Betrayal - Libby | Featured on ABC's Betrayal: Secrets and Lies

Episode Date: April 27, 2026

You can now watch Libby’s story on TV!  Check out Betrayal: Secrets and Lies. Episodes air every Sunday at 10pm EST/9pm CST on ABC.  Libby's husband wasn't just hiding secrets; he was ...committing crimes in her name.  If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 This is an I-heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hi listeners, I'm Anna Sinfield, host of The Girlfriends Trust Me Babe. I'm excited to share the Girlfriends Trust Me Babe story with you. And I want to let you know that you can get access to all episodes of season one, two, three, and four of The Girlfriends, and every single episode of The Girlfriends Trust Me Babe,
Starting point is 00:00:24 100% ad-free with an I-Heart True Crime Plus subscription. available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Plus, you'll get access to all episodes of The Girlfriends Trust Me, Babe, one week ahead of everyone else. Available only to IHeart True Crime Plus subscribers. So don't wait, head to Apple Podcasts, search for IHeart True Crime Plus,
Starting point is 00:00:46 and subscribe today. Readers, Katie's finalists, we have an incredible new episode this week for you guys. We have our girl Hillary Duff in here, and we can't wait for you to hear this episode. They put on Lizzie McGuire 2 a.m. Video on demand. This guy's... 2 a.m. 2 a. Whatever time it is. Lizzie McGuire.
Starting point is 00:01:03 And I'm like... Wild. A wild batch you were with. It was like a first, like, closet moment from me where I was like... You're like, I don't feel like she's hot. Like the rest of them. No, no, no. I was like, she's beautiful. But I'm appreciating her in a different way than these boys are. I'm not like...
Starting point is 00:01:16 But listen to Los Coleristas on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or whatever you get your podcast. Hi, listeners. I'm Jamal Jordan. the host of Roershack, Murder at City Hall podcast. In July 2003, Councilman James E. Davis, an ambitious rising star in Brooklyn politics, was murdered inside New York City Hall, shot to death in front of more than 200 people. The killer? His political opponent, a man named Neil Askew. The full story of this shocking public murder and the relationship between these two men,
Starting point is 00:02:01 has not yet been told until now. I want to let you know that you can get access to all episodes of Rochak Murder at City Hall 100% ad-free with an I-Heart True Crime Plus subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Plus, you'll get access to all episodes of Rochak Murder at City Hall one week ahead of everyone else, available only to IHeart True Crime Plus subscribers. So don't wait. Heads Apple Podcasts search for IHeart True Crime Plus subscribers. and subscribe today.
Starting point is 00:02:34 Hi, I'm Iris Palmer, host of the Against All Odds podcast. Every week, I'm sitting down with exceptional people who have broken barriers even when the odds were stacked against them. Like chef, Victor Villa of Villas Tacos. You know the Taquero
Starting point is 00:02:47 from the Bad Bunny halftime show? It was great. It was a big moment. It was special. And I felt like I was really representing my family, you know, my brand, my city. I was representing all taqueros,
Starting point is 00:02:58 not only of like, you know, the U.S., but of my family. Mexico and beyond all the taqueros of the world. Listen to Against All Odds on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, it's Andrea. And we are re-releasing some of our past weekly episodes, and there's a good reason why. For the last year, I have been working with ABC on turning some of your favorite episodes of Betrayal Weekly into a TV show. The show is called Betrayal Secrets and Lies, and it airs every Sunday at 10 p.m. on ABC.
Starting point is 00:03:31 This week, we are re-releasing Libby Henry's story. Libby is fascinating because her story starts with something really small. A moment most of us wouldn't think twice about. She happened to be watching a TV show that made her go, wait, I don't actually know that much about my finances. And instead of brushing that feeling off, she talked to her husband and she started needling. And once she started doing that, everything unraveled.
Starting point is 00:03:58 And what I admire so much about Libby is that she's turned that moment into purpose. She wants other women to know the business side of their marriages, to ask the questions, to not find themselves in the same position. And there's also something really tender about her story that stayed with me. Her engagement ring was a sapphire. I have a sapphire too. And that same symbolism of love and commitment and trust, in her case, she's having to redefine what all of that means to her.
Starting point is 00:04:28 If you have not heard this story, I won't give any more away. Hearing Libby's story is amazing, but seeing it unfold is a whole new experience. So please check out betrayal, Secrets and Lies on ABC and Hulu to see Libby's story and where it all unfolded. Enjoyed the episode. I remember this so, so clearly. I was in my powder blue pajamas, and I came out and I said something to him. I go, what are you involved in? are you being investigated by the FBI?
Starting point is 00:05:08 And he looked at me so coldly like he never knew me. And he said, if I go down, I'm taking you with me. I'm Andrea Gunning, and this is Betrayal, a show about the people we trust the most, and the deceptions that change everything. Recently, we got in touch with a group called the White Collar Wives Project. It's a support group for women who were born. blindsided by their husband's financial crimes. Their mission is to help guide women through the fallout, legally, financially, and emotionally. For members, it's a place where they can feel supported,
Starting point is 00:06:00 and most importantly, believed, a place where no one is asking the ever-present question. You didn't know? That's Libby Henry. She was one of the first members of the white-collar wives, and like all the women in the group, she was in the dark about what her husband was really doing at work. I didn't say, oh, honey, dinner's ready. And by the way, did you commit fraud? Libby grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. Or, as the locals call it,
Starting point is 00:06:30 Louisville. It's almost like you've got something caught in your throat. We automatically know if you're not from here, if you're saying Louisville or Louisville. Well, I'm not from there. So for this episode, I'm going to be saying Louisville. Early on, Libby knew her family wasn't like others. Her mother didn't get along with most people.
