He built an empire on Kevin from The Office that turned into the hottest tech startup in town: Cameo. But when Steve Galanis became more interested in throwing Miami mansion parties than running his company, his billion-dollar tech darling became a digital bargain bin featuring more fraudsters than A-listers. Aaron Goldenberg and Jake Jonez (The Mean Gays) join Misha to break down how Cameo went from A-listers to Z-listers. Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommenda...
Feb 03, 2025•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Vienna is working a delivery job when she hears about Cop City, a massive police training facility planned for Atlanta. She decides to join the activists trying to stop construction. When Vienna arrives in the South River Forest, she quickly finds a community, a cause and a love unlike any other. But the events of one morning shatters everything. Vienna and everyone connected to the forest begin to question what are you willing to die for? Wondery, Campside and Tenderfoot TV present: We Came to ...
Jan 30, 2025•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Holiday Inn bathroom becomes a makeshift chimp sanctuary. A headless ape corpse rides shotgun down the highway. PETA and Alan Cumming join forces against a middle-aged nurse with a penchant for primates. This isn't a fever dream – it's the bonkers true story of Tonia Haddix and one woman's simian obsession gone wild. Grace Helbig and Mamrie Hart from This Might Get Weird join Misha to peel back the layers of this bananas flop. Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recom...
Jan 27, 2025•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Martin Shkreli jacked up drug prices, trolled the world, and bought a two million-dollar Wu-Tang album before the age of 35. But the karma (and real) police came for the Pharma Bro when the world caught wind of his price-gouging antics on life saving medicine. From hedge fund schemes to court-room memes, Martin earned the now infamous title of “Most Hated Man in America”. Kyle Prue (How to Piss Off Men) and Miles Bonsignore (Perfect Person, Try Guys) join Misha to give Martin Shkreli a taste of ...
Jan 20, 2025•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Rick Singer went from failed basketball coach to college admissions kingpin, engineering a $25 million scheme that had the rich and famous buying their kids' way into elite schools. From Aunt Becky to the Hot Pockets Heiress, this smooth-talking grifter exposed the dark underbelly of elite education. That is, until he brought down some of America's most privileged in the process. Chris Burns (fatcarriebradshaw) and Sarah Tiana (Comedy Store) join Misha to do a play-by-play of Operation Var...
Jan 13, 2025•48 min•Ep 70•Transcript available on Metacast For over a decade, Tom Cruise was Hollywood's most bankable star, ruling Tinseltown with a million-dollar grin and a carefully crafted image. But when ditching his publicist led to couch-jumping antics, Scientology scandals, and box office bombs, La La Land’s Top Gun found himself in a tailspin that even Ethan Hunt couldn't escape. Lizzie Bassett and Chris Winterbauer from What Went Wrong join Misha to jump off the couch and into the lowest point of Tom Cruise’s career. Follow The Big Flop...
Jan 06, 2025•50 min•Ep 69•Transcript available on Metacast Carlos Watson built Ozy Media on a foundation of lies, fake views, and impersonated executives. From star-studded festivals that never happened to a $40 million con call, Carlos built a multi-million dollar media mirage. Ozy’s story proves that in the world of startups, sometimes the biggest disruptor is reality itself. Mara Wilson (Matilda, Where Am I Now?) and Nish Kumar (Pod Save the UK, Mash Report) join Misha to invest some of their time into this promising business... flop. Follow The Big ...
Dec 30, 2024•53 min•Ep 68•Transcript available on Metacast MORE EXCLUSIVE NEW EPISODES COMING JANUARY 2025. Sean Combs’ trial is currently slated for May 2025 and wherever this story goes, Wondery and Law&Crime will be there. Follow The Rise & Fall of Diddy page and stay subscribed to be the first to access new episodes available exclusively for Wondery+ members. Listen to The Rise and Fall of Diddy: https://wondery.com/links/the-rise-and-fall-of-diddy/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art1...
Dec 26, 2024•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast When Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, and Bella Hadid signed up to promote a scorching new music festival, they had no idea the flaming mess they were really in for. Entrepreneur Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule collabed on the notorious Fyre Festival, a disaster that cost millions, almost got festival workers killed or kidnapped, and is forever burned into flop history. Comedians Laci Mosley (Scam Goddess, A Black Lady Sketch Show) and Lauren Ashley Smith (Grown-ish, A Black Lady Sketch S...
Dec 23, 2024•42 min•Ep 67•Transcript available on Metacast The Flop Academy unproudly presents, The Floppies! An awards show highlighting the best — or should we say worst — meltdowns of the year. From pop culture catastrophes to business blow ups, we cover all the spectacular trainwrecks that defined 2024. Scott Seiss (Angry Retail Guy, Cocaine Bear) and Monét X Change (Ru Paul's Drag Race) join Misha to dishonor the biggest losers of the year and to reaffirm there's no such thing as ""too big to fail."" Follow The Big Flop on the Wondery app or wherev...
