Betrayal - Bernie Pt. 1 | Betrayal Weekly

Episode Date: October 9, 2025

Bernie Brown met a charming man from a powerful UK family. Their romance had to stay secret. But Bernie would soon learn, the real secret was far more dangerous. You can follow Bernie on TikTok @BernieBrown If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal Team, email us at [e-mail] and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod  To access our newsletter and additional content and to connect with the Betrayal community, join our Substack at betrayal.substack.com.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Two rich young Americans move to the Costa Rican jungle to start over, but one of them will end up dead and the other tried for murder three times. It starts with a dream, a nature reserve and a spectacular new home. But little by little, they lose it. They actually lose it. They sort of went nuts. Until one night, everything spins out of control. Listen to Hell in Heaven on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, it's Karen and Georgia, and we just celebrated our 500th episode of my favorite murder. That's 500 podcasts filled with true crime, comedy, and some light girl math. We're about to podcast for you. Watch this. We have to think of something to say after Welcome every week, and we're doing it. Every week for 10 years. Almost 10 years. 10 years. 10. That's what 500 episodes sounds like. New episodes every Thursday. Listen to my favorite murder on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Goodbye.

On this podcast in cells, we unpack an emerging mindset. I am a loser. If I also women, I want to tame me out there. A hidden world of resentment, cynicism, anger against women at a deadly tipping point. Tomorrow is the day of retribution. The day in which I will have my revenge. This is Incells. Listen to season one of Incells on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The murder of an 18-year-old girl in Graves County, Kentucky, went unsolved for years, until a local housewife, a journalist, and a handful of girls came forward with a story. America, y'all better work the hell up. Bad things happens to good people in small towns. Listen to Graves County on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

And to binge the entire season, ad free, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Hey, Betrayal fans, I have exciting news to share. Season 3 of betrayal is now a docu-series on Hulu. It's the gripping story of Stacey Tyler and the doctor who betrayed them. See the voices you've come to know in betrayal under his eye, streaming now on Hulu. So we sat down and he was like, he doesn't believe in NDA, so he's not going to ask for one of them. And I was just like, what the hell is going on here? Like, what is happening?

And it was like, oh, do you know what? I think I need to tell you a little bit about my family history. I'm Andrea Gunning and this is Betrayal, a show about the people we trust the most and the deceptions that change everything. Today, I want to introduce you to Bernie Brown. My entire life's been paycheck to paycheck. I'm just very clever with it. I've cut my own hair for the past 20 years and colored it because I'm like, well, if somebody else can do that, why can't I do that?

While growing up in London, Bernie experienced a difficult upbringing. My childhood was very rough. My mom was extremely strong, but she. She was going through massive domestic violence with my dad at one point, very, very seriously. We're talking like hospitalisation. Bernie witnessed his dad's violence at a young age. I do remember one time walking into the kitchen and he had her up by a knife. I actually still remember to this day the layout of the room.

I remember it very, very vividly. She would be the punching bag to make sure that we were not. ever harmed. His mom was a pillar of strength. My mother, everything I do, and the person that I am now, is because of who she was and what she showed me. What Bernie remembers most about his mom was how she always made everyone feel at home. She was always very house-proud, always cleaning.

When I hit school, my friends would come over to see her. She was very much an open door. The door was never locked, which was probably unsafe, but anyone knocked on the door, anyone who needed help regardless of whether she had it or not, it would always be a yes. And she was very, very well known for that. When Bernie came out as gay. My family were lovely with it. I was very, very, very lucky.

That enabled me to actually be proud and celebrate it. He began to explore the queer scene in London. When you first come out as being gay, you've got the big clubs, you know, the J.A.Y. Astoria, which has closed down now. I spent many a happy evening there, shall we say? Bernie was living his best life. It was a fun and exciting time. But deep down, he was looking for real partnership. I really wanted to find somebody to settle down with.

I just wanted that one-on-one connection. I don't remember actually witnessing a stable relationship. And I think that's why I so desperately needed one. At age 18, Bernie found what he was looking for. I met my first real boyfriend at the time in London. We moved to Newcastle, we bought a house. We had two dogs and two cars and we had that life. I must have been 22, 23, and it wasn't legal in the UK to get married at that point.

