This week on Confessionals & Congressionals, we’re unpacking Cierra Ortega’s controversial exit from Love Island USA—was it an overcorrection or just the internet doing too much? We dive into the racial and beauty standards at play and why reality TV still has a long way to go. Read the ABC News article for context. Plus, GQ just roasted the men of The Valley in a now-viral piece about “divorced guy energy” and we are living for it. Read the article.

We also listened to Jax’s new podcast so you don’t have to—he’s joined by his publicist Lori and still lacking all self-awareness. We talk about the infamous Justice 4 Jax account, which we thought was satire until this very moment. Here’s the Reddit thread for the chaos. Also: Janet clears her name on The Viall Files, and we tease a big announcement tied to The Challenge: Untold History.

Hit follow, leave a review, and remember—we’re critiquing edited tv characters, not real people. It's never ok to bully people online.

This week on Confessionals & Congressionals, we’re back with your favorite blend of pop culture chaos, reality TV drama, and a dash of political realness.

We’re diving deep into The Valley Season 2, Episode 13… and let’s just say, if Danny & Nia leave, we’re all rioting. We break down Kristen & Janet’s feud hitting a fever pitch, why Zach continues to be the #1 friend in the group, and Brittany’s, uh… questionable late-night choices. Plus, we’re side-eyeing Janet’s weaponized accusations and asking: who’s really keeping this group toxic?

But before we board the cruise from hell, we take a few moments to reflect on the devastating floods in Texas and the ongoing fight for economic justice and reproductive health care. Links to donate to flood relief, Planned Parenthood, and Vote Save America are below.

We also share this week’s pop culture & true crime recommendations, including The Challenge: Untold History, and a fascinating psychological breakdown of the Idaho murders suspect from Pop Psych.

Finally, we stand with Amaya Papaya. That’s all.

• VoteSaveAmerica.com

• Planned Parenthood

Welcome back to the pod! This week, we’re diving into the latest Valley episode—episode 12—and it’s packed with emotional tension, weird vibes, and a happy ending. Then we’re shifting gears to talk about what might be the most real drama on TV right now: the McBee Dynasty. We’ll also get into some chilling updates in the Idaho murders case, and we’ll end with an action item you can do today to push back against the "Big Beautiful Bill"—yes, it’s still on the table, and yes, its going to make life more expensive and more difficult for almost all americans.

TW: This episode contains discussion about SA and crimes against women.

The Valley recap starts at 52:45

This week we decided to keep things light. We catch up on Love Island, McBee Dynasty, and other pop culture news. The Challenge comes out in July, so we hope to recap that.

Please comment, follow, subscribe, etc! <3 

This week we recap The Valley S2E11 and catch up about Love Island (protect Amaya Papaya at all costs!!!). Lauren changes her mind about Jax being on TV, Cass is dying for a field day of our own, and we celebrate a huge win for NYC.

Thank you for listening! 

This week:

- We catch up on the Israel V Iran Conflict and the US's role

- Karen Read's non-guilty verdict is in!

- Scott Wolf and Kelley Wolf's messy divorce

- Love Island has us kicking our feet

AND MORE!

This week we referenced:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTjv9Uwtc/

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTjv9HTFL/

We love ya! Thanks for listening!

This week we recap The Valley Episode 10, but not before a little pop culture catch up!

• The Valley Season 2, Episode 10 recap
• Talking about narcissistic personality disorder and the rigid defenses people like Jax have
• Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni lawsuit updates
• Karen Read trial updates
• Emilie Kiser and the entitlement fans feel to influencer's personal life
• Scott Wolf's messy divorce

Thanks for listening! Please Like, Share, Follow, Subscribe, ETC! <3

This week: Israel Bombs Iran, Trump and Elon have made up, Governor Newsom is crushing Trump and we smile, and Senator Padilla was tackled by the FBI for asking a question .

We talk about the No Kings protests that happened nationwide, with up to 15 million people protesting Trump and this administration’s policies. Plus, what we know about the two lawmakers in Minnesota who were shot in their homes by a man posing as a police officer. Also, Trump V Newsom continues to escalate as Newsom attacks Trump and we cheer because at least SOMEONE on the left is doing something.

We’ve got everything you missed this week, plus some pop culture headlines feat. Taylor Swift, Blake Lively, and more.

Thanks for tuning in! Please like, share, comment, subscribe!

NATIONAL DAY OF PROTEST SATURDAY - https://www.nokings.org

This week on The Valley, Jax is getting out of rehab, Danny’s still being labeled the problem — but honestly, we’ve decided it’s Janet who’s driving us over the edge. We unpack episode 9 and the growing chaos in the friend group.Plus, we get into the protests happening in LA, catch you up on this week’s biggest pop culture moments, and break down Jax’s wild podcast with his sister (spoiler: we have even more evidence he might be a full-blown psychopath).Tap in — it’s a messy one.

Happy Pride! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

NEXT NATIONWIDE PROTEST SATURDAY JUNE 14 - https://thirdact.org/act/no-kings-day-of-action/

This week, we chat about the political headlines that you won't want to miss!

• Immigration and ICE Protests Escalate in LA and we want Newsom to stand up for his immigrants!
• Happy Pride Month especially to our conservative white men! We see you out there "loving each other as much as straight men can".
• Elon and Donny are fighting on the internet because their fragile ego's can't handle the criticism
• The Rockland County Election recount... we chat about whether we think this has legs and more importantly, if it's even happening?

This week we mentioned:

• https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/04/magazine/reality-tv-has-a-new-recipe-for-success-trauma.html
• https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/06/politics/kilmar-abrego-garcia
• https://open.spotify.com/episode/5xAs6gq29R7OVK3b1U9JqM?si=71F_FDQfTz2mJDH9jfEyyQ&context=spotify%3Acollection%3Apodcasts%3Aepisodes&nd=1&dlsi=43a2c464cc7b47c8
• https://app.enhancedvoting.com/results/public/rockland-county-ny/elections/GE2024Results/ballot-items/01000000-4482-4645-d471-08dcf2403024
• https://www.tiktok.com/@sandracoltonmedici/video/7513043181060001070?_r=1&_t=ZT-8x1HJIdYj0N

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Instagram: @confessionalsandcongressionalspod

Lauren's Tiktok: lauren___taylor8800