Allie Barksdale on addiction, rehab, and life

And it's a fair question. It's a fair question. It's a fair question. I'm Vic Cohen and it's a fair question. It's a fair, it's a fair, it's a fair, it's a fair question. I'm Vic Cohen and it's a fair, it's a fair, it's a fair, it's a fair quest, quest, question. Hey there, how are you all doing? This is Vic Cohen on the show where it is always a fair question. That's right. There is no question that is ever off limits or that ever goes too far. Remember that guest. I'm looking at our guest tonight. I remember, I remember because I know you, okay? There's going to be nothing off limits tonight. Okay, okay, cool. Our guest, the lady I am speaking to, the mystery lady, her name is Allie Barksdale. Hello, hello. Hello. I've known Allie, I've known you for over 10 years. Allie is a TV producer. She's a show creator. She's also- What show did I create? An actress. Well, you called me about doing something. Okay. That sounded like you created something. Oh yeah, I created. We did something. I don't, you know, I still, it was very mysterious. You didn't tell me what it was, but you just said, I want, I'm pitching you. But I love it. So, right? That sounds cool. But isn't that true? Yes, definitely. You have worked with Joan Rivers, in case you have amnesia, but this is for all of you watching. The late, great, legendary. That's right. Joan Rivers, Howie Mandel, Donald, God forbid, Donald Trump. Yes. Jesse Ventura. Yes. I forgot about that one. You went through my resume. Yes. Yes. Gloria Allred, attorney, and Vic Cohen. Ah! The late, great. God forbid. You don't kill me. Yes. And you are a six-time Emmy-nominated producer. Uh-huh. And I won a Peabody. You know, that sounds so impressive. You're like, what the fuck is a Peabody? I looked it up. I Googled it. It's too late. It's done. Okay. What is a Peabody? Okay. Because it sounds really impressive, and it sounds like it's something like you'd get if you worked at KCET. Yeah, that's where I got it. Hello. Really? It doesn't sound like the crap you work on. No offense. Ha, ha, ha. But yeah. Yeah. You want me to talk about that show? I want you to talk about the show you got the Peabody on for about 10 seconds. Okay. Go. Well, it was a... It was for two shows. We did it in Spanish and English. And in English, it was A Place of Our Own. In Spanish, it's Los Niños en Su Casa. And it's one of those PBS kind of things. And it was prestigious for education. So Peabody's are given for people who are making an education difference? It was an educational kind of thing. And I don't know who George Peabody is. And everybody just Google it. Because I'm still not sure. Okay. And I got a cute statue. Now, very nice. You know, you got to get a statue. I got a cute one. So briefly speaking with you, I didn't want to overdo it in our pre-interview. Okay. But the sense I get is that you are in crisis. Totally. Or were in crisis. I was. Very recently. And I want to get to that. And I'm coming out of it. Okay, good. And I'm going to help you further get out of it. Well, I don't know. With you, it may be... I might push you back. Okay. We may call the loony bin to come get me after this. No. That's impossible. I am very good. I will be your unprofessional, your hobby therapist, whatever you call it. So let's just get into what you've been doing all these years in television. Like, first of all, why did you get into TV? What I did is I went back to... I used to party down in the 80s in New York. Okay. Right? And I went to college. I went to this... Where did you go to school? I went to Marymount Manhattan College, this really elite school. Make sure you stay right in that mic. Really elite school. Sorry. When I graduated from high school in Manhattan, because I'm from New York. Okay. And it was a great school, but I was like a party girl. So... This is the high school or the college? This is your high school? I didn't party so much in high school, but in college I did. What do you mean by partying? Partying. Going to a place called the Paradise Garage, which a lot of people don't know about, but it's a house music place. And that was... You know about that. You're from Chicago. Yeah. You know about house music. But what... Was this in Manhattan? Yes. Paradise Garage. Google it, boo. You have your computer right there. Okay. We'll do that later. I don't want to do that now. I got too much to talk about with you. So when you say partying, were you doing hard drugs? When I say party, it's going to be listen to music and dance. That's it. It's more of an innocent... And you would do a little bit of drugs, but not like... Like cocaine? I didn't like that. I've tried it, but I didn't like it. Right. Okay. So... But it was about the music. So anyways, that... Sorry. Keep going. Let's get through it, because that's boring. Let's get through it. So what was the question? Tell me, so I'll get to the good part. What got you into television? You said you had been partying. What got into me... Yeah, let me go. Let me speed it up. This is only an hour show. I was graduating from college, and I was so mad at my mom. And I didn't want to live with her, so I moved in with a boyfriend. Okay. And I needed to get a job. I'm not going to have a guy just take care of me. Yeah. So I started working at CBS on 57th Street in New York. And like in accounting, look... You look bored. No. Should I keep going? Keep going. Okay. Not at all. In an accounting office. I'm riveted. Okay. I'm riveted. Okay. So I was working in an accounting office, and I would see other people working on shows, and they looked like they were having a ball. They were doing CBS This Morning. I think it was Another World. And this is right out of school. Right. But I graduated later. You know, I was like 24. Okay. Okay. So I'm working there at CBS. And they look like they're having fun. And I met a wonderful makeup artist, like in the lunchroom. They still had that. Yeah. So he go... And I saw they had a sign up on the wall. Joan Rivershow needs a receptionist. So I'm like, what? So I talked to this makeup artist. And I go, well, I'm a college graduate receptionist. He's like, take that job. He's like, go in there, interview for it. Did you interview with Joan herself? No. I interviewed. I interviewed with Sheila, who we're still all Facebook friends. Okay. And this is about 25 years ago. Right. So I get there. Sheila hires me. So the first day, I'm sitting there at the desk, right? As a receptionist, answering the phones. And so people were buzzing around because at the time, Joan had a stalker. Oh. So they were all going crazy. Oh, Lord, a stalker. Oh, this. Oh, the stalker. And we're on 57th Street and 11th Avenue in Manhattan. You're the first line of defense. Right. Was your desk right in the front of the office? Yes. But I wasn't, for some reason, I wasn't scared. Everybody else was. Right. They're like, oh, Lord. Yeah, Joan. So all day long. It was about till noon that was going on. So then they're like, here she comes. So Joan was walking in with her manager, Dorothy. And Vinny was her security guard. And she still had Spike back then. That's her dog? Remember, she had a little Yorkie. I don't remember Spike. Yeah. Almost as old as me. So come on now. She had a little doggy named Spike. Okay. So they all come walking in. And Joan just walks up to me. She went, hi, Allison. Just as sweet as can be. I'm like, hi, Joan. She's like, welcome. And just a wonderful, warm woman. Was this her nighttime show? No, no, no. Daytime. It was a daytime show we did in New York. It started in, I moved here in 94. So that was 1990. And you did that for four years, right? Yes. Yeah. But there's more to this story. Go on, yeah. Okay. So she's talking to me and being all sweet. So people were all just scared about the stalker. So then Sheila comes up and goes, Joan, here's a picture of the stalker. And she went, he's cute. So that's when you knew what a wonderful, fun, naturally fun lady she was. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. She is. Did the stalker ever show up? No. Okay. And it kind of just went away. It just went away. Yeah. Yeah. That's great. And she always was very kind to you? Oh my gosh. I went to, when I was still, I was younger and needed more money. So she would have parties at her house for Thanksgiving. And she was like, does anybody want to do cold check and I'll pay you? So I said, I'll do it because I could use some extra money. So she has this beautiful townhouse. Is this the place she had when she passed away? Yeah. I think so. And especially it was very ornate. Opulent. And yeah, it was like kind of like a King or Queens type. Yes, definitely. It was fantastic. Yeah. You know? So yeah, she, Howard Stern came over when Howard and Robin came for Thanksgiving that night, that year. And you were the cold check person? I was a cold check. And it wasn't nothing to, nobody, everybody was like, I'm taking my fur with me when they went upstairs. How much did you get paid? I don't remember. Did any of the people tip you? Any of the guests? No. Because it was, it was intimate. Yeah. It was more about, oh, I'm going to go to the store. All right. Come on in. You know? This was like early nineties? Yeah. And so Howard Stern, anyone else interesting? Howard, Robin, who was the lady? There was a lady she used to always talk about. People from back then. I don't remember everybody's name. But we were like maybe 10 to 15 people, something like that? Yes. Yeah. Okay. She had a nice dinner. And then afterwards, after everybody left, she's like, Allison, come upstairs and sit down and let's just chit chat. And all of us, we just sat around, the people that worked with her and me, and we're just laughing and laughing. And one of the people that came to the party, he's a neighbor of hers. And his name was like, Mr. Scruggagotchi or something like that. And I'm like, Joan, what does Mr. Scruggagotchi do? She goes, we don't ask. So it was fun times at the Joan Rivers show. Yeah. I had a great time. Did you leave because the show just was canceled? I got an offer to come out here to work. To LA. To work on a show. What was it? Called the Mike and Maddie show. Okay. Yeah. So yeah, just a little bit. Daytime talk show. Daytime talk show. You heard of it? Yeah. I remember it well. Mike Berger. Yes. And Maddie. Yes. Totally. So yeah, I came and worked on that. Do you have a regret that you did? No. Shut up, silly. Because I mean, you know, Joan Rivers is so iconic. And wasn't there a possibility of moving up within the Joan Rivers empire? Well, I was working on a talk show and I was going to be a producer. And I was going to be a producer. I wanted to expand my life. Did you want to move to Los Angeles? Was that part of the plan? I had never thought about it until, I can't say his name, but he's pretty famous right now and called me to come and work out here on Mike and Maddie. Why can't you say who called you? I don't want to say. It was a long time ago. It's a fair question. He's doing pretty good right now. Who called you? Very positive. He's a producer. Yeah. But why is that so hard? Because there's a lot of stuff. You know what I'm going through in my life right now. So I'm like, I got to show up. Shut up a little bit. Okay. So Barry, who's a very prolific, and I don't know him personally, but he's a very nice man. So he called you and he was doing the show. Because we worked on Joan Rivers together. Oh, okay. So that's great. Yeah. So that's the best way to come out to Los Angeles. And you've never left. Is that right? I never left. Yep. Now, it's kind of crazy when I looked at your resume, because you are all over the map. I mean, you've done so much. But what is it with you and court shows? I mean, come on. Okay. Oh, wait, hold on. Let me just read for all of you. Okay. We've got America's Court with Jesse Ventura. America's Court with Judge Kevin Ross. We the People with Gloria Allred. Justice for All with Christina Perez. Supreme Justice with Judge Kareem Mills Francis. Okay. And he's, oh, Karen. I said Kareem. Karen. What the hell is with you? Is it just once you start, you can't stop? Well, this is what happened. When I was working on, let me think, what was I working on? I worked on the Lisa show after Mike. Maddie. So then. This is Lisa Gibbons. Lisa Gibbons. Yes, I worked on that. And that was also a daytime talk show. Yes. So I did a lot of stuff on that. Met great people that I'm still friends with. Great producers I'm still friends with today. And then. What's Lisa up to? Counting your money from all those shows? Thank you. Yeah. She was fantastic. Also wonderful. Yeah, she always seemed very sincere. Nice lady to work for, you know. And she did a show called John and Lisa. Yes. With John Tesh. Uh-huh. But this was a different show. Right. John was no longer there. There was no more John. Okay. Yeah. And my old supervising producer was the producer on that. But anyway, that's what we do in this business. You just kind of like move around, especially older people like us. I'm 52 going on 53. Now, why do you say your age? Because so many people are afraid to do that in this business. Well, I'm 52. That's how old I am. When people ask me my age, I say I play 35 to 47. Uh-huh. I play 5'2". I play 5'2". I play 5'2". I play 5'10". Uh-huh. I play 130 pounds to 170 pounds. So you don't say the exact thing. I give ranges. Yeah. Yeah. I don't care how old you are. You could be a three-year-old asking me how old I am. But you're my friend and I'm sitting here with you. I know. No, I'm just curious because there is, you've noticed, there's some people, particularly in the entertainment business. Lots of people, yeah. You know, but you're very open. I don't roll like that. Yeah. Okay, great. Okay. Because I don't want anybody to feel bad about how old they are. Yeah. Well, I think that's. That's important to me. So, so this whole thing with the court stuff, you kind of fell into it. Right. And one show led to another, which led to another. I started working at Divorce Court. And then what else did I do? Another show for them, for those producers. And then left. And those, the ones you just mentioned, except for the Jesse Ventura, they're all I did with Byron Allen. Okay. Now, for those of you watching and listening who don't know who Byron Allen is, he's, I've been told, one of the wealthiest people in Hollywood. He has his own production company. Right. Right. And he's very prolific in his, in what they put out. He has a business sense. A really great business sense. He started as a comic. Uh-huh. With Johnny Carson. I didn't know that. When he was like 18. Okay. Yeah. There's footage of him doing his act at like 18 on Johnny Carson. How long, would you say that was your most recent long-term job? Yeah. Yep. It was. Okay. And how long was that? How long were you with Byron? That was about four years. And how involved was Byron in his company? Very. Very. So you were face-to-face with him a lot? Oh, yeah. Very hands-on. It's a family business. It's him, his mom, and his uncle. You know? And they're very hands-on. Yeah. He's there every day. You know? And for those of you who don't know Byron Allen, if you just Google the guy, you'll see what Ali's talking about as far as you'll see some old footage of him doing stand-up. But you'll be blown away by all the TV shows he's done. And very likely you've