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Tom Arnold: True Lies, Roseanne Roast Getting Stabbed over Jenny Craig and Surviving Divorce

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Tom Arnold's Journey: True Lies, Roseanne Roast & Single Parenting | Beans to Billions Podcast
In this episode of the Beans to Billions Podcast, host dives deep into Tom Arnold's life post-Roseanne divorce. Tom shares behind-the-scenes stories from getting his role in 'True Lies,' his infamous roast of Roseanne Barr, and challenges of single parenting. He also opens up about recent health struggles, co-parenting conflicts, and finding contentment in unexpected places. Join for an inspiring and humorous conversation that highlights resilience and reinvention.

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00:00 Tom Arnold Part2
03:53 The Roast Invitation
05:41 Restraining Orders and Legal Hurdles
06:19 The Day of the Roast
07:42 Post-Roast Reflections
09:08 Challenges of Roasting and Parenting
11:10 Current Projects and Life as a Single Dad
14:57 Financial Struggles and Lessons Learned
16:53 Custody Battles and Co-Parenting Woes
24:15 Health Scares and Family Dynamics
31:57 The Jenny Craig Incident
36:07 Closing Thoughts and Reflections

Mixcast 4-4:

Welcome back to part two of our Tom Arnold interview at Beans to Billions Podcast. Last time we went over a lot of things in the beginning of Tom's career where he started out in Iowa, how he, you know, worked the standup circuit, the people he met along the way. Now we're going to be starting out post Roseanne divorce with true lies and how that came to be. Uh, we're going to go over a bunch more about, you know, his relationship with Roseanne Barr after the divorce, the infamous roast, single parenting challenges, and you know, how he's dealt with his recent health issues and what his outlook is on things moving forward. Stick around. This is going to be a fantastic episode. Stop, rewind, stick around. This is going to be a fantastic episode. Check it out.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

So, you know, um, I'm also super grateful to Jim Cameron because when he got, when I got the part that day, Arnold, he said, don't tell anyone for two weeks. So I'm like, I swear to God, I won't tell anyone the best news of my life. And I run to my car, I call everyone I know, nobody believes me. My wife thinks I'm back on drugs. And even that night in front of the mirror, I was looking at myself like, wait a minute, why would he ask me to wait two weeks? You know, maybe that didn't happen. I found out why he asked me to wait two weeks when the movie came out. he had to go for that meeting with Arnold and I over to Foxton give them the ring. And he comes in there and he's like, well, we can start filming True Lies since I found the third guy. And they're like, that's fantastic, Cameron, who is it? And he's like, it's Tom Arnold. They're like, Yeah, that's horrible. Jim Cameron. He's like, why do you say that? They're like, don't you read the tabloids? He's a crazy person. And Jim Cameron's like, no, I don't read the tabloids, but I wrote this movie and he is

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Mm-hmm

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

And they're like, well, Jim, we're sorry. We cannot approve Tom Arnold. And Jim Cameron to his credit said, no, no, no. I'm the one that started. I wanted to make the movie hair of Fox. Now I'm going to go down the street and make a fucking paramount, and they'll be like, Okay, we'll give him a chance, kind of a day to

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Yeah. Yeah.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

I didn't know this, I would have been a little disappointed. So the Fox guys would come to the set, I was hugging them, telling them, Thank you for choosing me, and all this bullshit. And then finally we could wrap the movie. And this is after all that divorce shit went down. And at the end of the screening, what they do is get people, 250 people, into a theater, they don't know what they're going to watch, and they're going to raid it. And all of a sudden it comes up. Oh, James Cameron movie. Yay. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Yay. Jamie Lee Curtis. And then it says Tom Arnold and people booed

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Oh my God.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

by the end of that movie. I think it lasted two hours. By the end of that, they fill out the cards and almost everybody, I was their favorite character. So, uh, they didn't know me. They didn't like me at first. They still didn't know me, but they suddenly liked me. That's

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Yeah. Well that was like also like your first time like in the public eyes super out of you know Roseanne's shadow and that was a huge shadow to get out from under at that time, especially

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

No, I just tried, tried to take the high road as much as possible.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Yeah, yeah, the funniest stand up that I think I've ever seen funniest like five minutes of stand up was the roast you did with her And that was absolutely

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

That was scary. That was a scary thing because,

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Yeah

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

you know, I went like this. I knew she was doing a roast and, uh, the producer happened. I was on Howard Stern for whatever reason, the producer happened to call. And, uh, yeah, talking about the roast and I said, he goes, Joe Gallon. I said, he said, would you be interested in doing the roast? I said, well, listen, maybe, but don't call me last minute. I said, don't call me at the last minute. If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it. I'm going to work on it. I'm going to, you know, so nothing happens. And then the week of the roast on Tuesday, the roast is Saturday. Roseanne calls, leaves a message on my phone. We haven't talked. Okay. And, uh, uh, she wants to talk to me. And so I called the producer. I said, I want to call you because I know if I called her back, we'd have to tell each other to fuck off somehow. What does she want me to do? He said, well, she'd like you to come to the roast, dress as waiter and bring her a drink. And I go, and then what? Well, then you leave. Probably not going to a Roseanne roast, especially that, and not doing any jokes. That's not gonna happen. So, uh, but thank you anyway. So next day he calls back, Hey, you will be roasting people. You come in, you roast the deis, Amy Schubert, Andy the other people. And then I go, and Roseanne? No, you don't roast Roseanne. You just roast them. I go again. People will be mad if it goes that way, and I'm going to do it. And they call it texting. Anything you want. Anything you want. So, I'm talking to my ex wife about it. I said, uh, you know, I would like to. I have to be honest with you. I haven't talked to her in years. Many years. Many years. I'd like to do this thing. And, uh, you know. And so, I called my lawyers. I said, we'll do this. Let's see what they're going to give me. You know. And then we realized there are restraining orders against both of us.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Oh god.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

Our divorce decree has things in it like, if she makes fun of my penis, she has to give me 100, 000. If I say something about her vagina, I have 100, 000. We can't be in the same room. We cannot be in the same room. So they had to spend 100, 000. All night, Friday night, the lawyers in New York, uh, opening that thing up and get rid of all that stuff just so we can be in the same room. And then Saturday morning of the show, I'm sitting there, I'm, okay, now I'm doing it. I realized I have not worked on shit.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

hmm.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

is what I didn't want to happen to not have jokes ready to go. Um, and, uh, and I talked to, uh, Jen Kirkman, who's sort of helped me and she goes, don't you have anything in your head? And I started writing it down. I had One joke for every year that I've seen her. And I said, write them down, go down there. They, they hide me a lot, but it's still not a hundred percent that I'm going to do it. But you never know with her. So I'm in a trailer that I hear Jane, uh, Jane, what's her last name? A comedian that was on the show where she was a teacher on the show.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Oh, yeah. Uh, oh now you got me lynch jane lynch

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

she's great. No, she didn't know how to spell, but she was fancy. Um. They had made a few jokes about me before I got on. I knew they would, but you gotta do it. Um, and then all of a sudden they moved me back to Asia. Someone had a jaded lips note that said, hey, oh, oh, I guess someone would, uh, like to come out and say hi. And she said, uh, Arnold, and she was just laughing. I think that's what happened.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Yeah, the sheer shock on everybody's faces was like

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

very seldom see. Real things like that on television.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Mm hmm.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

I was nervous. That was, and I'd seen, you know, my thing is just get to your jokes and say something nice at the end. And I, I, I believe she was over here. I didn't look at her. And at the end of my jokes, I, uh, I was thinking, what do, what did the other comics do when they're done over, give her a hug or just, anyway. So I walked over and it was a weird, weird, thing. I just, and that, and I'm like, That, well, I'll get that outta here, we'll do it again. And she ran backstage and said, I wanna tell you what this great way we marry the hatchet and, and all the photographers came out. We want a picture of you guys. She's like, no, no. I need to go to the bathroom first. And so she went that way and I, I'm like, fuck it. She doesn't want a picture. So

