If you need relationship advice, just ask Kamie Crawford. On her podcast, Relationshit, the 32-year-old fields questions from callers and Instagram DM-ers about dating, friendships, and family—and offers her signature BFF-style guidance in response.
On this week’s episode of the Marie Claire podcast “Nice Talk”, Crawford gives listeners a taste of that wisdom and opens up about her career, from Miss Teen USA to TV host. One topic she doesn’t hold back on? People who put “rich” at the top of their dating wishlist.
Crawford says that financial imbalances in relationships are “difficult, very difficult. This is why I tell everyone to stop manifesting a rich man, because that’s not going to do anything for you.”
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Instead, the former Catfish host encourages people to manifest something else entirely. “There are a lot of rich people who are very cheap and very close-fisted and will not buy you a damn thing—and will actually put you on an allowance. I’ve seen it happen. So, I tell everyone to manifest a generous partner.”
And generosity, she adds, isn’t just about money.
“Generosity is like—who is this person when I’m six months pregnant and I want an Oreo McFlurry? He’s going to go out there and source it for me,” Crawford says. “He’s going to drive 45 minutes, if that’s where the next McDonald’s is, and he’s gonna go get it for me. … Generosity is: I’m folding my laundry, but I’m gonna fold yours too, because it’s right here.”
Of course, generosity can also mean material gifts (beyond McFlurrys). But Crawford warns that if you’re only focused on a partner’s income, you might not end up with the kind of thoughtfulness you actually want.
“Sometimes they’re getting you gifts that they like for you. Doesn’t mean it’s something you actually want,” she says. “Doesn’t mean they’re actually paying attention to what you like.”
While Crawford doesn’t believe in manifesting a rich partner, she does think it’s fair to look for someone financially responsible.
“I’ve also dated people who were frivolous with money that they maybe didn’t have, and you don’t want that either,” she says. “You also don’t want the person who’s been working on their business plan for the past 30 years and hasn’t made it happen.”
Crawford learned a lot about relationships during her six years as the co-host of the MTV docuseries Catfish, and from countless conversations with her five sisters and close friends. She sees Relationshit as a natural extension of those chats.
“I love to yap. I’m a yapper by nature,” the Ex on the Beach presenter says. “I love to talk about these things, and I’m not here pretending like I’m some expert in every single facet of relationships. I didn’t study it in school. This is not something that I have a degree in. But the messages that I get from people—all kinds of different people from all different walks of life—saying that listening to you has made me realize my worth, has made me leave that bad relationship, has made me leave that toxic job. I couldn’t have imagined that I would have that impact on someone.”
For more from Crawford—including her advice on making friends as an adult and what competing in pageants is really like—check out this week’s installment of “Nice Talk”. The episode is available everywhere you listen to podcasts.