Starting point is 00:06:55 She had an undiagnosed personality disorder. Today, they call this borderline personality disorder. At the time, I didn't know what was wrong with her because there wasn't the internet. And nobody was talking about mental health back then. Because of her mom's mental illness, life at home was an emotional roller coaster. As I entered the ninth grade, I was, pretty much trying to spend the night out all the time. Because she had such a problem controlling her emotions,
Starting point is 00:07:29 I just tried to get away. She spent a lot of time at friends' houses. And by the time she graduated high school, she had one goal for her future. It was heartbreakingly simple. What I saw around meet my friend's houses, I wanted for myself. I just wanted to have a normal home.
Starting point is 00:07:49 because I didn't come from one. That was my big plan. That was it. She started college at the University of Kentucky. It's in Lexington, the horse racing capital of the world. Oh, gosh, Lexington, beautiful place, surrounded by these beautiful horse farms, rolling fields. When I got there, the first thing I thought is that I had some freedom.
Starting point is 00:08:15 It was the 80s. Libby was carefree. She joined a soror. and quickly made friends. There were a lot of fraternity parties. They could have all these, you know, keg parties. You would go from one house to the next house. Lots of bands were always playing.
Starting point is 00:08:32 That was a lot of fun. Her junior year, she went to the first kickoff game of the football season. And of course, it was a big party. My friend came up to me and said, do you know Ted House? Ted House was in one of her history classes. He'd caught her eye before, but they didn't really know each other. He was undeniably good-looking. You know, that tall, dark, and handsome.
Starting point is 00:08:57 He was all those things. She goes, well, he wants to go out with you. And I'm like, oh, wow, okay. So later that same night, he approached me and started talking to me. But he started talking about the history syllabus. And I think he was nervous because talking about the history syllabus. about the history syllabus was kind of boring. Libby left the party, underwhelmed.
Starting point is 00:09:24 But two days later, my friend called me and she said, we need a double date. He really wants to go out with you. And I'm like, okay. And we go on a double date to this French restaurant. And he was an entirely different human being. He was charming and funny and much more relaxed. It was like she was really seeing him for the first time. I thought, gosh, this guy's so fun.
Starting point is 00:09:50 Wow. You know, I like this guy. And two days after that, he asked me out again, and we just kept rolling and kept going out. And it wasn't long before we were an exclusive couple. Libby felt like herself around Ted. He was the first guy to make her feel that way. I was really comfortable with who I was with Ted. Like, I was always laughing.
Starting point is 00:10:15 He liked that about me. He liked the humor. But it quickly became clear that she and Ted came from different backgrounds. To borrow a term from the horse world, he had pedigree, private boarding schools, country clubs, and summer trips abroad. But he wasn't pretentious about it. Ted didn't seem to care that I didn't have any money. That didn't seem to bother him. The difference in their upbringing meant nothing.
Starting point is 00:10:44 They just wanted to be together. The mundane things that you do by yourself that don't seem very fun are, of course, very fun when you are head over heels with someone. And we were. Libby felt safe when she was with Ted. He had that kind of confidence. He was kind of like that protector. And things were taken care. If I was having an issue, he was Ted.
Starting point is 00:11:11 He was taken care of everything. He was always that guy. After a few months of dating, Ted took Libby to meet his parents. They were in town for a fundraiser. And I didn't really realize what I walked into. They are a very politically connected family. The first time I met them, they were having a fundraiser for the governor of Indiana. Ted didn't really prepare her for this scene.
Starting point is 00:11:40 And to be fair, he couldn't have. I walk in the foyer of this absolute. beautiful home. And at first, you know, you're just so nervous because I'm like, what do I have to offer in this conversation? What can I contribute? That is very intimidating for someone like me who came from the background that I came from. Libby tried to stay quiet, smile, and hide the run in her stockings.
Starting point is 00:12:08 But above all, she wanted to make a good first impression with Ted's parents. I do remember wondering if Ted's mother thought maybe I'm really not good enough for his son, but I got through it. His parents were very nice to me. Ted's dad was a successful businessman, and his mother was a philanthropist, a patron of the arts type. The night of the fundraiser, Libby was just herself. She made them laugh, and it turned out that was enough for the house family. Pretty soon, Libby became a regular figure.
Starting point is 00:12:46 at Ted's family events. They made her feel welcome. They never seemed ostentatious to me. They weren't people that bragged about money. They had money, but nobody was bragging about it. They were very supportive, and they were interested in me. Things just seemed so effortless with them. Ted's family genuinely loved being around each other.
