If you’ve been listening, you may have heard Milano talk a little about her complicated childhood. But in this episode, she takes the mic to tell much more of her story. Born to a mentally ill woman who was living in her car, Milano was raised throughout Manhattan by a motley crew of amazing parent figures and family units—including her biological mom, a family from Ghana from the neighborhood, her third grade teacher, her aunt and uncle, and her former school principal. Somehow she patched together enough love, support and guidance to land at an elite boarding school and university.

Cut to: Milano’s now 45 years old and living in a leafy suburb with her husband and three kids. But just when you think the credits of this would-be Hollywood tale might start rolling is when the real nail-biter begins: a whole new survival story of navigating marriage and motherhood without any maps and loads of childhood trauma. 

In This Episode:

• The unique charms of Milano’s bipolar mother that inspired everyday people to step in and save Milano.  
• How marriage and parenthood activated Milano’s childhood trauma responses. 
• How Milano’s search for answers in the parenting world led her back to her childhood, her mom, and to Bare Naked Moms. 

Please follow us: @barenakedmoms

Milano wrote about her story on Oprah Daily 

Milano also told her story on the Big Time Adulting podcast