Lola Blanc

Podcasts

Episódios

  1. Martina Castro, Part 2 - Allegations, Disappearances, and the Crumbling Cult of John of God

    HÁ 5 DIAS

    Martina Castro, Part 2 - Allegations, Disappearances, and the Crumbling Cult of John of God

    This week we’re back with Martina Castro, creator of new Exactly Right podcast Two Faced: John of God, a series about John of God, the famous Brazilian “healer” and “psychic surgeon.” Last week she explained John of God’s so-called healings and doctor spirits that attracted celebrities and visitors from all over the world, and this week Martina walks Lola & Meagan through some of the darker allegations that began to come out.She shares about how the sexual abuse survivors began to come forward with their stories, the deep political influence John of God had in the town that allowed him to get away with it in plain sight for literally decades, and the mysterious disappearances of people in the town. They discuss the dynamics of devotion and denial, and what it takes to finally break the spell. SOURCESTwo-Faced: John of GodDos Caras: Juan de Dios See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    52min
  2. Martina Castro, Part 1 - Psychic Surgeries & John of God's Spiritual Celebrity

    18 DE FEV.

    Martina Castro, Part 1 - Psychic Surgeries & John of God's Spiritual Celebrity

    This week’s guest is Martina Castro, creator of podcast Two Faced: John of God, Exactly Right’s new podcast series about John of God, the Brazilian self-proclaimed healer and “psychic surgeon.” In part one, Martina explains John of God’s history and mythology, how he became internationally famous for his alleged healings (amplified by celebrities like Oprah), and the carefully primed environment he created called “the Casa.” Everyone dressed in white! Crystals! Waterfalls! And of course, lines of pilgrims watching him channel “doctor spirits” to supposedly heal the town's many visitors.They discuss how his “free healings” weren’t as free as promised, his so-called “invisible surgeries” that supposedly worked from across the globe, and the in-person healings he did that involved putting objects up uncomfortably far up people’s nasal cavities. And next week, we’ll get into the explosive allegations that came out during the #MeToo movement. SOURCESTwo-Faced: John of GodDos Caras: Juan de Dios See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    50min
  3. Parvati Shallow - From Surviving a Cult to Winning Survivor

    11 DE FEV.

    Parvati Shallow - From Surviving a Cult to Winning Survivor

    This week, the show is joined by Parvati Shallow, two-time Survivor winner, current cast member on The Traitors, and author of Nice Girls Don’t Win: How I Burned it All Down to Claim My Power. Parvati shares about her childhood growing up in the Kashi Ashram, a high-control commune led by Joyce Green–or, as she made everyone call her, “Ma”. She discusses Joyce’s origin story and how she claimed to have experienced the stigmata, Joyce’s relationship with Ram Dass (who he later said he’d been bamboozled by her), and how she became increasingly coercive and controlling, including taking children from their parents and instructing members to scam their own families for money.Parvati reflects on how her parents escaped but ultimately came back to the group, what it was like living on the commune and being wild in nature, and how surviving that environment shaped her instincts, resilience, and ability to read people–skills that later helped her win Survivor, and how she’s now unpacking what it means to reclaim her power on her own terms. SOURCES Nice Girls Don't Win See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    53min
  4. Jenny Eliscu - Conservatorships & Freeing Britney Spears

    4 DE FEV.

    Jenny Eliscu - Conservatorships & Freeing Britney Spears

    This week’s guest is Jenny Eliscu, journalist, radio host, and producer on Britney vs. Spears, which covered Britney Spears’ infamous conservatorship. She explains how Britney’s struggles in 2008 were used to justify a permanent conservatorship—despite the contradiction of her being deemed too incapacitated to control her own life, yet well enough to tour, record, and generate massive income that her father, whom she barely had a relationship with, was in charge of.Drawing from decades of reporting, a personal relationship with Britney, and her work on Britney v. Spears, Jenny breaks down the severity of the conservatorship, stripping Britney of the right to use her phone, make medical decisions, or even have a say in who her lawyer was going to be, and where Britney’s fight to end the conservatorship finally landed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h9min
  5. Jonathan Hirsch, Part 1 - A Guru, a Compound, and the Cult of Adi Da