Starting point is 00:13:11 So you can imagine when I'm with this family where things are so easy and there wasn't chaos. That's the word. There was no chaos. I loved them. I truly did. As they got more serious, she and Ted opened up about their flaws and tried to help each other grow. He was the kind of guy that would get really mad, but then he would be like, okay, I popped off. That was always his thing. But he does know that about himself. And I wasn't the best either because the one thing that I did not come out of house with was coping skills. I came out of my house like a piece of Swiss cheese. I had a lot of holes. Ted and Libby started talking about their future. They both knew they wanted to have kids and stayed close to family. It was within a year. He asked me to marry him. He was nervous,
Starting point is 00:14:12 but it wasn't some big gesture. He proposed in her living room with the ring behind his back. She remembers seeing his nerves. He was shaking. He's like, you know, I'm not really good at this, but I want you to marry me. It was sweet, and I liked it. Ted had the ring custom made, and it came with a special meaning. This woman named B. Roth made all three of the daughter-in-law's rings. My mother-in-law had a sapphire, a diamond,
Starting point is 00:14:48 emerald cut. I had a sapphire and diamond marquee, but we all had the sapphire and diamond to match our mother-in-law. I couldn't believe that I was marrying someone like Ted, not because he came for money, but because I thought his family was so close, and they seemed like a cohesive unit. It was like that dream I told you when I was young. I'm getting married and I'm going to have that family. I remember thinking, it's all happening for me. Once they graduated college, Libby and Ted had a big church wedding. They both took jobs working for the state of Indiana, just over the border from Lexington. I worked for the Department of Insurance. He was in land and acquisition, so he would go and talk to people, and they loved
Starting point is 00:15:43 him. Ted could talk to anybody. I mean, he could charm anybody, and they loved him. Ted was passionate about real estate. So he found them the perfect home. Even though they both worked, Ted's family money helped them close on that first house. I knew he had a trust fund because that's how we bought our first house with his trust fund. And we're trying to make our house a home. His mother would always come over bringing gourmet goodies. That year, Libby got a special gift from her mother-in-law.
Starting point is 00:16:18 something to symbolize their bond. Ted's mother had a circle pendant made for each daughter-in-law with little pearls around it. And she said, this is a symbol of our circle, our family, and that you're in the circle. Within the first year of their marriage, Libby found out she was pregnant with a baby girl. For a moment, everything felt perfect. But in about six months, I go to the doctor and there's no heartbeat. The baby had died at six months. Ted and his family surrounded Libby helping her through the grief.
Starting point is 00:17:10 The doctors recommended she wait to get pregnant again. But she didn't. I lost that baby in May, and I was pregnant again in July. And then I had a healthy baby girl at that point. It was a new beginning, and they wanted a change of scenery to match. They started talking about returning to Louisville, Libby's hometown. And then Ted comes home and says, I've got big news. And I'm like, what kind of big news?
Starting point is 00:17:43 And he said, well, I've got an offer to go into the mortgage business in Louisville. So when he said, we're moving, I was like, yay, you know, going home. With their new baby, they packed up and started over. And we both got full-time jobs at that point. I worked for, wait for a paging company. Pagers were the things. That was big technology back then. And he obviously was in the mortgage industry.
Starting point is 00:18:14 He started working for a friend, and he was a loan originator. The job came naturally to him. Before long, he started his own company. company brokering mortgages. He liked it so much, he started his own business. They seemed to do so well. He had a lot of employees that started working for him. A lot of them, he knew. There were people that we knew. And it just seemed like this was just the absolute best job. He's got friends that worked for him. The first few years in Louisville were like a dream. Libby had the normal family she'd always wanted. The only thing that wasn't going perfectly was Libby's health.
Starting point is 00:18:55 When her daughter was a toddler, Libby began having intense back pain. She needed spinal surgery. But the pain persisted. So she and Ted sat down and decided that Libby should quit her job, at least for the time being. Ted said, you know, I'm making enough money. You don't need to go back to work. So I didn't. I would stay home. for the next 10 years. And that was a critical mistake for me. What's up, everyone? I'm Ego Wodom.
Starting point is 00:19:48 My next guest, you know from Stepbrothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day. And I was like, and dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the ground. I'm working my way up through and I know it's a place they come look for up and coming talent.
Starting point is 00:20:14 He said if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, The cat just hang in there.
Starting point is 00:20:41 Yeah, it would not be... Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks Dad on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either.
Starting point is 00:21:09 We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of The Girlfriends, Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care, so they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no.
Starting point is 00:21:34 I vowed. I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the Girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up? I'm Miles Turner. And I'm Brianna Stewart. And our podcast, Game Recognized Game, has never been done before.
Starting point is 00:22:02 Two active players giving you a real look at our lives and what we actually think, on and off the court. Nothing's off limits. We talk trade requests. What's the vibe of that when it's like your star player is like, well, I want to leave? And then actually now I'm going to stay. We talk tanking. I mean, honestly, like, I might get in trouble for this answer, but I think it's, like, definitely happening in the WBA. And yeah, we talk about our mistakes, too.
Starting point is 00:22:28 They pulled me to the side and was like, hey, man, we got a call last night, man, you can't be rolling around the city like this tonight before games, no, you know, doing this, doing whatever. And of course, family stories. They'll be like, Mommy, why did you miss that? Mommy, do you play basketball? Check out game-recognized game with Stewie and Miles.
