Bethany Joy Lenz (One Tree Hill) on Boundaries, Trust & Being Seen: 'Clarity is Kindness'

One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz joins The Art of Kindness with Robert Peterpaul for a kind conversation centered on her debut novel The Betrayal of Cora Wexford. The NY-Times Bestselling author discusses acts of kindness that can changed her life, learning to trust her instincts after betrayal, and how she's finding the balance between protecting her peace and remaining open to connection. In this positive podcast episode, the actor talks: The act of kindness from her childhood that made all the difference Her Broadway dreams, plus a One Tree Hill musical? Her daughter’s unexpected lesson on road rage Why patience, honesty, and clarity matter in friendships Learning to trust her “Spidey Sense” and set boundaries Her self-kindness routine on the rigorous set of Hope Valley: 1874 and much more Plus, don't miss a special surprise from her One Tree Hill co-star Tyler Hilton! BETHANY JOY LENZ is a New York Times bestselling author, award-winning actress, director, executive producer, singer, composer, fine artist, and podcast host. In 2024, she released her memoir Dinner for Vampires, which became an instant New York Times bestseller for several weeks, earning widespread acclaim. The book was featured in VOGUE and TIME’s Top 100 Books of the Year, appeared on the cover of PEOPLE, and was highlighted by Vanity Fair, Variety, and New York Magazine. It was named a Best Book of 2024 by Audible, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble, selected as a Book of the Month Club pick, and celebrated with a sit-down interview on Call Her Daddy with Alex Cooper. Her debut novel, The Betrayal of Cora Wexford, releases with Simon & Schuster October 20th, 2026. Lenz currently stars in the series Hope Valley 1874 playing a widowed mother navigating new beginnings while helping to shape a growing community on the Canadian frontier, for Hallmark+ . Best known for her nine-year run as a lead on the hit CW drama One Tree Hill, she also starred as the Chicago District Attorney in USA’s Suits spinoff Pearson opposite Morgan Spector, and led the feature film So Cold the River, which she also executive produced. Recurring roles include Dexter, Grey’s Anatomy, Colony, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Lenz also co-hosted the chart-topping iHeartRadio podcast Drama Queens, praised by The New York Times, Forbes, The Hollywood Reporter, and Interview Magazine. The podcast explores the cultural legacy of One Tree Hill, addresses collective #MeToo experiences, and champions healing through female friendship, drawing multigenerational audiences of women eager to reconnect and engage. She can be found @MsBethanyJoyLenz and BethanyLenz.com Follow Bethany @msbethanyjoylenz Follow us: @artofkindnesspod / @robpeterpaul Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theaok Music: “Awake” by Ricky Alvarez & “Sunshine” by Lemon Music Studio. We are supported by the Broadway Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices