Laverne Cox hopes you’ll have ‘a spiritual makeover’ with her new Shondaland podcast

Laverne Cox, podcast host.

The “Orange Is the New Black” breakout star is getting her own weekly podcast series produced by Shondaland Audio, the podcasting unit of the production company behind “Bridgerton,” “Scandal,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and other hit TV drama series.

Under the working title “The Laverne Cox Show,” the weekly podcast will feature intimate conversations with guests “who provoke thought and potentially new outlooks,” according to a Monday press release. The series will debut in February.

The “Disclosure” star is already set to appear in the Shonda Rhimes drama “Inventing Anna” for Netflix and is now furthering her relationship with Rhimes’ namesake company. They hope the show will foster perspectives “that might inspire new behavior in each of us, to in turn get us closer to becoming the very best versions of ourselves,” the statement said. Cox, guests and listeners are encouraged to “undergo a spiritual makeover together.”

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“I’m thrilled to be continuing and expanding my relationship with Shondaland by doing my first podcast with Shonda’s amazing team along with iHeartRadio. I can’t wait for everyone to hear the incredibly interesting conversations I have had with my guests,” Cox said.

Sandie Bailey, Shondaland’s chief design and digital media officer, also praised Cox’s “one-of-a-kind talent.”

“We all know her on-screen talents and her role as a producer, but this show affords Laverne the opportunity to produce something very personal,” Bailey said. “She’s clearly interested in engaging her listeners and herself in ways she hasn’t before. And we’re committed to supporting her in doing just that.”

Shondaland Audio launched a slate of new programming in August available on the iHeartPodcast Network. Other series include the pop culture-focused “You Down?” hosted by the comedy quartet Obama’s Other Daughters — Maame-Yaa Aforo, Ashley Holston, Yazmin Monet Watkins and Shakira Ja’nai Paye.

Holly Frey and Maria Trimarchi host “Criminalia,” a true-crime series that explores what we can learn from past criminals and crimes. Actress and author Ali Wentworth hosts “Go Ask Ali,” which features experts, doctors and friends who discuss how to raise a teenager and how to maintain a relationship during a pandemic. Shondaland Audio is also home to “Katie’s Crib,” a series hosted by “Scandal” alum Katie Lowes.

Early next year, the podcaster will debut a companion podcast to Shondaland’s highly-anticipated period drama “Bridgerton,” which begins streaming on Netflix on Friday. That podcast will go behind the scenes of the Regency era-set drama created by Chris Van Dusen, an executive producer on “Scandal,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice.”