Mr Viral
Budden addressed the elephant in the room during an appearance on Jim Jones’ ‘Artist 2 Artist’ podcast.
November 25, 2025 10:19am
Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images; Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
Joe Budden has finally spoken publicly about Melyssa Ford’s quiet but much–discussed departure from the Joe Budden Podcast.
Addressing the situation during his recent appearance on Jim Jones’ Artist 2 Artist podcast, Budden pushed back against rumors of tension between he and Ford that had been circulating on social media.
For months, Ford’s once-regular appearances became noticeably inconsistent, prompting speculation about whether JBP newcomer Mona Love had effectively replaced her.
Joe Budden speaks onstage at the REVOLT X AT&T 3-Day Summit In Los Angeles – Day 1 at Magic Box on October 25, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for REVOLT
According to Budden, that notion couldn’t be further from the case; he praised Mona as an asset to the podcast on her own merit.
“I didn’t do a swap,” Budden answered when asked if Mona, the newest member of the Joe Budden Podcast, has taken Ford’s place on the show.
The New Jersey rep remained diplomatic regarding Ford’s exit, but expressed his fondness of his former cohost. “Melyssa stepped away and Mel was negotiating for quite some time,” he explained. “Shout out to Melyssa. We love her.”
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His remarks arrive at a time when Ford herself has chosen to stay largely quiet about her decision to part ways with the podcast, though she recently hinted at discomfort within certain male-dominated spaces she’s worked in during the past year.
In a conversation with Charlamagne Tha God on her own Hot & Bothered podcast, Ford opened up about the emotional toll of being surrounded by harmful viewpoints. “I’ve had my own experiences being around a certain group of men who have exhibited groupthink,” Ford said.
“And that groupthink tends to lean very misogynistically. It has an effect on you as somebody who is just kind of absorbing it, simply just because I’m a woman and I’m the woman in the room.”
Melyssa Ford speaks with Charlamagne Tha God about how the manosphere and red pill community content has affected her and how she previously worked with men that exhibited those group think ideologies ? ? via Hot & Bothered pic.twitter.com/8pj2G5aOrO
— joebuddenclips/fanpage (@chatnigga101) November 11, 2025
While Ford never named Budden or any of her former cohosts, the timing of her comments—paired with her exit—has fueled ongoing speculation among fans.
Some supporters have interpreted her remarks as thinly veiled references to the JBP environment, with a number of online commentators accusing the show of echoing the tone and attitudes often associated with the Fresh & Fit podcast, a platform widely criticized for its “red-pill” rhetoric and allegedly misogynistic viewpoints.
Joe Budden speaks onstage during day 2 of REVOLT Summit x AT&T Summit on September 13, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Revolt
Budden’s acknowledgment appears aimed at dispelling assumptions about internal conflict, though it may not fully quiet the discussions surrounding Ford’s departure. For now, fans remain divided, parsing both Budden’s brief explanation and Ford’s pointed reflections on the atmosphere she encountered while working in the podcast space.
Watch Joe Budden address Melyssa Ford’s departure from the Joe Budden Podcast below.
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