When Life Falls Apart: Lake Bell on Parenting, Divorce, and Choosing Peace

In this raw and deeply human conversation, Kristin sits down with actor, writer, and director Lake Bell to talk about the side of motherhood no one prepares you for. Lake opens up about her daughter’s medical challenges, what it feels like to parent through crisis, and how those moments have reshaped her perspective on life. She shares the truth about co-parenting after divorce, the hard, messy, often uncomfortable parts, and the radical choice to navigate it with peace instead of resentment.

They also dive into:

• How motherhood strips you down to your most honest self
• The silent weight parents carry when their child is sick
• Life after divorce and how to co-parent peacefully
• Why starting over, again and again, is actually its own superpower
• The beauty of neurodiversity in her family

This isn’t a Hollywood interview. This is Lake Bell unscripted, unguarded, and profoundly real- talking about resilience, healing, and what it means to rewrite the script of your life when the plot takes an unexpected turn.

Find Lake Bell's new book All About Brains here!

Actress, writer, director Lake Bell stars in HBO’s upcoming series of THE CHAIR COMPANY opposite Tim Robinson. She was awarded the Hollywood Critics Association Award for directing episodes of the Emmy-Nominated limited series PAM AND TOMMY. Last year, Bell authored and voiced her audiobook INSIDE VOICE: MY OBSESSION WITH HOW WE SOUND for Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Media, which received critical accolades. In 2013, Bell received acclaim at the Sundance film festival when she premiered her debut feature, IN A WORLD… in which she wrote, directed, and acted. The film received rave reviews and Bell won a myriad of awards including the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at Sundance. The film was named one of the Top 10 Independent Films of 2013. In 2017, Bell directed her second feature film, I DO… UNTIL I DON’T, which she also wrote and starred in opposite Ed Helms, Mary Steenburgen, Paul Reiser, Amber Heard, Wyatt Cenac, and Dolly Wells. Acting films credits include MOTHER COUCH, NO ESCAPE, MAN UP, IT’S COMPLICATED, WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS, HOME AGAIN, BLACK ROCK, NO STRINGS ATTACHED and MILLION DOLLAR ARM. In TV, her credits include BLESS THIS MESS, HOW TO MAKE IT IN AMERICA, CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL, and WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER. Bell currently stars as Poison Ivy in DC Universe’s HARLEY QUINN and as Black Widow in Marvel’s WHAT IF series. Bell completed her four years of drama conservatory training at The Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama in London. For nearly 10 years, she has served as an active board member of WOMEN IN FILM, a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote advocacy and special programs to support the success of female peers in the entertainment industry. Bell currently serves as a global ambassador for WOMEN FOR WOMEN INTERNATIONAL championing the voices of female survivors of war.

This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.

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