Quick answer: On The Oprah Podcast, organizational psychologist Adam Grant told Oprah Winfrey that he and researcher Brené Brown had a public feud in 2016 after he quoted her in an article, and that he swore he'd never talk to her again. They didn't speak for four years. A request for help with a women's sports team brought them back together, and in 2026 they launched a podcast together, The Curiosity Shop.
Source: The Oprah Podcast, "Adam Grant: How to Feel Less Lonely and Build Deeper Connections," clipped as a YouTube Short.
Who are Adam Grant and Brené Brown?
Adam Grant is a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania who specializes in organizational psychology. He's the author of bestsellers like Give and Take, Originals and Think Again. Brené Brown is a research professor and author best known for her work on vulnerability, courage and shame. Her 2010 TEDx talk on vulnerability became one of the most watched talks ever, and books like Daring Greatly made her a household name.
Grant was on The Oprah Podcast to talk about loneliness and how to build deeper connections. Oprah brought up Brown as an example of someone he started out disliking.
The 2016 feud
"I wrote an article. I quoted her. I thought it was a shout out," Grant says in the clip. "It was out of context. She felt it misrepresented her work."
The article was Grant's June 2016 New York Times op-ed, "Unless You're Oprah, 'Be Yourself' Is Terrible Advice." It quoted Brown's definition of authenticity. Brown answered with a LinkedIn post the next day, saying the piece reduced her work to mindless self-expression, and the two went back and forth in public. Grant has written that they "had a public argument about authenticity," and that they "didn't speak for the next four years."
In the clip he goes further: "I swore, Oprah, that I would not talk to her ever again."
What brought them back
Grant says the thaw came when he was trying to help "the US women's national soccer team improve their vibe." He wanted outside experts to convince the players that culture and camaraderie mattered, so he asked who they wanted. "The number one pick was Brené Brown," he says.
He reached out, and "to her credit, she said yes right away." Grant adds that he later learned she "also had a lot of animosity toward me," but the shared goal made them allies. Published accounts of the reunion describe it more generally as Grant asking Brown to help with a women's sports team. The national team detail is how Grant tells it here.
"I realized there are so many people who clash in one context but could click in another," he says.
.jpg){kind=link}
From feud to co-hosts
After working with the team, Grant says, they went on each other's podcasts, and listeners told them they should do more together. In March 2026 they launched The Curiosity Shop, a weekly podcast on which they explore big questions and openly disagree. Grant's post announcing the show was titled "What Brené Brown and I Will Never Agree On." In the first episode they talked for the first time about where they went wrong and how they reconciled.
The pair appeared together on the TODAY show in April 2026 to talk about the show. Grant has also said that the fight is part of why he started podcasting in the first place.
.jpg){kind=link}
Why the story lands
The clip fits the theme of Grant's Oprah episode: connection is often something you choose and build, not just chemistry. His point is that a bad first impression, or even a public fight, doesn't have to be the end. Sometimes a shared mission is enough to see a different side of someone.
More on RealNameOf:
FAQ
Why did Adam Grant and Brené Brown fall out? In 2016 Grant quoted Brown in a New York Times op-ed titled "Unless You're Oprah, 'Be Yourself' Is Terrible Advice." She felt it misrepresented her work, and they argued publicly.
How long did Adam Grant and Brené Brown not speak? About four years, according to Grant.
What podcast do Adam Grant and Brené Brown host together? The Curiosity Shop, a weekly podcast they launched in March 2026.
What is Brené Brown's real name? Her full name is Casandra Brené Brown. She goes by Brené.