As a 25-year-old former music industry girlie and a fan of Girls, Love Island, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, and Taylor Swift, I feel confident that I’m destined to be part of Jake Shane’s friend group. It’s really a shame I didn’t go to the University of Southern California and form those bonds before Jake became the No. 1 TikTok star and took over the podcast and therapy worlds. I stg that could’ve been me living in that gorgeous L.A. house and giggling in the background while Jake interviews icons. Sigh.

If you’re one of the pussies like me, you’re aware that Jake is BFFs with a few other USC grads: Julia Mervis, Brett Chody, and Payton Purther. Nearly three years after graduation, their friend group is going strong and they’re all living their best lives. I’m not jealous at all. Nope. Here’s everything to know about Jake Shane’s USC friend group, Julia Mervis, Brett Chody, and Payton Purther.

Introducing Jake Shane’s Friend Group: Julia, Brett, And Payton

Julia Mervis

She’s everywhere, she’s so Julia, period. Julia is one of Jake’s besties from USC, and according to her LinkedIn, she’s currently the Assistant to the head of Artist Music Strategy at William Morris Endeavor. It’s no surprise they bonded in college, ’cause Jake used to work in the music industry himself before he rose to fame on TikTok. Julia’s been a guest on Therapuss several times, discussing everything from her and Jake’s “Junday” tradition (Jake and Julia Sunday), to favorite moments of 2024, to Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande, naturally. Find her on Instagram and TikTok at @juliamervis!

Brett Chody

Brett, who you may know as @brettsbites on Instagram and TikTok, also went to USC with Jake and the girlies. She’s a Social Media Coordinator at Garrett Brands (her family owns Garrett’s popcorn), and I feel confident you’ve heard her viral sound from one of her appearances on Therapuss. When Jake asked, “Not to sound, like, really stupid, but is the Boston marathon longer than the L.A. marathon?”, Brett famously responded: “No, all marathons are the same length. That’s, like, common season, I fear.” And thus, a major trend was born. Brett ran the NYC marathon in November 2024, so that’s why she and Jake were yapping about marathons.

Payton Purther

Payton (@paytonpurther on Instagram and @ppurhter on TikTok) is another USC grad main character in the Jake Shane friend group. Like all her pals, she’s in the entertainment biz — Payton’s an Account Executive at Rogers & Cowan PMK, which is a global marketing and communications agency that specializes in entertainment. It’s amazing Payton sticks around, considering how much Jake enjoys poking fun at her. He loves lying and telling her that all her favorite restaurants are closing, and he also low-key brought up one of her “sitautionships” on Therapuss without her permission. She’s also a pop girl stan, which is essentially a requirement for this crew.

Any time you guys wanna hangout, just lemme know.