been, it'd be almost impossible not to have seen something he's done. Right. Because it's the kind of thing you'll be up when you come home from the club late at night and three o'clock in the morning, there he is interviewing people. He's made a lot of money off of these, they call them press junkets, where there'll be a reporter talking to stars of a film. And you'll see like the movie poster behind the guest and Byron. Yeah. That's a producer, Mike, that does that. A producer, pardon me? His name is Mike. Okay. The name is, right. The producer that does that. So I think Byron, that was kind of the bread and butter of the company, right? Yeah. I think it would come like Hollywood something or other. Right now I think the court shows are. Oh, okay. But I'm talking early days. Yeah. I think that my recollection is that's how it started, or at least that's how he got on the map. Well, it's been for almost 20 years he had the company. Have you been to his house? Never. Mm-mm. What kind of cars does he drive? Oh, Bentley. Does he? Ew. Convertible? Convertible. With a baby seat in the back. Convertible? It wasn't convertible. It was not. No. Couldn't afford it. See? Shut up. You silly. What color? Black. New? It was new, yes. But I haven't worked here in a while, so I don't know what he has right now. What kind of guy is he? Very diplomatic, you know? And he's very funny, and he wants the room to feel comfortable. But you can always see the wheels spinning. He's always thinking, what am I doing next? Is he a genius? I think so. Do you think that... I understand his mother. He had started the company. Right. His mom, yeah. Carolyn. She was a publicist. Is that right? She worked at NBC. Yeah. Do you think that he got lucky in a way because his mother had already set the groundwork for him? No. I wouldn't say that's luck. I think it's hard work from both of them. Okay. Yeah. And how did they get along? Pretty good from what I see. She's his partner. You know? Mm-hmm. But also, I don't know people's dynamics. Look at me and my mother. Ooh. You'd be like, ugh. So I don't... You know. They seem fine to me. But you were there four years? Yes. Okay. And how many shows? You must have worked on a ton of shows. It's like 100 and something because we were doing all the court shows you mentioned, and we would do like 14 segments a day. So you've got this great job. You're working with someone who's huge in the business. Uh-huh. Did you get benefits? No. But that's how it is. Even after four years? Mm-mm. Some give benefits. I'm not... Is it... I'm used to not getting them. Was he generous in pay? Okay. Did you see the Mets game the other day? No. What do you mean by that? My joke just tanked. They're not playing. Is that the joke? So it was a little tight? A little tight. Have you seen a Real Housewives lately? So there was no money? No, there's money. No. I was able to live and survive. Okay. But you're not getting rich over there. It was competitive to the... What everybody else is making and what we're doing now. Competitive to like E, which is notoriously on the lower end of pay. I wouldn't say that, but I see there's so many people also, and I'm very upfront about this when I say my age. When you get a little bit older, they don't call you as much because I'm like a dinosaur. And they think that I'm going to want so much money. Mm-hmm. You know? So if I need a job, I'm going to take a gig. Right. And Byron gave me what was appropriate for him and his company. Okay. So you were satisfied with that. So why did you leave? I got tired. You know, I was busting my ass and just drinking too much and just wanted to go. Were you asked to leave or did you quit? Uh-uh. I wasn't asked to leave. I did too much. You were forced. It wasn't even an asking. It was get out of here. No, not at all. So you decided it was just time. Yeah. That must have been a hard choice. I was tired. Like I said, I was drinking a lot. What's a lot? Every day, every night. Yeah. When you'd get up in the morning, would you have a drink? Not before I went to work, but definitely after work. Yeah. And how many drinks? Like what would be a typical night? Ooh. A bottle of like Taka, which is this real cheap one you can buy. Yeah. But it was a lot. A whole bottle? Yeah. But not a big one, but like a... In a night? Oh, yeah. Yeah. And would you drink to black out? Yes. Mm-hmm. Did you ever wake up having vomited and like you could have died? No, no. But what you do is when you go through alcoholism like that, you get the shakes. And your body starts really wanting you... It's like a withdrawal. If you don't have more inside? Mm-hmm. So would you say you're an alcoholic? Oh, yeah. Okay. When did you figure that out? Well, no. I'm not an alcoholic. Because they go to the meetings. I'm a drunk. You would say that right now. That's my joke that I stole from somebody. You never heard that one before? No, but it's... Okay. I'm being very serious right now. Okay. I'm actually concerned for you. Okay. Thank you, babe. Yeah. So I'm kind of in that headspace. Okay. Because it sounds like a serious thing. It is serious. Now, you... But if I keep it so serious, that's not good for me. Because I was in a place where it's supposed to be so serious. And then that's when I start freaking out. Okay. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. When we were on Deal or No Deal, you were on that for a number of years. It was... Well, not as long as you, but... Right. But you were there close from the beginning to the end? I did get there at the beginning. Yeah. About a year later. Okay. So you were there probably like two and a half, almost three years? Okay. And so on that show, you were a producer. And for those of you who don't remember, Deal or No Deal was that game show on NBC, a primetime show with 26 models. And there was a banker. And Howie Mandel was the host. And I was the writer. And you were one of the producers. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. And we had a great time. Yes. But I do remember towards the end, there was one night where you drank. Right. I was spiraling out of control. And that night, you spanked the executive producer. You spanked Scott C. John. You went in his office. You remember? Yeah. I was going to bring it up. You don't forget stuff like that. I was going to bring it up. You remember? Yeah. Oh, yeah. You went in his office and you spanked him. Uh-huh. And I think he was like, what in the hell was that? No, I think he liked it. Oh, okay. Well, you were gone soon after. I left. You quit. Yeah. They didn't fire me. They didn't. Why did you quit? No. Because I was drinking too much. And it wasn't fair to the staff and the production. Were you embarrassed? Is that why you quit? No. I just, I had to take care of me. And I think I sent you guys an email saying, you know what? I have to deal with this. But I didn't know what you did to deal with it. What did you do? Oh, I took some time off and just said, let me figure out what's going on in my life. And what am I so depressed about? Why do I need to black out? Right. Yeah. So I didn't take the step. I didn't take the steps right away to do everything. But I took some time off. So what did you figure out? Then? Yeah. About that I'm drinking too much. As far as like why you were blacking out and why you were depressed. Did you come up with some answers back then? Yeah. One of the main things is my dad passed 10 years ago. Okay. Is this interesting to people? Yeah, it is. Okay. You sure? Yeah. Okay. My dad passed. This is real. Okay. My dad passed. You know, I'd rather talk about this than just your resume. Okay. Well, yeah. This is real. Okay. My dad passed 10 years ago and he left me a lot of money. And I was like, I didn't expect it. What's a lot? A half a million dollars? I'm not going to say all that. It's a fair question. Yeah. But I'm like, yeah. But it don't mean I got to answer it. Billion? Million? I'm not going to say. Okay. So a lot of money. It was a lot of money that I wasn't used to. Okay. And he hadn't taught me how to invest in all that stuff. So it's not about the money. It just was the loss that really hit me. The loss of your father. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And also going through when you struggle with depression, like I've gone through depression my whole life. So that compounded with you want to drink to make yourself not depressed and it makes you worse. Right. So it was all that on top of each other. That was back then? Yeah. Okay. And then you gave me a hint, but we didn't really get into it because I wanted to save it for our show, that you went into rehab more recently. Yeah. I went to rehab last April. Yeah. Yeah. And I checked myself in. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I met a lot of beautiful friends in the entertainment community helped me go in and it helped. It did help. What was going on like that you need help getting in and what was going on in your life Well, it wasn't one of those like, well- It was time. Yeah. Yeah. I had lost everything. I lost my condo. Remember I had that beautiful running Joey Joey Joey Joey Joey Joey Joey Joey Joey Joey Remember I had that beautiful running rover? Well, you were living in Marina Del Rey. Yes. In a high-rise. I lost my condo. Yeah. I wasn't in a high-rise there. Oh, okay. Yeah. But I lost my condo. When you say because you couldn't make the payments? Yeah. Because I was getting drunk and not keeping up with my responsibilities with my money. Yeah. You know? Oh. Yeah. Yeah. So you kind of hit a bottom. Yes. As they say. I did. So was it the losing of the condo and just the whole kind of craziness of life? Yes. You couldn't handle it? It was just too much? It was too much. Yeah. I couldn't handle it. And this was only like a year and a half ago? Mm-hmm. Yeah. Okay. Yep. Exactly. I mean, I don't mean great. I mean, great that you're, you seem so great now. Yeah. That it was only a year and a half ago. Uh-huh. So you go, what's that like when you check in? Now, was this one of these ritzy Malibu kind of? No, it wasn't one of those on the beach. And it's a very, the price is wonderful, but the place was fantastic. What was the price? I wish I could say the name, but it's part of AA and it's Alcoholics Anonymous. But it was a wonderful place. Was this a frou-frou celebrity place? Well, the celebrity was Alison Barksdale. Of course. They've had celebrities, yeah. But it wasn't like the ones that are like $30,000 a week. What were you paying? Beach. I don't want to say that because it'll give too much of who it is. Was it more than $10,000 a week? No, it was less. Okay. Okay. Is it a celebrity place? Though you said it kind of, there are celebrities that go there. Were there horses? Were you horseback riding? No. Okay. Swimming pool? Mm-mm. Jacuzzi? Mm-mm. Come on, Allie. No. What was there? What is it that you found you really enjoyed about it? It was a beautiful mansion. And the way they treated everyone. It was like, we care about you. You know? And the kind of care we got was like being with a family. And it was like, you know, it was a family that cares about you and wants to make sure you're okay. Mm-hmm. Yeah. So how long were you there? For 90 days. That's a long time. Yeah. Yep. 90 days. And I'm imagining you had therapy? Yes. Yeah. And was that every day? Not every day, but we would have activities we would do, but we would go to AA meetings twice a day. Well, not twice a day. We'd have a meeting at the house, and then we'd go out to AA meetings. A van would take you? Yeah. So it was very controlled living. Yeah, yeah. Definitely, yeah. What did you do with all your stuff that was here? Did you put it in storage? Yes, I put all my stuff in storage. Yeah. And were you allowed to have friends visit you? Yes. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Okay. I had some great friends. My dogs came. Remember my dogs? Yeah. Scotty? Right, yeah. Yeah. So what did you learn? Like, what, after 90 days? Uh-huh. That I'm a crazy, fucked up bitch. You didn't know that? You knew that before you ran it? I didn't know that. You just had it confirmed. Okay, it had it confirmed, yeah. Just, it got me in touch with, like, what are you so upset about? Why do you want to black out? It totally gets you in touch with all that stuff. And what'd you discover? I'm still working on it, to be honest with you. Was some of it about your father, the connection with your father? My father died. My mom died three years ago today. Oh, I'm sorry. Yeah. That's a lot. Yeah. And I'm an, well, my mom's only child. So it was a lot for me. Yeah. Well, it doesn't sound like maybe a coincidence that you had this kind of break. Uh-huh. In reality or just breakdown or whatever you want to call it. So close to your mother passing, right? I think it was like my third nervous breakdown. Yeah. So do you think that it's, the first one was around your father's loss? Uh-huh. And the second one was around your mother's loss? Yes. Yeah. Okay. Oh, yeah. Well, the good news is you only have two parents, right? There's no step-parent out there, right? No, but if she dies, it'll be fine. Okay. Screw her. Okay. That's good. Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know, you're such a sweet person and you're such a loving nature about you. Well, thank you. Yeah. And- I know you were surprised when I told you. You're like, what? Well, I was surprised because I suspected that there was something going on. When you're spanking your boss. Yeah. Okay. Your married boss. And, you know, it is TV, but still, we still have some like harassment. Some decorum. Yeah. Not a lot, but some. Okay. But the part that had me more concerned is when I said to you how to go and you said it didn't work. That's going to be my book. And it's not about it doesn't work for everybody. Maybe I wasn't ready. Yeah. You know, but it definitely calmed me down because I had a point where I was just- What calmed you down? The rehab? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Because I had a point where I was getting up every day just drinking and drinking and drinking and not wanting to go to work. I was wanting to deal with life. So I'm not there anymore. Mm-hmm. You know, so I'll just- So what's changed? When you hit rock bottom, you have to take care of yourself more. Mm-hmm. You know, when you lose your inheritance, you got to get up and take care of yourself. Yeah. Yeah. Do you think you've always had depression? Yeah. Oh, no. I don't think. I know. It runs in my family. Did it go untreated? I tried to work on it a little bit, but didn't really focus on it. Because I worked so hard. Mm-hmm. You know, I didn't become a producer or just like not do it, you know. No, the hours are crazy. Because you look at what we do- Yeah. And you just work hard and then you just forget about it. Well, it can be workaholism or getting lost in work- Yeah. Especially in TV producing- Mm-hmm. Is an easy distraction. Right. And it becomes an addiction almost. Exactly. Yeah. So one replaces the other. You kind of counseled me one day at work. Oh. Do you remember? That's nice. I don't remember that. You did. You did. Yeah. You're like, maybe you need to do this. Maybe you need to do that. You were wonderful. Oh, well, that's nice to hear. Good. I'm happy it was helpful. You were. Yeah. Nice. That's good to hear. So you have been out of that rehab for how