So what we did, we threw a party and we legally changed our names. So we kind of had our little version of a wedding and it was just going amazingly. He had everything he wanted and it was great for about eight years. But then it just didn't work. When that failed, we were actually very close friends for about 10 years. after. I was the best man at his wedding. After their relationship ended, Bernie's mother's health started to decline. At the age of 46,

she died of heart failure. We had that time to say goodbye, which rarely do people get. I could actually process it there and then. And we both said what we felt and, you know, what she wanted from us in life. Now Bernie felt truly out on his own. He was newly single and starting over in the city. I was in London. Of course, I had flings and, you know, all of them that come with it. But every single time, I would never see somebody or sleep with somebody and instantly just disregard. There would always be an element

of, hmm, could this go further? He was a romantic, but Bernie knew he had to prioritize himself and his career. After years of working in retail, Bernie wanted to start a brand of his own. So he started saving everything he could to start his own clothing brand. I've never, never had money at all. But I've always worked very, very hard for the money that I do have. I've always wanted to work for myself. Not answered to anyone. So I started a clothing t-shirt business like my own prints and selling them online. And I was like, it's my time. Let me build something that's my own.

Even though Bernie was working a lot, he still wanted to have a good time. I don't need the relationship at the minute, but you need the physical side of it. So he went on Grindr, the dating app for gay men. So I was used it happily. I'd actually met some quite good friends now.

I actually do still remember the message come through because I had a glass of wine and I was sat with a glass of wine and I got the famous Drup. I remember there was something intriguing. It was very well written and not the usual

first opening message that you get on that kind of app. And I thought, you know, it's a nice breath of fresh air. There's nothing going to hurt. I'll just entertain it. His name was Leo. And Bernie had never seen him on the app before.

I was like, I've not seen you around here. here before. And it was like, no, I live in central London by Hyde Park, just around the corner from Harrod to sat and the other. Instantly, I was like, well, hold on there, like 20 million pounds. Bernie didn't know anyone with a house in Hyde Park. That was a completely different world. Bear in mind, it's Grindr. You instantly just think, okay, all right, this fictional, whatever, so you entertain. And I was like, oh, lovely, fine. Leo was quick to ask him on a date. He was like, I'm not big talking on these apps.

I'm around the corner. Why don't you come over? Nothing unsawored. He was like, just, you know, let me cook you some dinner. And we'll just have a glass of wine. And I then was like, oh, this is very sweet. He's very well-spoken. In addition to his apartment in London, Leo also had a luxury trailer,

an air stream that he kept a. a high-end campground. They've got their own unique gardens and plots and all of these. It's beautiful. So I was like, okay, this is nice. There's this big, beautiful white range rover that was sat next to it. He was very articulate. And he did speak Queen's English.

It's very smooth, but pronounces every word as intended by Her Majesty, the Queen. I was like, oh my God, I need to like, you know, I need to up it up it a notch. Leo made a delicious dinner. Instantly, I was taking it. Just his charm, I've never met anybody with that smooth charm that isn't patronizing. It just was focused on me and we had an amazing meal. Bernie was really enjoying himself. He liked talking to Leo.

bonded over cars. He went through his picture gallery and he had all of these cars. We had the Bentley's. We had Aston Martins. We had quite a few range rovers, some old classics. And he was just flicking through and it was like, this is my pride and joy. I love cars and this, that and the other. The pictures also showed that Leo had serious money, a lot of it.

You can kind of tell if somebody's got old money or new money. New money is very much the designer head to toe and all of this. Old money is you can't really tell if they've got money. They're the chinos, the nice shirt, the necktire, that kind. And that's how he was. But Bernie didn't understand why he asked him to come to his trailer instead of his London apartment. At that point, he just said he was from a very influential family within the UK. And because of his family, he can't be out.

He can't be gay. So to escape all of the craziness, he needs somewhere to get away. And he said, nobody knows about this caravan. Like his family don't know. Security doesn't know. So for him, it's just his little getaway to just be himself. So I was like, okay, fine. But at that point, I didn't know who his family was.

Bernie ended up staying and hanging out with Leo for hours. It got dark. It must have been around about 11 to 12 o'clock at night. It was like, oh, let's go inside, let's go in the caravan. And we sat in the sofa area and just had a conversation. But there's something very weird that happened. It was like, do you mind if I ask you to do something? Can you just undress in front of me?

I won't touch. I won't do anything like that. I probably had a bottle of wine. So I did and I got naked and he didn't. And he was like, just turn around for me and that was it. And it's like, okay, you can get dressed now. I was like, what was all that about? He was just like, I've not been with many men.

So I'm a little bit nervous. Instantly, I was like, oh, that's so sweet. They kissed good night and Bernie got a taxi home. Next morning I woke up and of course there was the most beautiful message that was on my phone and he was like, look, I really want to see you again. I can't get you out of my mind, this and the other and we just had normal conversation through the day. I just started feeling a bit warm.

