How the Longtime Friendship of Tig Notaro and Cheryl Hines Unraveled Over Time

On paper, Tig Notaro and Cheryl Hines seemed like the kind of friends who’d laugh their way into old age. You know the type — inside jokes, matching comedic timing, and that rare, unspoken rhythm that made their podcast Tig & Cheryl: True Story such a delight to listen to. For fans, their chemistry felt effortless.

Over the years, however, a question kept resurfacing among their fans and followers: How was Tig Notaro and Cheryl Hines’s friendship still holding up?

That curiosity wasn’t just idle gossip. Ever since Cheryl married Robert F. Kennedy Jr. back in 2014, fans have been trying to connect the dots. Could someone like Tig — a queer comedian with a sharp sense of truth and personal conviction — really stay close to someone whose husband was, well … that guy?

Turns out, the answer finally came. And it’s more complicated — and more human — than anyone probably expected.

Let’s rewind a bit. According to PodNews, Tig and Cheryl first became friends in the early 2000s, long before their podcast days. The public didn’t see much of their connection back then. There were no selfies and no joint interviews. Once Tig & Cheryl: True Story launched in 2020, however, that decades-long friendship was suddenly on display for everyone to hear.

And it was a joy to listen to. Every week, they’d “review” a documentary — but let’s be honest, the doc was just a jumping-off point. Most episodes spiraled into wildly unrelated tangents. They’d ask each other things like, “Who are you attracted to in this documentary?” and then dissolve into laughter.

“Cheryl was one of my favorite friends to be ridiculous with,” Tig said on Breaking Bread With Tom Papa. “We made each other laugh so hard.”

They weren’t just cohosts. They were funny together — in the way only close friends can be.

While the podcast kept rolling, so did the speculation. Over on Reddit, fans of Tig, Cheryl, and the show started raising eyebrows as early as 2014. In one Reddit thread, someone posted: “I can’t believe this friendship is still going.”

In February 2025, another Reddit thread popped up asking what was going on with the friendship. In response, one individual noted it was “obvious” the friendship was over and that Tig had cut all ties with Cheryl.

On Oct. 14, 2025, Tig finally address the elephant in the room while appearing on Tom Papa’s podcast. For the first time, she admitted that she had no choice but to “step away” from her friendship with Cheryl.

Those who tuned in noted that Tig didn’t sound angry or upset by the situation. She just sounded like someone who had reached a point in her life where her and her former friend went two different directions because they wanted different things. Most appreciated the way she was able to talk highly of her former friend while admitting the friendship was over.

To be clear, this wasn’t a public meltdown. No dramatic podcast breakup. No social media feuds. What Tig shared wasn’t a takedown. It wasn’t even a call-out. It was, honestly, just sad.

“My friendship with Cheryl predated her marriage to Bobby,” she said. That friendship — the one filled with jokes and ridiculous questions and deep mutual respect — was real. Unfortunately, it didn’t survive the distance that grew between them.