Was I In A Cult?

Content Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of sexual abuse, exploitation, and trauma. Please listen with care.

Frankie thought she was chosen. That she was being trained to be a healer, a mystic, a disciple of spiritual truth. But the truth was far more harrowing.

In Part 2 of her story, we follow Frankie deeper into Morningland—where obedience meant servitude, sexual violence was disguised as divine...

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infamous serial killers, mysterious disappearances, tragic murders, and more. Every Monday,

uncover the full stories behind the headlines as host Vanessa Richardson takes you through

high-profile investigations like the murder of Gabby Petito, th...

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of child abuse and sexual coercion.

It started with a pizza party for single moms. But soon, there were purple-lit temples, custom medallions, and a man who called himself “Donato the Christ”. What could possibly go wrong?

In Part 1 of Frankie Tease’s gripping story, we follow her teen years inside Long Beach, California’s Morningland—a so-called spiritual community ...

Whitney wanted a Friday night dress. She got a pink Cadillac and a cult instead.

At 21, she joined Mary Kay just trying to pay her $200 rent. What she got was a crash course in manipulation disguised as empowerment, a swirl of culty catchphrases, and a trunk full of sparkle-dusted dreams.

In this episode, Whitney takes us on her journey from California cake decorator to one of Mary Kay’s youngest Sales Directors—and ...

Today, we’re taking it back to where it all began: our very first episode. Meet Johanne Hanks, who went from BYU grad to plural wife to party planner for Jesus in a yuppie Mormon doomsday group called The True and Living Church. You know… TLC.

Faced with the fear of an impending apocalypse, Joanne and her husband move to a small Utah town to live "Mormonism on steroids", which means wearing long underwear, communicating...

As Tyler owns up to overlooking a crucial part of Orange County's troubling past, Liz is secretly grateful for his mistake—for without it, they might never have met today's inspiring guest, Vida.

Growing up in South Central LA, Vida's father found salvation in a Pentecostal church led by a self-proclaimed prophet. For Vida, the church was initially a comforting community, offering structure and belonging. But over time,...

You’ve heard of doomsday cults and self-help cults… but what about an alien cult? This week, we’re taking you on a journey beyond the stars—or at least, beyond logic—as we explore The Raelians.

This episode is love bombing at its best and most seductive form.

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Follow us for more culty content: @wasiinacult 

Have you ever been love-bombed into a belief system that felt too good to be true? Or maybe you’ve fo...

Fine dining is all about precision, artistry, and luxury on the plate—but behind those kitchen doors, the pressure, hierarchy, and chaos tell a very different story.

This week, we sit down with Chef Amber Evans, who opens up about the unspoken rules of the industry, the reality of life inside a Michelin-starred kitchen, and the moment she realized she had become the very thing she once feared. Could it be that she had bee...

Crystal was born into a world where women obeyed, children served, and questioning authority was a sin. Raised under the oppressive rule of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP)—yes, the same Christian fundamentalist cult as the Duggars, “Shiny Happy People”—she spent her youth cleaning toilets, raising her mother’s children, and being prepped for a life of submission. 

But Crystal had other plans. 

This is the u...

There was no commune. No matching robes or group chants. A charismatic leader? Yes. But no room full of followers. This is a story about a cult of one —  a lesser-known, yet perhaps more common, type of cult.

When Alex first met her college advisor, she thought she’d found a mentor—someone brilliant, charismatic, and seemingly invested in her success. But behind the charm lay something much darker. Slowly, methodically, h...

What happens when your dreams of becoming a therapist are unexpectedly dashed and a TIkTok astrologer promises to solve all your problems? Meet Taylor Marie, who found herself in an online cult that claimed to have "the only astrology system that works." Led by a charismatic married couple, this group charged outrageous prices for "life-altering" astrology readings, promised entrepreneurial and personal success, and preach...

When the pandemic hit, Aaron found himself isolated and searching for community. So when he discovered an online occult group, he thought he’d finally found his spiritual people. What he didn’t expect? Signing an NDA, pledging allegiance to a self-proclaimed “Master,” and being told he was destined for an apocalyptic battle… alongside seven ancient space dragons.

At first, the group felt like a place of deep discussion, cu...

In Part 2 of her jaw-dropping story, actress and writer Danielle Nicolet continues to unpack her harrowing experience in a cult disguised as a new-age hypnotherapy practice—led by a woman who shattered families, implanted false memories, and turned lives upside down.

Danielle’s journey resumes as she’s sent back to Ohio to live with her father, forced to leave behind friends, gymnastics, and the group she had come to see ...

You may know Danielle Nicolet as Cecile Horton on the CW’s “The Flash,” but long before Hollywood, her life was far from scripted. At just ten years old, Danielle’s world was turned upside down when her mother fell under the influence of Judith—a therapist turned guru turned cult leader. Judith used hypnosis to “recover” memories, shattering families and exploiting Orange County housewives by diagnosing them with multiple ...

In today’s spellbinding episode, Melissa, a self-proclaimed millennial misfit, shares her journey into a Wiccan coven that took a hard left towards culty. Melissa’s tale brews up all the ingredients for a wild cauldron of a story: witchy retreats, trance magic, Norse gods, and even perfume-making. What began as a quest for spiritual identity one day led her down a winding path of manipulation, dashed promises and blind de...

Today we’re joined by Finrod Jellybottoms, a chosen elf who escaped Santa’s magical workshop. Beneath the candy-striped facade lies a grueling cultic system of manipulation, free labor, and fear-based loyalty. Finrod shares his harrowing journey from a hopeful young elf in Frost Hollow to years of exploitation under Santa’s rule, uncovering the dark truths behind the “joy” of Christmas and the infamous Elf on a Shelf. We a...

In the gripping conclusion to Jeanne Nolan's story, the idyllic facade of Zendik Farm finally shatters. Beneath its promises of revolution and a self-sustaining community lies a darker reality: broken families and devastating power plays. Jeanne recounts her heart-wrenching separation from her baby, the unraveling of relationships under the commune’s twisted rules, and her ultimate escape after 17 long years. Through painf...

What happens when an idealistic teen swaps suburban comforts for a “revolutionary” arts cooperative promising harmony with the Earth, free love, and organic farming? Jeanne Nolan thought she’d found utopia at Zendik Farm—a bohemian paradise where creativity and sustainability reigned supreme. But behind the lush gardens and groovy slogans lurked manipulation, sexual politics, and a strict hierarchy led by two enigmatic lea...

CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses sensitive and potentially triggering topics around sex and sexual dynamics.

Amelia returns to share the conclusion of her story, exposing the hidden dangers she encountered within the BDSM kink scene in the UK. While this subculture promised sexual liberation and empowerment, Amelia reveals how it often justified harmful dynamics and enabled exploitation.

In this episode, Amelia re...