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Cloud10
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Diving deeper on the characters we love to consume! Laura Diez hosts guest conversations and shares stories exploring the portrayals of real people on reality tv, fictionalized women that stay in our memories, and pop culture legends. New episodes Tuesdays and Fridays.

  1. 2d ago

    Exploiting Anna's legacy? Trust Me, I'm a Doctor film reflections

    Nearly 20 years since her passing, the truth of Anna Nicole Smith's final years continues to play in the imaginations of the public. One of the doctors treating her at the time of her death, Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, self-published a memoir about his treatment of her that has been recently made into a film, with Kal Penn starring as the doctor and Abbie Cornish as Anna Nicole Smith. I'm sharing my thoughts on the film - probably has some spoilers! Vote for me for Top Host!!! https://tophost.org/2026/laura-diez Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/literallylaurad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  2. Oct 20

    Jill Ann Spaulding's Scandalous Mansion Tell-All

    Jill Ann Spaulding wanted nothing more than to grace the pages of Playboy magazine - and she was willing to do almost anything to make her dream come true. After committing to perfecting "the Playmate look," Jill Ann becomes a Cyber Girl, and manages to invite herself for a five day stay at the Playboy Mansion. In those five days, she gets a crash course on the Hugh Hefner girlfriend experience - night clubs, salon perks, and participation his the bedroom rituals. Over time, Jill Ann falls out of favor with the seven girlfriends, and eventually finds herself uninvited from all Playboy parties. In her rage over this betrayal, she self-published a scathing tell-all about her experience at the Mansion, leaving absolutely no secret spared. We are reading and recapping "Upstairs" (also "Hefnerland") by Jill Ann Spaulding, 2004. In 2017, Jill Ann Spaulding was a victim of a double murder suicide by her then-ex husband. Vote for me for Top Host!!! https://tophost.org/2026/laura-diez Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/literallylaurad Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 01:07 Background on Jill Ann 03:09 Writing a tell-all 04:56 Murder 07:13 Bathtub excerpt 07:31 Playboy aspirations 09:46 GlamourCon 2000 12:11 Pushing for Playmate 16:45 Finally a Cyber Girl 19:31 Hugh Hefner's birthday party 2002 22:09 Scheming to go back 25:38 Staying at the mansion 26:47 First club night 28:57 The bedroom 31:32 Becoming bolder 33:08 Club night and bedroom observations 34:10 Fun in the Sun 35:48 Leaving the mansion 40:47 New Cyber Girl friend 42:29 Playboy Golf 45:53 LA dreams 47:10 Girlfriend advice 48:22 San Diego, New Orleans parties 50:45 Reprimanded 51:17 Ticket sales - uninvited forever 52:52 My take 53:34 Right message wrong delivery 55:19 Life after Playboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  3. Oct 13

    Anna Nicole's Final Years - Part 2

    After years of legal battles, financial uncertainty, and being made into the butt of late night talk show jokes, Anna Nicole had the opportunity to reinvent herself once again. The Anna Nicole Show allowed audiences to fall in love - until they fell out again. Then, her iconic TrimSpa diet pill partnership gave her "a makeover" the public couldn't get enough of. During this time, she begins dating Larry Birkhead, who would be the father of her baby - a title he fought for as other paternity claims were seemingly coming out of thin air. During her final year, Anna lived in the Bahamas, and was still no stranger to scandal. Finally, we will overview the tragic details of Anna Nicole's final 24 hours and untimely passing, and who was (and was not) held responsible. Vote for me for Top Host!!! https://tophost.org/2026/laura-diez Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/literallylaurad Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 01:29 The Anna Nicole Show on E! 04:07 Anna's mindset 1996-2000 08:02 Line with Von Dutch 08:34 TrimSpa, baby! 10:52 Larry Birkhead speaking out 13:32 Anna Nicole + Larry at the Kentucky Derby 16:28 Larry starts working for Anna Nicole 18:22 Larry moves in! 19:12 "The oil man" 20:43 Anna wants a baby 24:47 Larry's thoughts on Howard K Stern 25:50 Rough patches 27:36 Anna goes to The Bahamas 28:41 My personal interjections - Anna + Nassau 31:08 Home ownership 32:06 Immigration minister 34:43 Dannielynn's birth + Daniel's death 35:49 Commitment ceremony to Howard K. Stern 37:05 Daniel's cause of death, Dr. Sandeep Kapoor 38:48 Who is the father? 44:28 Anna Nicole's death - her doctor 48:07 Anna Nicole's final days 51:01 The final hours 53:24 Who is held resposible? 54:14 Anna Nicole and Daniel's gravesite 55:35 My personal reflections 57:37 Anna's archives Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  4. Oct 6

    Anna Nicole Smith's Rise to Stardom - Part 1

    Nearly 20 years since her passing, the life and legacy of Anna Nicole Smith continues to play in the public's imagination. In this part, we're discussing the conflicting stories of her upbringing (was she really born in Mexia, Texas?) and how she crafted her backstory for the public, plus how the name Anna Nicole came to be. Plus, all about her billionaire husband, J Howard Marshall II and the battle for his estate, that went on for years after her passing. Vote for me for Top Host!!! https://tophost.org/2026/laura-diez Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/literallylaurad Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 02:14 Sources 04:25 Youth - Vicki Lynn Hogan 05:51 The Mexia years 08:10 Marriage and Baby Daniel 09:03 Dancing + surgeries 11:25 The photographer that changes her life 12:26 Playboy, Miss May 1992 15:30 GUESS 17:12 Becoming Anna Nicole 19:32 Meeting J Howard Marshall II 21:42 Billionaire's backstory 23:31 Wedding of Anna Nicole and Howard 24:38 Forced distance + Howard's death 26:06 The will is revealed 27:13 Did they really love each other? 30:48 The battle for the $1.6 Billion estate 36:28 Anna Nicole's personal battles Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  5. Sep 29

    Jo Collins: the Playmate sent to Vietnam

    After a soldier on duty in Vietnam purchased a lifetime subscription to Playboy, the brand had to follow through on an offer made years prior - that the first issue of a lifetime subscription would be hand-delivered by a Playmate. Jo Collins, Playmate of the Year 1965, was requested... and in January 1966, she flew to Saigon and spent three days touring combat areas. We're overviewing her history with the brand - from Miss September 1964 to a Bunny Mother and Playboy representative at Veterans Day events in the '90s. Plus, the details of her three days touring Vietnam, visiting American troops and signing photos of her pictorial that had been crumpled into helmets. Photos in the video version of this episode are primary by Larry Gordon for Playboy, sourced from "GI Jo: That Time We Sent a Playmate to Vietnam," May 26, 2026. Find me everywhere! Linktr.ee/LiterallyLauraD Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 03:08 Jo Collins, Miss September 1964 03:54 Playmate of the Year 1965 05:48 The request - "G.I. Jo" 07:33 Making it happen 09:04 Warm welcomes in Saigon 10:50 Day 1: Meeting Lt Price + hospital rounds 13:06 Day 2: Combat zones 15:02 Day 3: Honorary Sky Soldier 16:23 Post-POTY: acting, marriage, divorce 17:04 Playmate Forever 18:13 My curiosities 19:00 Playboy Magazine + Vietnam War 20:58 Conclusion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  6. Sep 22

    Shannon Tweed's Playboy Mansion experience

    Shannon Tweed lived 14 months at the Playboy Mansion, 1981-1982, as Hugh Hefner's girlfriend. Her story begins on a mink ranch in rural Canada, and a string of odd jobs in her youth, that led to her winning Miss Ottawa beauty pageant and testing for Playboy magazine three times. After being named as Miss November 1981, she finds herself at the Mansion for her first Midsummer Nights Dream party ... she later moves in and starts the adventure of her career as one of the most recognizable B-Film actresses of her time. Stories shared as told in her 2009 memoir, Kiss & Tell. Find me everywhere! linktr.ee/literallylaurad Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 03:13 Childhood in Canada 05:32 The Ottawa experience 08:37 Toronto, testing for Playboy 09:46 Midsummer Night's Dream party 1981 11:16 Life at the Playboy Mansion 14:35 Jaded 17:36 Break-up 17:58 Shannon's Playboy appearances 18:45 Acting 19:43 Midsummers 1983, meeting Gene Simmons 21:18 Life after Playboy 22:06 My reflections Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  7. Sep 15