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

hmm

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

I, I take off and they take me to my,

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Mm

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

uh, my wife at the time said, how'd it go? I said, it went well. Uh, they wanted a picture at the end. And, uh, she didn't want one. She was like, she had to go to the bathroom. And, uh, so I said, hell with it. And she goes, of course, she had to go to the bathroom. I looked at her mirror and took a picture of her ex husband without looking in the mirror and seeing what's going on. I was like, oh, is that true? Okay. But, it was good. It was good and, uh, nerve wrecking. Uh, but, I'm glad I did it. I've done some other roasts, but, uh, roasting people, uh, you know, I mean, the people that are great at it are It just gets a little weird for me when I don't know them. Or, better yet, when they don't know me and they're roasting me. But, uh, who's that big guy? He's that, uh, Jimmy, you know, great big comedian. But this, this big. He was very funny. I'll tell you who he is. And he did, it was actually a roast I'd set up. We have this Kate Aron school here in Los Angeles. And Ralphie May. Not Ralphie May. You know, uh, it was me and, uh, Cameron, Arnold, Sam Boyce were put together. Axe had really built this school. And at least Rose was making 4 million. And so I was being honored. I was being honored. And Ralphie Mays starts it up. And I was like, I'm going to take you in. I'm going to take you in. You don't know me enough to do this. But you have to have a thick skin. Because that's how it goes. And they trashed Arnold. You know, this one is good too. They trashed about everything, you know, uh, and that's kind of what, you know, they were pretty pure folks, like nobody, but it takes a little bit to get used to. Um, and it always took me a little bit close to go rivers. I felt I didn't want to say something mean, you know, and I like watching those, uh, there's still,

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

got to be scary doing them because you don't know if you're going to cross a line that's going to burn a bridge. Even though it's all in good fun, right?

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

yeah, well, you do have to think that way. Roseanne, I got posted by the original flyers and. So, that was, people, they didn't have really an audience, it started to get televised, it was brutal. But, once that happens, you realize, oh, they're doing that with everything. So, you know,

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Tom, what are you working on now besides being a single dad? You got anything in the pipeline that you're

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

the week before Christmas, I did a movie called, uh, something airplane. And, uh, get a couple of sorts of keys.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Mm hmm.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

Unsuited or unsuitable. I have a bunch of stand up dates, you know,

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Mm hmm. Yeah. Mm hmm. Yeah.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

got two other movie things I do in January. I got to do what I got to do. I mean, I really, there's no, you know, that's no joke. I'm very grateful for my life and very small life. You have to outsize. a huge house and we really only hung out last week. It was a nice bathroom, two big bathrooms, wide open, huge closets. And, but that's where the kids, I hung out that portion of the house. And so this house is maybe as big,

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Yeah.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

not the bedroom, but just the closet and everything else. And it's a good thing because I keep an eye on people. I can hear them. I know what, you know, if they get scared, they come to my bed or they just come.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Yeah. Yeah. Well, again, I mean, I think you, at some point You know, you kind of find happiness in places you didn't expect it. Right. When you're kind of young and hungry, it's all about, you know, bigger, better, faster, more, more, more. And then I think you like, at least for me, and it sounds like for you, you know, the, being a single dad just changes your entire perspective. You know, I, I went through a period where I was on food stamps, but I was happy and before that I was unhappy if I didn't have a brand new Porsche. Do you know what I mean? Like it was just a.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

it's good that we have done those things,

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Mm hmm.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

been out and done fun things. Partied, I've partied. You know, that's, that's how I've, I've had sex with women in my past. You know, done it. May not happen again, but it's not, it's not a burning desire. Um, I just, every day. And the one good thing about being in a relationship with one person is, you know, Christ caused such trouble, I just. you know, over and over and it shows up, swats us, whatever she does, is that I don't take anything for granted.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Mm hmm.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

variety is a day in a time, but also with the kids, there's no issue that goes unsolved. I

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Mm

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

don't, I don't take for granted that it'll be fine tomorrow. I think when you're part of it is a moment. There's a lot of friends that went through these acrimonious divorces. They're like, And the mom didn't want them around the kids or whatever, and they kind of stepped back, and they knew, well maybe as they get closer to being an adult, they'll see what the real deal is. But I didn't have that luxury, I admit it, you know. And it's also the best thing for my kids. Every, me being in their life, I'm stable, I'm, you know, um, I understand who they are,

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

hmm.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

which I enjoy. And, uh, so. That's kind of the big hit. And, you know, we had COVID so our business shut down over two years. Then we had the writer's strike, which took a

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

hmm. Mm hmm.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

and I was freaking out about money then. Uh, then I said, well, I just got to feel like everything is going to work out. Just,

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

hmm.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

enjoy this time. Kids are homeschooled. We're around each other a lot. Enjoy it. And things will work out. I think, you know, I've cut it close before. My credit cards have not worked. we have cut it close that, uh, we may have bounced a couple of checks and that feeling even today when I get gas,

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

hmm.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

I kind of like nervous because once that's happened to you, I was younger. I had no money, obviously