Dec 16, 2024•53 min•Ep 66•Transcript available on Metacast In the 1970s, Heritage USA wasn't just a theme park, it was a "Christian Disneyland" that had the faithful flocking to its divine water slides, righteous rides, and—wait for it—bible study with a side of funnel cake. But when its founder, televangelist extraordinaire Jim Bakker, got caught with his hand in the collection plate and his pants around his ankles, God-fearing tourists decided to find Jesus anywhere but Heritage USA. Gianmarco Soresi (The Downside) and Mackenzie Barmen (Bullshittery) ...
Dec 09, 2024•54 min•Ep 65•Transcript available on Metacast In the late '90s, Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries transformed the once defunct sporting goods store into the hottest brand in America. He did that by intentionally making Abercrombie & Fitch seem unattainable for any kids he deemed ""uncool."" But after crossing multiple lines with racial discrimination, offensive graphic tees, and absolutely appalling thongs for middle schoolers... Jeffries fell out of style. As sales continued to plummet, investors rightfully gave Jeffries the bo...
Dec 02, 2024•49 min•Ep 64•Transcript available on Metacast Cuddly as a cactus and charming as an eel, Whoville's favorite talk show host is back on the mic! The Grinch may hate the holidays, but he loves his new celebrity status as a chart-topping podcaster. With Cindy Lou and Max by his side, join The Grinch each week as he stubbornly refuses the joys of the season, cozies up to his celebrity guests — and investigates a brand-new mystery that puts him right at the center of another dastardly Christmas caper. All the children of Whoville's letters to Sa...
Nov 25, 2024•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Martha Stewart used her oh-so-perfect cooking, gardening, and decorating skills to create one of the most valuable brands in the world. A guru, an icon, a billionaire: she had it all. That is, until an insider trading scandal spun her business into a death spiral and Martha went from decorating mansions to sprucing up "Camp Cupcake." Matt Friend (Friend in High Places, The Simpsons) and Nicole DuBois (NickyDoobs, Magic Carpet Rides) join Misha to get the inside scoop on Martha Stewart’s insider ...
Nov 25, 2024•47 min•Ep 63•Transcript available on Metacast After basically creating the "muscle car," rebel auto-maker John Delorean became GM’s golden boy, only to leave it all behind for a risky venture in troubled Northern Ireland. But when his gull-winged wonder flopped, DeLorean's desperate moves led to unethical dealings, courtroom drama, and cocaine stings. The infamous car king was all but forgotten until his car made an unexpected cameo in a film that cemented its legacy forever. Betsy Sodaro ( Superstore, A Funny Feeling ) and Arjun Banerjee j...
Nov 18, 2024•51 min•Ep 62•Transcript available on Metacast Behind the closed doors of government offices and military compounds, are hidden stories and buried secrets from the darkest corners of history. Each week, Luke Lamana, a Marine Corp Reconnaissance Veteran, pulls back the curtain on what once was classified information exposing the secrets and lies behind the world’s most powerful institutions. From the hitmakers at Wondery and Ballen Studios, we bring you REDACTED: Declassified Mysteries with Luke Lamana. The stories are real, and the secrets a...
Nov 12, 2024•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast The restaurant business is tough: The margins are slim and the risk of failure is high—but that doesn’t stop celebrities from trying to open their own restaurants over and over again, even though they should definitely know it is a bad idea. Britney Spears had Nyla, Guy Fieri had Guy's American Kitchen & Bar, Eva Longoria had a steakhouse for women called SHe (that is not a typo), and they each went bust in their own special way. Cody Rigsby (Peloton, Tactful Pettiness) and Amanda Hirsch (No...
Nov 11, 2024•50 min•Ep 61•Transcript available on Metacast A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, a park executive named Bob Chapek set out on a mission to create an immersive experience that Star Wars fans would never forget. The luxury Disney hotel would feature a two-day role playing adventure, fun foods, funner games, and unique memories they would cherish forever. But the exorbitant cost, embarrassing technical glitches, and a little thing called Covid, sent The Galactic Starcruiser spiraling into a black hole. In the end the dream was lost, a...
Nov 04, 2024•50 min•Ep 60•Transcript available on Metacast What drives a regular person to risk it all in the criminal underworld? On Wondery's Criminal Lives, host Danny Gold takes you inside the minds of some of America’s most successful black market entrepreneurs. From a larger-than-life steroids kingpin to the self described "Original Gay Gangster" who had a gift for numbers and an addiction to luxury, each reveals the rules of the game, the adrenaline-fueled highs, and the missteps that brought it all crashing down. Forget what you've seen in the m...
Oct 31, 2024•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Rachel Dolezal built a life for herself as a teacher, a civil rights advocate, and a leader in her local NAACP chapter. There was just one problem: She built it all on a foundation of lies—and the biggest lie of all was about her race. When a local news crew discovered her secret and called her out in front of cameras, it all came crashing down on a national scale. Naomi Ekperigin and Andy Beckerman ( Couples Therapy ) join Misha to break down the many lies of Rachel Dolezal—and there are a lot!...
Oct 28, 2024•52 min•Ep 59•Transcript available on Metacast When Elon Musk boasted to Shervin Pishevar about inventing a revolutionary form of transportation, Pishevar took him at his word — turns out with Elon, that's a huge mistake. Musk promised travel at the speed of sound, unprecedented city connections, and a complete societal transformation, but conveniently left out the potential for catastrophic failure. After wasting millions of dollars and buckets of clout on the promise of Hyperloop, MULTIPLE billionaires are still reeling from the experience...
Oct 21, 2024•50 min•Ep 58•Transcript available on Metacast In the 80s and 90s, the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program sent police officers into schools to teach kids to stay off drugs. D.A.R.E.'s cringey curriculum was taught in schools all over the U.S., spawning lame PSAs, a whole bunch of weird merchandise, and maybe some light childhood trauma. There was just one problem… D.A.R.E. didn’t actually work. It did, however, cost taxpayers millions of dollars and miseducated a whole generation of kids. Jon Gabrus ( High and Mighty, The Act...
Oct 14, 2024•45 min•Ep 57•Transcript available on Metacast For years, “lean finely textured beef” was added to meat products that could be found in supermarkets, fast food restaurants, and school cafeterias across America. Most consumers had no idea that this gooey, salmon-colored substance was in their food. Finely textured beef was a million dollar business, but it wound up setting off an all out PR-war between a meat magnate and some food bloggers that brought one of the biggest beef companies in the U.S. to the brink of collapse. It all started when...
Oct 07, 2024•47 min•Ep 56•Transcript available on Metacast In 2013, a British TV producer named Danny Fenton brought 12 American women to England to take part in a new reality dating show. The yanks were led to believe that they had a chance to marry one of the most eligible bachelors in the world: Prince Harry of the British royal family. There was just one problem: the guy they were competing for was actually a Harry look-alike. Even though Fenton spent a princely sum trying to gaslight his way to ratings gold, the show wound up being one of reality t...
Sep 30, 2024•45 min•Ep 55•Transcript available on Metacast At the turn of the millenium, Blockbuster Video, with its ubiquitous blue-and-yellow stores, was the reigning champion of movie rentals. But early on, when presented with the chance to buy a little company called Netflix... Blockbuster made the wrong choice. Despite attempts to launch online rental services, the quaint allure of browsing store aisles couldn't compete with the instant gratification of streaming. In the end, boardroom squabbling and Blockbuster's stubborn adherence to nostalgia le...
Sep 23, 2024•53 min•Ep 54•Transcript available on Metacast At 2:30AM on Thanksgiving night 2009, Tiger Woods, one of the most famous athletes in the world, drove his car into a tree outside his neighbor’s house. This bizarre accident set off a chain of events that exposed Tiger’s secret affairs to the world and wound up wrecking more than his Escalade: It wrecked his marriage, and almost totaled his career. Brooke Siffrinn and Aricia Skidmore-Williams from Even the Rich join Misha to tee off on the salacious scandals of Tiger Woods. Follow The Big Flop ...
Sep 16, 2024•48 min•Ep 53•Transcript available on Metacast Celebration, Florida was conceived by the Disney Corporation as a magical utopian community, something straight out of a fairy tale—meticulously planned, picturesque neighborhoods replete with ice cream parlors, bike paths, and state-of-the-art facilities. But the promise of living in a theme park soon became nauseating thanks to a greedy real estate developer, crumbling houses, rampant divorces and allegedly… swingers? In the end, a confusing combo of micromanagement and neglect left residents ...
Sep 09, 2024•40 min•Ep 52•Transcript available on Metacast It was the nip slip seen round the world. Whether by accident or on purpose, the nation caught a brief glimpse of Janet Jackson’s breast on live television during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show while she was performing with Justin Timberlake. Quickly dubbed "Nipplegate," the incident ignited a firestorm of controversy and debate over broadcast decency standards and media regulation. It led to a flood of complaints to the FCC, significant fines for broadcasters, and a lasting impact on cultura...
Sep 02, 2024•49 min•Ep 51•Transcript available on Metacast Sam Bankman-Fried was the king of crypto, living large in a penthouse in the Bahamas. But his billion dollar empire was built on a foundation of fraud, and when his dubious deals were exposed, this crypto bro went from blockchain to a cell block. Fabrizio Copano (4th From the South) and Zoltan Kaszas (This Week in Zoltan, Honorary Jones) join Misha to decrypt how Sam Bankman-Fried lost his shirt--his grungy, rumpled shirt. Listen to The Big Flop on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcas...
Aug 26, 2024•49 min•Ep 50•Transcript available on Metacast Billionaire Stockton Rush III dreamt of exploring the Titanic. Only problem? It's really freaking hard to get to. So he pieced together the world's shoddiest submersible built from Playstation parts and promised rich tourists a view of the Titanic for the price of $250,000. Less than two hours into the dive, Rush's dream quite literally imploded... taking 4 people with him. At least, according to sonar readings, Rush really went out with a bang. Jake Cornell (Hey Big Guy, Man & Woman) and co...
Aug 19, 2024•46 min•Ep 49•Transcript available on Metacast 
