IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson Perform your Truth with Jenifer Lewis
Dec 17, 2025
Jenifer Lewis, the acclaimed actress and activist known for her powerful roles and vibrant personality, opens up about her lifetime experiences with bipolar disorder and sex addiction. She shares her journey from childhood ambitions shaped by poverty to achieving Broadway success. Jenifer discusses confronting her abuser, the impacts of early trauma, and the healing power of journaling. Listeners enjoy a sneak peek into her unreleased one-woman show, filled with humor and resilience, as she shares her wisdom for young achievers.
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Outward Joy Can Mask Inner Pain
- Jenifer reveals that public joy can mask private pain and that being a performer didn't equal being happy.
- She says recovery required being 're-raised' through therapy to align inner life with her outward persona.
Use Passion To Anchor You
- Jenifer stresses that finding a passion or dream sustained her through mania and depression.
- She recommends pursuing what makes you smile and using passion to get out of bed and keep going.
Confronting Her Molester
- Jenifer confronts the pastor who molested her and angrily demands answers years later.
- She reports calling him, cussing him out, and refusing to accept his justification for the abuse.