Upamanyu Biswas
‘Dying for Sex‘ tells the story of a woman named Molly Kochan who leaves her husband of 15 years, Steve, to embark on a path of sexual discovery after being diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. The show’s premise takes inspiration from the life of the real Molly, whose journey of personal reflection and sexual exploits with other men led her to redefine herself in ways she previously thought impossible, especially in the wake of a terminal disease. In the show, her husband, Steve, finds it difficult to connect with her following her newfound freedom and desire to experiment, which eventually causes them to drift apart. However, he still tries to look after Molly in his own way, even though her best friend, Nikki Boyer, takes over the majority of her caretaking tasks.
Steve is Loosely Inspired By Molly Kochan’s Real-Life Former Husband
For the most part, ‘Dying for Sex’ is a complex story that blends real-life events with fiction, leading to a narrative brimming with intricate details. Although much of the context and premise of the narrative is centered on Molly Kochan’s real life and her podcast interviews with Nikki Boyer, the show takes creative liberties to craft a more engaging and dramatic tale. Thus, certain characters, including Steve – the protagonist’s husband in the series – are depicted in a light that may or may not be favorable. He is a semi-fictional character inspired by Molly’s real-life former husband, whom she divorced after receiving her metastatic breast cancer diagnosis in 2015. Although he is known as Steve in the show, that is not the real name of Molly’s ex-husband, whose identity has been kept anonymous through the years.
In the show’s beginning, Molly describes how she has fallen out of sexual sync with Steve following her battles with cancer. This part of the narrative is based on reality as Molly expressed something similar in one of the episodes of her ‘Dying for Sex’ podcast with her best friend, Boyer. She said, “Sexually, we had difficulties before cancer came along. Right before I got diagnosed, I was kind of looking to recharge our sex life… and then cancer showed up.” Around 2015, when her hormone therapy kicked in, Molly felt an increase in her sex drive, which compelled her to seek release anywhere she could. However, her husband was uninterested in having sex with her, which compelled her to embark on a new path, one where she could explore her sexuality with freedom. That freedom came from meeting strangers online and hooking up.
Molly and her husband separated soon after her terminal diagnosis, another event that is captured quite accurately within the series. The married duo was attending couples counseling when Molly received the news that she had Stage IV breast cancer, which is portrayed in a fairly similar fashion in the show’s opening scene. Thus, her husband played a prominent role in her life, going back to the 15 years they spent together as a couple. Molly, Boyer, and the show’s creatives likely kept his real name anonymous because he is portrayed in a slightly negative manner, both within the podcast and the FX series. Still, his semi-fictional counterpart is an interesting addition to the mix, especially as he goes through a transformation by the end, showcasing how change is part of human growth.
Read More: Nikki Boyer: Where is the Dying for Sex Podcast Host Now?