I was just like, is this really happening? They decided on a second date. So again, I went over. we had something to eat the conversation was effortless the subjects it was just it was so smooth it was as if i'd known him for years it was so easy and then we started kissing and this that and the other and then he um i remember he started coughing and i was like oh is everything okay And it was like, yeah, it's fine, I'm just, I'm very, very nervous. So I was like, listen, let's just sit, take it slow and, you know, see where we go.

Nothing has to happen. And then, you know, we went back to it and things were happening. And then he kind of had a coffin fit. And it actually got really serious that I was like, I'll get you a glass of water. So I got him a glass of water. And he would not stop coughing. So I was like, I'm just going to step outside. because by this point he was bringing things up

it was not romantic at all and I was outside for about 10 minutes and all you could hear was this hacking up and at that point I was stood there and I was like what do I do I go do I just like leave but then my car keys are in there this is really awkward

so then he called me back in and we had this conversation and he just apologised and that's when he said that he's got a few health issues and he's like he's getting them checked up and it's nothing too serious to worry about at the minute and it was like so apologetic I was like honestly it's fine let's just watch something calm down

it's I was like it's generally not a big deal after Leo recovered from his coughing fit Bernie stayed and they ended up having a really lovely evening we had a few dates at that point it was like, can I come to yours? So I was like, do you know what? Yes. Come to mine.

I will cook as a nice meal. And then that's the first time that he came round. And he brought the Bentley. This Bentley continental white thing pulled up and I was like, what the hell is this? Bernie had seen the pictures of Leo's cars. But he was skeptical that Leo really owned all of them. All the way up until that point.

And that was a few weeks in. I took everything with a pinch of salt. And then I think that was the first time when the Bentley pulled up. I'm like, hold on, if this is true. The Bentley was impressive. I'd never even been close to a Bentley. It's like, do you want to ride? So I was like, yes.

I was like, come on. So I got in and we went for a drive and, oh, my God, it goes fast. Beautiful car. Later that night, when they were deep in conversation, It slipped in. It was like, oh, I've got to go down to the castle today for whatever event I have to. I'm being dragged down. And I was like, castle, what's this?

And it was like, oh, do you know what? I think I need to tell you a little bit about my family history. In the new podcast, Hell in Heaven, two young Americans moved to the Costa Rican jungle to start over. But one will end up dead. The other tried for murder. Not once. People went wild.

Not twice. Stoned. But three times. John and Anne Bender are rich and attractive, and they're devoted to each other. They create a nature reserve and build a spectacular, circular home high on the top of a hill. But little by little, their dream starts to crumble, and our couple retreat from reality. They lose it. They actually lose it. They sort of went nuts.

Until one night, everything spins out of control. Listen to Hell in Heaven on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, it's Karen and Georgia, and we just celebrated our 500th episode of My Favorite Murder. That's 500 podcasts filled with true crime, comedy, and some light girl math. We're about to podcast for you. Watch this. We have to think of something to say after Welcome every week, and we're doing it. Every week for 10 years. Almost 10 years.

10 years. 10. That's what 500 episodes sounds like. New episodes every Thursday. Listen to my favorite murder on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Goodbye. All I know is what I've been told, and that's a half-truth is a whole lie. For almost a decade, the murder of an 18-year-old girl from a small town in Graves County, Kentucky, went unsolved, until a local homemaker, a journalist, and a handful of girls came forward with a story.

I'm telling you, we know Quincy Kilder, we know. A story that law enforcement used to convict six people, and that got the citizen investigator on national TV. Through sheer persistence and nerve, this Kentucky housewife helped give justice to Jessica Curran. My name is Maggie Freeling. I'm a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, producer, And I wouldn't be here if the truth were that easy to find. I did not know her and I did not kill her. Or rape or burn or any of that other stuff that y'all said.

They literally made me say that I took a match and struck and threw it on her. They made me say that I poured gas on her. From Lava for Good, this is Graves County, a show about just how far our legal system will go in order to find someone to blame. America, y'all better work the hell up. Bad things happens to good people in small towns. Listen to Graves County in the Bone Valley feed on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to binge the entire season ad free, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts.

Hey, it's Ed Helms, and welcome back to Snafu, my podcast about history's greatest screw-ups. On our new season, we're bringing you a new snafu every single episode. 32 lost nuclear weapons. Wait, stop? What? Yeah. Ernie Shackleton sounds like a solid 70s basketball player. Who still wore knee pads?

Yes. It's going to be a whole lot of history, a whole lot of funny, and a whole lot of guests. The great Paul Shear made me feel good. I'm like, oh, wow. Angela and Jenna, I am so psyched. You're here. What was that like for you to soft launch into the show? Sorry, Jenna, I'll be asking the questions today.