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Yeah, but you never forget it Like you go from no money when you never had anything it never feels unusual that you don't have it Right, then when you go and you kind of you know, you've got a million in the bank at one point or more you go Oh, this is just how it is And then when you're sitting there going, Oh crap, can I buy food? Can I buy gas? Can I pay the heat bill? It hurts the second time.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

does. And I, I have made, when I was doing the bigger movies. At least 50 million, which it, you know, a person go, can you make, hey, we'll put some of that in the bank and we won't buy all these houses or whatever. I think I I never respected the money. I liked it more each movie. I like getting these things. I, I, but I didn't go, Oh, this'll stop.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

hmm.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

And, uh, I think because I, I was more comfortable with, you know, when I was actually having to scramble a little bit, I still, uh, I'm not poor like it was I do make money and, uh, I've spent over 2 million in court. I had a retirement fund before I met my ex wife. I also had a house in Beverly Hills and those are gone. And towards the end of that relationship, my thing was, I just have to get her out of this house. She can do what she wants. Because this is untenable. This, I'd live for a while in the same house, one side of the house, the other. But, you know, that's just, yeah, that was bad. It was bad for the kids, it was bad for me, and, uh, especially

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

is more important.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

when she moved out, yeah, and that was, uh, and then she just tried to break in every day since, but, uh, but, You know, that was important. I had to stick to my guts and there were some scary things where she called the police and said, I done stuff. And, and, you know, I have 21 cameras inside and outside the house. Reason for this reason, not for the telegraph. And I say, Hey, have your supervisor come down here. She's been here before and then we'll watch the film. And they'd watch the film. Then they'd call her out of there. But that same past, because I think the first. Two times that happened. They come. She's like, Tom Arnold is very violent. He has a lot of guns. I'm worried about my kids. The cops would come in hot. That's their job.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

hmm.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

And, uh, you know, as they got to know us, they said, if you even think she's gonna call us, call us so we don't come here. And then a judge, which is a really weird thing to put in our stipulation, that she cannot call the police for any reason.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Oh my God.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

really wild. That, that's it there, because she told him so much, and, uh, so, things are, things have gotten better, um, I think that the usual thing of, okay, she files this huge thing, wants to send me to jail for two years, tells the judge she thinks it would be good for the kids if their dad went to prison for two years, or be two minutes late on FaceTime, you know, and then the judge turns to her lawyer and goes, But I do think it's a good use of my limited resources here in

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Mm

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

to get a, gather a jury right after COVID, have a six week trial and her lawyers say, okay, no, we'll cut it to six months so you don't have to have a jury. Like it's never, and then he just crosses everything out. And I did try to represent myself for a while. And, uh, uh, but I was missing so much. I had no. I could not comprehend this stuff they were doing.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Yeah.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

They were doing it and how dangerous that would be for me.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Yeah. There's an old saying, you can't fight crazy. You know, you, you,

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

it is, I'll tell you what it's like. It's like, uh, uh, I'm Batman uh, uh, she is the Joker and tried to co parent, Batman tried to co parent with Joker because Joker, Batman has rules, right? Certain things you won't do, especially in front of the kids. The joker will shoot is a bystander. That's really what

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Mm-hmm

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

she will do. I can't even, you know, and a lot of this is documented and what's supposed to threaten to do something in court. Now, the trial, she included as well as evidence against me, somehow, a video that I had shot of her on my first custody day, showing up at my house and I'm putting the kids to sleep. But

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Mm-hmm Mm-hmm

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

that, and to add to that, I've called the police, I've been at Locksmith, I've been getting this out, she threatens the, the nanny who's an immigrant, I've called the police, what have I, you know, I've called Lee out by the gate, tried to, And what happens is it scares the Danny, she opens up the door, the kids come out, um, you know, uh, they were asleep, and, uh, and so she ends up grabbing our little daughter and peel it off of her, she leaves our son on the curb with, uh, this rabbit, because it's always obvious what she's interested in, and, uh, you know, those, uh, that kind of behavior, and then for me, the judge to say, well, look, you got a video attached to this Let's see the video, which is so great that we sat there watching that video because the judge was like, oh my god. And the video includes her doing all that stuff, which is taken kids or threatened kids, uh, uh, is contempt of court. It's a court order and you're saying, no, I'm ignoring it. You are contemptuous. You have to be And then what she's filed for domestic violence restraining orders for, uh, things like. He, uh, says me too many messages or, you know, he, uh, you know, uh, he's done whatever, um, but but her behavior in that video, which the court saw is within the California domestic violence law, it's definitely the threats, the stuff that is, and then the yanking of the kids, uh, And the, and the sabotage in her bedtime, that, that is, uh, that's, uh, in my opinion, that's child abuse. So she put a video that shows her doing all these things, and then it's included in that video is a letter that she wrote to her, uh, therapist. She was working with Dr. Robin Hurwitz, very official, someone she saw on TV. She liked him because he was Lisa's friend. And she said, I'd fire you because you said that Tom was a better parent. I mean, she put that

