This Is Actually Happening

Wondery
  • 4.7 (719)
  • DOCUMENTARY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
This Is Actually Happening

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What if you were trafficked into a cult...or were mauled by a grizzly bear...or were stabbed 27 times by a serial killer - what would you do? This is Actually Happening brings you extraordinary true stories of life-changing events told by the people who lived them. From a man who woke up in the morgue to a woman stranded in a Mexican desert fighting to survive, these stories will have you on the edge of your seat waiting to hear what happens next. Listen to exclusive episodes of This is Actually Happening ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/this-is-actually-happening/ now.

  1. 5 DAYS AGO

    What if you risked your freedom to liberate the animals?

    A bullied boy finds companionship in his animal friends, but as he grows up and finds himself trapped in a soulless career, he discovers a new purpose: freeing animals from captivity and facing the dire consequences.   Today’s episode featured Wayne Hsiung. You can reach out to Wayne at info@simpleheart.org or on Instagram, YouTube and Substack @waynehhsiung.  Wayne Hsiung is an animal cruelty investigator, former faculty member at Northwestern School of Law, and co-founder and Executive Director of The Simple Heart Initiative. He has led teams that have investigated and rescued animals from factory farms and slaughterhouses across the nation – challenging unconstitutional “ag-gag” laws in the process – and has organized successful campaigns to ban fur in San Francisco and California. He served as lead counsel (and, sometimes, defendant) in four “right to rescue” trials in which activists were prosecuted after being charged for giving aid to sick and dying animals in factory farms, garnering media attention from The New York Times. He is also a co-founder and former lead organizer of the grassroots animal rights network Direct Action Everywhere.  Wayne’s work has been covered by WIRED, ABC’s Nightline, and on The Ezra Klein Show.  He has published on the right to rescue in Harvard Law Review and climate change’s impact on animals in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. Prior to his work as an animal advocate, Wayne practiced law at two national firms and studied law and economics at the University of Chicago, where he was an Olin Law and Economics Fellow, and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship. He is the proud parent of Oliver, who was rescued from the dog meat trade.  LINK TO OUR LISTENER SURVEY!  We’ve come up with a short audience survey, which you can find linked in our show notes and in the bio of our Instagram page @actuallyhappening. We’d love to hear your opinions and feedback, and we’d really appreciate your point of view. Link below: LISTENER SURVEY   Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Jason Blalock Content/Trigger Warnings: bullying, animal cruelty/abuse/torture/killing, domestic animals as food, breaking and entering, arrest/jail/interrogation, explicit language Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Twitter: @TIAHPodcast   Website: thisisactuallyhappening.com   Website for Andrew Waits: andrdewwaits.com Website for Jason Blalock: jasonblalock.com   Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happening   Wondery Plus: All episodes of the show prior to episode #130 are now part of the Wondery Plus premium service. To access the full catalog of episodes, and get all episodes ad free, sign up for Wondery Plus at wondery.com/plus   Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link: thisisactuallyhappening.com/shop to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop.    Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.com   Intro Music: "Illabye" – Tipper Music Bed: Cylinder Four   Services If you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources: National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Text or Call 988  National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264 National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 5m

  2. 14 JAN

    What if you were a political hostage in Iran?

    After accidentally crossing the border into Iran on a hike with her friend and her partner, a woman is detained and held for over a year in solitary confinement, awakening to the sobering realities of oppression and the fight for a new path to justice.

    1h 9m

  3. TRAILER

    Introducing: Encounters

    Encounters dives into one of the most famous and unsolved UFO encounters to ever take place in the UK. What really happened over two nights in December 1980, when US servicemen saw mysterious lights in the skies? UFO expert Andy McGrillen and producer Elle Scott examine all of the evidence and conflicting theories about what happened and try to answer the question “Are we alone”  Listen to Encounters exclusively on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting www.wondery.com/links/encounters.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    9 min

  4. 7 JAN

    What if you survived a serial killer? [Rebroadcast #259]

    While pregnant and navigating a rocky relationship, a woman coming home from a local fair stops for a soda one night and suddenly faces the brutal terror of a notorious serial killer.

    58 min

  5. 31/12/2024

    What if you ran the ER five blocks away? [Rebroadcast #202]

    On September 11th, 2001 an ER Doctor finds himself in charge of the closest emergency room to the Twin Towers.

    50 min

  6. 24/12/2024

    What if nine bullets shattered your dreams? [Rebroadcast #240]

    Growing up with a single mother and a father in jail, a dancer’s life is forever changed when one night, while doing a favor for a friend, two unknown shooters open fire.

    57 min

  7. 17/12/2024

    What if you spent 7 years in a Thai prison?

    After developing a severe heroin addiction as a teenager, a woman winds up incarcerated in Thailand, facing unimaginable conditions.

    1h 2m

  8. 10/12/2024

    What if you were caught in a spiral of violence?

    A young woman, haunted by anxiety, cycles through toxic relationships, culminating in a harrowing witness to a lover's final act.

    54 min
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4.7
out of 5
719 Ratings

About

What if you were trafficked into a cult...or were mauled by a grizzly bear...or were stabbed 27 times by a serial killer - what would you do? This is Actually Happening brings you extraordinary true stories of life-changing events told by the people who lived them. From a man who woke up in the morgue to a woman stranded in a Mexican desert fighting to survive, these stories will have you on the edge of your seat waiting to hear what happens next. Listen to exclusive episodes of This is Actually Happening ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/this-is-actually-happening/ now.

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