Harsh Reality: The Story of Miriam Rivera - podcast cover

Harsh Reality: The Story of Miriam Rivera

Wondery•wondery.com
Society & Culture

It was supposed to be a reality show with a twist. In a sun-drenched villa in Ibiza, six hot guys compete for a cash prize and for the love of the beautiful and mysterious Miriam. It’s meant to be her big break: the moment she becomes the superstar she was born to be. But this is the era of “cruel reality TV” and the show producers have a different goal: they want to surprise the men with the fact that Miriam is trans. A new six-episode investigative series from Wondery, the makers of The Shrink Next Door and The Apology Line, and from Novel, HARSH REALITY is the story about love, lies, reality TV and a woman before her time: Miriam Rivera. Written by Agnes Borinsky and hosted by Trace Lysette.

Binge all episodes of Harsh Reality: The Story of Miriam Rivera exclusively and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/the-story-of-miriam-rivera/ now.

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Episodes

Listen Now: Liberty Lost

In Evangelical homes across the United States, sex outside of marriage is a sin against God. So, when Abbi becomes pregnant at 16, her devout parents hide her away at the Liberty Godparent Home, a little-known facility for pregnant teens on the campus of Liberty University. The Home says it helps girls decide what comes next – whether that’s parenting their babies or placing them for adoption. But inside the facility, the girls hear a different message: God wants their babies to go to more “dese...

Jun 23, 2025•6 min

Where to find Episodes 2-6 of Harsh Reality: The Story of Miriam Rivera

In the first episode of Harsh Reality, a TV executive heard a pitch for the juiciest reality dating game show ever. Filmed in sun-drenched Ibiza, the show would feature six gorgeous men competing for the beautiful Miriam Rivera. Sounds like a dream, right? But as was often the case in the era of “cruel reality TV,” the producers insisted on a shocking twist. If you want to hear the rest of Harsh Reality: The Story of Miriam Rivera, you can binge the rest of this six-part series exclusively on Wo...

Feb 01, 2024•52 sec

Something About Miriam | 1

When a TV exec hears a pitch for a dating game show with a twist she’s sold. But from the very beginning Miriam must risk everything for the show to succeed. For this story Wondery has partnered with Translash Media, the trans journalism and personal narrative project that is committed to telling Trans Stories to save Trans lives. Visit www.translash.org to learn more about Translash. Support us by supporting our sponsors! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy No...

Nov 29, 2021•41 min•Ep. 1

Introducing: Harsh Reality: The Story of Miriam Rivera

It was supposed to be a reality show with a twist. In a sun-drenched villa in Ibiza, six hot guys compete for a cash prize and for the love of the beautiful and mysterious Miriam. It’s meant to be her big break: the moment she becomes the superstar she was born to be. But this is the era of “cruel reality TV” and the show producers have a different goal: they want to surprise the men with the fact that Miriam is trans. A new six-episode investigative series from Wondery, the makers of The Shrink...

Nov 22, 2021•3 min
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