I forgot whose podcasts we were doing. Nick Kroll. I hope this story is good enough to get you to toss that sandwich. So let's see how it goes. Listen to season four of Snap-Foo with Ed Helms on the I-Hart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Bernie was really enjoying getting to know Leo, a guy he met on Grindr. He knew Leo came from money, and after a few dates, he confided in Bernie about his family's backstory.

So he sat down and he was like, right, he doesn't believe in NDA, so he's not going to ask for one of them. And I was just like, what the hell is going on here? Like, what is happening? A non-disclosure agreement? Bernie wasn't following. But then He opened up with Do you know who the Norfolk's are?

And I said no I have no idea who that is. So then he went through the family history So it was like my dad's brother is the Duke of Norfolk I didn't know who that was He was like the Duke of Norfolk is the highest peerage in the UK

outside of the royal family So it's literally the royal family Then the estate of the Duke of Norfolk They're bloodline royals they're just not direct in line to the front. Obviously, I had a little look on Google, and you can see on his profile who the Duke of Norfolk and the immense responsibility that he has within Britain.

So I was like, okay, fine. So that's your dad's brother. He was like, yeah. And Leo's title? He was Viscount Norfolk the second. And the castle he'd mentioned offhand was a Rundle Castle, a thousand-year-old architectural masterpiece in the south of England. And he was like, let me show you something.

Because at that point, he'd brung an overnight bag. And he had this Cartier box, quite slim, and opened it. It was a crest with flower spikes all around. It was a circular shape. With the St. George's Cross in the middle. Then had some inscriptions on it, and it had the house. out of Norfolk and Fitz-Allen. And he said, we have to carry this everywhere we go.

Badges and emblems and crests. Because if somebody passes, they need it instantly for a sign of respect and all of this. I held it. It was so heavy. And I was just like, what is going on in my life right at this minute and time? You know, I've got somebody here that is amazing. And like, so into me. but at the same time

also with the Bentley out front and I'm sitting here holding this big royal crest Bernie couldn't wrap his mind around it and I was like I don't know what to say and it's like it's fine just ask any questions that you have and I was like I literally don't have questions like my mind is blank

this was really big Leo came from a very important and complicated world. Bernie didn't know what it would mean for his relationship with Leo. He was like, I want to keep us separate, you know, that I have to do. This with you, I want to do.

And he was like, until we figure out how or if we can mix this, let's just try. So I was like, look, I'm fine with that. I'm not here and I never have been impressed by money. Obviously, I'm impressed by the Bentley. But I'm not here for any. anything other than you.

This was a pivotal moment. The conversation deepened their connection. That was then the first day that he had opened up and he trusted me. He trusted me with a secret and his family and his line. I think that was the first time that I was like, yeah, he really likes me. Leo let Bernie into his inner circle. But he made it clear. Privacy and discretion was critical.

The first few months after that, it was amazing. He really genuinely wanted to see me happy and to take care of me. Bernie and Leo were spending more and more time with each other. He pretty much moved in. I think that was about a month and a half in. I gave him a key and I literally just said, you know, use it whenever you want. Leo never missed a moment to make Bernie feel loved. If I was on a late shift, I would finish 10, 11 o'clock at night,

and then he would be there with dinner, with flowers. At that minute in time, I had felt the happiest settled and loved than I would probably say, bar my mom than I had ever felt in my life. Even though Leo came from a wealthy background, he worked hard and had a career he was passionate about. He knew about watches. He was a horologist. He had been to Switzerland, studied at the best places.

He absolutely knew everything. He had space to do a little studio. He was taking all of these Rolexes apart and in front of me putting them back together. And then he was like, I'm licensed by Rolex to do that. It was a very competitive certification. but luxury watches were Leo's life. He always had Rolex, Patek, Philippe on his arm.

Within a few months, they were spending almost every night together. They were exclusive. Bernie was starting to think that Leo could be the one. There was only one big concern. And that was Leo's health. It was there from the beginning, but Bernie was seeing his symptoms worsen. Leo wasn't just coughing.

He was now throwing up. He went silent for, I want to say, two days. Now, by that point, please realize that two days when I'm now fully into this, fully into the emotion, is like two weeks. During those two days, Bernie was desperate to hear from Leo. While he waited, his mind began to spin. What have I done? have I said something?

I went back through WhatsApp. And this is only two days of no conversation. I went through WhatsApp to find out what I've said that he could possibly take offense with. Anyway, he eventually came back and basically apologized for not being in contact with me over the two days. Leo had a good reason for being out of touch. He'd been in the hospital.

