The Rise and Fall of Rickey Thompson: Toxic Relationships, Going Broke, & Finally Being Accepted

Vine made Rickey Thompson famous overnight, taking him from a bullied high school underdog to a sensation. But what really happened when he moved to Hollywood and the initial hype faded? Years later, he revisits his viral rise, the promises of LA, and the moments that changed his life in ways he never expected. Rickey looks back at the trauma of growing up gay when his own father told him it was against the Bible, and the relentless bullying he endured while desperately dreaming of becoming an actor. He reflects on the whirlwind of sudden wealth, cashing a $50,000 check right out of high school, and the devastating reality check that followed when a four-year acting job came to an end. From being completely dropped by his agency and manager, to running out of money and being forced to move in with a friend, Rickey opens up about the darker reality of life after going viral. He reveals the moments he felt completely "over life," and how he had to lock himself in a room to rebuild his career from scratch on Instagram. Looking back at the videos where it all began, this is a raw and vulnerable look at the true cost of internet fame, told with the hindsight he never had at the time. Rickey Thompson, We Need To Talk Follow us here:   / needtotalk     / weneedtotalkpod   Sign up to our newsletter https://linkly.link/2eXHX Brand partnerships enquiries: partnerships@flightstory.com Follow Rickey here: Instagram:   / rickeythompson   TikTok:   / rickeythompson   00:00 Intro 02:08 Rickey Thompson's Childhood in North Carolina 03:42 Rickey's Childhood and Family 05:53 Rickey's Experience With Childhood Bullying 12:26 Rickey's Relationship With Religion 15:11 Advice to His Younger Self 17:01 Rickey's Childhood Dreams 18:44 Growing Up and Finding His Identity 22:38 How Rickey Became Famous on Vine 29:19 Touring and Moving to Los Angeles 36:22 Rickey's First Acting Role 38:58 Rickey Thompson's Coming Out Story 41:50 The Lowest Point of Rickey's Career 45:22 Rickey's Social Media Comeback 50:31 How His Parents' Divorce Affected Him 56:20 Huel Ad 57:29 Anthropic Ad 58:20 Cometeer Ad 59:24 How COVID Changed Rickey's Career 01:05:32 Rickey's Upcoming Film Role 01:09:31 Rickey's Dating History and Ex-Boyfriend 01:24:50 Rickey's Love of Fashion 01:28:15 Rickey Thompson at the Oscars 01:30:32 Most Memorable Conversation 01:33:23 Paul's Key Takeaways Sponsored by: Huel - http://uk.huel.com/WNTT use code WNTT for £10 off Cometeer: https://cometeer.com/PAUL for $20 off your first order Anthropic - https://www.claude.ai/talk Sync-ID: MB01MZIO5KQM7XF