long? Since last- You said April? June. June. Okay. So June, July, August, I don't remember. About eight months or nine months, something like that? Mm-hmm. Okay. And you said you have a noticeable change. Oh, yeah. Are you taking medication? I've always done that. Okay. Sure. Yeah. I'm a believer in- I think that for- Addiction. I know lots of people who battle addiction. And I think that the only way I've seen people really get out of it is, well, they say, first of all, you have to hit bottom. Mm-hmm. And they say, when you hit bottom, it's when you stop digging. Mm-hmm. And everyone has their own bottom. Do you think you've hit bottom? I did hit bottom, but I'm coming up. I'm digging back up. And it's so funny that you say that, Vic, because when I was in the house, we'd have meetings. And the first meeting, when you're- Your first meeting, they ask you about you in front of everybody. And- How many people? Well, all the people in the house. Was that 10 people? It was about 10. Yes. Okay. Exactly. You know, and the doctor in the house. And the- Yeah. It was wonderful. And they're like, he's like, you hit rock bottom. And I just didn't want to say it. You know, and I was- And he was encouraging you to? Yeah. Because he'd already met with you? Yeah. Well, he hadn't already met me, but he knew my circumstance. Okay. And he's like, you hit rock bottom. I'm like, it ain't rock bottom. Because you know me. I'm always trying to be positive. Yeah. Positive about everything. Mm-hmm. But for some reason with you right now, I can say, yeah, it was rock bottom. Yeah. You know? But I don't know if it really was. Uh-huh. It was rock bottom then to get you into rehab. But if you're still drinking now- Uh-huh. Then it makes me wonder if you need to lose more, to be honest. And I'm not saying that as a way of criticizing you. Right. But usually when it's bottom, it means you're done digging. Well, for me- And I'm just concerned if you're drinking still. The lifestyle, like when you go to AA meetings and stuff- Yeah. I don't like those meetings. Yeah. I leave depressed. Mm-hmm. You know? So I'm trying to do stuff, other things to find out. Have you gone to a variety of meetings? Yes. Because they're so different. Everybody says that. Yeah. Do you go to the ones in, like I- I've been everywhere. I have a friend who's in AA. Uh-huh. And he took me to a meeting where Alec Baldwin spoke. Uh-huh. Now, I'm saying that not, I'm not breaking any anonymity. It's well known. Well, you just, well, yeah, he talks about it, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's public knowledge. And, but it was a huge meeting. And, you know, there's, each meeting has its own personality. So that's why I was asking. Right. I know. Exactly. Everybody tells me that. And just- I think what happens is, you know, the way AA originally started, it was with- Have you been? Are you an alcoholic? No, I'm not. Okay. But I'm very familiar with it. Okay. The way AA started was, you know, the earliest of days- Yes. It was for the worst of the worst drunks. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. For people who were in hospitals often- Remember, I had to hear this every day for 90 days. And they were going to die. You know, and so over the years, the bottom has gotten higher. Okay. You know, where you don't have to lose everything. But for some people, they do. Right. Or they need to be in the hospital going through detox. Uh-huh. You know, but it's a mystery to me what gets someone to turn it around. Uh-huh. You know, like how much? Right. There's no formula. I think that AA definitely works. Okay. Definitely. But that may not be the right thing for me. Yeah. You know, I'm not saying anything against AA at all. No, I don't hear that at all. Yeah. But it may not be the right thing for me. And then I'll work through it. You're still doing therapy? No therapy right now, but I need to. Because I think that- Yeah, I always feel like for me, like, I mean, I deal with depression. Uh-huh. You do? I would never know. You never told me that. Yeah. Okay. Oh, yeah. I've had it for years. Okay. So I- You take anything? Yeah. Okay. Mm-hmm. I take- I take Cymbalta. Okay. And I take Ritalin sometimes. Okay. Gotcha. Because a lot of people don't know this, but an off-label use of Ritalin is for hard to treat depression. Okay. Fortunately, my depression's never gotten to the point where I'm suicidal. Okay. Thank God. Gotcha. But it's been persistent where at times it can affect me in my productivity. From when you're younger? From when you're little? I think when I was a little boy, I was really anxious at times. Okay. And I had this lot of separation anxiety. Outwardly- Much like you are. I was very social. Right. Very verbal. We wanted the whole room to feel good and love us. Yeah. And I was very- You would never know. I was articulate. Uh-huh. But when I'd be home at night and I'd be home in bed and lonely, I was anxious. Right. And I couldn't fall asleep and I'd be scared. And I mean, I claimed all through my childhood that I slept with my eyes open. Okay. Because I was afraid of the dark. Okay. And I asked a therapist, I go, is that possible? And he said, yes. Okay. Can you imagine walking into the bedroom of the kids while I'm sleeping like that? I'd be scared to death. A little bit. Oh, yeah. Okay. This is funny. I'm the oldest, as I think I mentioned. I'm not sure if I did, but I was about maybe, I'm guessing I was like four or five. And my middle brother, Michael, who's three years younger than me, I was so uncomfortable one night at that age that I went- Did you share a room? No. He had a separate room. I went in his room and I shook his crib so that he would cry. You shook the baby's crib? Yeah. And it would wake my parents up. Yeah. And it would wake my parents up. And then I'd fall asleep like an angel. Like I, you know, I was just so happy and relieved because I knew they were up. Okay. But they must have thought he was the worst baby. I'd go in there and then sneak back in my room. Yeah. But I never did therapy as a kid. Okay. You know what I mean? Me neither. Not as a kid. Yeah. As an adult. But as a grown up, I've found, I've done all kinds of therapy, you know, cognitive behavioral therapy where I reframe my thinking. Okay. And you know- I remember you telling me stuff like, oh, I'm not going to do therapy. Like that. But you didn't say you did it. Oh, yeah. But you were like, try this, try that. Well, I wasn't trying to keep it a secret. Okay. I don't think it was meant to. Right. I'm very open about it. You know, I think it's a beautiful thing. You know, we take care of our bodies, many of us. Mm-hmm. People, you know, they want to get their six pack or they want to be the right way. They're going on diets. Mm-hmm. But why is it that we don't do the same kind of work on our mental health? Right. Because we need to. Yeah. Everybody does. No one comes in with a six pack in the mental world. Right. Right. I don't think. You know, so, yeah, I love therapy. Mm-hmm. And I think, and the medicine helps because it will help, it helps the therapy. Mm-hmm. You know, it lifts my mood. I believe in it. So, but I've never had an antidepressant that has been like the magic pill. Right. I don't think there really is a magic pill. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Exactly. You know, I've tried a lot of different stuff. Mm-hmm. All those SSRIs. Mm-hmm. But nothing really worked. I do my Prozac. Yeah. Yeah, Prozac didn't really work for me. Right. I tried Lexapro. Okay. I tried all kinds of stuff. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And I've always been amazed how in that world with the antidepressants, they're kind of like throwing darts against a wall. Right. They're like, let's see how this works. Your doctor doesn't, yeah, they don't know. They don't know entirely. I mean, they know if you're like schizophrenic, you would take this. Right. If you're major depression, you're going to do this. And my diagnosis was more like dysthymia, which is like a low-grade constant depression, but it can still be disruptive. Okay. So, are you planning to get back into therapy? Is that something? Yeah, yeah. Definitely. Okay. Now, I understand. You're now acting. Uh-huh. I'm trying to act. And I'm starting from the bottom. Was that a result of doing this 90-day rehab? Yeah, because I was thinking about my career in television as a producer, and I was so stressed. And always in the back of my mind, I'm like, I want to act. And I'm always coaching other people on acting and working with actors. When you're producing them. Yeah, exactly. So, I'm like, let me just right now, I'm blessed that I can take the time and try to do that. So, what can we see you in? Are you online anywhere? Yes. On shows? What are you on? I'm not on something steady. Like I said, I went to the bottom. Except Prozac. Okay. Exactly. I went to the bottom. Like, for us, like having an audience, we have people that book the audience and all that. For me, in my whole career, that's been a whole different department. I've been doing audience work. Like you'll sit in the audience. Yes. And you get paid to sit in the audience. Okay. And a lot of people recognize me. They're like, what are you doing? And I'm like, right now. This is what I need to do. Right. You know, just to calm down and not be so stressed out. So, there's no sense of pride. Like in other words. No, not really. A little bit with other things, but not with that. I think you should drive an Uber. I would do that. I would consider that. I'm the worst driver. But you'd be so fun. I'm the worst driver. No one would want to be dropped off. They'd want to just keep driving with you. Yeah, I'm the worst driver. Okay. So, forget that. Okay. Remember how much my Range Rover, I would crash it up? I don't remember that. Okay. So, as far as. The acting goes. Is that. Is this just something you're toying with? Or is this something you've always wanted to do since you're a little girl? It's something I've always wanted to do. And I'm toying with it. And also trying to be the kind of person that. I'm still a producer. You know, just because I went to rehab doesn't mean I'm not a producer. That's how I'm wired. Well, I don't think. No, that probably would make you a better producer. So, that's what I've been doing. Is trying to see how I can mesh it all. And get all my ideas. So, in other words, produce your own stuff. Yes. That you're on camera. Yep. Okay. And produce other people. Right. Yeah. Okay. Good. And now I understand that you've worked with one of our presidential candidates. Or at least in the primaries. Yes. With Donald Trump. Yes. Tell me. How did you end up working with Donald Trump? And what was that like? This was about. Oh, gosh. That's one. About 15 years ago. And I was working with. I was freelance. I had finished working with the Lisa show. And a friend called me and said, do you want to work on the Miss Universe pageant? And I'm like, hell yeah. So, they flew us to. Where was it the first time? I think it was Cyprus. And Donald Trump was the president of the organization. That is an amazing. And we lived there for a month. Nice. You know. And I worked on the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA for three years straight. And it was fantastic. That was full-time work? Well, no. Mm-mm. Just for a month. It would be a hiatus. Oh, for a month. Okay. Just for a month each. And you'd fly somewhere crazy. Yep. We went to Shreveport, Bossier, Louisiana. About five times. That's where we would do Miss Teen USA. Miss USA, we did. I think it's Shreveport also. But I've been to Hawaii, Israel, Egypt, Cyprus. A lot of great places. And it was when Donald Trump was the president of the organization. And who was the production company? It was, well, my friend Susan Winston. It was her and Dan Funk. If you're in TV, you'll know their names. Okay. But that's who I worked with at the time, was with them. And that's who hired me. And we had some great times. Yeah. But Donald Trump would always be there and just be really cordial and a nice man. And I remember the last night in Cyprus after the pageant, they rented out a suite. And it was all the, they don't say contestants, all the delegates. It was all of us and the producers and just having a nice time. Why don't they call them contestants? They think that's cheesy? That's a thing that they have. That's a thing they have. Okay. They're called delegates. Yeah. I'm still going to call them contestants. So we were all in a room. Donald Trump was there and a nice man. And I also remember him from Joan. And he and Joan were good friends. Oh, yeah? Did he come over to the house a lot or condo? I'm not sure about that. But just from her show, her daytime show. Right. Right. So who, what's the difference between the Donald Trump you knew then versus the one you see now? Well, I didn't know him clearly. And I didn't know he'd be spewing all this venom, you know. So it surprised you. Yeah. Definitely. He was also on Deal or No. Deal or No. Deal. Do you remember that? Was I there? I don't know. But I thought you were. But yeah, he was there. And he actually ended up fixing up one of the models with a friend of his who is now a star pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. Okay. Number, I'm trying to remember her name. I might have been there. I'm drawing a blank. But anyways. You knew all the models. Hello. Well, I was friends with them. I mean, but that was just, it was all innocent. Well, why not? Okay. They were nice. I mean, you were working with, it was like working with everyone. They were very nice. They were nice to me. They were, the whole crew when we were there was so nice. Loved it. Yeah. They were fantastic. That was fun. And so now you said you're 52? Yeah, I'll be 53 in July. Okay, great. And now you came here with a gentleman. Mm-hmm. And I'm just wondering, his name's Joe. I'd say he's, this would be a May-December type relationship, as they say. It was January-December. And now tell me about Joe. What's going on with you and Joe? Hello. Joe is my buddy that rescued me after I got out of rehab. And what does that mean, he rescued you? I was like calling friends. Can I stay with you? Can I stay with you? And people were like, no, no, no. And Joe was like, well, you can come stay here. But how did you know Joe to call him? What? Come on, this is like, that is not a crazy question. It's a great question, but it's funny. So tell us. I'd met him through friends. Craigslist? No. You told me that Joe was your sugar daddy without the sugar. He's my daddy notebooks. So how did you meet him? What friends? I don't want to say. Come on. I don't want to say. Please. Because I want to seem like those cool stars that don't say. Come on, we want to know. No, because one of my aunts will kill me. Okay, so. I have a family that will kill me. Okay. Okay. So. So you and Joe, do you live with Joe right now? Yes. So he's your living boyfriend? Yeah. You guys are a couple? We're a couple. I had no idea. So this is real? This is real. Now Joe's a bit older than you. No, bitch. He's my dad's age. He's about 65? Eight? 60? 70? 75? 80? 78? Ask him how old are you. Is he 78? Six. 76. 