He was like, I can't say anything over for the phone, but I just need to get out of London. and my family are going into a panic and trying to keep this maintained, you know, make sure that it doesn't go to any press. He was like, can I just come to yours? I was like, absolutely. At that point, he told me that he was suffering from brain cancer. And they've given him a year to live.

And obviously, he had a lot of process and they needed to do. Bernie was devastated. He wanted to be there for Leo any way he could. I'm just going to sit here and be quiet. You talk to me, you vent to me, you get your frustrations out. Anything that is in your mind, I was like, you literally throw them at me. This is what I'm here to do. And he did, and he got upset, he got angry, he was crying,

and then he got to the us conversation. And he said, I can't really see you anymore. Leo didn't want to be a burden. He was like, look, I can't promise you anything. If this is how my life is going to end, there's bits that may not be pretty. And I was like, look, I really don't care. I was like, if I have to be a complete secret, even if we have to break up, just I want to be your friend. It wasn't about any of the sex or the relationship.

For me, it was this person that was in front of me. To Bernie's surprise, Leo even brought up his will. He was like, obviously, he can't change that because if he put my name in, there, all questions will come up of who are. And I was like, I really do not care. I was like, I literally do not care about any of that. I was like, if you get to that point, I will be here as much as you need me to. Leo couldn't come out to his family.

So in order for Bernie to stay in his life, he suggested Bernie pretend to be his assistant or driver. It was the kind of arrangement Bernie wouldn't have agreed to under normal circumstances. but he was willing to do anything to make sure he could care for Leo. So he agreed. And I meant it 100% not a second guess in my mind. So Bernie immediately focused on helping Leo make sense of his diagnosis. I went online.

I researched the hell out of it down to all different methods. And I mean, I did go crazy with it, to be honest. I was there for at least an entire 24 hours, Googling, research. what this meant, experimental drugs and, like, I just went to town with everything that I could find out. But Leo had already accepted that he didn't have much time left. He was talking about that he might not actually go for chemo because he just wants to just end it on his terms in Switzerland. That was a conversation that we had. And then that's when we went on to a conversation about, I think I need to start living my life while I've got it.

And I was like, right, okay, so let's do that. For Leo, living his life to the fullest meant finally launching his own watch restoration business. That would be his legacy. He had a collection of incredible luxury watches, and he couldn't take them with him. One day, he said to me, I've got all of these watches. I might just start selling them because I kind of like swap and a buy and trade on this site. And he was like, I kind of want to build something. So instantly I kicked in.

I was like, I can build you a website. let's register this company, and I did. We had quite a few business meetings on how the logo is going to look, what it's called, setting up all of the social media for it, and I sat on my little Photoshop, and I had done the logo, and the company was called The Vintage Crown. Leo wanted Bernie to list all of his watches and post them online, so he brought his entire collection to Bernie's house.

We came up, and he literally had about two, three trunks. of watches. I mean, I've got all the pictures on my phone still. There was countless Rolexes. There was the tech felix. There was Van Cleef and Arpals. They were stunning. There must have been, I'd say, close to 100, 100 watches in my lounge on this table.

And there was this very, very old Rolex. The glass, the watch face was quite rounded. Bernie picked up the watch. It was heavy and ornate. He was like, this is probably the most expensive watch that I own. And I was like, how much is it worth? And it was like, you check it out. So it's like, go on the Rolex website, turn the watch over.

I typed in the serial number. And it came in at 1.2 million. At that point, I probably had about £100 in my bank account. So I'm like, $1.2 million. It was just insane to think of the money that was sat right in front of me. In the new podcast, Hell in Heaven, two young Americans move to the Costa Rican jungle to start over. But one will end up dead, the other tried. for murder. Not once. People went wild. Not twice. Stunned. But three times. John and Anne Bender are rich

and attractive, and they're devoted to each other. They create a nature reserve and build a spectacular circular home high on the top of a hill. But little by little, their dream starts to crumble, and our couple retreat from reality. They lose it. They are. actually living. They sort of went nuts. Until one night, everything spins out of control. Listen to Hell in Heaven on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, it's Karen and Georgia, and we just celebrated our 500th episode of my favorite murder.

That's 500 podcasts filled with true crime, comedy, and some light girl math. We're about to podcast for you. Watch this. We have to think of something to say after welcome every week, and we're doing it. Every week for 10 years. Almost 10 years. 10. That's what 500 episodes sounds like. New episodes every Thursday.

