In this special bonus episode, Liz sits down with actress, writer, and singer Joy Lenz ( One Tree Hill ) to discuss her harrowing and deeply personal journey through a Christian cult called “The Big House Family.” Having recently published her New York Times bestselling memoir, Dinner for Vampires , Joy opens up about how the group’s leader preyed on her longing for deep connection, manipulated her emotions and exerted financial control— eventually isolating her from her family and friends. From...
Nov 11, 2024•43 min
In this heart-wrenching continuation of Emily Maldonado’s story, we delve into the life of her brother, Drew Matthews. Drew grew up under the domineering influence of his father, “Dollar Bill” Matthews, a pastor whose self-interest knew no bounds. From childhood indoctrination to traumatic "exorcisms" and endless demands for loyalty, Drew was constantly searching for the love and acceptance his father never offered. This episode unravels a tale of betrayal on every level—Drew’s own father not on...
Nov 04, 2024•51 min
What happens when your father becomes your pastor and eventually your cult leader? In this episode, Emily Maldonado shares the raw truth about growing up in a cult led by her own dad. From staged exorcisms to discovering that love and freedom could only come by breaking every rule, Emily’s story is heartbreaking and inspiring. With gripping honesty, she unpacks the jaw-dropping moment she knew she had no choice but to leave… and for Emily, leaving meant losing her entire family. With humor and p...
Oct 28, 2024•1 hr
Ashley takes us inside the twisted world of QAnon—an online cult that spread like wildfire during the pandemic, offering false hope through dangerous conspiracies to those seeking community, connection and autonomy in an unraveling world. Ashley reveals how fear tactics and manipulation lured her into a space where JFK Jr. was alive, Tom Hanks was an international trafficker, and every catastrophe was proof of an elite plot. From Instagram rabbit holes to FOIA requests about hot dogs at the Whit...
Oct 21, 2024•53 min
In Part 2 of Angela's story, the realities of Falun Gong’s grip on her family deepen. Angela reflects on the emotional toll of a cult that prioritized spiritual salvation over physical health—even as her mother’s condition worsens. But escaping isn’t easy when your family remains deep in the cult’s ideologies… Angela’s journey out of this cult is filled with heartbreaking revelations and the resilience that defines a true “surthirver.” ____ Donate to CUDDLY today! Head to cuddly.com/CULT and hel...
Oct 14, 2024•45 min
When her mother fell sick, young Angela had no idea that she would spend her childhood growing up in a dangerous cult. Falun Gong, a Chinese spiritual movement-slash-religion-slash-cult, known for its Shen Yun dancers and its ties to 'The Epoch Times’ entangled her family in its facade of meditation and enlightenment. In this two-part episode, Angela recounts her experience in a world where karma is not just a bitch, but a force that can dictate life and death… with suffering seen as path to sal...
Oct 07, 2024•41 min
**NOTE: This episode originally aired in 2021** When the LA party scene didn't fit Jessica's lifestyle anymore, she replaced martinis and after-hour clubs with green juices and tonic bars. But the reemergence of a childhood trauma forced her to examine her inner self. One day, a friend told her about a class that could improve her life even more. That class turned out to be part of a larger entity. A self-empowerment company that purported to help you become the master of your own life. A little...
Sep 30, 2024•1 hr 1 min
In this week’s episode, Hannah takes us from her Jehovah’s Witness upbringing to a wild journey through the world of an extreme vegan cult. What started as a passion for animal welfare escalated into living on a full fledged animal sanctuary, becoming the hub for Vegan’s of Geelong, and spiraling into breaking and entering in the name of “liberation.” Fueled by conspiracies and paranoia, Hannah’s new “family” pushed the boundaries of activism. With candor and lightheartedness, Hannah shares how ...
Sep 23, 2024•59 min
Today’s guest, Meagan, host of the "Trust Me" podcast, shares her journey growing up in the secretive Christian cult known as the Two-by-Twos. From a childhood dictated by oppressive rules that governed her every move, she reveals how this “hidden” religion shaped her life. With wit and raw honesty, Meagan recounts the manipulation and isolation she endured, and how she finally found the strength to break free. And shortly after, when the cult’s darkest truths finally surfaced for all the world ...
Sep 16, 2024•53 min
They say when you dream, dream big. And teenage Alex did just that. With an accent to die fahhh, this East Bostonian shares his story of joining an acting class with the promise of stardom, only to eventually realize, he was in a manipulative cult. Under the influence of a charismatic coach, Alex and his fellow students were pushed to the brink—endless rehearsals, emotional abuse, and mind games that blurred the line between ambition and exploitation. Alex exposes the dangerous allure of fame wh...
