Joe Gibbs’ Breakup Named ‘Culprit’ Behind Health as Samantha Busch’s Pulls the Rug on Life’s Darkest Phase

Kyle Busch’s 15-year run with Joe Gibbs Racing was more than a driver-team partnership; it was family. From the moment he climbed into the #18 Toyota in 2008, Rowdy reeled off two Cup championships and 56 victories, while Joe Gibbs often played the calming patriarch whenever Busch’s fiery personality boiled over on pit road.

Rowdy’s ultimate departure from JGR at the end of the 2022 season was primarily driven by sponsorship issues after M&M’s Mars pulled out. Despite the bittersweet ending to their partnership, Gibbs maintained a respectful tone, saying, “We tried extremely hard to get everything put together so we could stay together, and we just weren’t able to get that done. I think he’s found a good home, and I think he and Richard (Childress) will get along great.” Meanwhile, for Kyle Busch’s wife, Samantha, the years leading up to and including 2022 were already a whirlwind of heavy life events.

She had weathered a heart-wrenching miscarriage amidst a difficult IVF journey, channeling her experiences into launching the Bundle of Joy Fund. Subsequently, she began battling alopecia in late 2022, a condition that tore through her confidence as patches of hair fell out following blood tests that found no typical hormonal or nutritional causes. But recently, the 39-year-old lifestyle influencer shared a jarring revelation that even her doctors would not have fathomed.

Samantha Busch’s long road to recovery

On a recent episode of Samantha’s new podcast, ‘Certified Oversharer,’ she and guest Shannon Spake opened up about a shared struggle. They revealed that a majority of their text conversations revolve around hair loss and haircare, an issue that continues to impact countless women. “Our hair falls out, our hair is thin, our hair is such a pain in the a–,” Samantha said. “So I know from posting about it, because obviously I wear wigs, I’ve talked openly about having alopecia. Unfortunately, I had it under control for about a good year and a half, and as of three and a half-ish weeks ago, it has come out in clumps.”

Despite putting together what Samantha described as her “dream team” of medical experts, the exact cause of her hair loss remained elusive. Yet, all indications consistently traced back to a single underlying factor. “Originally… they thought that maybe when Kyle lost his job at JGR, that was such a very stressful event,” Samantha explained the verdict of the doctors on the podcast. “It wasn’t just that Kyle lost his job. I felt like we went through a divorce. He signed with JGR the year that him and I started dating. They became our family here, and we knew no different than JGR and Toyota. A lot of people, they were like our second parents, and so it was very emotional… And so they think that that big extreme stressor maybe started it, and then flared up an autoimmune, and they got it all under control with oral spironolactone, topical minoxidil, and finasteride, and then a topical tacrolimus.”

Samantha remained diligent with her daily medication routine, never missing a dose. When Spake asked her for recommendations on treatments for her own hair loss, Samantha, for once, didn’t have a clear or confident answer to offer. “I took everything, and I’ve been on this protocol, and it was crazy,” Samantha confessed. “I got a call with my hair derm about two months ago, I was like, ‘I’m gonna do a zoom. My hair is so good. I’m wearing a natural. It’s all grown back.’ And then three and a half weeks ago, I just did, you know, like beauty care, ponytail. I did this, and there had to be like a 100 strands in my hair. And I was like, what?”

In June, Samantha shared a photo on her Instagram story, adding a picture of her hair strands strewn across the floor. She captioned it, writing, “It just won’t stop today. Feels like a year of progress and growth all fell out in the span of two weeks. Feel even more scared this time bc I’m on all the meds, supplements, have completely changed my diet, lifestyle, and exercise, and out of nowhere bam. For those asking, no other symptoms. No brain fog, fatigue, soreness, to be honest, this is the best I’ve ever felt in my life minus my hair.”

Concerned about her condition, she reached out to her medical team, only to hear uncertainty. “Then for the past couple weeks, it’s just, and it’s weird, because when you do this, and it comes out in like a clump of like 20 or 30, you’re like, this is not normal,” said Samantha. “And now I’ve been calling the doctors, and they’re like, we’re not really sure. Like, you’re on the medicines, like the high-powered medicine.”

While the problem only seems to worsen day by day, Samantha’s openness continues to shine a light on the hidden battles so many face in silence. Her vulnerability is not weakness, but a bridge for others navigating the same bumpy road.

Shannon Spake and Samantha Busch find strength in sharing

On ‘Certified Oversharer,’ Samantha Busch has built a trusted platform where even the hardest conversations find voice. In her latest episode, she turned the spotlight toward Shannon Spake, guiding her through the emotional labyrinth of a 15-year marriage unraveling under years of strain. Spake candidly acknowledged that by 2022, after multiple attempts at counseling and reconciliation, she had reached a point when she no longer cried over the reality of separation from her husband.

Samantha drew a parallel with her own family’s history, particularly the ups and downs she shared with Kyle Busch. She emphasized the importance of emotional flexibility when children are involved, describing how parents can shift gears between their own pain and their kids’ needs. “I find when Kyle and I have had hard times, like you can go from crying on the bathroom floor, a mess, or maybe you guys just had a huge argument to the second your kid walks in, you’re like, ‘Hey, baby, what can I get you to eat? You doing good? How’s school coming?” Samantha said. “Like, you can switch it for those kids? And that takes a lot on you.”

Both women underscore the long, draining process of legal disentanglement and the nuanced balancing act of co-parenting. By aligning their experiences, Samantha and Spake illustrated just how vital honesty, boundaries, and mutual respect are to navigating personal chaos without losing sight of one’s family. Their shared vulnerability becomes both a mirror and balm for listeners traversing similar life transitions.