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

my, yeah.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

I can't trust like that her therapist after examining, you know, so, I mean, that's, it's a, I, it's a piece of gold to me. And I will say this about watching her watch it. She's like, I can't even look at it. I can't. And by the Lord saying, you know what it is though? Cause you attached it like your lawyer knows this, whatever. And I'm watching her. It's a weird thing. because she is so offended by that video that I said video of her behavior. And it doesn't cross her mind to go. I'm embarrassed by bad behavior. Listen, I get my behavior. I get embarrassed sometimes when I'm too loud with the kids and stuff. And, but she, as she is often in a different world, I have to tell you that. So hopefully this'll be, you know, again, you spend all your money is stressful for the kids. But hopefully we're getting somewhere.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Yeah. Yeah. I hope so too. I, I, that's a, a lot to go through and to still try to, you know. Work and provide for yourself with that level of distraction in the background and in constant dread and threat. It's not easy.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

You gotta think, but it was worse when we lived together. I knew pretty quick with the kids, Oh, some's over there. This is not going to be, uh, you know, she'd do a thing. Like I'd come home from work exhausted. She'd wake me up. She wants to fight me to die. It was

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Mm

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

I, let's take it to the morning, whatever it is. She goes, well, I'm gonna go wake jacks up. Our son, he was four. I'm gonna wake him up, tell him we're getting divorced. I go, oh, don't do that. That's terrible idea. And I got to the door to stop her every time. But one, she got out the door, woke him out of it. Sounds like your mom and dad are getting divorced. We want you to know, like, it's so crazy, traumatizing, you know, but that's her. does guardrails. There's no, uh, you know, she lies every time she Opens her mouth. It's complicated to do anything with her because to get something done that's good We have to figure out a way to make that her idea

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Yeah, yeah

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

And you know, you can also see the kids they're like, yeah, I don't want to go there I don't want

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Mm hmm.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

you know, uh, but but you know, this is the way it is and I just hope to survive I've had some health issues. Um, she's

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

I heard you had a mini stroke a while back.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

I've had organ failure almost five years ago and I had two two viruses And I was on life support for 11 days before UCLA, and, uh, Even then, I only FaceTimed my kids once while I was hospital because I wanted to ventilate her out. I wanted, I was telling my brother, get the good reports, but one day I kind of got it together, didn't have anything coming out of my body, and had a nice little FaceTime with them. And then the day I got out, I tried to FaceTime them, and she wouldn't let me, which is crazy. And then I was going to pick them up the next day, and she said, I'm not the least of the kids. I didn't know everything about your medical.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Mm

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

And, you know, who's gonna be at the house? Are you, who's gonna be overnight? I had a nurse and I had, and I was a little, you know, winded. I wasn't a hundred percent, but I needed to get the kids. I had a nurse and a daddy to drive me over. And so the kids, they see me, they come running and just give me great hugs. They're so happy to see me and it's all great. And so I get to, uh, uh, start walking, walk towards the car and she appears on the second floor balcony. And she's like, Lobbyist. She's like, he's bad for this fucking building. Call the police. Call the police. I, I, man, we gotta roll again. I'm, and I'm carrying all the toys they've taken outta my house. When we get in the car, we pull away. Everything's good. I'm grateful to be alive. I'm grateful to have these guys right here and, uh. My son's like, daddy, mom cried when she heard about your gospel. I was like, Oh my God, that is so sweet. And he's like, she cried because you lived. She has a life insurance policy, a two million dollar life insurance policy I had to pay.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

my god.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

And I genuinely believe she cried because I lived.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Yeah. Well, at least you know exactly what you're worth to her at that point, right?

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

So I calculated, my daughter died last week, on the 18th. And I think the, uh, this life insurance She'll be able to control it until the day my daughter turns 18. So I mean, I just got to live till then that the kids can

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Mm hmm. Mm

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

But um, yeah, there's more to come. I, my kids are very smart. I, early on people said, well, don't worry because when they're, when they're seven, you know, they'll understand. Is that my phone making sounds?

