In this powerful episode of Meredyth with a Why, I sit down with Mandela Bellamy, actress from Orange Is the New Black, Joker, Jessica Jones, and more, to hear her extraordinary journey through Hollywood, homelessness, and healing.
Mandela's story is raw, honest, and eye-opening. She shares what it was really like to appear on one of Netflix's biggest shows while quietly facing housing insecurity, the harsh realities of streaming residuals, and the pressure of surviving in an industry where women are often undervalued. Beyond the acting world, she opens up about deeply personal struggles—family dysfunction, childhood trauma, selective mutism, depression—and her powerful fight to reclaim her voice and boundaries.
In this episode, you'll hear:
- Behind the scenes of Orange Is the New Black, what it meant to bring her own pain into her role as an inmate while living through homelessness.
- The truth about acting and survival, the struggles of making ends meet as a working actress despite appearing in major productions.
- Mental health battles, from early depression and mutism to therapy, addiction, and finding healing through storytelling.
- Resilience and manifestation, how she's using her platform to inspire others, writing her autobiography, and manifesting her dream of becoming a lead.
This is not just a Hollywood story. It's a human story of strength, survival, and the power of finally saying "no more."
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00:00 Introducing Mandela Bellamy
01:51 Family Dynamics and Personal Growth
04:25 The Reality of Homelessness and Acting
06:12 Confronting Family Expectations
15:03 Reparenting and Self-Discovery
29:24 Speaking Up and Advocacy
33:49 Psychological Abuse and Relapse
36:31 Overcoming Adversity and Finding Stability
37:52 Financial Struggles and Lack of Guidance
45:22 Pursuing Acting and Manifesting Success
49:05 Homelessness and Public Perception
59:32 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
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