Sep 09, 2024•43 min
Dr. Nadine Macaluso joins us today to discuss our first of its kind on this show… a cult of one. Who exactly was her cult leader? None other than “The Wolf of Wall Street,” her ex-husband, Jordan Belfort. In the movie adaptation of Jordan’s book, “The Wolf of Wall Street,” Dr. Nadine was portrayed by Margot Robbie and had no say in how her life was portrayed. Well, today Dr. Nadine is here to share the truth behind her picture perfect life. On the outside she had beauty, wealth, the doting husba...
Sep 02, 2024•56 min
**NOTE: This episode originally ran in 2021** As an actor and writer, Guinevere Turner understands more than most, that some stories just can't be contrived. Because sometimes life is far stranger than fiction. As is the case with Guinevere's upbringing. Not your typical getting out story, it would take years for Guinevere to understand that, no, she didn't grow up on a hippie commune in the 1970s and 80s... she grew up in a cult. ______ Follow Guinevere: @guinevereturner Buy Guinevere’s book HE...
Aug 26, 2024•51 min
Today, we're excited to bring you a special episode from our friend Andrea Dunlop of the “Nobody Should Believe Me” podcast.Last week, Andrea joined us to share her personal story about how Munchausen by Proxy tore her family apart, and the response was overwhelming. We know many of you were left with questions and a desire to dive deeper into this rare and troubling condition. That’s why we wanted to share Andrea’s own podcast, where she explores these themes in greater depth and answers the qu...
Aug 19, 2024•34 min
When your sister, whom you love, fabricates a pregnancy with twins, it’s alarming. But when you eventually come to discover that your sister is the culprit of Munchausen by Proxy, life as you know it will never be the same. Today, Andrea Dunlop, a novelist and podcaster of the successful podcast, “Nobody Should Believe Me” joins us to share her personal experience with her sister’s Munchausen by Proxy abuse and delves into her family background and where it all began. Fabricated illnesses and su...
Aug 12, 2024•54 min
Today, Diamond King shares her poignant journey of being ensnared by a meditation cult known as MAUM Meditation. Promising enlightenment, the group diverted her from personal goals and desires, ultimately causing her to completely disassociate from reality. Through the unwavering support of a loved one and diligent personal research, Diamond uncovered the cult's financial and spiritual abuse and manipulation, empowering her to break free. Now a thriving teacher, she travels the world, spreading ...
Aug 05, 2024•43 min
**NOTE: This episode originally ran in 2022** CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses sexual assault. Arianna was a recent college graduate with dreams of one day opening her own marketing company. So when a LinkedIn opportunity for a social media marketing assistant fell into her lap, it felt too good to be true. Soon, she would be brushing shoulders with millionaires, in hopes that some of their mojo would rub off. After all, she had big plans for her future and a self-made father to prove her...
Jul 29, 2024•1 hr 2 min
After finding her passion in Bikram Yoga while in her 20s, Jennifer Boeder aspires to become a Bikram teacher and plops down $5000 to sign up for the two-month teacher training. But after only a few days of being trapped in a smelly, windowless warehouse and getting yelled at by sycophantic trainers, she starts to see the truth. Turns out the "great and powerful guru," Bikram Choudhury, is less great and powerful, and more toxic and tyrannical. From the degrading remarks to the unbearable condit...
Jul 22, 2024•57 min
A couple weeks ago we published an episode featuring Ashleigh Teeter, who was ostracized from her family because of her cult leader father. Today we feature her youngest brother's story of growing up in that house long after Ashleigh was gone. 14 years her junior, Mattie was just a young boy when her sister was deemed demonic by his father. And for almost 25 years the siblings never spoke to each other. Today we welcome Mattie to share his heartbreaking story… a boy who was never allowed to talk...
Jul 15, 2024•58 min
**NOTE: This episode originally ran in 2022** She's a hustler, baby. And she just wants you to know. Roberta Blevins was taught to be a self-starter. Inspired by her self-made father, she knew that if you put your mind to it, anything can happen. And it's true. Anything can happen. But that's the problem with anything. Anything sometimes includes MLM's. Multi-level marketing (schemes). This is a story of a dynamite go-getter and how she crawled her way into a box of fart leggings and eventually....
Jul 08, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Today's episode dives into the extraordinary story of Ashleigh Teeter, who grew up in the World Wide Church of God... a cult in its own right. But when the church splits due to a new leader’s ideas, Ashleigh’s world gets turned upside down. She witnesses her own father become a cult leader, and then get ostracized from her nuclear family for almost 25 years. Why? Listen to find out. —— Ashleigh hosts her own podcast about her upbringing. It’s called “The Cult Next Door” and is available wherever...