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

I believe it was. Yeah,

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

When they're seven, they'll, uh, they'll understand. So I was like, I don't want that to happen to Dudos when they're seven. Dudos, we're all people. Do I have to? He goes, what do you want? I go, 50 50, custody. And he's like, no, you don't. I go, what?

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

hmm,

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

Well, wait until they're eight and they're born five. I go, no, I want to do it all. I am going to do it all. I can do it all. There's nothing I can't do that a mother can do. And I'm going to do it all. And, um, and so that's been the thing. And I, I get that more because they come back here early, but, um, you know, it's very, very satisfying and you're growing up interesting and funny, and they got their own stuff and, you know, like we had the sleepover with four boys last night, which is a complicated thing. I've had the same sleepover with my daughter, very complicated. Cause we have three kids. Two of them split off, so that people's feelings are hurt. Daddy, they are talking to me, whatever I do, whatever. But if you have four, they do, the boys are a lot easier, but they'll go two and two.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

mm hmm.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

And, uh, the

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Yeah, the girls are kind of gang up on each other, and one gets

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

girl stuff, the girl stuff is way, the boy stuff, sometimes they'll be like, being abusive verbally, calling each other names, calling each other names. You know, and, uh, and I don't like that either. Cause sometimes you get a kid that's very sensitive. We've had two, two kids that never had a sleepover that were over here. And I take that very seriously because their parents trust me, respect me enough to keep an eye on shit and make sure that it goes on. And we really do a good job here because we we do stuff like they want to eat. Okay. We go to the store, buy what you want to cook. You guys got to cook at all. And it's been a, you know, you see their self esteem. Uh, they made fried chicken last night. We all got the table. They all ate together. And when they were very young, I said, well, Sounds like you, you could do better. So you, my daughter would crack the eggs, little daughter in a high chair. And my son would bake the breakfast and then they eat it because they made it. I think mine was better, but once they, once I said, well, you just need to bake whatever, and then they kind of got into cooking stuff, like learning how to do this, that they make a lot of cakes. They do stuff. Um, so anytime you can empower them.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

mm hmm,

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

these are their ideas and, uh, you know, but they're interesting kids that, uh, I have heard

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

yeah. So, do you have a, since it's New Year's, do you have a New Year's resolution this year?

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

And I'm lucky to be alive and I just take. People say, I turned 65 last year, and they're like, does it bother you getting older? And I'm like, no, it doesn't. I'm glad. I'm happy. I like being alive. I like it. It's my favorite thing, each day. And I really think that each day is, you know, I've had a couple other issues, had two major cancer surgeries last year, and complications. It's the complications, let me tell you. It's the infection, but you know, and those are always the type she follows and stuff, but I work fine, but she had a stroke. She follows like it's like cruelty, but you know, uh, I do have, I do take care of myself physiologically too. I do. I, after my stroke, I gave 80 pounds before it and I was thinking, what could have caused that? Look at a beard. I had a beard so you couldn't tell bad it was, beards are sweatpants for the face for bit. You really can't tell. But I really changed a lot of things about my life and the kids let me do it, you know, the kids want my attention. Uh, when I first started working out at the front of this house before the stroke, as soon as I got the headphones on, man, I've listened to my feet. They're standing right there. They are standing right there. He did this. He did this. Yeah. So, so that was quick. And a lot of times they didn't quit. I blame them do this. What's going on. But now they'll, uh, you know, if, if I get it, my daughter will put me on a timer, which is good because I'll say, okay, this is how long I'm going to go. I'm all yours. But the, uh, the one day I actually heard Jack say this, this, dad needs to do this for his mental health.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Mm hmm.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

Okay. She's like, okay. But you know, they, they learned a little

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Oh, yeah. And you lose 80 pounds, and where's Jenny Craig when you need him now, right?

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

that story, you know, you know, that story, right?

