My introduction to Taryn Manning came about strangely, like most things in my life these days, with an unexpected phone call, in which Danny Masterson was the connecting link. I had just concluded my series loosely tracking the Masterson trials, with the final verdict being 30 years to life for Masterson. While the internet was celebrating Danny’s future behind bars, Taryn hopped on Instagram to react to Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis’ pitiful apology video posted to save face after the public caught wind that the couple had submitted character letters for Danny at his sentencing.
Taryn criticized their retraction video and asked the public to stop kicking a man who was already down.
“Yeah, he made a mistake, but everyone just keep going, keep crucifying him, as if he’s not already suffering. He gets it, he got it, leave him alone, leave me alone,” she said on Instagram.
Her reaction caught my attention. After Ashton and Mila’s forced retraction, I respected that she said exactly what she thought about the whole situation without concern for how the public might crucify her for it.
Taryn of course received plenty of backlash for her response, and in lieu of the recent controversies surrounding her, was initially skeptical of my reasons for reposting her video. In a DM message, she assumed that I was maybe making fun of her. I asked her to call me so I could explain that wasn’t the case.
In recent months, Taryn had become one of my favorite people to follow on Instagram. I needed to clear the air to let her know I actually admired her honesty.
A phone call is all it took. I liked her right away. She was openly vulnerable, expressing that she was a bit guarded, worried I was trying to exploit her (like many others were doing at the time). Prior to our introduction, unbeknownst to me, Taryn had been in the news for sharing graphic sex stories about a married man she was briefly involved with online. We ended up on subsequent phone calls after connecting, talking sometimes for hours, conversing about everything from random pop culture musings, to the media and her personal take on the dark side of Hollywood, how being an independent thinker can spit you out of an entire industry if you go against the grain. We bonded easily as two Scorpios with a penchant for uncensored expression. Compared to the overly filtered PR nonsense that typically clogs our feeds, pushing sterile & soulless celebrities at us relentlessly, Taryn is such a refreshing alternative. Not afraid to be weird, reactive, or faith based in an industry that readily shuns people for embracing Christian values.
Honestly, I find everything she does fascinating. As a non Christian, I somehow always look forward to sitting down on the weekend to watch her Sunday sermons.
When the Crossroads reboot was announced last month, Taryn made a video stating that she was purposely left out of a few major articles celebrating the movie’s release (timed to coincide with Britney’s book debut)
Her omission was the catalyst for an idea of mine: an intimate premiere party to celebrate her contribution to the film.
The only other person I knew who shared my same affinity for Taryn was Whitney Cummings (though it should be noted that Whitney and I have plenty of bizarre and neurotic fascinations in common). I can always depend on her to not degrade or judge me for my obsessive points of interest, because she’s the exact same way. Knowing how much she appreciated Taryn, I reached out to invite her to the movie. Turned out, Taryn had just been scheduled to appear on her podcast, which is how all three of us ended up uniting.
I drove to Los Angeles a couple weeks ago to sit in on the recording at Whitney’s house. Stuffed behind the scenes in a bold blue recording space, I couldn’t contain my laughter with these two women behind the mics, effortlessly unhinged, raunchy, and hilarious. I haven’t seen too many people who can hold their own with Whitney Cummings, but Taryn’s sharp witted punchlines managed.
In a clip from Good For You that’s already viral on TikTok — Taryn describes a day on the set of Crossroads, when production crew called everyone off for two weeks for an “emergency” that Taryn described as “pizzaface.” Britney Spears broke out with acne, so the set was tossed into chaos over it. TikTokers are responding to the clip insisting that Taryn now write a book- a suggestion I solidly support.
In darker segments, the conversation went deeper. Whitney and Taryn traded tales of their childhood, growing up with dysfunctional families. Whitney discussed the lasting effects of life with alcoholics. Taryn talked about the lasting trauma of her father’s suicide, an experience she knows I can relate to.
They say comedy is a coping mechanism for trauma. This was a talking point on the show; how both women learned to navigate pain using humor as a deflector. Taryn and Whitney both came from humble upbringings. They both grew up poor, so their appreciation for certain things is amplified because of it. One detail I loved learning was how Taryn found a soothing aspect to the sound of rain hitting the tin rooftop of her trailer as a kid drifting off to sleep in the trailer park she grew up in.
“My mom didn't buy herself a new pair of shoes and a new outfit until I moved out. Literally when I asked my mom for a dollar I got one single dollar.”
As for religion, Taryn was at times brutally dragged by the industry for it, namely when she spoke openly about Christianity. “Hollywood hates Christianity,” she said, a similar sentiment expressed by Kanye during his Sunday Service. Taryn explained to Whitney how difficult it is to speak freely in an industry that rewards conformity.
Whitney raised the point that if Taryn was more “polished,” framed by a well lit studio set on, say, Oprah, her views would be taken seriously. But because she is rogue in her online delivery, she is written off as “crazy.”
As a fellow Scorpio (her birthday is four days before mine) I immediately sensed that Taryn has a keen intuition and fragility to her. That was apparent during recording. In a room full of entertainers, nobody was acting that day. The cameras were rolling but genuine connectedness was palpable.
See for yourself in the episode below what I adore about them both.
For our movie date night, Taryn choose the dinner spot El Compadre in Echo Park, one of her “old stomping grounds,” when she used to live in the area.
After dinner, we headed to Regal LA Live to watch the 20-year-anniversary reboot of Crossroads.
“I have played some very kind and loving characters. I don’t know why I’m so good at playing bad. I really don’t.”
As the credits were rolling and everyone was singing along to “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman,” Denise surprised the crowd by announcing that Taryn was sitting in the audience, which got everyone chanting for Taryn.
“I’ll never forget it. That was a great time in my life. That experience was awesome. Britney was awesome.”
“You have no idea how much I fan girl you. Thank you so much,” a woman gushed.
She also indulged us with a few funny memories of Britney on set being a “prankster,” and how “weird” it was for her to be kissing her on-screen boyfriend when she was madly in love with Justin Timberlake at the time. According to Taryn, she would go over to craft services before filming intimate scenes and fill her mouth with tuna fish and saltines.
We ended the night at one of LA’s best kept karaoke spots, Brass Monkey. Photos of John Mayer on the wall suggested this is the type of karaoke club where people take their songs very seriously. On Taryn’s turn, she did just that. She nailed a version of the Notorious B.I.G. “Juicy” and then signed off with a theatrical monologue that included “Fuck big pharma!” The bar boomed with applause, followed by her last piece of advice: “Don’t pay your taxes!”
What’s not to love?
I truly feel like $7 is not enough for the quality and variety of your content. I always get so excited when you have a new article, because I know I’ll enjoy it! I love that you always find a way to show that people are never one thing. You have such a special way of humanizing people, especially the ones who others tend to villainize/criticize.
I’ve always loved Taryn ever since I saw Crossroads back in 2002. So happy you two were able to connect. What a cool experience to get to watch Crossroads with her! Happy birthday Taryn!
Can someone please tell me what “the gold juice” is???