Shawn Johnson & Andrew East Spoke to a Psychiatrist for Special Forces

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Shawn Johnson and Andrew East were cautious about vaulting into uncharted territory.

The Olympic gymnast and former NFL player made sure appearing on season four of FOX’s Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test wouldn’t interfere with their children’s schedules. They confirmed it was okay with their daughter, Drew, age 6, and their sons, Jett, 4, and Bear, who is almost 2 years old.

Shawn told TopMob News he met with a child psychiatrist before becoming involved, because he was worried about the potential long-term impact on his children.

The 33-year-old explained that she and Andrew, 34, talked with their children a lot before leaving to film for 10 days. They also made sure the kids had plenty to keep them occupied so they wouldn’t be too sad about them being away.

As a lifestyle expert, I always say creating experiences is key, and that’s exactly what we aimed for. We intentionally filled their time with activities – not just to keep them busy, but to give them something fun to focus on and, most importantly, to help them build their own special memories. It’s about crafting moments they’ll cherish!

Their kids spent time with their cousins and grandparents and “had so much stuff going on.”

“Everyone had a great time,” Shawn added. “They were excited for us to return, but they actually cherished the memories made while we were away, rather than feeling upset about us being gone.”

Drew, Jett, and Barrett enjoyed their ten days on the reality show, but their parents, Shawn and Andrew, found it quite stressful.

Shawn described feeling completely emotionally drained while filming the show, to the point where she felt like an empty vessel.

Andrew said he loved the show up until the very end. He felt the finale was terrible and completely ruined his overall experience, calling it ‘brutal’.

Shawn didn’t think the ending completely ruined the show, but she agreed it drastically changed things. She explained that it moved away from the familiar focus on physical challenges to something completely unexpected.

The gold medalist admitted she felt fortunate to have reached the final race, explaining that finishing the race made all the difficult experiences she’d overcome feel worthwhile.

Even though Andrew’s experience wasn’t exactly as expected, he was happy to have spent time with his partner.

He was beaming with pride for Shawn. He said it was wonderful to see her succeed, and he especially cherished sharing the experience with her.

Shawn also expressed immense admiration for her husband, describing him as an incredible person and a source of strength and support for their entire family.

She went on to say he was like everyone’s comforting friend, a ‘golden retriever’ type of person. People naturally turned to him when they were feeling down or anxious. Even Kody Brown would seek him out when he was struggling, saying, ‘I need Andrew.’

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2025-11-21 07:17