Tay Lautner Is 'Thankful' She Can Be 'Open and Honest' With Husband Taylor Lautner: 'It's Cool How Far We've Come'

Tay Lautner (née Dome) and her husband, Taylor Lautner, are not afraid to share tidbits about their relationship through their podcast, "The Squeeze," and fortunately, it's only made their relationship stronger.

"It's so funny — I feel like there are two forms of intimacy in our relationship. Obviously there's sexual intimacy, but the intimacy of being vulnerable and open with each other is important, too. Like, 'Hey, you did this, and I didn't really like it,' or, 'I'm struggling with this, can you help me?' That form of intimacy is so special and really brings two people together. It's being able to be open and honest and feel like you have a safe space with that person. I'm so thankful I can go to my husband, say whatever I want and he won't judge me for it," the podcast host, 27, who partnered with TOMS, the iconic footwear brand renowned for its commitment to using business to improve lives, on their SS24 Wear Good campaign, exclusively tells OK!.

"The other night I was struggling with something and he gave me some tough love. He was like, 'Maybe you should think about this differently.' After he said it, we paused and he hugged me and we were fine. The night goes on," she adds of how they listen to one another.

The Twilight star, 32, has "always" been in touch with his emotions, whereas Tay, who is a registered nurse, completing her studies in 2019, doesn't always work like that. "It takes me a moment to speak. When we first started dating, he was like, 'No, I want to know your opinion.' I was like, 'This is the first time I feel someone actually cares about me and my feelings.' He got me to be comfortable and open up," she gushes of their bond. "We've been together for six-and-a-half years, so it's been cool to look back at how far we've come. I'm a more confident individual."

On the pair's podcast, they touch upon mental health and well-being — topics that are important to both of them.

"My passion for it has been a lifelong journey. I have a lot of family members that struggle with addiction on and off, so I've kind of been around that a lot. A good friend of mine, who was my best guy friend in high school, ended up being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and took his own life during a manic episode when we were in college, so I feel like that was my upbringing to mental health until I worked as a COVID nurse," she says. "That was the first time I ever dealt with it because I've always just been around people that have dealt with it. Going through it personally, I realized how I didn't know what to do or how to check in with myself or what a breathing technique was or what resources to use."

"That's why I'm really big on making things sound simple and digestible and making them accessible," she continues. "That's why we have our foundation, and I launched LEMONS by Tay in January 2022, a site dedicated to self-care and mental health. It's just tips and tricks to help anyone, and we've also tried to integrate that into the podcast as well."

Additionally, Tay enjoys working alongside the Hollywood star. "He is truly my best friend. We love to hang out and do everything together. We butt heads sometimes, but we have these vulnerable conversations with each other and our guests and experts that come on. We say it's free therapy for us. We leave, and I'm like, 'Oh, I feel like that resonated with me,'" she says.

Since Tay is so passionate about helping others, it made perfect sense for her to team up with TOMS, along with a diverse lineup of mental-health advocates across various industries, including musician MILCK, designer Christian Cowan, licensed therapist Jacqueline Garcia, breathwork facilitator Millana Snow and co-founder and CEO of Wondermind Mandy Teefey, to help launch the SS24 Wear Good Campaign.

"It's kind of a surreal thing. This is my first time ever doing something like this, and I think it's special that it is with a company like TOMS, as they support mental health. It's kind of a full circle moment for me. I used to wear TOMS all the time, so it was nostalgic to put the shoes back on and get to do that again. They've been so much fun to work with," she dishes. "The campaign is awesome. It's the Wear Good campaign, and each purchase of a TOMS helps fund access to mental health resources worldwide, which is my goal in what I do for work every day. It's a really nice pairing."

"I hope people feel good when they wear the shoes, but I also hope they take that moment to check in with themselves to see where they are with their mental health. Is there something more they could be doing? Is there something they shouldn't be doing? Just have that check-in moment with themselves."

Ultimately, Tay hopes she can make people feel less alone. "We're in 2024, and I feel like everyone is starting to rebuild community after COVID. As I hang out with my friends or meet these 'lemon drops' [her fans], it's just this sense of community is so needed," the mental health advocate, whose favorite TOMS shoe is the Diana Blue Denim Wedge Sandal, notes. "I hope I'm able to help people feel empowered to take the next step of admitting they're struggling or go to a therapist. It's the hardest thing to admit. I felt like that was the hardest part for me: to admit something is going on, but I am so honored I get to do the podcast and be there for others."

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