    21 DE JAN.

    Jonathan Hirsch, Part 1 - A Guru, a Compound, and the Cult of Adi Da

    This week’s guest is Jonathan Hirsch, podcaster, producer, and author who grew up in Adidam, a cult led by new age guru Franklin Jones - also known as Adi Da. In this week’s episode, Jonathan explains how his parents joined the group while on a spiritual journey that started with them following a different guru, how many of Jones’s followers were indoctrinated by listening to his tapes, and the cult’s constantly changing belief system.They discuss one follower’s fascinating experience seeing the doctrine differently after translating it into another language, what it was like growing up on the cult’s compound (with parents that were acupuncturists for the leader), and how helpful it is to know that there are other “cult kids” out there.SOURCES Dear Franklin Jones See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    59min
  6. David Farrier - Conspiracies, Cults, and Investigating Arise Church

    14 DE JAN.

    David Farrier - Conspiracies, Cults, and Investigating Arise Church

    This week, Trust Me is joined by David Farrier, journalist and filmmaker known for documentaries like Tickled and Netflix series Dark Tourist. He shares about his work studying strange subcultures and conspiracy theorists and what he’s learned along the way, and then dives into his investigation into Arise Church, the largest megachurch in New Zealand.David explains how his interviews with ex members revealed the church’s systemic pattern of exploiting harrowing unpaid internships--with work hours that led to multiple members having mental breakdowns. He discusses the financial exploitation and sexual assault cover-ups that occurred, how it all got exposed, and what became of the church. Plus: a couple of tangents, including one about Hell House, the Christian church-run haunted house that simulates hell to scare you into joining. SOURCES Webworm Flightless Bird Podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h13min
  7. Jess Rothschild - SoulCycle and the Cult of Spinning

    7 DE JAN.

    Jess Rothschild - SoulCycle and the Cult of Spinning

    This week’s guest is Jess Rothschild, creator of documentary podcast "Cult of Body & Soul," which dives into the history of cult fitness brand Soulcycle. She explains the spinning company's origins, how the workout environment was engineered to create an almost religious experience, and why instructors chosen for their devoted followings and special charisma made it a cultural phenomenon.They discuss the social hierarchies that formed inside and outside of class, the mysticism infused into the culture, and what she herself loved about it--and how the corporate takeover of the brand changed everything. SOURCES Cult of Body and Soul See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h2min
  8. Jonathan Hirsch, Part 2 - Meditation, Getting Blessed, and Leaving Adidam

    28 DE JAN.

    Jonathan Hirsch, Part 2 - Meditation, Getting Blessed, and Leaving Adidam

    In part 2 with podcaster & writer Jonathan Hirsch (creator of podcasts like Dear Franklin Jones), Lola & Meagan discuss life in the cult of Franklin Jones, aka Adi Da. They discuss the dramatic meditation rituals in the group, what it felt like to get blessed by the leader, and how different members saw some of the same things that had happened completely differently, depending on whether they still believed in him later or not.They discuss the lawsuits and allegations against Jones and how the cult panic of the time impacted the way his followers saw them, the importance of being able to admit when you’re wrong, and how ultimately Jonathan left. SOURCES Dear Franklin Jones The Mind Is Burning   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h4min
  9. Theo Pratt - Blue Dresses, Smacking Ladies, and an Isolated Compound: Surviving Gloriavale

    17/12/2025

    Theo Pratt - Blue Dresses, Smacking Ladies, and an Isolated Compound: Surviving Gloriavale

    This week’s guest is Theo Pratt, survivor of Gloriavale, an isolated Christian cult hidden deep in rural New Zealand, and author of Unveiled: A Story of Surviving Gloriavale. She’ll talk about being raised on the strictly controlled commune where people were assigned new names, women wore identical dresses and head coverings, and children weren’t taught the real days of the week—or even where they were in the world.Theo shares about the leader Neville Cooper’s self-proclaimed divine authority, how “smacking ladies” kept the kids in line—and guards kept the compound controlled, and her rebellious streak that led her to planning an escape attempt on a tandem bicycle. And of course, the moment she realized she couldn’t stay, and what it felt like to step into the outside world she’d been taught would destroy her. SOURCES: Unveiled: A Story of Surviving Gloriavale See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h15min
  10. Renee DiResta - Part 1: Propaganda, Disinformation, and Bespoke Realities