Listen to my favorite murder on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Goodbye. All I know is what I've been told, and that's a half-truth is a whole lie. For almost a decade, the murder of an 18. year old girl from a small town in Graves County, Kentucky, went unsolved, until a local homemaker, a journalist, and a handful of girls came forward with a story. I'm telling you, we know Quincy Kilder, we know. A story that law enforcement used to convict six people, and that got the citizen investigator

on national TV. Through sheer persistence and nerve, this Kentucky housewife helped give justice to Jessica occur. My name is Maggie Freeling. I'm a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, producer, and I wouldn't be here if the truth were that easy to find. I did not know her and I did not kill her, or rape or burn or any of that other stuff that y'all said. They literally made me say that I took a match and struck and threw it on her. They made me say that I poured gas on her. From Lava for Good, this is Graves County, a show about just how far our legal system will go in order to find someone to blame. America, y'all better work the hell up. Bad things happens to good people in small towns.

Listen to Graves County in the Bone Valley feed on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to binge the entire season ad free, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus, on Apple Podcasts. Hey, it's Ed Helms, and welcome back to Snafu, my podcast about history's greatest screw-ups. On our new season, we're bringing you a new snafu every single episode. 32 lost nuclear weapons. Wait, stop? What?

Ernie Shackleton sounds like a solid 70s basketball player. Who still wore knee pads. Yes. It's going to be a whole lot of history, a whole lot of funny, and a whole lot of guests. The great Paul Shear made me feel good. I'm like, oh, wow. Angela and Jenna, I am so psyched. You're here. What was that like for you to soft launch into the show? Sorry, Jenna, I'll be asking the questions today. I forgot whose podcast we were doing.

Nick Kroll, I hope this story is good enough to get you to toss that sandwich. So let's see how it goes. Listen to season four of Snap-Foo with Ed Helms on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Leo had a staggering collection of luxury watches. And as Bernie helped Leo launch his new watch business, Bernie got a taste of that world. Like when Bernie came with him to run errands at high-end London department stores. And whenever we walked in to Harrods, they knew of him. They addressed him by his name, talking about previous purchases that he had made and for

conversations. He even asked Bernie to go to Selfridges, another luxury department store in London, for an exclusive event. It's a private party, a VIP, but it would be quite nice if you can come with me just to experience a bit of that lifestyle. And I was like, absolutely, yeah, I'll come. out. So we got dressed, made our way into central London, walk into Selfridges, and it was red carpet, all of that. This event was a big deal. And Leo was a big deal there. Everyone

greeted him by name. And immediately, people were vying for his attention. So he went in to this private VIP area through the door. Leo was there to look at a specific watch. And then he sent me a message and was like, okay, we're kind of done with the finance side. Do you want to come in? So I was Absolutely. So I went in, and it was a private room with the head of European sales. The room was gorgeous. We had hors d'oeuvres that were laid out, and the watches were laid out in front of me. These ridiculous, I mean, the price of a house, these watches in front of us. And it was just this woman, Leo and me. Leo bought two watches that day as gifts for family members. With Bernie's help, Leo's watch,

business got off the ground. And as a thank you, he would let Bernie borrow some of the pieces. If we'd go for dinner, he'd give me a Rolex or a Petek, Philippine. He then called one day. And he said, this Rolex has come my way for me to recondition and to sell. It's just a submariner. I've got quite a few of them anyway. But he was like, I thought of you.

Leo was making him an offer. He was like, look, you buy it off of me for 20. 20,000. I will recondition it. I'll make it look as good as new. I will polish it. I will have it back up. And it's usually worth about 30 to 40,000. 20 grand up front. It would be a huge investment for Bernie. And then Leo would resell it at a profit of at least 10,000 pounds. Of course it would be amazing. That extra 10 grand for me at this minute and time would open up doors. I've never had just a 10,000 pound sum. my account. But Bernie didn't have 20,000 pounds just lying around. And I was like, right, I was like, at the first, I just don't have anywhere near that money whatsoever. Literally, I think for my entire life, it's been paycheck to paycheck. I'm just

very clever with it. Nowhere do I have that kind of money. Leo had an idea. What about Bernie's clothing business? It wasn't as successful as the watch sales. So he said, well, the clothes. because it was like, you know, it's taking too much of your time. Is it really doing anything? And I was like, it's getting a bit tiring. So I said, look, why don't you just sell? Sell all of the clothes just in bulk. Somebody will buy it.

Sell the website off. Like, sell the business. Get this watch and then use that lump sum for whatever you want to do, your next project. Bernie had a few ideas for new businesses he wanted to start. The investment in the watch represented a new challenge. So he started crunching the numbers. I was like, look, I can take this money out of all of my credit cards. But if I do that, with my bills, my wage in retail, it won't even cover half of all them

repayments in one go by maxing out them cards. So he said, look, once I've got the money, it will take about a week for the watch to get here. So I will recondition it. I will get it sent to you. You'll sell it before you next get paid. I get it, but I'd never do anything to hurt you. This is for your benefit.