    what Izabella St. James really thought being Hugh Hefner's girlfriend

    Book club!! We're recapping and reflecting on Izabella St. James' memoir, Bunny Tales: Behind Closed Doors at the Playboy Mansion. As one of the girlfriends in the final group of seven, leaving just before the Girls Next Door era, Izabella reflects in this book on the benefits, drawbacks, and misconceptions about living as one of the Seven Girlfriends of Hugh Hefner. I'm highlighting anecdotes and pointing out some differences in what Izabella tells us in this 2006 account, versus what we're hearing more recently from her and others about this time at the mansion. Find me everywhere! Linktr.ee/literallylaurad 00:00 Intro (+ my biases!) 02:08 What Izabella really thought of Zoe Gregory 03:28 Zoe + Izabella vs Holly + Bridget 04:59 Youth 05:25 Pepperdine Law School in Malibu, her intro to Playboy 07:46 First Fun in the Sun 09:17 Graduation + prepping for the Bar; meeting Zoe 11:10 Grammys 2002 + not passing the Bar 15:02 Becoming a live-in Girlfriend 17:36 Rumors about previous Girlfriends 18:53 Housemates - Holly, Renee, Stacy, Bridget 22:01 Selling tickets to Playboy parties 25:58 Doing less 27:56 Internship at Playboy Entertainment Group 29:37 Benefits of Girlfriend Status - why won't he pay her loans? 35:20 Cost of his lifestyle 37:37 In-house Conflicts 39:29 Nightclubs + Bedroom Routines 41:51 Boys boys boys 43:16 Beauty standards 44:52 Playmates 46:33 Prepping to leave 53:06 Finally moving out 54:26 Unfriendly terms 55:50 Girls Next Door 56:47 Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  8. Sep 8

    The truth about Gloria Steinem's time as a Bunny

    Gloria Steinem's 11-day undercover stint as a Bunny in Playboy's New York City club was the subject of a bombshell essay that changed her career. The impacts of her exposé absolutely impacted the Bunnies working across clubs - from the pay discrepancies, mandatory gynecological exams, and regular harassment from customers. However, a lot of the women working alongside Gloria, while she was posing as "Bunny Marie," had mixed feelings on her essay, as their experiences at the clubs may not have aligned with the cruel workplace described in the essays. Kathryn Lee Young (Scott), author of The Bunny Years, collects stories from women with very different memories of the clubs - including the author herself, who worked alongside her as Bunny Kay. Later, this piece inspired a 1984 made-for-TV film starring Kirstie Alley as Gloria (and I am reviewing it!). We're overviewing the complicated legacy of this exposé - its immediate reception, the changes Bunnies experienced as a result, the contradictory tales from other Bunnies, and Gloria Steinem's own regret about her time undercover at the NYC Playboy Club. Find me everywhere! Linktr.ee/literallylaurad Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 00:53 Gloria goes undercover 02:16 The bombshells from "A Bunny's Tale" 06:01 Disappointing earnings 07:26 Workplace harassment 08:32 Subpoenaed and making changes 09:11 Revisiting in 1980s (and my thoughts) 12:34 "All women are bunnies." 13:16 Reactions from "real" Bunnies + The Bunny Years 18:01 My reflections 18:40 Debating Steinem 20:57 Would Hugh Hefner and Gloria Steinem dated? 22:00 Why Gloria Steinem regrets being a Bunny 23:31 Kirstie Alley as Gloria in A Bunny's Tale (1984) 28:59 Final thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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About

Diving deeper on the characters we love to consume! Laura Diez hosts guest conversations and shares stories exploring the portrayals of real people on reality tv, fictionalized women that stay in our memories, and pop culture legends. New episodes Tuesdays and Fridays.

Information

  • Creator
    Cloud10
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    310
  • Copyright
    © Cloud10

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