that sense of self was hard-won. In a conversation with “Modern Love” podcast host Anna Mart

15. The Woman Who Can Make Affairs Disappear

    Oct 22, 2025 · 32 min

    In cities across China, there’s a special kind of consultant you can hire if you find out your spouse is cheating. They’re called “mistress dispellers,” and their job is to work their way into your spouse’s life, get close to their lover and convince the pair to break it off. When all goes according to plan, the cheaters end up believing it was their idea to end the affair. In this episode of “Mo

16. Malala Thought She’d Never Fall in Love

    Oct 15, 2025 · 56 min

    When she was 15 years old, Malala Yousafzai was shot by the Taliban, targeted for saying that young women should have the right to an education. By the time she woke from the ensuing coma, the world had already cast her in the role of fearless activist. In the years that followed, she embraced the part, starting the Malala Fund and traveling the globe speaking truth to power. But now Malala has a

17. Tessa Thompson on Finding What You Want (What You Really, Really Want)

    Oct 8, 2025 · 40 min

    Tessa Thompson’s latest role is an infamously chaotic one: Hedda Gabler. Adapted from the classic play by Henrik Ibsen, “Hedda,” in select theaters Oct. 22, casts Thompson as a 1950s housewife who feels snubbed by an old lover and stifled in a new marriage. For Hedda, the only exit strategy is to punish those who have hurt her and then destroy herself. In this episode of Modern Love, Thompson exp

18. For Her 70th Birthday, She Hired an Escort

    Oct 1, 2025 · 37 min

    Gail Rice, a writer and a therapist, was approaching her 70th birthday. She had given up on dating apps and hadn’t had a romantic connection with anyone in years. But for her 70th, she wanted a very specific birthday present: an orgasm. So Rice decided to hire an escort. In this episode, she describes what went right, what went wrong and what she’s planning for her next birthday. You can read Ga

19. How an Off-Script Moment Changed Jay Duplass’s Life

    Sep 24, 2025 · 43 min

    Jay Duplass knows the power of improvisation. Many years ago, an unscripted, cliffside interaction changed his life, helping to set in motion the events that would lead to his new movie, “The Baltimorons.” The film features a newly sober comedian and a workaholic dentist who meet on Christmas Eve during an emergency dental procedure. What follows is a surprising love story that unfolds over 24 hou

20. You Think You Know Elizabeth Gilbert. You Don’t.

    Sep 17, 2025 · 54 min

    When her wildly popular memoir “Eat Pray Love” came out in 2006, Elizabeth Gilbert suddenly found herself touted as an expert on self fulfillment, spirituality and love. Readers might assume that Gilbert had vanquished her demons as she settled into a life of fame and marriage to the man she fell in love with at the end of the book. But her struggle was far from over. On this episode of “Modern L