Mind Your Own with Lupita Nyong'o

In 2017, Deven Grey, a young mother, shot and killed her abusive partner in a remote trailer in rural Shelby County, Alabama. She claimed self-defense and filed a Stand Your Ground claim. Instead of freedom, she was handed a “blind plea” – an option to take an unknown sentence in exchange for pleading guilty. As a Black woman who shot and killed a white man in Alabama, she did the only thing she could: She took the plea. Deven’s sentence became the final link in a chain of deceit, haunted land, generational trauma, false identity, coercive control, and a broken justice system. Hosted by Emmy Award-winning journalist Liz Flock, Blind Plea asks: Who do we believe, and why? And in America, who has the right to self defense and a fair trial?

It’s time to travel back to the Jeffersonian – this time, with an insider tour from the squint squad who made “Bones” one of the longest-running primetime dramas in TV history. Emily Deschanel (Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan) and Carla Gallo (Daisy Wick) are besties who met on set and are ready to take you back to the beginning, episode by episode. How did the show start?  Which first-season episode aired out of order? Why did the Angelator become the Angelatron? And shouldn’t Brennan have been wearing gloves or something when she was reconstructing that skull? (The answer is yes.) Emily and Carla will also interview the cast, the crew, the directors, and the producers who made the show so special. Whether you’re a new watcher or already King of the Lab, we promise this rewatch will save you from ever saying “I don’t know what that means” again.

Believe Her is true crime, upside down. In September 2017, young mom Nikki Addimando shot and killed her partner, Chris Grover. She was sentenced to nineteen years to life in prison for murder. Through rare access to police audio, a month-long trial, conversations with Nikki, and original reporting, journalist Justine van der Leun lays out the killing, the evidence, and the aftermath. As this six-part series unfolds, listeners will put together different pieces of a disturbing puzzle. One thing is clear: perception ≠ reality. Believe Her is a riveting chronicle that grapples with assumptions we make about domestic and sexual violence, the long reach of trauma, and the ways in which survival is criminalized, leaving us shocked at how far people will go to avoid seeing what's right in front of them. From Lemonada Media and Spiegel & Grau.

Hosted by five-time Grammy winner Sam Smith, The Pink House is about the people and places that make us who we are. One of those places was Sam’s childhood home in the English village of Great Chishill, literally called The Pink House. It was a space of total warmth and love where Sam felt safe enough to find their voice. On the podcast, Sam is sitting down with good friends and queer icons to explore their own “Pink Houses,” how they navigated early struggles and ultimately found their place in the world. From Elliot Page’s childhood bedroom to Joel Kim Booster’s joyful stint at a Cold Stone Creamery, Sam and their guests bring us transformative stories of belonging, chosen families, and the journeys we take to become who we were destined to be. This series feels like lighting a warm candle and enjoying a cup of tea with a dear friend. Learn how to love yourself, show up for others, and create a world that supports beauty of all kinds. From Lemonada Media. Photo: Jonathan Mannion

Julia Louis-Dreyfus returns for Season 3 of her award-winning podcast, Wiser Than Me™. Each week, she has funny, touching, personal conversations with iconic older women who are brimming with the kind of unapologetic attitude and wisdom that only comes with age. Julia sits at the feet of some extraordinary teachers this season, and of course her 90-year-old mom, Judith. Tune in to laugh, cry, and get wise. All Hail Old Women! Photo: Ryan Pfluger and August Image

We all have terrifying questions that we can’t stop thinking about. Did I make the right decision as a parent? Can I share a secret with my mother or father? Usually, these questions go unanswered because it’s too scary to imagine saying them out loud. This podcast is the place where young people and caring adults in their lives can ask the hardest questions of each other. Lemonada Media presents "I Need To Ask You Something," a unique 10-part series that bridges the gap between the things we need to say and the words we’re afraid to hear. Each week, trauma therapist Dr. Monica Band sits down with a young person and their parent, friend or partner to help them create a blueprint for building stronger relationships while healing out loud. Created in partnership with The Jed Foundation.