    03/12/2025

    Renee DiResta - Part 1: Propaganda, Disinformation, and Bespoke Realities

    This week’s guest is Renee DiResta, professor, and author of Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality. In part one this week, she talks to Lola and Meagan about propaganda, disinformation vs. misinformation, and how social media algorithms push us all into highly individualized, “bespoke” realities.They discuss how she became interested in this topic after social media algorithms started suggesting anti-vaxxer content to her, how rage bait and other emotionally charged material spreads faster, and why social media makes it seem like other people have more extreme views than the majority of them actually do.SOURCES Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    52min
  11. REWIND: Elana Auerbach - OneTaste (aka the Orgasm Cult)

    31/12/2025

    REWIND: Elana Auerbach - OneTaste (aka the Orgasm Cult)

    Episode 19: Lola Blanc & Meagan Elizabeth interview Elana Auerbach, former follower of sexual wellness company OneTaste--elsewhere deemed the Orgasm Cult--in its early years. Elana discusses being the founder's right hand woman as the program developed, and how the sexual practice involving stimulating a woman's g******s evolved into what's now called Orgasmic Meditation. They discuss how Elana came to center her life around the founder, how she was manipulated, and what snapped her out of it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h11min
  12. REWIND: Felicia Rosario and Daniel Levin - Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence

    24/12/2025

    REWIND: Felicia Rosario and Daniel Levin - Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence

    Survivor's of Larry Ray's sex cult Felicia and Daniel discuss how they came to meet Larry, how he leveraged his memory and connections to craft an image of authority, how Larry gained control of their lives under the guise of helping them, when the manipulation elevated into sexual abuse and violence, and how they're doing now that Larry is going to jail for the harm he has caused.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h4min
  13. 490 - Trust Me

    24/07/2025

    490 - Trust Me

    This week, Karen and Georgia sit down with the hosts of Exactly Right’s newest podcast, Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation. Survivors Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth share their firsthand experiences, discuss what draws people into high-control groups like Heaven’s Gate, the Manson Family and NXIVM and explore how to find a way out. Trust Me premieres on July 30 with new episodes every Wednesday. Follow, rate and review Trust Me wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the show on Instagram at @trustmepodcast and TikTok at @trustmecultpodcast. For our sources and show notes, visit www.myfavoritemurder.com/episodes. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3UFCn1g. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h3min
  14. Renee DiResta - Part 2: Pseudo-Events, More on Disinformation, and Telling Fact From Fiction

    10/12/2025

    Renee DiResta - Part 2: Pseudo-Events, More on Disinformation, and Telling Fact From Fiction

    Renee DiResta, professor and author of Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality, joins the show again to dive deeper into disinformation, propaganda, and "pseudo-events," or manufactured controversies and news stories.She explains why it’s so difficult to tell fact from fiction online, how propagandists stoke real, often legitimate tensions to create division, how American politicians are amplifying false information instead of shutting it down, and possible policies that could help reduce our culty social media silos.SOURCES Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-events in America See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    50min
  15. MFM Presents…Trust Me

    08/08/2025

    MFM Presents…Trust Me

    My Favorite Murder presents the premiere episode of Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation, a podcast about cults, extreme belief and the people who’ve lived through it—now part of the Exactly Right network. Hosted by cult survivors Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth, Trust Me features first-person stories and expert insight into how high-control groups operate, why people get pulled in and what it takes to break free. In this first episode, artist and writer Akina Cox shares what it was like growing up in the Unification Church—also known as the Moonies. From her parents’ mass wedding and unpaid labor to life on the border of North and South Korea, Akina reflects on the moment she began questioning everything she was raised to believe. Listen on the iHeartRadio App, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow @trustmepodcast on Instagram and @trustmecultpodcast on TikTok. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h5min
  16. Mike & Abbi Prussack - Part 1: A Church with No Name, Isolated Childhoods, and Doomsday Fear

