We're jumping backwards in our timeline just a bit to revisit a topic that will always be on our minds: the Mary-Kate and Ashley cruises. And today, sharing her truly remarkable experience on Mary-Kate and Ashley's 2000 cruise on the Baltic Sea, we are joined by the one and only Chloe Schildhause.
Chloe first shared her cruise story in 2014 in an article for Vanity Fair and has recently turned that article into an experimental short film. We were so excited to have her on the podcast to dig into more details about her truly bizarre experience being called out by Mary-Kate in a Q&A, scaring Mary-Kate and Ashley out of a McDonald's in Estonia, and ultimately having a private lunch with them and 4 other girls.
Hearing the details of Chloe's emotional roller coaster on board the MS Maasdam with the Olsen twins made us realize that the ultimate dream of going on a cruise with Mary-Kate and Ashley was maybe not all that it seemed. With neither Mary-Kate and Ashley nor their 200 fans (who were desperate to be their best friends) having a clear understanding of the boundaries that were supposed to be followed, it's no wonder these trips ended in heartbreak for many kids just like Chloe.
This conversation still has us thinking about the many layers, complexities, and dangers of para-social relationships, and we are so, so grateful to Chloe for talking with us.
Subscribe to our Patreon to watch the full video version of this interview here.
Links from Chloe:
Instagram- @chloish
Article- At Sea with Mary-Kate and Ashley, and 200 Other Olsen Super-Fans
Short film- Olsen: The True Story of a Cruise with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
Find us on Social Media!
Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou
TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou
Becca: @beccaroth
Lani: @laniharms
Do you have a story about meeting Mary-Kate and Ashley? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com
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