76. And you're 50. So that's 24 years. He's my dad's age. And this is a fair question. During lovemaking, do you call him daddy? That's a yes. No, it ends up that he chases me around the bedroom. I believe that. I'm like, look, I'm tired. I believe that. You know, he walks around, he's wearing a baseball cap. He's like a security guard. Well, he is. That's what he does for a living. He's guarding you. Like, you know, you're an important piece of property. I mean, you know. So you and Joe, so you come out of rehab. Some mysterious thing which you don't want to share because of family relations. I met him on the bus. Is that true? You met him on the bus? Yes, it's true. I wouldn't make that up. How'd you meet him on the bus? No, the bus stop. He was just sitting at a bus stop? And you were sitting next to him? And you said, I need a place to live? He said, let's go back. Kind of, sort of, though. When you think about it. I mean, he's a really nice guy. Okay. So he's taking the bus. And you're taking the bus. I was taking the bus. Remember, I lost all my nice cars. Okay. Right. And I went to go visit. What nice cars besides the Range Rover? Do you have another car? I had a Benz, too. You had a Mercedes, too? Really? Wow. Okay. So. Did you have to go bankrupt? Was this like that bad? Like credit card maxed out? No credit cards, but I bought a really expensive condo in the marina. So you had a foreclose on that? Yeah. So then your credit was also destroyed. Mm-hmm. Okay. So why not max out the cards if you're going all out? I don't. I never had credit cards. That's great. Good. I never did that. That's good. I wasn't serious. Okay. So you meet Joe. You're out of rehab. How many days after you're out of rehab? Let me think. He knows better than I do. It was soon. Within a week or two? I think so. Yeah. So what I'm really impressed with, Allie, with you is it had to have been like incredibly humbling. Oh, yeah. You know, just to have lost this gorgeous place you lived in, the marina. And for those of you who don't know, the marina is like upscale. You know, it's on water. It's on the west side. And you'd lived there for years. How many years? 21. 21 years. So there's this identity and the history. And I live in a condo, and there's a certain sense of if you get lost in it, it could be dangerous. But that's gone. Mm-hmm. And I'm not saying you did get lost in it. But you're gone with that. You're gone with the nice cars. Mm-hmm. And you're literally sitting in a bus stop. And what are you thinking? Well, I was visiting my best friend from high school's cousin at a bar. And she was working. And then I was just like going to stay with another friend because I couch surfed as soon as I left rehab. Got it. And I was going to another friend's house. And then I just, you know me, I talk to everyone. Yeah. That's how I am. Right. So I just was talking to people at the bus stop. And that's how I met Joe. So Joe says to you, hey, I got a place if you want to hang out for a while and just kind of. No, it didn't go like that. How did it go? It took a while. Okay. So you were at other places surfing. Right. And then you got to know Joe. Mm-hmm. And then Joe said, why don't you just move in with me? Well, not really. I tried it. I kind of forced it. You did? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So you were in love with Joe? I don't think we were in love. We were in love, but we like each other a lot. You think if I asked Joe if you're in love, he'd say he is? You don't know. Okay. But how long have you been together? A year? Eight months. Mm-hmm. It's interesting because you had, when I was with you on Deal or No Deal, you had a long distance boyfriend. Right, Jono. He lived in New York. Yeah, he's still there. And we're still best friends and everything. So is the goal with Joe to get married? I don't want to marry anybody. Do you? Yeah. You do? Yeah. I want to marry Joe. He's my type. I'm looking for daddy. But you saw him first. Yeah, I'm not, I don't want to get married. Why? I don't know. Maybe I need to work that out when I go to therapy. Right. It's not a thing for me, I don't think. Okay. You know. Can I play therapist for a minute? You do it with me all the time. You've been doing it for like an hour now. Okay. Here's what I think. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Joey Joey Joey Joey and it happened right after my dad died. So you broke up? No, no, no, no, that we got together. Oh, really? Okay. And I knew when my dad died, something said, you know what? You need somebody to be there for you. That's me analyzing myself. Okay, well, you have this long distance relationship, which isn't ideal for intimacy because you're not day to day. Right. Now you have, I don't know who you've been with between then and now, but now you have a gentleman who is quite older than you. And there might be, there is also perhaps a built in block of intimacy. So, you know, maybe I have no idea because it's just two relationships. Maybe you pick relationships that deep down, you know, are going to be fun, but you're not going to be ultimately vulnerable or destroyed if they end. Right. And that, then you cheat yourself. Well, because maybe from being hurt, you don't want to be hurt anymore. You kind of like block stuff. Right, but it doesn't work. Oh, no. Because you end up not getting, you know, ultimately what probably the soul needs, don't you think? At least for me. I mean, everyone's different. Now, Joe's a great guy. Joe's like, screw you. We were born in the same hospital in Brooklyn. Just different centuries. He's going to kill me. He's actually, he's a really nice guy. I mean, I will say that. Different centuries. Different centuries. Different centuries. Different centuries. Different centuries. Different centuries. Different centuries. century. He's a really good guy. Yes. He is. So do you see this being like something that could last for a long time? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Definitely. Does he have a life insurance policy? This could be a good thing. It's a fair question. Are you taking, you know, you need to, are you like on the policy and you're like taking him out, getting him to smoke? I'm like, what's that bank account number again? Hey baby, walk out in front of this car. You have him drink a lot and smoke a lot. We have a good time. We enjoy each other. And it's like, I think God put us together for a reason at this point in our lives. Now he's white, right? He's a white guy. The last time I checked, he was, yes. So you, is this- And I think, I've been black for about 50 something years. Is this the first white guy you've ever been out with? Me? No. No? Is that your thing? No, I love all kinds of people. Doesn't matter. So you didn't ask him my question. Do you call him daddy? No, I don't call him daddy in the bedroom. Does he call you my little girl? I just tell you. He calls me Allison. Oh, that's sweet. You know what? That's good. I, one time, I was with a woman and she was African American and- She was. She probably still is. Well, I don't know. It's been a while. So she wanted to role play and she wanted me to call her dad. She was calling me daddy. So, and she wanted me to play this out. I'm like, you've been a bad- Daddy. Yeah. She's calling me daddy. That's weird to me. Daddy. Yeah. Like women, some women like that. Okay. Where they're making love. They like to pretend that. It's like a taboo. I don't know. I gotcha. That's weird for me. Yeah. I mean, so some like, she's like, oh, daddy, daddy. I go, I go, you know. Were you a lot older than her? No. Okay. No. Not tremendously. No. So, but it was so funny because it was her idea to do this role play. Okay. And then she goes to me while we're having sex. She goes, daddy. Daddy, why are you white? I'm like, this was your role play. I'm thinking. I go. You came up with this. Right. I'm like, yeah. Now