Cody Rigsby is heartbreakingly honest in his debut book, XOXO, Cody: An Opinionated Homosexual’s Guide to Self-Love, Relationships, and Tactful Pettiness. This could easily be dismissed as, oh, another attractive gay influencer writes a book … how (pardon the pun) novel. Flip open the book and there’s a dedication to Britney Spears, a dig at flip-flop wearers, and a promise of his infamous “Hit and Miss” lists. But, as the saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover. What a journey. Couldn’t put the book down, read in one sitting, sometimes laughing aloud, sometimes in tears, and sometimes in utter shock at what was being said. Forget what you think you know about Cody – his success at Peloton, his stint on Dancing with the Stars, his social media empire, his early years dancing for Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry, becoming the media’s darling – you don’t know squat. This book, more engaging than any superhero’s origin story, tells the tale of a kid who has survived some of life’s hardest knocks, complete with themes of poverty, addiction, codependency, broken hearts, and grief, and emerged a sassy beacon of light for many people. The book is raw and unfiltered, and entirely inspiring.

In this episode, Cody holds nothing back as we delve deeper into what he covered in his book, including overcoming childhood obstacles, making it on his own, his relationship with his mom, dealing with addiction with loved ones, loss, sexuality, love and dating, and what the future holds in store.

Hosted by Alexander Rodriguez.

You can follow Cody on Instagram at @CodyRigsby and check out our in-depth chat with him in the current issue of Metrosource on newsstands or at Metrosource.com Order your copy of XOXO, Cody wherever you get your books!