Josh Owens

Work remotely.

We'll send you reports to do.

You don't ever even have to come in.

I know it's a crazy atmosphere.

You don't even have to worry about it.

You want me to fund a feature-length film for you?

I'll do it.

I'll do it.

I'll double your pay.

And I...

I was so sick of everything by that point.

Money was the least of my concerns.

So I said no and then he got angry and started – he went on this diatribe about negativity and if you focus on the negativity, you let it rot in your brain and it's like shooting negative bullets into a negative wall.

I had no idea what he was talking about.

Um, but I think he was just trying to get me to stay.

He made it seem like he cared about me, but I think ultimately it was just about him losing control.

He didn't want to lose control of someone that had been so close to him for that long and someone he depended on and relied upon.

Yeah.

So initially what I had when he found out that I was not under his control anymore, I guess, was when Ronson had released the episode of our meeting, our secret meeting at the inauguration, where I told him a story for This American Life.

And that outreach was, hey, Josh, hope you're doing well.