Steve Madden isn’t walking away from tough questions.
The footwear designer struck a chord with the internet thanks to his blunt delivery during a recent interview, where he reflected on his epic highs and lows throughout his life—including a 2.5-year prison sentence on fraud and money laundering charges.
“It was as awful as you can imagine,” he said during the May 21 episode of The Cutting Room Floor podcast. “You’re away from your loved ones, the food is awful, and you sleep on cots with very little mattresses.”
The 67-year-old, who was incarcerated from 2002 to 2005, recalled being “treated like s–t” during his time behind bars, which changed his perspective on life in the outside world. However, he admitted some aspects of his renewed mindset didn’t exactly stick.
“In your mind, your fantasy [is], ‘I’m gonna get out, I’m gonna read 100 books, I’m really gonna appreciate what I have,” he continued. “Human beings, we have a thing where we take s–t for granted. It goes away when you go to prison and it lasts for about a week. Then you’re like, ‘Where’s my f–king car?’ You’re back on your bulls–t.”
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