My Second(ish) Act
Welcome to Owning the Second Act
I’m so glad you’re here.
If you don’t know me, my name is Chelsea Hobbs. I’m an actress, filmmaker, I suppose influencer, and mother of four. I’m also a survivor of an abusive marriage (yes, I did that twice), someone learning to navigate parallel parenting while healing, and also someone trying not to repeat old patterns (easier said), whilst also finally, fully embracing my bisexuality.
This is not the life I planned. But it’s the one I’m choosing. For me and for my kids.
Leaving was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, but if you’ve ever been there you know, it’s the most necessary. In the rubble of that heinous ending, I realized something: my story wasn’t over. It was shifting and (maybe truly cliche), but just beginning. What I realized was that I could either let fear write the next chapter for me, or I could pick up the pen myself.
That’s what this space is about.
It’s about the messy, imperfect work of rebuilding a life of peace after abuse. It’s about parenting through chaos while protecting your peace. It’s about identity, creativity, and how to keep making art when life itself feels like a script you didn’t audition for.
It’s about healing in real time, with all the laughter, tears, and cringe-worthy honesty that comes with it. It’s about owning who I truly am, without fear or shame. And it’s about tuning out the noise and living honestly.
Every week I’ll share essays, reflections, and hard-won lessons from this second act of mine. Some will be practical (like how to handle parallel parenting when communicating isn’t an option). Others will be personal (like what it feels like to come out as gay, as a mom of four, at forty). And some will simply be glimpses into the daily hilarity and heartbreak of raising four kids while trying to direct my own comeback. But not really knowing what that looks like yet.
This is my story, but I’m writing it with you in mind. My hope is that you’ll see pieces of yourself here, that you’ll feel less alone, and that you’ll be reminded: it’s never too late to rewrite your own script. Even if you’re still lost, and in your own version of hell.
Welcome to my second act. I’m owning it… and I hope you’ll come along.
💌 Chelsea
