NYC First Lady Chirlane McCray Launches Brooklyn-Based Mental Health Podcast, Fueling Rumors Of BP Run

Feb. 19, 2020, 4:47 p.m.

The Brooklyn-centric podcast partnership has further fueled rumors that McCray is poised to run for Brooklyn Borough President in 2021, during husband Bill de Blasio's last year as mayor.

First Lady Chirlane McCray sits in a chair on a stage to announce the launch of Thrive with Chirlane McCray, a new podcast covering mental health and wellness for all. She's part of an armchair discussion with BRIC President Kristina Newman-Scott. BRIC House, Brooklyn. Wednesday, February 19, 2020. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.

First Lady Chirlane McCray has launched a podcast called "Thrive with Chirlane McCray," as part of her mental wellness and health campaign ThriveNYC -- and her first guest on the debut episode was her son Dante de Blasio.

The new podcast's first two episodes launched Tuesday on the Brooklyn Free Speech community podcast network, which is run by BRIC, the non-profit Brooklyn arts institution that brings the beloved Celebrate Brooklyn! music festival to the Prospect Park bandshell every summer.

The podcast is the latest component of the taxpayer funded $850 million ThriveNYC campaign, which provides round-the-clock counseling to New Yorkers in 200 languages, via phone, text or online form, among other mental-health related services. Critics say ThriveNYC has failed to collect enough data to adequately evaluate the impact of its programs.

In December, the New York Public Library announced the program Spaces to Thrive with mental health workshops, literature and resources at 13 branches to further advance the ThriveNYC cause.

This very Brooklyn-centric podcast partnership has further fueled rumors that McCray is poised to run for Brooklyn Borough President in 2021, during husband Bill de Blasio's last year as mayor.

News reports say McCray has reportedly discussed her potential run with close advisers and has spoken with PR firm BerlinRosen, which worked on de Blasio’s 2013 and 2017 mayoral campaigns.

The family has extensive ties to Brooklyn -- de Blasio was the former City Council member for Park Slope and he and McCray still own a home there. Multiple times a week de Blasio is chauffeured from Manhattan to the neighborhoods' 9th Street YMCA for his gym workout, followed by a treat from Colson Patisserie.

On the show, Dante de Blasio interviewed McCray about her stressful childhood and how her experiences with depression and suicidal thoughts have led her to focus on mental health in her tenure as First Lady. "How do you think these experiences informed your perception of mental health later on?" he asked.

"I learned early on that people...everyone just has a lot going on beneath the surface. I learned very early to bury my emotions to keep them down deep because that was my protection. I didn't want anyone to see me get perturbed, get upset because they were calling me names or because of their negative behavior towards me. I had to be stoic and that wasn't healthy but it was a protection," she said.

McCray did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. In a release announcing the podcast, she said, “Mental health affects our daily life, relationships and physical health, but too often, stigma and lack of resources prevent people from getting the support they need. In New York City, our work to end stigma has shown us just how important it is to meet people where they are and have these conversations."