    12/11/2025

    Mike & Abbi Prussack - Part 1: A Church with No Name, Isolated Childhoods, and Doomsday Fear

    This week, Lola and Meagan talk with Mike and Abbi Prussack, former members of Meagan’s childhood church, the 2x2s, also known as The Truth or The Way. The couple, who now help moderate the Ex-2x2 Facebook community, share what it was like growing up in a secretive religious group with no name, no building, and strict rules about who could be “in.”They open up about meeting and marrying within the church, the single question that shattered their faith, and how leaving forced them to rebuild their identities from scratch.Next week, part two dives into the FBI investigation, decades of hidden abuse, and what’s happening inside the group now that the truth is finally being exposed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    47min
  17. Tim Squirrell - Incels, Redpill, and the Manosphere

    05/11/2025

    Tim Squirrell - Incels, Redpill, and the Manosphere

    This week, researcher Tim Squirrel joins Lola & Meagan to break down the manosphere: incels, redpill, MGTOW, and the differences between some of the misogynistic subcultures in the online world of men. They discuss how isolation can leave boys vulnerable to harmful internet communities, and how the algorithm can radicalize young people looking for identity.From Andrew Tate to Jordan Peterson, Tim shares why and how hyper-masculine spaces thrive, touting themselves as self-help programs or advocating for withdrawing from society altogether. They chat about why these communities can also be bad for the people inside them, whether Lola has accidentally dated incels, and what to do if someone you know has fallen down the rabbit hole. SOURCES Movember See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h11min
  18. Mike & Abbi Prussack – Part 2: Predators in Power, Institutional Denial, and the Fight to Expose It

    19/11/2025

    Mike & Abbi Prussack – Part 2: Predators in Power, Institutional Denial, and the Fight to Expose It

    This week, Lola and Meagan continue their conversation with Mike and Abbi Prussack, former members of Meagan’s childhood church, the 2x2s. In part 2, they walk the girls through the abuse crisis that has shaken the group in recent years and the long-standing patterns that allowed the harm to continue. Mike and Abbi explain how church leadership handled reports, why victims felt they had nowhere to turn, and how secrecy and obedience has shaped the culture for generations.They also discuss the FBI investigation, the community’s response, and what it has been like to help moderate the Ex 2x2 Facebook group during a moment of collective reckoning. The conversation looks at the cost of silence and the pressure to stay loyal, plus why so many people are choosing to finally speak out now. SOURCES Wings for Truth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    44min
  19. Lola's Mom - Mormon-Offshoot Cult

    07/10/2020

    Lola's Mom - Mormon-Offshoot Cult

    Episode 1: Lola and Meagan interview Christine Marie, Lola's mom, about her and Lola's experiences believing in a self-proclaimed Mormon prophet. They discuss how they came to believe in him, their separation from each other, Christine's harrowing trafficking experience, and Lola's childhood memories of Keith Raniere from NXIVM. If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, shoot us an email at trustmepod@gmail.com. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: @trustmepodcast @oohlalola @vibehigherbitch OR TWITTER: @trustmecultpod @ohlalola See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h14min
  20. Sarma Melngailis - Part 1: Bad Vegan, Meeting Mr. Fox, and Early Red Flags

    22/10/2025

    Sarma Melngailis - Part 1: Bad Vegan, Meeting Mr. Fox, and Early Red Flags

    In part 1 with guest Sarma Melngailis, subject of the docuseries Bad Vegan and author of The Girl with the Duck Tattoo, Sarma shares about her life as the owner of a successful vegan restaurant in New York, how she met the man who called himself Mr. Fox on Twitter when he seemed to know her friend Alec Baldwin, her first impressions of Mr. Fox, and some of the initial red flags she missed.They discuss the way he slowly wormed his way into her life, how he first started asking for money in a way that seemed innocuous at first, and some of the many manipulation tactics he used to coerce her into transferring an astronomical amount of money to him--and ultimately blowing up her life. SOURCES The Girl With the Duck Tattoo See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h2min
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