Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris
“Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris” invites guests and listeners alike to open up, share their struggles and triumphs, and explore how being wide open—both on the field and in life—leads to personal and professional growth. Each episode, Ashlyn Harris leads an unfiltered conversation with an influential figure from sports, entertainment, fashion, music, or politics. In sports, “wide open” signifies a moment of readiness, awareness, and opportunity to make an impact. In the real world, it reflects vulnerability, honesty, and courage to face challenges with authenticity. On this podcast, “wide open” means seizing opportunities, breaking down barriers, and embracing one’s true self.
Episodes
Today, Ashlyn is joined by producer, TV personality, and celebrity stylist Mal Wright to discuss the complexities of identity, the power of community, and the importance of self-compassion. In this candid conversation, they explore the challenges and triumphs of navigating life in the public eye, the impact of appearing on Queer Ultimatum, and the beauty of allowing oneself to evolve. Tune in for an episode filled with warmth, wisd...
The festive, cozy, and moving chat continues in part two of Ashlyn and Sophia’s holiday extravaganza. From silly habits to deeply felt emotions, the couple reveals the joy their relationship has brought them over the years. This one’s for listeners who love love. Get ready to laugh and even shed a tear or two.
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Ashlyn and Sophia cordially invite you to their home for a holiday gathering. Grab a glass of wine, cozy up to the fire, and prepare to learn more about the singular beauty and exceptional talent that is Sophia Bush. Together, Ashlyn and Sophia explore how they inspire, challenge, and uplift one another. Put on your cozy Christmas sweater and get ready to feel your heart grow three sizes.
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Today on Wide Open...Producer Joelle Monique joins Ashlyn to answer your listener questions. As we wrap up the first season of Wide Open, Ashlyn takes a moment to look back at the year and drop some hints on what's to come in 2026.
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Welcome to couples therapy, filled with tough love and hard truths. Raven-Symoné and Miranda Maday tell Ashlyn the story of how they fell in love, U-Haul and all. They don’t leave out the hard parts of their story, like the time Raven broke up with Miranda and the healing and vulnerability it took for them to re-commit to one another for life. They reveal the ways they've challenged and pushed one another to grow in th...
Today, Ashlyn sits down with the one and only Jennifer Welch, from interior designer on Bravo's Sweet Home Oklahoma to being political on her podcast I've Had It. Today, Jennifer is talking about cutting conservative women out of her pickleball league, how she shows up for the queer community, who she thinks will be the first female president, the MAGA masculinity crisis, and moving to New York City!
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Jasmine Crockett has been going through it. As she bravely tries to preserve the American people's rights to health insurance, food, and marriage equality, she must confront a government unwilling to come to the table with humane solutions. She talks to Ashlyn about what banding together could look like and the type of life she hopes to live after Congress. Leading with grace, humor, and fire, Jasmine Crockett shows us what it mean...
Live from Red Bull Rampage, Ashlyn takes advantage of rain delays to talk to some of the competition's most exciting stars. Hannah Bergemann and Chelsea Kimbell are two freeride slopestyle mountain bikers who are undaunted facing huge heights, long jumps, and steep drops of the treacherous Utah mountain trails. Alongside commentator Selema Masekela, Ashlyn talks to Hannah and Chelsea about how they mentally and physically prepare f...
We're continuing the 40th birthday celebration with recent initiate Yvonne Orji. The unofficial hype woman for the US Women's Tennis team, Orji says she doesn't know how to do loose. She's become obsessed with the sport. Growing up with brothers, she learned to be rough and tumble and embraced her tomboy energy. Then she went to an all-girls school in Amish country. It wasn't until she was cast on Insecure, she learned she was a "r...
Jockular is the militant feminist, horny, sports nerd podcast led by ER Fightmaster, Tien Tran, and Katie Kershaw. ER and Tien join Ashlyn to talk about which sport produces the best thighs, how seeing women's sports is helping young women understand themselves better, and together they imagine what the gay Olympics would be like. Plus, how can queer women help support queer men in sports.
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An icon has entered the pod. Katy O'Brian is a Renaissance woman. She's an actress known for her role in Love Lives Bleeding, a former body builder, a black belt, and is currently writing a book. Ashlyn discusses their recent love of creatine, what allows Katy to take on all of the different roles she's tackled, how she met a princess of Thailand, and what it was like to audition beside Kristin Stewart. Fear based culture has no ro...
Twin Magic is in the studio! Nikki and Brie Garcia, formerly known as the Bella Twins are more than sister, they're best friends who feel like each other's super powers. The WWE stars grew up playing soccer and were pretty serious about the sport until they were each struck by tragedy; Nikki broke her leg in half and Brie's boyfriend died unexpectedly. Together, they discuss the personal impact of changing their name and the power ...
Casey Brown broke barriers when she became the first woman to complete a practice run at Red Bull Rampage. Having grown up out of society, she was born loving to play rough and go big when it comes to sports. Brown speaks to Ashlyn about the thrill of riding, the mental fortitude of surviving severe injuries, and the pressure that comes with being a pioneer in an event. Through Dark Horse, her insular biking event, she helps women ...
Jameela Jamil's well known for using her voice to center important issues like period poverty, eating disorders, and discrimination against women - but she wasn't born that way. Ashlyn and Jameela discuss the power of divine femininity and how Jameela learned how to leave repression behind. Part of the secret: rush toward your crone era, destroy the patriarchy, and let spite lead the way. At almost 40, Jameela celebrates the second...
In this episode, Ashlyn sits down with entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker, Gary Vaynerchuk. They dive deep into what made Gary into the man he is today. Whether it be his mother, father, or grandmother, Gary absorbs every lesson he’s taught and puts them to practice. Together they consider different approaches to parenting, observe the insecurities men and women face, and talk about how to become comfortable being...
This week, Ashlyn sits down with YouTuber, actress, comedian, and author Lilly Singh. As you can tell from those titles, Lilly has accomplished a lot in her career. But this conversation reaches far beyond her accolades and gets to the heart of who she is beyond her work. Lilly talks about what she’s learned in her 15 years in the public eye, how she maintains confidence in the face of criticism, and who she looks to for insp...
This week, Ashlyn sits down with breakdancer Sunny Choi. It’s been about a year since Sunny achieved her childhood dream of competing in the Olympics, though as a kid she thought she’d do it as a gymnast. Sunny takes Ashlyn through her upbringing and the personal battles she had to overcome to make it to the largest stage of her sport. Plus, she opens up about the high of getting breakdancing into the 2024 Paris Olympic...
Ashlyn sits down with legend and entertainer, Margaret Cho. They talk about growing up in a queer bookstore in San Francisco, why dominatrixes should be well paid, and why we laugh. Digressions include Margaret’s beloved dogs, lesbian yearning, and a laundry list of improvements to the Queer Ultimatum.
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Ashlyn sits down with model and entrepreneur Lauren Chan for a conversation about Lauren’s divorce and late-in-life coming out, becoming a queer trailblazer in the fashion world, and why leading with vulnerability can actually be a power move. Lauren also opens up about using basketball as both an outlet and an identity, the pressure girls face around body image in sports, and what it really took to pivot from corporate publi...
This week, Ashlyn connects with dancer, actor, and mental health practitioner Alyson Stoner. Listeners may know Alyson from their childhood roles in Cheaper By the Dozen, Camp Rock, and much more, but these days they’re exposing the “toddler to train-wreck pipeline” that child actors are up against. Alyson’s new memoir, Well Adjusted Despite Literally Everything, details their personal journey in this system...
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Host
Ashlyn Harris