Tig Notaro discusses ending friendship with Cheryl Hines over RFK Jr. - USA Today

Tig Notaro is opening up further about the "upsetting" end of her longtime friendship with Cheryl Hines.

In a March 9 interview on "The Best People with Nicolle Wallace" podcast, the comedian and actress said she continued reaching out to Hines even after leaving the pair's podcast, "Tig and Cheryl: True Story," in 2023.

"Then I realized one day, she doesn't ever reach out to me anymore. She responds to me, but she doesn't reach out to me," Notaro said. "And I had to kind of shake myself out of denial that, oh, she's gone, and oh, OK, I need to let this go."

"I was trying to be a friend to her even though I didn't feel like I could continue with the podcast, but it's been very strange," Notaro added.

Both Notaro and Hines have previously said their friendship ended over Hines' husband's foray into politics. She has been married to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. since 2014.

The actresses have also said their friendship predated Hines' marriage to Kennedy. In a 2022 appearance on the "Ellen DeGeneres Show," Notaro said Hines helped her find an agent and manager.

A representative for Hines declined to comment when contacted by USA TODAY.

Tig Notaro on Cheryl Hines: 'I didn't know what was going on behind closed doors'

Notaro said she decided to step away from her and Hines' podcast, in part, because people criticized Kennedy's views during Notaro's comedy shows.

"I was like, man, this is not my world, I don't want to be a part of this," Notaro said, adding that she continued to reach out to Hines after leaving the podcast in part because she "didn't know what was going on behind closed doors."

"What was a bummer is that there have been some interviews claiming that I just dumped her and just left her in the dust because of Bobby," Notaro added.

How RFK Jr. played into Cheryl Hines, Tig Notaro friendship

Notaro first opened up about the end of her and Hines' friendship in an October 2025 interview on the "Breaking Bread with Tom Papa" podcast, citing Kennedy's 2024 presidential bid as a turning point.

"There are beliefs that were like a gnat on the arm years ago that were getting further into the spotlight," she said at the time.

The next month, Hines shared her side of the story on the "Howie Mandel Does Stuff" podcast, saying that she and Notaro didn't want Kennedy's foray into politics to "overshadow" their podcast together.

"Off mic, did she confront you with his beliefs or his thoughts or his what he was doing, talking about?" Mandel asked Hines, who replied, "It was more broad strokes."

"I had to grieve that loss because I really love the podcast and I really love Tig," Hines continued, adding that she feels "more sad than angry."

"I don't hold anything against her because this is what she feels like she needs to do for herself and she feels like she needs to distance herself from me," Hines added.

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at [email protected].