Starting point is 00:22:48 on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, Ernest, what's up? Money is something we all deal with, but financial literacy is what helps turn income into real wealth. On each episode of the podcast, Earn Your Leisure, we break down the conversations you need to understand money, investing, and entrepreneurship. From stocks and real estate to credit, business, and generational wealth, we translate complex financial topics into real conversations everyone can understand. Because the truth is, most people.
Starting point is 00:23:20 will never taught how money really works. But once you understand the system, you can start to build within it. That means ownership, smarter investing, and creating opportunities not just for yourself, but for the next generation. If you want to learn how to build wealth, understand the markets, and think like an owner, earn your leisure is the podcast for you. Listen to Earn Your Leisure on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Ted's new mortgage business in Louisville was doing well enough for Libby to quit her job.
Starting point is 00:23:54 That way, she could focus on her health and their daughter. I did everything that stay-at-home moms do, you know, kids, play dates. Everything that had to do with my daughter, you know, I was planning. It was Libby's job to handle their daughter's schedule, and Ted's job was to handle the finances, which he'd already been doing anyway. And, I mean, I'm dyslexic, it affects my numbers, and Ted was like a human calculator. They'd been in Louisville a few years when. Ted came home and said that he had looked at this house in a neighborhood called Bridgepoint,
Starting point is 00:24:32 which was a very nice neighborhood. And that was a big leap as far as cost of the homes. He wanted an upgrade, something to reflect his success. Libby started drawing up renovation plans and interior designs. I walked in and I redid the whole thing. The yard, you name it, I did it. Everything that I conjured up in my head, I was able to execute. When it was done, the house was perfect.
Starting point is 00:24:59 It was going to be the forever home. Life seemed to be getting better and better and better. I never thought that money was an issue in my life at all. But Ted still wasn't satisfied. He wanted to become a Kentucky real estate tycoon. So he found new business partner. to start another venture, flipping houses. Flipping homes in depressed parts of Louisville.
Starting point is 00:25:35 It wasn't unusual back then, because the timeframe of this is 2000, 2001, 2002, before the housing bubble burst. I mean, I knew so many people flipping houses. One of Ted's new business partners was a real estate consultant named Khalid. Khalid was a guy who grew up in a depressed part of Louisville. And Khalid had done well for himself business-wise,
Starting point is 00:26:04 so they went into business together flipping homes. Khalid was from that area, and I think he knew a lot of people in that area, which made him a nice liaison. Ted and Khalid's business proved more successful than either of them imagined. The money was rolling in, And Ted really treated the family. We were able to do all of these things.
Starting point is 00:26:28 For example, we were in Costa Rica. We were able to take our daughter to Bahamas, which was incredible. We were at Martha's Vineyard. We were doing all these things that I could have never done. I always used to think, this is great. You know, what a charmed life. I really truly was grateful for everything. And then things started to change.
Starting point is 00:26:55 because Ted's attitude started to change. He had always been quick to anger, but as Libby shared, he was quick to calm down. This time, it was different. Like, he would come home increasingly irritable, but I couldn't understand why it was ongoing. And I would ask him, and he's like, oh, it's work stress. It's work stress.
Starting point is 00:27:17 Then he started waking up in the middle of the night, like he was in a panic. But it was every night like clockwork, And I never could understand it. I'm like, what in the world? Why do you wake up like this? Oh, I've just got a lot on my mind. I just thought, okay, well, there's stress.
Starting point is 00:27:38 She knew his job could be intense. He was always managing multiple sales and home renovations. Each had their own deadlines and expenses. But as the year went on, Ted's stress only mounted. But I kept asking, and he kept getting a little bit, short with me. And I thought, gosh, what is the problem? Ted never shared details about his business with Libby. He kept it all inside, except for this one day in 2002. She walked into their bathroom to find Ted leaning over the sink. And I thought he was sick. And I said,
Starting point is 00:28:15 what's wrong? And his reaction was so unusual. He actually did have tears in his eyes. and he said, it's that effing Khalid. And I said, what are we talking about? What's wrong with Khalid? Libby had met Khalid once or twice. He'd always been polite to her. He's so angry. And he's saying, you know, this effing Khalid, he screwed me over.
Starting point is 00:28:48 He's going to screw me. He just kept saying that over and over again. I go, I don't know what we're talking about. What are we talking about and why are you angry with? Khalid. And he said, he's going to screw me and he may kill you. He may kill our daughter. What? Those aren't words you expect to hear from your husband about a business associate ever. I was paralyzed for a second. I felt my chest tighten up because I thought, what do you mean kill? He's like, well, there's a business deal that's gone bad. And I don't.
Starting point is 00:29:26 don't know what that MFer will do. Libby wanted to go to the police. But when she said that, Ted quickly backtracked. He shook it off and told Libby to forget he ever said anything. But that wasn't going to happen. Her mind was racing. Was Khalid really threatening her and her daughter? Why would Ted say that to her?
Starting point is 00:29:51 She got in the car and left the house. I start crying. All that stress, I just start crying because I could not make sense of it. But when Libby returned home to ask more questions, Ted was gone. So I waited and waited and didn't come back. Well, I gathered myself together and I thought, I'm going to call his dad. I'm going to call his parents. And I can still remember his mother saying they were outside by the pool.
