Meet the Real Nikki From 'Dying for Sex', And Find Out What She's Doing Now
The real Nikki from 'Dying for Sex' is actually an actress and podcaster.
Published April 7 2025, 8:13 p.m. ET
The FX series Dying for Sex premiered on April 4, 2025, with eight episodes, and it immediately had fans talking. Blending romance, passion, comedy, love, and loss (in other words, a whirlwind of emotions), the show tells the true story of Molly Kochan’s journey of self-discovery and sexual empowerment after being diagnosed with terminal breast cancer.
Molly is portrayed by Michelle Williams, while her best friend, Nikki Boyer, played by Jenny Slate, stands by her side through it all.
As Nikki explained in a PIX11 News interview, Dying for Sex captures how Molly learned to love her body "even though it was failing her." The two recorded Molly’s story before her death in March 2019, and those conversations became the heart of the Dying for Sex podcast, which launched in 2020.
Nikki has remained devoted to sharing her friend’s heartbreaking, yet inspiring story. But she’s more than just a narrator. She’s also a seasoned actress. Here’s what the real Nikki is up to now.
What is the real life Nikki from 'Dying For Sex' doing now?
Meet the real Nikki and Molly
The real-life Nikki Boyer from Dying for Sex is an actress and podcaster who continues to honor her late friend Molly, who passed away from breast cancer in 2019. Nikki served as an executive producer for the FX series Dying for Sex and has been making guest appearances to discuss the show and the powerful story behind it.
After launching the Dying for Sex podcast in 2020, which won the 2021 Ambie Award for Podcast of the Year, Nikki went on to co-host the Near Death podcast with Reverend Peggy. The show explores end-of-life stories and the emotional and spiritual experiences people face in their final moments, with one goal in mind: "to help everyone be a little less afraid of death," per the podcast’s synopsis.
The real-life Nikki Boyer, who 'Dying for Sex' is based on, is also the founder of Dying For Media.
Nikki launched DYING FOR Media in February 2023 and currently serves as its CEO. That same year, she also served as a writer and presenter for The Podcast Academy and was previously a regular guest contributor to The Wendy Williams Show, per her DYING FOR Media bio.
Some of her other notable accomplishments include co-creating and co-executive producing Step Girlfriends, a TV concept inspired by her life. Nikki also co-hosted the Straight Talk podcast alongside Ross Mathews.
But her achievements don’t stop there. Nikki’s acting credits include playing Denise in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, a brief appearance in Parental Indiscretion, and of course, a cameo in Dying for Sex.
While Nikki has devoted much of her time and energy to telling Molly’s story, the title Dying for Sex, now used for both the podcast and FX series, was actually developed about 10 years before the show's April 2025 release, Nikki revealed to PIX11 News.
Although Molly knew about the podcast’s development before she passed, she didn’t know about the TV series, and we guess that she would be mighty proud.