you're throwing like things at me to make it not work. I'm like, well. Why are you white? I'm like, well, mommy's black and I'm white. And you're like half black and half white. She's like, oh, okay. But where were you supposed to go with that? Right. I mean, she's like creating the roadblocks and obstacles to this like role play that supposedly is a turn around. And I had to like come up with some complicated or not, you know, some excuse. So, okay. So you've got this acting going. A little bit. Not really acting. Where can they see you? I asked if there's something online. There's something online right now called Bird's Court and it's on YouTube. Okay. And it's. Just how it sounds. B-I-R-D-S. Court. Yes. One word or two? Two words. Okay. And it's on YouTube and these guys from Philly, they write it. And it's all about, I think at one point the Philadelphia Eagles had a court at the stadium. Okay. And it's kind of based on that and these crazy antics because the Eagle fans are nuts. Is there more than one episode? Yes. There's three. And which one are you in? I'm in the one called Probable Claws. Check that out. Check that out everyone. Now, is this where you'd like to go with your career? As an actress? An actress and also producer, writer. Yes. Okay. Yeah. And. And I've always been a producer writer. So I want to do stuff in front of the camera too. Yeah. Well, I think that you've got. You've got an amazing story. Okay. You really do. And I think you do have a book. Right. It didn't work. It's funny, but I think by the time it's written, you're going to. I'll be in a different place. And I think something is going to work. Yeah. Because also it's a progression. Just because it didn't work right then in the 90 days doesn't mean it's not going to. Also people, it's very common for people to go to rehab more than once. Right. You know, and it takes what it takes. Exactly. You know, and. You know, I hope you get to that place. Right. Because you've got a lot to offer the world. I'm getting there. You've got such good energy. And this helped me. When you called me, thank you. Oh, you know what? You are not to be over the top here, but you're a bright light. You know? And it's interesting because like the people who often suffer the most, you know, we don't see that. But that's comedians. You know. Yeah. Often. You know. Yeah. Right. Yeah. And they often are the brightest lights. Mm-hmm. But inside they're like. They're like, ugh, going bananas. At times. Yeah. But you know, when there's laughter, it just all washes away. Right. And it feels like this amazing connection of love. Mm-hmm. All right, Oprah. Don't you think so? Okay. That's how I feel. Oprah Cohen. Ha. You don't know how many times I've been called that. No. Never. So how can people get a hold of you if they would like to, I don't know, say hi, be your friend on Facebook? Yeah. In case Joe doesn't work out, they want to date you. Sorry, Joe. Joe's so pissed right now. He's here, actually. That's why I keep saying that. He's on the couch over there. There he is. I'm probably going to be on the box under the 10 after this interview. No, God forbid. God forbid. You've done nothing wrong. Joe's should be very proud of you. You've been very honest. And it's been great. And it's been, it helped me. So thank you. It's helped me. You know. Honestly. Okay. So how can people find you? I mean. I'm on Facebook. Okay. It's Allison, A-L-L-I-S-O-N. Uh-huh. And then Barksdale. B-A-R-K-S. You know, I could see you also public speaking. I could see you, you know, about your experience. But I think you need to still get out the other end. Yeah. Because if you don't stop drinking. Aren't you worried about yourself a little bit? No. Because we met in a bar before this. You were drinking. What were you drinking? Wine. Okay. But like. Usually at this time, I'd be cocked out of my gourd. I'd be like, oh, just all drunk up. You know. So I'm getting there. So you believe you might be an alcoholic who can drink? No. You're not supposed. If you're an alcoholic. Well, that's what I'm wondering. It's like, no, you're not supposed to. Right. But let me do my thing. Do you find that you start blacking out every now and then? Not anymore. No. Since your rehab? No. Not at all. Mm-hmm. Yeah. So it's a progression. Do you find that Joe, you know, you can get codependent on Joe? I probably am. We're probably codependent on each other. I save you. Oh, definitely he did. Oh, yeah. Mm-hmm. But it's a good thing. I need it. I need it. Right. Yeah. Okay. I think that codependency is a challenge. Mm-hmm. Like, I don't think it's by nature healthy for the long term. So who is this black man dingo you want that's coming in here to rescue me to make me not drink it? Okay. Well, no one's going to rescue you. That's the whole thing. It's going to have to come from within. Well, stop beating up Joe. Shoot. I love Joe. Okay. I'm not. That's not a knock on Joe. That's not a knock on Joe. But I love how you went there. What do you mean? It's so funny that I said, okay, I'm bringing somebody with me. You're like, okay. Well, I'm going to have to ask about it. That's it. And I said to Joe, he's going to be shocked. And he goes, well, he worked with you. He knows you're a nut. And I'm like, Joe, he's shocked. I think you guys are, you know what, whatever makes you happy. I mean, he's a really nice guy. And you know what? He's hope for every older guy that he might be able to find an adorable younger woman. I mean, he's kind of a stud. I'm his cute young chippy. No, he's like. That's what he calls me. Well, he's kind of a stud. You're a beautiful woman. You really are. You just call me Nick. Vic. I said thank you, Vic. Okay, well, you really. I know your name. No, thank you. You are a beautiful woman. And he's lucky to have you. Okay. And he is hope for any guy in his 70s. But you may find an Allison out there. Okay, another kook. Listen, we have to run. Can you believe the whole hour is just about up? I was going to give you a present. You were? Yeah. Really? Uh-huh. Well, let's hold off. Okay. I think I know. Because we got so deep into the other stuff. Yeah. Well, okay, give it to me real quick and we'll move. Give me. How do you feel about my hair? You know I love your hair. Okay. And it's kind of your trademark in a way, isn't it? You had a weave, didn't you? I had a weave. I mean, like something. This one's a wig. Okay. I didn't know you wore wigs until you told me recently. For some reason, I'm very naive. I have my hair, but here's one for you. Oh, this is great. That's Brenda. Is this for real? It's really a wig. Is this real hair? Well, it's really wig hair. I mean, like, is it, like, where did it come from, Joe? It's Joe's chest hair. I always say, like, I grow this out every year. Well, you have to put it on real quick. All right, all right. Listen. Because it won't be funny. Thank you again, Allison. I'm going to put this on. I'm going to say goodbye to all of you, everyone. Again, Allison Barksdale, thank you so much. Thank you for having me, Vic. And good luck with everything. I look forward to your acting career. I know you're going to be great. And thank you guys for watching. You can find, what do you feed it, by the way? You can find me on. iTunes. Please subscribe. We've got over 60 episodes. Some really great ones just like tonight. All right. Bye-bye, everyone. Bye, everybody. I'm Vic Cohen. And it's a fair question. It's a fair question. It's a fair question. How's that look? I'm Vic Cohen. And it's a fair question. It's a fair. It's a fair. It's a fair. It's a fair question. I'm Vic Cohen. And it's a fair. It's a fair. It's a fair. It's a fair quest. Quest. Question. Question. you