Jul 01, 2024•56 min
WARNING: This episode discuss sexual assault. A girl with a dream, Amanda was recruited from high school into what she thought would be the path to fulfilling that dream. But a superior's abuse of power forced her life in a different direction. This is a powerful and important story shared from an often underrepresented perspective: a woman in the US military. Told with grace, strength, humility, and humor, it is an absolute pleasure providing Amanda with a platform to let her story be known. __...
Jun 24, 2024•57 min
Welcome to PART 2 of Jessica Hopper’s journey into and out of a pole dancing cult. This episode takes us to the peak of the cult, including protégés, unpaid labor, surreal bookclubs, emotional breakdowns, and coercion retreats. The leader, Sheila, is quite “pole"-arizing, to say the least. Jessica’s breaking point, comes at an unexpected but important time in history, and leads to her eventually breaking free. A wonderfully articulate soul who shares her story with a no-holds-bar type of attitud...
Jun 17, 2024•53 min
Meet the very funny and very bold Jessica Hopper, as she dives into her bizarre and unexpected journey into a pole dancing cult. Yes, a pole dancing cult at a studio called S-Factor in Los Angeles, CA. What began as a fun pole dancing class turned into an intense, all-consuming experience. Jessica shares her story of quitting her job, enduring rigorous and costly training, and grappling with the beginnings of the cult-like culture within S-Factor. With humor and honesty, Jessica reveals the high...
Jun 10, 2024•1 hr
WARNING: This episode contains graphic discussions of abuse and self-harm. Raised by a single mother in the Muslim community, Samir Ahmed was sent to a Tablighi Jamaat-focused madrasa at age 11, a religious boarding school for boys under 15. With good intentions and pressure from the community, his mother hoped this would keep her son away from drugs and knocking up girls. What transpires is one of the most harrowing stories we have ever featured on this show. But as Samir recounts his traumatic...
Jun 03, 2024•53 min
Today we pay homage to Memorial Day by uncovering the bizarre and captivating tale of the John Frum Movement. Yes, that’s ‘from’ with a ‘u’, homies. We dive into the South Pacific volcanic island of Tanna, where WWII soldiers inspired a cult devoted to a mystical American GI promising endless cargo. Yup, infinite Spam. Think of it as Amazon Prime meets religious zeal. Join Tyler & Liz as they explore this fascinating slice of history, filled with bamboo runways, makeshift military drills, an...
May 27, 2024•34 min
SHOWNOTES: "A ballet cult?” We asked the same thing. But today’s brave guest, Summer Smith, shares what happens when the world of pliés and pirouettes meets dogmatic devotion. Raised in a strict religious family and molded by the intense world of competitive ballet, Summer's journey takes a surprising twist when she joins Ballet 58, a seemingly innocuous Christian ballet company in Chicago. Soon devotions blend with dance routines, and artistic discipline intertwines with cult-like control. As S...
May 20, 2024•55 min
Meet Rachael Reign, a tenacious activist battling to dismantle a billionaire megachurch cult. The cult that once owned her life. From her innocent introduction to the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) in South London as a 13-year-old girl, to devastating financial coercion and insidious practices, including exorcisms and grooming to become a pastor’s wife, Rachael's journey is one of transformation from victim to advocate. Through her story, she exposes the cult’s billionaire leader,...
May 13, 2024•56 min
Our youngest guest to-date, Aliya Kasabian recounts her chilling involuntary initiation into the Boise Girls Academy, an institution that masquerades as a haven for troubled teens. From controlling communication with families to enforced silence and the denial of basic necessities like tampons, Aliya’s story exposes the depths of manipulation and coercion wielded by the program’s directors. But resistance only extends your time at this prison-like “healing facility.” So, eventually, Aliya discov...
May 06, 2024•58 min
**NOTE: This episode originally ran in 2023** **NEW EP DROP NEXT WEEK MONDAY MAY 6TH** Imagine having to ask a group of eco-farmers for permission to have sex. And when granted permission, your options of consummation include… the back of a van or the loft of a goat barn. Well that's what happened when Helen Zuman, a spelling bee whiz looking to explore her interest in eco-farming, visited Zendik Farm in North Carolina shortly after graduating from Harvard. A two-week experience turned into year...
Apr 29, 2024•1 hr 10 min
Ever heard of a Scientology-laced organization for spiritual growth? Neither had we, until we sat down with Kim Peirano. Today, Kim recounts her bizarre experience with the Foundation for Spiritual Development (FSD). From hypnotic meditations to chilling encounters with supposed extraterrestrial beings, Kim's account unveils the disturbing truth behind the FSD's facade of spiritual growth. And as she progresses through the levels, Kim finds herself trapped in a web of manipulation, fear and coer...
Apr 22, 2024•56 min
