Reneé Rapp OPENS Up On Traumatic Past: 'I Was Missing For Seven Hours'

Today, actress and singer Reneé Rapp, sits down with me to share her incredible journey.

Reneé just released her debut album, Snow Angel. She is also known for her role as Leighton in the HBO Max Series The Sex Lives of College Girls and for playing the iconic Regina George in the Tony-nominated Mean Girls musical on Broadway.

In this interview, we will discuss:
00:00 Intro
01:12 Who Is Reneé Rapp?
02:07 Worrying About How Others Perceive You
04:32 The Scary Experience With Drew Barrymore’s Stalker
06:02 Preparing Yourself For Future Disappointment
08:30 On Worrying That “I Will Never Write A Good Song Again”
10:47 Managing The Critical Inner Voices
13:18 Not Being Able To Enjoy Your Success
17:01 On Stepping Away From The Sex Lives of College Girls
20:07 Expressing Feelings Through Songwriting
22:19 Resilience Is Needed When Pursuing Your Passion
26:22 The Harrowing Story Behind The Song ‘Snow Angel’
34:45 Red Flags In Friendships
41:06 How Did It Feel Sharing This Story With The World?
44:43 What Brings You Joy?
50:28 What Would You Say To 10-Year-Old Renee?
52:13 What Do You Need To Unlearn & What Do You Need To Learn?
54:43 On Struggling With An Eating Disorder
56:45 Navigating Sexuality & Labels
59:24 Reneé On Final Five

Episode Resources:

[JayShettyPodcast.]

I hope you all enjoyed hearing Reneé’s story, and let me know what resonated with you! I’d like to invite you to join this community and subscribe to the channel. By hitting the 'Subscribe' button, you're not just becoming a subscriber – you're choosing to make a positive difference in your life.

[katherinet]

the amount i relate to her as a woman with adhd, her talking so openly makes me feel so seen

[halane]

The way Jay transitioned to asking her about things that make her happy and comfortable right after she shared her trauma was such a smooth move. Subtle way to help her not get into a negative headspace.

[stillhere]

She's so honest. When we're younger we do a LOT of external validation. Gets better with time. Keep "pushing" through.

[buggussy]

this interviewer was so thoughtful and respectful. As a long-time Renee fan, the amount of warm tears I had throughout this podcast was ridiculous. He truly listened to everything she had and gave her such a comfortable atmosphere. He had lyrics prepared to chat over... thank you Renee for being so open about your anxiety and overall experiences, including the drugging... and thank you Jay for giving her the platform. much love to you both!

[realmusic]

I immediately felt a deep connection with her song Snow Angel. I'm so sad this happened to her. I had a similar experience where all my friends abandoned me and tried to keep me silent after. This is how rape culture works. At our most vulnerable the people we thought we could lean on end up questioning our experiences because no one wants to believe they could be friends with a rapist. It's easier if the victim is just "exaggerating" that way no one has to question their roles in it all.

[DanielleM]

Every time Renee opens up more about her thoughts and feelings I feel more connected to her. She's so real and so awesome.

[randcm]

I love how he actually LETS her speak and doesn't cut her off every 3 seconds like some interviewers do. Great podcast.

[lainecapel]

i just found out about her being drugged and going missing a little less than a month ago and i sobbed. nobody should ever have to go through what happened to her. she’s so strong for writing and releasing a song about this experience. i love her with all my heart.

[mtrxd]

This is a masterclass on how to present your own journey without trying to explain it for everyone else. So proud of this generation and their emotional intelligence!!

[ashleytune]

Wow, I sobbed because I'd never seen anyone tell such a similar story to mine of being drugged while hanging with a group of new "friends" and not knowing what happened. The nurse at the hospital just told me I needed new friends. I wasn't tested for any drugs, but I only had one not very strong drink, so I know there's no other explanation. I think the nurse just thought I was wasted. I felt so incredibly seen because I feel like no one TRULY understands how scary something like that is until it happens to you. <3

[Whutwoodwoulddo]

I could listen to this conversation go on for hours. Reneé is so insightful and seems to speak her mind with limited filtering, which makes it feel more like a conversation between friends and less of an interview. It’s nice not to hear an excessively media coached interview and just hear someone share their thoughts and experiences.

[alyssahomen]

Renee, as a 35 yr old late dx AuDHDer (autistic plus adhd) I see so much of my younger self in you. You beat yourself up internally because society has told us everywhere that we are the issue when we aren’t. You relating to others in distress isn’t bad it’s how us neurodivergents relate.

[sammillard]

I so deeply connect to her anxiety and how that definitely is a bit connected to how many adults at our young ages put a lot of pressure on how we can do better or improve. I grew up the same way and while my parents were very supportive, driving to every basketball, softball, etc game; I'd always be met with the question "what could you have done differently?" or critiques. I was so rarely met with a "good job" for anything, games, grades, heck cleaning my room lol. I expressed this in college before on how that really was detrimental, and while they've tried to get better at it, I was also given the "explanation" of they just aren't like that. It sucks as these things really stick with us into our adult years but I'm happy to see how much she pushes herself to go past those doubts, fears and anxiety. I am certainly still stuck in a pattern of putting my all into something and either burning out and giving up or just feeling like a failure if it isn't exactly what I pictured. Hearing all of this and seeing the impact she has made, helps me to know that I can still be working through that pattern and be successful in life, I don't have to give up my healing either.

[MagicalKarmaPriestess]

Thank you Renee for being so honest and expressing your struggles, because many can not talk about it and not acknowledging that they need to deal with these things. Thank you Jay for having her! I just want to tell you Renee, that this is not the end, but the beginning of your healing journey and I am here to support you as I have been for my clients with anxiety, depression, stress, and traumas. You can have a brand-new life just make a conscious decision you want it.

[lonnnna]

i’m so happy she’s so comfortable with opening up i love her and wish her everything good in life.

[katherines]

I’ve never felt more seen whenever Renee said I feel worthy and happy when people around me are happy.

[kelsey_runte]

Renee within this conversation truly described what it is like to be in the mind of someone that is anxious and has ADHD. It's everything all at once and days you can make sense of it and some days you can't. Showing people that part of you is extremely vulnerable but the way Renee is so open with that is truly beautiful. With my personal experiences, what I related to the most was we need to feel the big feelings and it's okay that they are big.

[sydney]

i've listened to her tell the story behind snow angel a few times now, and every time it just makes me so sad for her and so furious that the people around her did not try harder to keep her safe. i hope writing snow angel brought her a lot of healing <3

[lidicearreola]

Finally someone asking decent and not the same questions to Reneé.