Mary Beth Barone says Ride hosts tried to exit Dear Media contract
Barone said she and Benito Skinner could not leave their Ride deal after clashes with Dear Media CEO Michael Bosstick’s politics.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
2 min read
Mary Beth Barone says her Dear Media deal for Ride became a problem after she and co-host Benito Skinner learned more about the politics of company CEO Michael Bosstick.
The comedian said on Talk Easy that she and Skinner attempted to leave the contract for their podcast, which began in 2023, but were unable to do so. The comments come after the fourth season of Ride premiered this month.
Barone said the situation has been confusing for listeners because she and Skinner are outspoken about progressive politics on the show. She said she is in the Democratic Socialists of America, supports vaccines and has talked about medicine and progressive issues on past episodes.
Why did Mary Beth Barone want out of Dear Media?
Barone said the dispute centered on political differences with Dear Media leadership. Deadline reported that Bosstick has described himself as politically independent, has backed RFK Jr. and has made unsubstantiated claims about COVID vaccines causing harm since the pandemic.
According to Deadline, Dear Media podcasts have also featured RFK Jr., who is identified in the report as HHS secretary, and Ivanka Trump.
Barone said on Talk Easy that she did not expect support for science to become a disputed position, but she said she and Skinner were now able to discuss the issue openly and were not worried about fallout.
She also said she and Skinner had a direct conversation with senior people at Dear Media. Barone said the company has not stopped them from saying what they want on the podcast, and that the choice ultimately became whether they still wanted to keep making Ride. Their answer, she said, was yes.
Barone acknowledged that staying with the company was difficult to square with her politics. She said many companies are led by people whose views may not match the views of the artists or hosts working with them, and said it can be hard to exist without dealing with companies that raise those conflicts.
What did Benito Skinner say about the contract?
On the season 4 premiere of Ride, Barone referred to significant political disagreements with people at the top of the company and said the circumstances were different when the podcast began.
Skinner said on the episode that a contract remains binding once signed. He added that people may enter an agreement without knowing every affiliation connected to the company, and that those details can emerge later.
Ride launched in 2023 and is currently in its fourth season. Barone is also known for her comedy special Galaxy Brain, while Skinner is Barone’s co-host on the podcast.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.