If running a pro wrestling company and touring the world with an iconic rock band isn’t enough, try throwing in a wedding. Billy Corgan’s Adventures in Carnyland follows the lead singer of The Smashing Pumpkins and his wife Chloé Mendel as they find that at-home and work balance while planning their nuptials after more than a decade together.
The eight-episode reality series, which is available on The CW app, also centers on Corgan’s efforts to bring the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) back to past glory, which is easier said than done. By the same token, Mendel, daughter of big-time celebrity designer Gilles Mendel, is busy developing her own identity within the fashion space and managing the couple’s Madame ZuZu’s business. They also have two children to raise.
We caught up with the busy duo on opening up themselves to cameras during such a pivotal time in their lives.
Where did the idea come from to film this show heading into your wedding?
Billy Corgan: It became an extension of The Nacelle Company chasing me for a year to do the reality show. Once I decided to do the show they were like, “What’s going on in your world?” I’m making a wrestling show. Then when they found out we were getting married, they asked if wrestlers were going to be at the wedding. I said, “Of course. I’m friends with some of the wrestlers.” They asked if they could come to film the wedding. Then I had to turn to the beloved and say, “Oh, by the way, we’re going to have cameras at the wedding.” At first, she wasn’t quite sure about it. But I said, “Don’t you want more coverage of your wedding? That’s how I sold it to her.” Just more cameras.
Chloé Mendel: It was fine. I just said as long as they weren’t in the way of any of my shots. And don’t bother me. They didn’t ask me one question. They were invisible and did what they were supposed to do. Now we have more footage of the wedding.
Billy: They were invisible. Personally, I love that her family is in that episode and my family is in that episode. It’s cool for people to see that part of our life too because family is important to us. It’s such a pleasure to see my brother on television. It’s so awesome.
Nacelle
How was it having cameras follow you during this crazy period?
Billy: You can take some solace in knowing if you say the wrong thing you can ask to have it taken out. As a co-producer, I had that right. I don’t remember asking for anything to be taken out. They’ve been really great partners after the true story of the NWA and seeing how we are balancing our lives. It honestly wasn’t that complicated. Of course, when you open your life there is that question if you want someone to see this moment or that moment. We certainly had discussions about that including having our children be a part of it.
Chloé: I think we’re honest people. We wanted people to see our real look into our lives, and running a small company. There really wasn’t anything to hide. We don’t have some secret life. We just do what we do, so it wasn’t that difficult.
How would you describe your relationship dynamic that people will see?
Billy: I think there is a lot of confusion regarding who I am as a person. I don’t mind that people are confused by me as an artist. I purposely engendered that because I thought it was interesting and funny and played into the way I like to apply my art. But as a human being, I’m pretty much a nerd type of guy who happens to be married to a superbabe. I think what’s interesting about the show is it shows our true life dynamic that has been in place for 12 years now with two children.
I’m interested to see how people react because even when we posted the first clip the other day we started to promote. I rarely read the comments, but I did read some of the comments and saw certain fans of mine doing the eye-roll things. They are so convinced that I’m that goth pumpkin king guy. It may be hard for them to see that not only do I have another life but another vocation. I’m curious to see how that crowd reacts because that crowd wants me in this 1994 sort of where the world is spooky, and I never stop being sad.
I recently did an interview from someone from a big music magazine. The guy went into all the stuff about the 1990s. I told him that you can talk about that all you want. You can talk about all the stupid stuff I said back then, but my life right now is making sure my wife is happy, making sure our house is safe, that our kids age 8 and 5 are okay, running the NWA, Madame ZuZu’s, her fashion brand she has with her dad called House of Gilles. Then there is the Pumpkins which is its own full-time thing. I’m much more focused on this point in my life on success. Not just success like I sold a bunch of tickets, but success in life.
Nacelle
Sounds like it took a lot to get to that place.
Billy: Someone like me who came from such a tough background and can put the pieces together. Someone who navigated through a bunch of hardship and suicidal ideation to be a happily married, happy father and proud business owner who has his dream life with the NWA and Smashing Pumpikns and helping others…I’m trying to get across this and hoping that the show on some level expresses this. That chasing your dream is really important whether you agree with my dream or not. I don’t even care if you agree with my music. It’s hard to tell someone their dream is not valuable. That’s the substance of life.
Chloé, you weren’t the biggest pro wrestling fan starting out. What’s love to me is you saw his passion for it and supported him on this journey of owning a wrestling company.
Chloé: Naturally when you go to enough shows you learn to love it. You meet the people and they are so interesting and crazy. You get sucked in. I think every wrestling fan has a relationship with wrestling. I don’t have the childhood affinity, which I think most people start with. Anyone can go to a show, and enjoy the character stories and the good guys and bad guys. I love it when people talk on the mic. That’s my favorite part of the show. Not the wrestling part, even though you can appreciate the athletic part that is great. We do have great talent. The women in particular of our business are so cool. I love how aggressive they are. I bring families, friends, and grandpas, everyone just loves it. You don’t have to watch all the time, but you can come back in and appreciate good entertainment. You become friends with wrestlers. We just have a wacky life.
Nacelle
I know we’re starting with the Crockett Cup and the lead-up to the wedding, but what do you want to tease about what we’ll see throughout the season?
Billy: I had a conversation with Kyle Davis and Joe Galli. They are not only announcers but also run the NWA behind the scenes. They are very much a part of the show, so there is some trepidation that we are so open about our inner squabble about what’s the best way to run the company and make the company successful. What I was saying to them was I think there is something beautiful about a family that leans into a vision or dream, in this case, the NWA. That we do it tooth and nail, we make it work, and in the end, stay together. Even though the last episode was filmed about seven months ago, everyone in the show as far as the office goes, is still together. We’re all working together and harder than before and had a lot of success recently. If people watch the show and allow themselves to watch the whole show, they’ll see people fighting for something they consider important. Even if you don’t think it’s important, that passion is still infectious. I’m curious if people want to take that journey and come out of that journey thinking, “Okay, I want to check in with where the NWA is now. Did they get what they were after? Did they sell tickets now? Is the company headed in the right direction?”
You seem as dedicated as ever to the NWA.
I just signed another TV deal, which I haven’t announced yet. I saw someone in wrestling media wave off the NWA’s success, but I don’t know a lot of companies out there that have three television deals as an independent solely funded by me. We’re really fighting a lot of wars here not only to create a wrestling product that fans will like but also to beat the world’s perception that it can’t be done. That unless you have a billion dollars in your pocket you can’t manifest enough energy. But what people don’t understand is I’m one of the only people in the world who understands how to take something literally from nothing and take it to the top of the mountain multiple times. I know it can be done with faith, dedication, and hard work. It will be interesting to see the behind-the-scenes stuff going on, which by the way is not work, but true and honest stuff that is happening. I insisted on real and organic storylines. It will be interesting to see if people perceive that as integrity or weakness on the part of the company. I think it’s a strength because we have nothing to hide.
Billy Corgan’s Adventures in Carnyland, Premiere, May 14, The CW app.