Harsh Reality: The Story of Miriam Rivera

4.5 (225)
SOCIETY & CULTURE
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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.

You know those messages that you get all the time, the ones that pop up out of nowhere? They could be real, but something about them seems fishy. You likely dismiss these texts and emails as mere annoyances, thinking you’ve stopped some random stranger from ripping you off. But the shocking truth is, the person behind that message might be trapped inside a “scam factory” on the other side of the world and forced to scam others against their will. From Wondery, comes a new series about the brutal reality behind these operations, where one family discovers a horrifying truth: the only way out is to scam their way out. Follow Scam Factory on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge the entire series ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting www.wondery.com/links/scam-factory/ now.

4.9 (19)

TRUE CRIME
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TRUE CRIME
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SOCIETY & CULTURE
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HISTORY
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4.7 (1059)

HISTORY

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4.5

out of 5

225 Ratings

Great listen

01/02/2024

CelVer21

Really enjoying the storytelling on this podcast
Excellent

11/07/2022

anna magdalena m

Thank you for this story ! I wish everyone would listen to this . Love !
Well made and interesting

31/05/2023

Narny101

An interesting and tragic story
This is what happens when you play with fire.

20/08/2022

messilywinekiwi1990

Interesting story, but with an obvious agenda. This is far too sympathetic to Miriam whose behaviour was grossly unethical. The producers aren’t angels here either but Miriam knew that the men on this program would be falling in love with a woman, and not a man pretending to be a woman. I’m not surprised at the men’s reactions nor at the media who called out unethical behaviour where they saw it. Also not surprised that this was the brain child of two homosexual men, trying to push the boundaries and not caring about the people they hurt along the way.
Thank you

27/06/2022

Sim McDonnell-Walker

Thank you for telling this devastating and important story. Such a well considered script. Rest In Peace, Miriam. You deserved so much more than what pop culture served you.
Awesome!

13/04/2022

LincKym

I remember the show and the controversy surrounding it, so it was great to hear the story behind it. I feel like this is a fitting memorial to a woman who suffered a lot in her life that the public didn’t know about. Well done to all involved.
Yawn

27/05/2022

LizAnne S

Exploitive reality show concept, then a dull podcast about about it with a droning voice telling the story and awful, awful music going on and on and on. I gave up at episode 3 - yawn.
Underwhelmed

24/04/2022

dominique.marieclaire

I thought it an interesting story that became tedious with a present days lens. The nexus between the participants eventual death and a reality show was nebulous at best.
Captivating and heartbreaking

28/03/2022

sonniqua

Love Trace ❤️
The most gripping and awesome pod

05/03/2022

sfgsdfgs

This is so gripping, well made and interesting. People who have a problem with the host have their own issues. The whole thing is beautifully made. The ads are terrible, but that’s Wondery. Definitely worth your time