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Yeah. Yeah.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

That was a good deal. There's a couple of good deals. I had, I was the Arby's oven bit

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Mm hmm. Mm

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

And that is the highest paid job ever. You do the commercials TV. Then you do the voice for radio and you just make hundreds of hundreds of thousand dollars more, just going in and doing these liners. It is very low paid deal. movement that it just keeps paying off. And, uh, that job is that Jenny Craig would have been one of those jobs, but it did not work out. Rosanna and I were not the ideal people to lose 20 pounds.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Mm

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

I'll just say she offered, uh, 10 million to lose 20 pounds. She offered Jenny Craig legitimately. We're like, hell yes, uh, we, we can build a school with 20, 000. We can do this and, uh, and we can afford to lose 20, 000 perhaps. Let's do this shit. So they come over the house, all the new Jenny Craig food, Jenny Craig, ice cream bars, tastes just like the real ones. I was having like 20 of those for breakfast. 20, Jenny Craig buffet, Jenny Craig buffet. And it turns out it's not unlimited, J. D.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Yeah. You gotta pace yourself. Mm

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

I can eat all of this. And they don't let you just say you lost 20 pounds like they should. It's just worship. Well, I lost 20 pounds. Let's just worship. Because of a game show scandal in the 50s. It's a federal offense to do that. They have to have a scientist weigh you. And scientists at the Florida House and we were gated weight. I'd push her up back as she got on the scale. You know, you could lose a little pounds if you, Which so forth and I done that I could get no more pounds on her or me. And so we're gaining weight. It's embarrassing. And I said, man, we could, uh, people think we're nuts. You know, we can build a school with Timmy. Let's do that. Plus again, we can lose 20 pounds. Healthy boys. And we said, we do husband and wife. I was a wife 24 seven. I'm her sponsor. She's my sponsor. That's what we're going to do this shit. And we bought this at brotha studio and When I get home from the studio, day one, I walk in the kitchen. We have big island to sit at in the kitchen. And I walked behind her. She's eating a bag of jaded crank chocolate chip cookies.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Mm hmm.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

I'm her sponsor. I'm there to help her.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Yeah.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

go up behind her, grab the cookies, throw them up against

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

You gotta get the cookies away. Yeah. Yeah.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

there was also a block of wood there with nine knives on the island. And so it scared her when I grabbed the cookie. So she comes back. She's got the knife and holds up. And I'm like, okay, you're not good at this. And yeah, yeah, she is. So she stabs me. So, which would be funny if we were married 40 years ago. Hey, remember when you stabbed me?

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

That'd be one of those things, Hey, remember back then when you accidentally did that and we've been happy ever since?

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

A lot of guys get stabbed.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Yeah.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

So, um, I was like, I had many moments like this. What would normal people do now? I've been stabbed. What would normal people do? Uh, will they call 9 1 1? Uh, and, uh, heads up, if you call 9 1 1, It will be recorded and whatever you say will be played back on the news. So you might want to think about what you're going to say. So I call him, I go, Hey, listen, uh, Rosie Dyer on this diet, uh, for Jenny Craig and, uh, you know, uh, situation happened. I walk in, she's eating baked, great chocolate chip cookies. I respond. So I take him away for, I think it scared her because she grabbed a knife and then she stabbed me. And, uh, so what's our next move? I think they, they do. The person is like, I think you should handle this in house. And I would go, that's exactly what I was saying. We got it. We got it. Yeah. So it's pretty funny story. And, but Jenny Craig, when she heard on the news, fired us.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Mm hmm.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

we did not get 10, 000. And, uh, as you fired it, because that wasn't the branding she was going for.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Yeah. It's a shame that Snickers wasn't doing the you're not yourself when you're hangry thing back then that you could have cashed in.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

it should have, Jenny Craig, you'll be so hungry. You'll stab your husband, Jenny Craig. So I think this day and age, they would have made it work. Uh, like, something, uh, uh, particular with the two crazy people that did it, but.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Yeah. They hadn't heard that all publicity is good publicity.

tom-arnold_2_01-01-2025_091059:

But it it came and took all their food out of our freezers. All the J. D. Creek, took all the ice cream bars to go.

john_3_01-01-2025_121059:

Gone over time here, and I feel bad that I've eaten up more of your time here, I think, than we were planning on. Genuinely appreciate all the time. I really enjoyed our chat. Tom, thank you for sharing your incredible journey with us today. From small town Iowa to Hollywood to wherever life takes you next, your story is a testament to resilience, reinvention, and the power of humor. Listeners, if you enjoyed today's episode, make sure to subscribe to Beans to Billions. Leave us a review and share this episode with somebody who could use a laugh, or a little bit of inspiration. Until next time, keep pushing, keep believing, and remember, every great success story starts with humble beginnings. See you on the next episode of Beans to Billions.