How Maria Menounos Survived Brain Surgery, Cancer & Hollywood

Maria Menounos sits down with Richard Marx for a deeply personal, revealing, and often emotional conversation unlike anything you’ve heard before. From growing up the daughter of Greek immigrants cleaning Boston nightclubs to becoming a household name in television, Maria opens up about her improbable journey to success—and the major health battles that forced her to slow down and reevaluate everything. In this candid and powerful episode, Maria shares the behind-the-scenes truth of her rise through beauty pageants, early news anchoring, and landing at Entertainment Tonight , while juggling personal ambition and cultural expectations. She dives into surviving a brain tumor, battling pancreatic cancer, navigating autoimmune disorders, and the major turning point that made her finally say: enough . We talk about manifestation, marriage, motherhood, Hollywood, health care, and what it truly means to be present. Maria also opens up about the painful lessons she learned in the entertainment industry, and why helping others—and herself—through her podcast Heal Squad has become her most important mission yet. This episode is full of wisdom, laughter, surprises, and unforgettable stories. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to Maria’s journey, this one will stay with you.