Starting point is 00:30:20 And they absorbed all that information. But it wasn't like they were panicked like I was. A little while later, Ted's mom called back. Apparently, they'd talk to Ted, and he'd given them the full story. And they said, Teddy got a little spooked. And I thought, a little spooked. You know, I didn't feel satisfied with that answer. She said, well, Ted's realized that Khalid might not be the most savory person.
Starting point is 00:30:53 He's a little bit unsavory. And he's not going to consort with him anymore or do business with him. And I said, well, he said kill. She goes, he's just overreacted. I said, this seems a lot more serious than that. And she said, Libby, it's okay. He's not going to do business with him anymore. His dad's talked to him.
Starting point is 00:31:16 And you know what? I believed that. Because his dad was telling me this businessman, stockbroker, graduate school educated man, highly respected, no-nonsense man. If they thought that, that was true. They just reassured me. They also advised Libby not to go around telling anyone about that conversation with Ted. She trusted his parents, but she was still unsettled.
Starting point is 00:31:51 So that was not even a red flag. It was a red flare. When Ted finally came home, he didn't want to talk about it. He wouldn't talk about it. The house was filled with tension. And during that time, things really started to go sideways. Ted's moods were so awful. Every day, Ted was on edge.
Starting point is 00:32:21 The days turned into weeks. So not only is he waking up at 3 o'clock in the morning, But I'm also waking up to the glow of the laptop. It's like he slept with that computer all the time. One night, Libby was home alone watching TV, and she saw something that would change her life. I don't know if it was date loan. I don't know if it was 60 minutes.
Starting point is 00:32:49 But it was a woman on TV, and her husband died, and she didn't know anything about her finances, nothing. And apparently she owed thousands of dollars to the IRS. And of course, she's on the hook because she signed those tax returns. And she lost everything. And I was like, she is me. That is me. Since the beginning of their marriage, Ted had paid all their bills, paid off the credit cards, and managed their savings.
Starting point is 00:33:24 When it came to their personal finances, she only knew what Ted told her. And as for his businesses, she was completely in the dark. So I went to him and I'm like, I want a folder. I wanted a folder that showed me what happens if anything happened to him. I didn't know what would happen with the company. Would his business partner buy me out? I mean, these were maybe even silly questions. I just didn't know anything.
Starting point is 00:33:52 So when I started asking, he started pushing back. And I remember thinking, you know, That's not normal. Why is he defensive? The more Ted pushed back, the more insistent Libby became. She needed to know everything. She wanted hard copies. I mean, every time I asked, he got matter and matter and matter and matter,
Starting point is 00:34:23 to the point we were having really big fights. But I'm still asking about that folder. Our arguments kept escalating because I thought, well, does he think I'm not? smart enough to understand? Does he think he just needs to be controlling and he's the one that needs to be able to do it all? Never would I have thought
Starting point is 00:34:45 he was involved in anything that was nefarious. Never. Didn't even occur to me. Libby never got that folder of financial documents because a few weeks later, Ted sat her down and in a calm voice, he told her the truth, or at least a sliver of it.
Starting point is 00:35:05 Three days before Christmas, He tells me we're bankrupt. We need to file bankruptcy. And I don't just mean any bankruptcy. I mean chapter seven, complete liquidation. Bankrupt? Libby had spent a year begging Ted for financial transparency. The entire time, he never made any indication that they were in debt.
Starting point is 00:35:31 Now, out of the blue, he told her they were bankrupt. It didn't add up. I thought, that can't be right. I mean, it just can't be right because you have this company. You've purchased this beautiful home. We've lived this life. How would we be bankrupt? I couldn't make sense of it.
Starting point is 00:35:53 And I didn't even get a good answer. When Ted tried to explain how it happened, it was just word salad about business deals gone bad. She needed space. I thought something's really wrong. We really should be separated. She told him to move out, and he did. Before he left, he set up a meeting with a bankruptcy attorney.
Starting point is 00:36:17 And I'm listening, but I'm still, like, in shock because I couldn't make sense of it. I'm like, well, how are we bankrupt? Like, why are we bankrupt? Where is the money? He told Libby this meeting would give her answers, but it didn't. The next day, he came to her with a new plan. He comes back and says, I think we could have just you file bankruptcy and not me. The house was solely in my name.
Starting point is 00:36:45 I had no idea why he wanted to do that. I just knew that I was like, you need to leave. Because I thought he wants to saddle me with all of that. And he comes out of that unscathed. It was enough for me to be like, I'm done. She couldn't stay in the marriage. She wanted a divorce. And it was like a race down to our attorneys.
Starting point is 00:37:17 They had both arrived at their separate attorney's offices at the same time. I was at my attorneys. He was at his attorneys. Well, he wanted to make sure that he was the petitioner. That was so important to that. He needed to feel like he's the one that was divorcing me. They started the process. But before any papers were signed, Ted tried to take back control.
