The Calm Down podcast, which Erin Andrews and Charissa Thompson started in 2021, wasn’t your typical NFL sideline banter show. It began as a result of a shared desire to take away the glamour and be honest, particularly about the difficulties women encounter behind the scenes of high-profile lives. Calm Down has developed into a therapy session for two media veterans—and a lifeline for fans who demand unvarnished honesty—with episodes addressing topics ranging from infertility to toxic relationships to cervical cancer.
Andrews has shared extremely personal situations on the platform throughout the years, such as recuperating from surgery the week she covered an NFL game. And the vulnerability struck even more strongly in her most recent episode.
This week, Erin Andrews revealed that she didn’t want to be there for the episode. Because she was heartbroken. With a sombre voice, she confessed, “I didn’t want to do this podcast today. But I’ve realized throughout my life, with everything that I’ve gone through in adversity, sometimes this is such a great safe space.” This was no ordinary football podcast. It was a truthful moment. An agonising one. Erin had hoped that her surrogate would bear her a second child, but she had miscarried.
Anyone would be flattened by that kind of news. But Erin didn’t conceal it. Right there on the Calm Down podcast, she brought it to light. “We got some real sh*tty news today that our surrogate had miscarried,” she remarked in a trembling voice. “So I have dealt with this before, but things were going really, really well. Her little heartbeat and her numbers were really good.”
The last time? After over ten years of infertility struggles, rounds of IVF, and a fight with cervical cancer, she and her husband, former NHL star Jarret Stoll, eventually welcomed their son Mack in 2023. So, the loss that she had dealt with before occurred during their first surrogacy effort. And now, the sadness was back. A separate chapter. The same pain. Erin turned to Taylor Swift’s song, “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” for comfort as she struggled to understand her feelings. She said, “I’ve been sitting here thinking about that song. I’m really good at doing this sh*t with a broken heart.”
Because she knows she is not alone. And also doesn’t want anybody else going through the same thing to feel that way. “It’s just really, really hard,” she admitted. “I just said that to one of my girlfriends down in my office when I told her. She’s like, ‘God, it’s so freaking hard to have a baby.’” For millions of women and couples fighting the quiet struggle of infertility, that straightforward fact—so freaking hard—resonates.
Even though Erin Andrews has performed on some of the largest platforms in sports throughout her career, she may be most impactful in these raw, heartbreaking, and real times. She added, “People, you have no idea what they’re dealing with.” Andrews allowed herself a minor out as the podcast came to a close. She added softly, “I know my husband’s having a difficult time, and I’m going to go home and be with him. And then we’re going to throw our little two-year-old in a pool. And I feel like squeezes are going to feel a little different from him today.”
Erin Andrews’ brutal journey to motherhood—IVF, miscarriages & a toddler in skates
Despite being a regular on NFL sidelines, Erin Andrews’ true struggle was with time, hormones, and heartbreak. She was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2016, which marked the beginning of her journey to motherhood. The week she worked an NFL game, she underwent surgery. Her physician suggested that she freeze embryos right away because of the trauma.
The sportscaster chased motherhood for almost ten years after overcoming cancer. “It was 10 years of hell,” she told TODAY. After nine unsuccessful IVF cycles, she finally resorted to surrogacy, only to experience further emotional trauma. “We lost twins via surrogacy,” Andrews said, adding that their last hope was her son Mack’s embryo. “That was really hard. I really struggled mentally.”
Mack was born through surrogacy in 2023. Jarret was in the birthing room with Erin. The nurse informed Erin, “She wants to hold your hand.” Andrews described their surrogate as “so incredible.” The pair even used a reference to sports metaphors, “cheered her on like she was our quarterback.”
Mack is almost two years old today, and he can already skate. Andrews recently stated on TODAY with Jenna & Friends, “The big thing in our house right now is my son, Mack, getting him to walk in skates. He’s crushing being on those skates.” One wobble at a time, he’s gliding into his own legacy even though he may not be holding spoons just yet. So, when the microphone is off and the Taylor Swift lyrics start to play, Erin Andrews is just a mother navigating loss, resiliency, and joy, one hard-earned moment at a time.
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