The Viall Files

E1032 - Elaine Hendrix Talks Dancing With The Stars, Harvey Guillén Returns For RHOSLC Drama & Bravocon Prep

November 13, 2025

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  • The hosts promoted their newly released merchandise, including sweat sets, crew necks, trucker hats, and a tote bag, encouraging listeners to shop at shop.viallfiles.com. 
  • The podcast is actively casting for a dating docuseries, primarily seeking men aged 22 to 45 in the Los Angeles and Nashville areas. 
  • The episode features an interview with Elaine Hendrix about her *Dancing With The Stars* experience, including competing while injured, and previews an upcoming segment with Harvey Guillén to discuss the 'insane' recent episode of *The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City*. 
  • Harvey Guillén and the hosts heavily debated the veracity of Meredith Marks' alleged meltdown on the plane, with Harvey suggesting the lack of video evidence points toward a coordinated story among the cast members. 
  • Whitney Rose's revelation about having 'agreements' with her husband Todd regarding seeing others was considered a surprisingly low-key moment compared to the intense Meredith/Brittany drama. 
  • The hosts and Harvey agreed that the editing in the *Real Housewives of Salt Lake City* episode was crucial in shaping the narrative, particularly regarding the bullying accusations against Meredith and Lisa. 

Segments

Merch Promotion and Sales
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(00:01:11)
  • Key Takeaway: The Viall Files released new merchandise including gray and black sweat sets, a beige crew neck, trucker hats, and a tote bag.
  • Summary: The hosts promoted their new merchandise line, available at shop.viallfiles.com, highlighting the cozy quality of the sweat sets and crew necks. Nick is currently wearing an unreleased beige hoodie, giving listeners hope for future drops. The merchandise is positioned as ideal for gifts and comfortable wear.
Dating Docuseries Casting Call
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(00:03:16)
  • Key Takeaway: Casting is open for a dating docuseries targeting men and women aged 22 to 45, primarily in Los Angeles and Nashville.
  • Summary: Listeners interested in the dating docuseries should fill out the casting call linked in the show’s Instagram bio. The production is specifically seeking more male applicants. Applicants should be in the general vicinity of Los Angeles, California, or Nashville, Tennessee.
Elaine Hendrix DWTS Interview Preview
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(00:04:14)
  • Key Takeaway: Elaine Hendrix joins to discuss her Dancing With The Stars experience, including her recent injury and The Parent Trap.
  • Summary: The first guest is Elaine Hendrix, who will discuss her run on Dancing With The Stars following her latest performance. The conversation will cover her experience, her recent injury sustained during the competition, and touch upon her iconic role in The Parent Trap. Harvey Guillén is also scheduled to return later to break down the latest RHOSLC episode.
BravoCon Prep and Predictions
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(00:07:37)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts compiled a list of iconic past BravoCon moments and specific predictions for the upcoming event to help Nick prepare.
  • Summary: To ease Nick’s nervousness about attending BravoCon, the team created a list of iconic moments, such as Bryn Whitfield’s Louboutin getting stuck in an escalator. Predictions include Luann being caught in an elevator again and Kyle Richards soft-launching her bisexuality. They also introduced a BravoCon scavenger hunt for listeners to follow on the Viall Files Instagram stories.
Elaine Hendrix DWTS Injury Details
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(00:34:26)
  • Key Takeaway: Elaine Hendrix sustained an injury during rehearsals for her Argentine Tango where she felt a muscle separate and catch onto her ribs, but avoided permanent damage.
  • Summary: The injury occurred during a lift rehearsal when her elbow impacted her ribs, causing severe pain that required a hospital visit for MRIs and X-rays. Doctors confirmed no broken bones or permanent damage, allowing her to continue competing under the mantra ‘dance through the pain.’ Winning DWTS would make her the oldest person ever to win the competition.
Elaine Hendrix on DWTS Competition
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(00:37:47)
  • Key Takeaway: Elaine Hendrix views her biggest competition as herself, focusing on staying in love with the dance and blocking out external noise, a strategy advised by former winner Rashad Jennings.
  • Summary: She credits Rashad Jennings for advising her to focus on her partner Alan, the music, and cutting out social media noise when feeling pressure. Hendrix is the oldest competitor and views winning as carrying the mantle for older women’s representation. She is looking forward to performing live theater, specifically Hello Dolly, in 2026.
Kettle & Fire Bone Broth Ad
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(00:53:32)
  • Key Takeaway: Kettle and Fire bone broth offers up to 19 grams of protein per serving and is made with 100% grass-fed/finished beef or organic free-range chicken bones.
  • Summary: Kettle and Fire bone broth is promoted for gut health, overall wellness, and cooking, often used by Natalie in meals for River. The product contains no additives or preservatives and provides up to 19 grams of protein per serving, which helps keep consumers full and curb cravings. Listeners can receive a free carton by purchasing three at any retailer via kettleandfire.com/viall.
Pura Diffuser Holiday Offer
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(00:54:51)
  • Key Takeaway: Pura is offering a free diffuser set when subscribing to two scents monthly for a year, featuring app control technology.
  • Summary: Pura offers smarter scenting with a free diffuser when subscribing to two monthly scents for a year. The device allows for customization via app control technology, making it convenient for holiday hosting. This exclusive deal is available now at Pura.com.
Harvey Guillén Returns & Merch Plug
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(00:55:14)
  • Key Takeaway: Harvey Guillén complimented the new Viall Files merchandise upon his return to the podcast.
  • Summary: Harvey Guillén expressed his enjoyment of the new Viall Files merchandise, confirming it is currently available for purchase. The hosts briefly joked about sweatsuits and travel comfort before transitioning to the main topic. Harvey mentioned returning from a trip to Nova Scotia.
RHOSLC Plane Incident Debate
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(00:57:14)
  • Key Takeaway: The primary debate surrounding the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City plane episode centered on whether Meredith Marks’ alleged breakdown was genuine or a coordinated narrative, given the absence of video evidence.
  • Summary: The episode’s major storyline involved Meredith Marks’ alleged ‘crash out’ on the plane, which happened off-camera, leading Harvey to speculate the cast might have colluded on the story. Harvey suggested Heather Gay was likely the first to report the incident to production due to her tendency to drive narratives. The hosts noted that Meredith’s reaction to Brittany bringing up marriage rumors was highly triggering for her.
Whitney Rose Open Relationship Reveal
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(01:02:06)
  • Key Takeaway: Whitney Rose revealed that she and Justin have ’low-key had agreements’ regarding open relationship dynamics, which surprised the hosts.
  • Summary: The revelation about Whitney and Justin’s agreements was presented immediately after the intense plane drama, making it feel like a ‘fever dream’ to the hosts. Harvey compared the situation to an ‘MLM’ or ‘draft option’ for relationships, noting that Whitney seemed comfortable discussing it. The hosts felt this detail was strategically sandwiched into the episode.
Harvey’s Connection to RHOSLC Cast
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(01:04:13)
  • Key Takeaway: Harvey Guillén was filming in Utah concurrently with the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City trip and had recently dined with Bronwyn and Todd.
  • Summary: Harvey confirmed he had lunch with Bronwyn and Todd while filming a movie in Utah, though they did not discuss the ongoing drama. He expressed shock upon seeing the episode, as he was unaware of the storyline involving Todd looking at ‘sexy photos’ on his phone. Harvey defended Todd, suggesting the images were likely due to social media algorithms rather than malicious intent.
Analyzing Meredith’s Behavior
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(01:11:37)
  • Key Takeaway: The severity of Meredith’s alleged actions on the plane was likely closer to high school bullying—cruel harassment and snickering—rather than a major physical altercation requiring arrest.
  • Summary: The hosts reasoned that the lack of video evidence suggests the incident was covert harassment rather than a massive performance, possibly involving Lisa egging Meredith on. Harvey noted that Meredith’s use of ‘pea brain’ language confirms her bully tendencies, which Brittany’s actions regarding her marriage rumors may have triggered. Mary’s concern for Meredith’s soul indicated she viewed the behavior as genuinely ‘fucked up.’
Lisa’s Shifting Allegiance
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(01:14:54)
  • Key Takeaway: Lisa Barlow’s current distancing from Meredith regarding the plane incident is seen as a classic move where she abandons allies when the situation becomes too damaging.
  • Summary: The fact that Lisa is not fully defending Meredith, but instead confirming Meredith acted ‘crazy’ to Heather, suggests the story is true. Lisa’s initial denial to her husband contrasted with her later comments, indicating she is willing to throw Meredith under the bus. This behavior confirms the hosts’ suspicion that Lisa prioritizes self-preservation over loyalty.
OC Franchise Comparison & Andy Cohen
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(01:28:32)
  • Key Takeaway: Harvey believes the Real Housewives of Orange County is escalating drama to compete with Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, and praised Andy Cohen for bravely confronting Tamara about using past ammunition.
  • Summary: Harvey feels the OC cast is setting up situations that are impossible to recover from, similar to the intensity seen in SLC. He commended Andy Cohen for calling out Tamara’s pattern of bringing up past issues, comparing it to a smart producer move during an evaluation. Katie Maloney posted on Instagram that she would have recorded Meredith on the plane, unlike the SLC cast.
Harvey’s Current Projects Wrap Up
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(01:31:30)
  • Key Takeaway: Harvey Guillén is promoting the new season of Fiona and Cake from Adventure Time and two films: Damned If You Do and Picklehead.
  • Summary: Harvey mentioned promoting the new season of Fiona and Cake and two films he acted in, Damned If You Do (where he played a demon) and Picklehead. He joked that playing a demon was easy as he ‘wore his own horns’ for the role. The hosts encouraged listeners to watch these projects.