Look, if it's too much, then you know what, let's just not do it. Let's just forget about it completely. And by that point, I was like, I'd already kind of imagined if I sell all of this stuff and I take from these credit cards. By the end of it, I could have 10 to 20,000 pounds, which is just mine to do with. So I was like, right, okay, I trust him 100%. Let's just do this. Bernie was in.

So I sold the website off. And then I think that only got about half of it, maybe a little bit more. And then I did have a few credit cards. So I got rid of the final bits of the clothes, took out from every credit card that I had, maxed it out, and gave it to him. Bernie got 15,000 pounds from maxed out credit cards. For the rest of the money, he took out an incredibly high interest loan. These payday loans, the interest rate is 79% per month, and that's more than what you've borrowed. Bernie was putting everything on the line.

He sent Leo the 20,000, and Leo ordered the watch. It'd been delivered to his Hyde Park address. But it was the week of Christmas, and Leo wasn't home. He was at the castle. He has responsibilities around the UK. So he was up there doing official business. with the holidays, it could be a week before Leo got to the watch. That meant weeks before they could resell it.

That's when I started panicking, because at that point, there is absolutely no way that I am going to be able to cover that next payment. And I told him that I am getting nervous because I know the tsunami that's coming if this isn't paid. But Leo was calm. He handled deals like this all the time. He just kept reassuring me saying, look, there's a little bit of a delay. I've got a buyer.

I've got somebody that's interested. As soon as I can get my hands down to this watch, it will take me one day to recondition it because it's in very good quality, and I will literally have a buyer for you within 24 hours. After that, Leo seemed to change. The loving calls and texts started dwindling. The communication with me and him went very sparse. The morning messages, which by this point had constantly continued.

If I had even to the point, if he was staying at mine and I woke up at 4 in the morning to go to work, when he woke up, I would still get that morning message. And now those texts stopped coming. Their connection started to feel less like a romantic relationship and more like a business partnership. It went from loving and just amazing conversations to all about the watch. For Bernie, this cold shoulder really hurt. Obviously, he was concerned about the watch.

But that wasn't what he really cared about. I am fully in depth. I am fully in love with him. In seven months, Leo had become the center point of his life. He was my world at that point, and there was nothing else that I was concentrated on. I'd stopped talking to my friends, even my best friend. I'd stopped talking to my family, and all of a sudden, this person is completely disregarding me. I was panicking then.

I was then going back to that state, what have I done, what have I said? I know it's Christmas. I don't want to contact him too much because I know that his working, and he's probably with people and with his family, but at the same time, I'm panicking because I'm not getting that response. Then comes Christmas Eve, and he kind of goes silent a little bit, and then I get Christmas Eve, I get a few messages, very cold, and it was like, I'm with people, I can't talk.

I was like, okay, I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas. It was important for Leo to spend time with his family, because he had so little time left. Maybe the reality of his diagnosis was finally hitting him. Bernie understood why Leo might be pulling away, but it still stung. Next morning, I did actually get quite a nice message. It's just like, Merry Christmas, handsome, and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I instantly, my mood, I was uplifted.

I was like, oh, it's okay, what's your plans for today? It was, I went straight into that puppy mode, like he could do no wrong. And he said, look, I'm with my family all day. I won't be able to contact you for the next two days. I was like, okay, that's absolutely fine. Look, I get it. It's Christmas. You are supposed to spend that with your family.

Bernie spent that Christmas alone, waiting for a message from Leo. But that day, Bernie noticed something strange. It seemed like Leo was actually spending Christmas Day with another man. Someone Bernie had never seen before. There was a picture on his WhatsApp update. And it was him, but there was somebody else in the background. There was this guy just walking towards the camera, looking directly in the camera as if he was going to say something.

And it was the inside of a church. and it just bugged me for a few days. Bernie stared at the photo practically memorizing every detail. Anyway, so on the 27th he message, and it was like, sorry, I've not been. I've been with family, this and the other. I was like, okay, how was your Christmas to check up too much? And it was like, no, we just really stayed around the castle

and then we didn't really do anything. I was like, oh, what about the church? It was like, what church? And then it was just like, oh, I just saw your update on your WhatsApp and it was a picture of a church. I was like, I don't know what you're talking about. You didn't see anything. But Bernie had looked at the photo over and over.

He knew what he saw. And I was like, no, it was. I didn't do an update. That was no update. And then he got into such denial. He was adamant and quite nasty with it that I completely made it up. I did not see it. There was nothing on his profile.