Starting point is 00:37:44 So as we're moving along in this divorce, I came home and he's standing in our kitchen saying, I've called the divorce off. That's exactly how he said it. I've called the divorce off. I'm like, okay, have you? You've called it off. And he said, and I've written this letter, and I want you to read it. And the letter stated,
Starting point is 00:38:09 all the things that he had done to me that were very unkind, admitting everything. And then he says, I know you don't know anything about my business practices, but that will change. Like, I'm going to let you in now on everything. But I still wasn't swayed by it because I thought, well, why was he resistant in the first place? The letter didn't change her mind. One line stood out, though. I know you don't know anything about my business practices, but that will change. It sounded like he was finally giving her what she wanted.
Starting point is 00:38:45 Transparency. The only problem? He failed to mention the most important detail. In that letter, I should point out, he never says, by the way, I've been committing mortgage fraud and your life's about to implode. What's up, everyone? I'm Ego Vodom. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman,
Starting point is 00:39:23 Saturday Night Live, and The Big Money Beardee, Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. Woo, woo, woo, woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day, and I was like, and dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place that come, look for up and coming talent.
Starting point is 00:39:45 He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there.
Starting point is 00:40:13 Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks Dad on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. There's two golden rocks. that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes.
Starting point is 00:40:37 And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends... Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen? happened to me. The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands.
Starting point is 00:41:04 They said, oh, hell no. I vowed I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up? I'm Miles Turner. And I'm Brianna Stewart. And our podcast, Game Recognized Game has never been done before. Two active players giving you a real look at our lives and what we actually think on and off the court. Nothing's off limits. We talk trade requests. What's the vibe of that when it's like your star players like, well, I want to leave? And then actually now I'm going to stay.
Starting point is 00:41:48 We talk tanking. I mean, honestly, like, I might get in trouble for this answer, but I think it's like definitely happening in the WBA. And yeah, we talk about our mistakes too. They pulled me to their side and was like, hey, man, we got a call last night, man. You can't be rolling around the city like this tonight before games, no, you know, doing this, doing whatever. And of course, family stories. And we're like, Mommy, why did you miss that? Mommy, do you play basketball?
Starting point is 00:42:17 Check out Game Recognized game with Stuy and Miles on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, Ernest, what's up? Look, money is something we all deal with, but financial literacy is what helps turn income into real wealth. On each episode of the podcast, earn your leisure, we break down the conversations you need to understand money, investing, and entrepreneurship. From stocks and real estate to credit, business, and generational wealth, we translate complex financial topics into real conversations everyone can understand. Because the truth is, most people will never talk how money really works. But once you understand the system, you can start to build within it. That means ownership, smarter investing, and creating opportunities not just for yourself,
Starting point is 00:43:02 but for the next generation. If you want to learn how to build wealth, understand the markets, and think like an owner, earn your leisure is the podcast for you. Listen to earn your leisure on the I-Heart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. A few weeks after Libby and Ted began their divorce,
Starting point is 00:43:25 Ted wanted to repair the relationship. He wrote her a letter apologizing, promising to come clean about their finances. But Libby didn't trust it. She had a hunch that Ted was still hiding something, so she decided to turn to the Louisville rumor mill. Libby knew her town well. If Ted was up to something, someone had to know.
Starting point is 00:43:49 I would find out by a friend's husband that was an attorney, he said that Ted was being investigated by the FBI. I was like, what? Ted was being investigated for a complex mortgage fraud scheme, built on forged documents and phony buyers. Ted, Khalid, and his coworkers were all in on it. They found these straw buyers to buy these homes in a dilapidated area of Louisville. On paper, those buyers looked great.
Starting point is 00:44:24 They had jobs, income, and enough credit to qualify. But none of it was real. They made up their employment. So they didn't make the money that they said they did. So that would induce a lender to give them a loan when they shouldn't have had it in the first place. But in the moment, Libby didn't know any of these details. All she knew was that they were bankrupt and that her husband was being investigated by the FBI. So the next time Ted came over to the house, Libby met him in the driveway to demand answers.
Starting point is 00:45:02 And I remember this so, so clearly. I was in my powder blue pajamas. And I came out and I said, what are you involved in? He knew at that point that I'm aware that something's wrong. And I said, are you being investigated by the FBI? And he looked at me so coldly like he never knew me. And he said, if I go down, I'm taking you with me. I go, you owe me more of an explanation.
Starting point is 00:45:36 And he said verbatim, I don't owe you anything, bitch. That's what he said to me. I don't owe you anything, bitch. The man she'd fallen in love with a decade ago was gone. Ted wasn't trying to protect her anymore. He was trying to pull her down right alongside him. But she wasn't about to let that happen. She made an appointment to speak with the authorities herself.
Starting point is 00:46:05 A few days later, Libby found herself. walking into a federal building, her heart pounding. And this is surreal to me. I mean, one minute I married, a stay-at-home mom, and the next minute I need to go and speak with the FBI. And so I get there, and there were three agents, and they're talking to me, asking me, you know, general questions. Libby sat there trying to recall every conversation,
Starting point is 00:46:38 every detail, every red flag she ignored about her husband. She wanted to help their case and show them she was innocent. The agents left the room. Libby waited and waited. He comes back in and he said, the only thing you're guilty of is trusting your husband. That's all you're guilty of. While the FBI built their case,
Starting point is 00:47:07 Libby still had to manage the divorce and bankruptcy filings. They short-sold the house and nearly everything they owned. I think my first real taste of what I would have to endure was going to the grocery store, thinking that I had money. And I shopped, you know, for an hour, went to buy the groceries and there was no money, you know, no funds. And they had to pull my cart aside. And that's embarrassing.
