Anna Saccone on The SACCONEJOLYs, Motherhood And Raising Her Trans Daughter in the Public Eye
We Need To Talk with Paul C. Brunson
Father's Praise, Puberty, and Body Image Issues
Anna recounts her father's focus on looks, puberty's impact, and how praise shifting fueled insecurities and changed her behavior around food.
In her first ever solo interview, YouTube creator and mum of four Anna Saccone opens up about the truth behind The SACCONEJOLYs, the hidden pain behind her picture-perfect life, and the moments that almost broke her.
Content warning: This episode includes discussion of eating disorders and miscarriage.
For the first time, Anna shares the real story behind her marriage, her relationship with Jonathan, and the intense pressure of raising a family online while facing constant criticism and scrutiny. She also speaks candidly about her struggles with bulimia, body image, and identity - and how she’s finally learning to live life on her own terms.
Anna shares: ◽ Why she wasn’t truly happy on her wedding day ◽ How her father’s obsession with appearance impacted her ◽ How she built a family-vlog channel that earned tens of thousands a month ◽ What it’s really like raising a trans child in the public eye ◽ How she feels about the negative comments ◽ How returning to school became her way of reclaiming her voice
This conversation includes discussion of eating disorders and baby loss. We’ve included support links below, along with the organisation Anna mentions in the episode, which provides resources for transgender healthcare:
Beat Eating Disorders - https://g2ul0.app.link/gHK6cjr3ZRb
Tommy’s: https://g2ul0.app.link/yiLgVePdnVb
Sands: https://g2ul0.app.link/1c7K7WVdnVb
Anne Healthcare - https://g2ul0.app.link/BWEMiCQBbYb
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(00:00) Intro
(01:31) Why Anna Decided to Do This Podcast Without Jonathan
(02:39) Anna's Experience Growing Up in Baltimore
(05:46) How That Affected Anna's Relationship With Her Dad
(05:47) Moving From Baltimore to Cork
(12:15) The Beginnings of Anna's Eating Disorder
(14:28) Meeting Jonathan & Quitting University
(17:05) What Anna Initially Saw in Jonathan
(23:43) How Anna and Jonathan Started on YouTube
(28:05) Surprise Message From Jonathan
(30:01) Anna's Struggle With Bulimia
(32:48) Anna's Advice for Anyone Going Through an Eating Disorder
(36:24) How the Growth of the YouTube Channel Affected Anna
(42:44) Why Anna Thinks They’ve Been So Popular on YouTube
(47:14) How Anna Deals With Online Criticism
(58:03) Transgender Statistics in the UK and Anna’s View on the Current Climate
(1:03:13) Shopify Ad
(1:04:11) Adobe Express Ad
(1:05:13) Anna’s Perspective on Featuring Her Children on Social Media
(1:16:03) How Motherhood Impacted Anna
(1:17:54) Struggling to Connect With Other Mums
(1:22:57) Jonathan’s Gender Identity
(1:25:54) How Anna Feels About the Negativity Directed Toward Jonathan
(1:31:00) Dealing With Online Hate
(1:33:30) Quick Fire Questions for Anna
(1:39:05) Final Question: Anna’s Decision to Retrain in Nutrition
(1:41:15) Most Memorable Conversation
(1:45:32) Paul’s Takeaways
Sponsored by:
Shopify: https://www.shopify.co.uk/needtotalk
Adobe Express: https://ADOBE.LY/PAUL
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