It was the first time Leo had acted like this. He was defensive and angry over something so small. He knew it meant Leo might be hiding something. So Bernie pulled back a bit. I kind of slowed down messaging him. I then get a call again quite late at night. And it's like I've just had a massive argument with my family. On the other end of the phone, Leo was hysterical.

And he was like, Bernie, I can't take this. I can't take this life anymore. The stress that I've been under, I just don't like my family. I don't want to do this anymore. Can you come and get me? So, of course, I've then said, yes, instantly, where are you? Calm down, stay on the phone with me. Leo sent an address.

It was a five-hour drive from London. So Bernie got in the car and stayed on the phone with Leo while he drove through the night to meet him. At 2 a.m., he picked up Leo and brought them to a hotel. We stayed the night. We had a long conversation about his stress level. and he's sorry that he's been distant and he doesn't know how to cope with this

as well as his diagnosis and at the end of this he'll get the watch he's going to go down he'll get it and if he hasn't got it by this point he will give me the money and then sell it on himself and I just felt seeing and he was in tears he went asleep and I was stroking his hair it was as if this guy was broken

broken with life there in the hotel room Bernie finally felt close to Leo again. Leo needed him, and Bernie would do anything to make him happy. The next morning, Leo seemed renewed, back to his old self. He confessed to Bernie that he had been hiding something. Now he was finally ready to talk about it. It's like, so I've got a serious question that I need to ask you,

and I've been thinking about this with everything that's been going on. And I was like, okay. And it was like, I've had enough of this entire life that I have to do. And I'm done with it. I want to move away. And he was like, I want to move somewhere in Scotland. Would you come with me? And I was like, sorry, I was like, what?

I was like, I've seen this house. I've been thinking about this for a long time. And I was going to go on my own. And that's why I've been distant because I didn't know what I was going to do. but I want you to come with me. Leo was dead serious. He was ready to put in an offer on a house. I've already contacted the estate agent.

This house was a full-on castle in the Scottish Highlands. When you think the quintessential English castle, it was exactly that. They looked at the listing together and started imagining a new life there. They wouldn't have to hide from Lee. Leo's family or the press. Bernie could take care of Leo as his cancer progressed. And whatever came next, they could face it together. It's like, I just wanted to be me and you.

And I was like, yes. And it's difficult now to really kind of explain exactly how it felt because his world at certain points starts to crumble. And he has to get what he can do and run to create another life for himself. But in the end, it was all a lie. On the next episode of Betrayal Weekly. I emailed Arundel Castle, which is the official residence of the Duke of Norfolk. There was absolutely no record of Leo Howard, Leo Bose Howard, or absolutely anything. So then I started doing my own research, this person, this Leo Howard, there was absolutely no trace.

Before we end the episode, I have some exciting news. Betrayal will be doing our first ever live show as part of the Virgin Voyages' true crime crews. We'll be answering listener questions and discussing them live on stage with Stacey. Tracy and Tyler from Betrayal Season 3, as well as Caroline from season 4. So if you have a question for us, please email us at Betrayalpod at gmail.com with the subject line listener question. And if you want to join us on the Caribbean cruise, there are still spots available. Search virgin voyages.com slash true crime. If you would like to reach out to the betrayal team or want to tell us your betrayal story, email us at Betrayalpod at Gmail.

That's Betrayal P-O-D at gmail.com or follow us on Instagram at Betrayal Pod. You can also connect with me on Instagram at It's Andrea Gunning. To access our newsletter, view additional content, and connect with the Betrayal community, join our substack at Betrayal.substack.com. We're grateful for your support. One way to show support is by subscribing to our show on Apple Podcasts. And don't forget to rate and review betrayal. Five-star reviews go a long way.

A big thank you to all of our listeners. Betrayal is a production of Glass Podcasts, a division of Glass Entertainment Group and partnership with IHeart Podcasts. The show is executive produced by Nancy Glass and Jennifer Fasin. Hosted and produced by me, Andrea Gunning. Written and produced by Olivia Hewitt and Monique Laborde.

Also produced by Ben Federman. Associate producers are Caitlin Golden and Kristen Malkuri. Casting support from Curry Richmond. Our I-Hart team is Ali Perry and Jessica Crinecheck. Audio editing and mixing by Matt Dalvecchio. Additional audio editing by Tanner Robbins. Betrayals theme composed by Oliver Baines.

Music library provided by Mib Music. And for more podcasts from IHeart, visit the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. young Americans moved to the Costa Rican jungle to start over, but one of them will end up dead and the other tried for murder three times. It starts with a dream, a nature reserve and a spectacular new home. But little by little, they lose it, they actually lose it. They sort of went nuts. Until one night, everything spins out of control. Listen to Hell in Heaven on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you can.

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