Starting point is 00:47:37 And I could feel the sweat beating up. And that was my first indication. I was like, this is bad. There's no money. In a matter of weeks, she went from never having to think about money to not having enough for groceries. To make matters worse, Ted became erratic. He knew the feds were closing in on him.
Starting point is 00:48:00 Ted got really, really unruly. He would show up at my house, hide the hand. tree. It would be like late at night and I would sit on the back of my steps and he would come and yell at me. He would say the oddest things to me. He would say things like I will never be found guilty. I will be found innocent in a court of law. And he named himself Teflon Ted because the charges don't stick. But Ted's nickname didn't hold up. He was indicted and the charges were serious. mortgage fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, totaling millions of dollars. Ted was one of four men named in the indictment, along with Khalid and two other men
Starting point is 00:48:52 Libby had never heard of. They'd been inflating the value of homes, flipping them to each other at ballooned prices, and pocketing the difference. The scheme worked for a while, but then they started to defa on these loans. And, you know, someone's left holding the money. the bag. The House of Cards collapsed, and Libby was the one left trying to make sense of the wreckage. After the indictment, it was another four years of hearings and negotiations before Ted was sentenced to prison. Libby tried her best to co-parent with him during this tense waiting period. He was ordered to pay $149 a month in child support, practically nothing. As part of the divorce agreement, Libby and her daughter could stay.
Starting point is 00:49:41 in a condo owned by Ted's parents, but only for two years. After that, she would be on our own. That's not a long time. When you don't have a job, you don't know if you have to go back to school, that goes by very quickly. My daughter was 10 years old, and that scared me a great deal. And what scared me more is Ted defaulted on every single thing. So I had to go to court. Ted left behind a trail of defaulted debt, some of it in Libby's name, through forged signatures. And I knew his signature was. It was my husband's.
Starting point is 00:50:18 I recognized his handwriting. She tried to call the debt collectors. But as soon as she said Ted was her ex-husband, their tone shifted. If you say it's somebody you don't know, then they're alarmed. You say it's your husband. Oh.
Starting point is 00:50:35 Like we're one person. It really was like I saw my identity over at the altar. Her credit was wrecked and her sense of safety was gone. After those two years were up, she had to find a new home. With nowhere to go, she and her daughter moved into a rundown apartment. Pretty dilapidated place, roaches, awful, but I needed a place to live. Because of her bankruptcy filing, she couldn't even get the lights turned on in her name.
Starting point is 00:51:10 They wouldn't even let me get electric in my name without a co-center. And I'm like, well, am I just going to freeze to death? One of the last times she saw Ted, she asked him why he did it. And his answer was because I can. That's what he said to me after all those years. And I said, you bankrupted me. His answer was, I bankrupted myself. It's almost like he didn't care how that affected me.
Starting point is 00:51:38 One day when Libby was at a particularly low point, she decided to reach out to Ted's mother. I asked his mom. I begged and I said, we need money. I said, do you realize that Ted only pays $149 a month? And her exact words were, that's what the court say. This woman had welcomed her into their family and even given her that circle necklace to represent their bond. But Ted's parents wouldn't give her a cent, not even for their granddaughter's education. And I couldn't believe it because I adored them.
Starting point is 00:52:18 I mean, they had so much. I couldn't understand why they wouldn't be generous. They never gave me a dollar more. It was heartbreaking because she respected them, and she thought she was in their circle. But when she was drowning, they looked the other way. In the end, their loyalty was never to her. It was to Ted. I felt like his parents thought I betrayed him by not standing by my man in quotes, if you will.
Starting point is 00:52:50 Because that's what I think they wanted me to do. But their son betrayed me. Finally, Ted pled guilty. There was no trial, no courtroom showdown, no witness stand where Libby could testify to what she'd lost. In a way, Libby really. wanted to hear it all out in the open. If there's a trial, you get to watch and you can see what happened to your life.
Starting point is 00:53:16 I wanted to know what really happened. He was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, and ordered to pay $3 million in restitution. After the sentencing, Libby decided to go look for answers on her own. I decided I wanted to do an archaeological dig on myself. She called up an acquaintance who worked in the mortgage business. business. And I asked her, do you know what happened? Because I thought she did. And she said, you know, Libby, let me tell you something. You need to get on online deed records. She goes, you might find yourself there. I go, what do you mean? I've never been on that, ever. She said,
Starting point is 00:53:57 just take my advice and go look. So Libby did. And what she found made her stomach turn. Well, I go look at those deeds. And there my name. was they'd forged money in that fraud scheme. When I found that out, I sent a text message to my ex-husband that I knew what he had done to me. You used me in your fraud scheme. I mean, what happens if the FBI would have thought that I really was a part of that and I was sitting in prison? He put my freedom in jeopardy. And I never spoke a word to him again. Libby took the forged documents to the police station to try and press charges. This detective called me and goes, you know, I was interested in your case.
