Episode #508: Alaina Bamfield

Alaina Bamfield is a Brooklyn-based stand-up comedian from Lansing, Michigan. She self-financed and filmed her debut comedy special, Untouchable, at The Independent Comedy Club just north of Detroit. Untouchable, which debuted on YouTube on June 7, 2026, is a half-hour of jokes that almost exclusively touches upon her experiences as a survivor of sexual abuse, one of 139 victims who took former USA Gymnastics physician Larry Nassar to justice. Bamfield was a 13-year-old cheerleader with a skeletal condition when she was directed to Nassar’s medical offices, and 19 when Nassar was charged in court and she realized the extent of what had happened to her. She caught up with me over Zoom to talk about how she initially found comfort and catharsis in stand-up comedy, finding a comedy friend and mentor in Sam Tallent, why she decided to focus solely on turning her tragedy into comedy for her debut special, and what she jokes about onstage now to make sure her trauma doesn’t define her as a comedian or as a person. There’s a lot to get to, so let’s get to it!