“The line is drawn when you’re not in control of it. The ownership, agency, and empowerment factor comes from putting the price tag on your own image and likeness.” 

Melyssa Ford is stepping out of the image, the headlines, and the hype - and into her truth.

In this powerful and unfiltered episode of Awf The Record, Melyssa opens up about what it really meant to be “the video vixen,” the trauma of being hyper-visible yet misunderstood, and the personal fallout of fame, objectification, and public perception.

From the music industry to podcasting, she shares how grief, loneliness, and burnout led to a total identity reset, and how she’s finally reclaiming her story, her softness, and her voice.

If you’ve ever felt consumed by what the world expected from you, this one’s for you.

KEYPOINTS: 

00:00 – The mental and emotional cost of visibility
03:12 – How grief & career burnout forced Melyssa to stop and reevaluate
06:40 – Why being “the baddest” came with a price
09:28 – The myth of the strong Black woman
13:09 – Rebuilding a new identity after fame
17:48 – Navigating sexualization and erasure in media
30:45 – Learning to ask for help and stop performing
36:29 – Healing in public — and still being misunderstood
41:00 – Softness, self-worth, and letting go of the persona

QUOTES 

"If there's a time in which to make a whole bunch of mistakes and just, and, you know, and do them in front of everybody, it's your 20s, it's fine. That's the time to do. But I was always so reserved, and I was always so hypercritical of myself." – Melyssa Ford 

"I am a pro-aging advocate. That's privilege denied to many. Exactly. It is a privilege denied to many." – Melyssa Ford 

“Whatever you want to do as a woman, whatever makes you happy, as long as it doesn’t harm anybody else - go for it.” – Melyssa Ford 

GUEST RESOURCES 

Melyssa Ford 

IG | @melyssaford

RESOURCES: 

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Mona Kosar Abdi

IG |  @monakabdi 

Jeannette Reyes

IG |  @msnewslady 

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