Tig Notaro Explains Her ‘Really Sad’ Falling Out with Close Friend Cheryl Hines: ‘It Just Got Hard’

Tig Notaro is opening up about the end of her friendship with Curb Your Enthusiasm star Cheryl Hines.

During an appearance on Breaking Bread With Tom Papa on Oct. 14, the comedian shared that her relationship with Hines changed after the actress married Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The pair once co-hosted a podcast, Tig & Cheryl: True Story, where they discussed documentaries each week.

“Cheryl was one of my favorite friends to be ridiculous with,” Notaro, 54, said. “We made each other laugh so hard. I love documentaries, and it was fun to have to watch one every week—but also, we took the pressure off.”

According to Notaro, their friendship began to shift as Hines’ husband became more publicly outspoken. “In years past, [his beliefs] were like a gnat on the arm,” she said. “I just ignored it. Our friendship predated the marriage.”

When Kennedy entered the 2024 presidential race, Notaro said it became harder to stay silent. “It started to grow, and Cheryl wanted me to hear Bobby out,” she explained. “They had these good ideas, and I was like, ‘I can’t, I can’t, I can’t.’ I just didn’t trust it. And then he endorsed Trump, and then it just got hard.”

Kennedy later dropped out of the race in August 2024 and endorsed Donald Trump before being nominated to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. He’s long been known for controversial stances, including anti-vaccine rhetoric and other unverified medical claims.

“When somebody says, ‘Oh, we don’t agree on everything,’ in a marriage, that’s so vague,” Notaro said. “Where it’s led is… it’s not my world. It’s a hard pass. You’re okaying a particular ride for this country to go on.”

When host Tom Papa mentioned missing their podcast, Notaro became emotional. “It’s really sad,” she admitted. “It brought me so much joy—and Cheryl brought me so much joy. But now I’m looking for people and work that bring that same kind of joy back into my life.”