Mary Beth Barone & Benito Skinner Tried to Exit 'Ride' Podcast Over Dear Media CEO's Politics

Mary Beth Barone just opened up about some real tension behind the scenes of Ride, the podcast she hosts with Benito Skinner under Dear Media. The Galaxy Brain comedian laid it out plain: they tried to bounce from the deal, but couldn't get it done.

The issue? Politics. Barone explained it's been "hard to reconcile" staying with the label when you've got fundamental disagreements with how things are being run at the top. Since Ride launched in 2023, the show's found an audience, but apparently that didn't make sticking around easier for either of them.

This kind of situation—comedians locked into contracts with companies they're ideologically at odds with—isn't new in the podcast game. The money and platform are real, but so is the discomfort of working for someone whose values you don't share. Barone's being honest about the bind they're in, which is more than most people will do publicly.

Season 4 just dropped, so they're still grinding it out. Whether this pressure eases or builds remains to be seen—but at least now everyone knows it's there.

Read the full story at Deadline → https://deadline.com/2026/07/mary-beth-barone-benito-skinner-tried-get-out-podcast-contract-1237004136/