Starting point is 00:54:47 Here's the thing. Your husband's already gone to prison. This case has been adunicated. So there's nothing that we can do for you. And I thought, why not? How come I can't do something for me? I mean, it looks like I helped facilitate that fraud. but he said there was nothing that could be done.
Starting point is 00:55:08 If she couldn't get justice, she at least wanted to set the record straight. I said, well, I want my name off those deeds. I didn't care if they sat there for 10 years. I did not want, for generations, it to look like I committed that fraud. After eight years of back and forth, she got the documents amended.
Starting point is 00:55:32 It finally says on online deed records, my name was obtained, forged by ex-husband or others. It officially says that. Now there's proof. I now can set that rumor straight, but words, rumors really, truly can harm me forever. Even after she got the records fixed, she still hears whispers, rumors about her being in on it. And people love it when people that they see as being affluent live in the life. belonging to country clubs, fall.
Starting point is 00:56:08 I didn't grow up with all that. I appreciated it, but a lot of people just assume, oh, they deserve it. They knew. I didn't know. I was financially illiterate. And that, I tell people, do not be that. If your significant other is push them back, that's a red flag. It's a lesson she learned the hardest way possible.
Starting point is 00:56:34 But unlike the bankruptcy and the bankruptcy, the deeds, some consequences, could never be expunged. It affected my relationship with my daughter. A young girl had this beautiful life, and all of a sudden, it's food stamps, and people at school aren't being nice to her because her dad's in prison. She was so upset. I mean, her father's going to prison. She just wanted to see him.
Starting point is 00:57:06 And he got mad at her and send her an email from prison saying, don't be like your mother. You won't do well in life from prison. And I thought, wow, what a statement to make. You're in a federal prison telling, you know, your daughter not to be like her mother. Ted was released from prison in 2010. He never reached out to Libby. And then he got to transition right back into another home.
Starting point is 00:57:36 and a condo that his parents owned. It was never like that for me. I applied for affordable housing twice. Never could get it. It's hard for Libby to stomach, watching Ted end up with a soft landing. She's had to fight tooth and nail to rebuild her life
Starting point is 00:57:53 and regain financial stability. Plus, there are still big unanswered questions. Did Khalid really threaten to kill her? What was really going on there? To this day, I don't really know if that's true or not. Maybe if you're talking to, I don't know. I don't know if Ted was lying to me.
Starting point is 00:58:18 Only Ted would know that. She's had to come to terms with being in the dark and not knowing everything about the crimes that destroyed her life. I have to just live with never knowing because maybe somebody will come out of the woodwork to talk to me and tell me they haven't yet, but you never know. You never know what could happen. You're supposed to forgive people for yourself.
Starting point is 00:58:49 I have a really hard time with that. But I don't want to be bitter because that just eats you up. We end every episode with the same question. Why did you want to tell your story? I'll always mourn that I didn't get the life that I set out to have. Because I grew up with such dysfunction, my dream was to be married to someone who loved me. I know it's silly. with that house and white picket fence and a nice family,
Starting point is 00:59:24 because I didn't have it. In the end, it's also a cautionary tale. There was a lot in there that I would never do again. I had a bank account, and he put money in it, and I was okay with that. He paid all the credit cards. He did all of it, and I was clueless. You know, don't do that. Don't let that happen to you.
Starting point is 00:59:49 Some small things that I could have done. could have changed the course of my life. And I mean, literally, here I am today, and my life imploded. And I'm like, why did that happen? Maybe to help other people. Maybe that's just as simple as that. Next week on Betrayal Weekly.
Starting point is 01:00:13 She's ruined so many lives, broken so many hearts. It's just left me wondering, did she ever have any love for any of us? 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.com. That's Betrayal P-O-D at Gmail.com.
Starting point is 01:00:45 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
Starting point is 01:01:02 in 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 Monique Laborde. Also produced by Ben Federman. Associate producers are Kristen Mulcuri
Starting point is 01:01:18 and Caitlin Golden. Our IHard team is Ali Perry and Jessica Kreincheck. Audio editing and mixing by Matt Dalvecchio. Additional editing support from Tanner Robbins. Betrayals theme composed by Oliver Baines, music library provided by Mib Music. And for more podcasts from IHeart,
Starting point is 01:01:38 visit the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi listeners, I'm Anna Sinfield, host of The Girlfriends Trust Me Babe. I'm excited to share the Girlfriends, Trust Me Babe, story with you. And I want to let you know that you can get access to all episodes of Season 1, three and four of the girlfriends,
Starting point is 01:02:05 and every single episode of The Girlfriends Trust Me Babe, 100% ad-free with an I-Heart True Crime Plus subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Plus, you'll get access to all episodes of The Girlfriends Trust Me, Babe, one week ahead of everyone else, available only to I-Heart True Crime Plus subscribers. So don't wait, head to Apple Podcast, search for I-Heart True Crime Plus, and subscribe today.
Starting point is 01:02:34 Hi, listeners. I'm Jamal Jordan, the host of Roershack, Murder at City Hall podcast. In July 2003, Councilman James E. Davis, an ambitious rising star in Brooklyn politics, was murdered inside New York City Hall, shot to death in front of more than 200 people. The killer? His political opponent, a man named Neil Askew. The full story of this shocking public murder and the relationship between these two men has not yet been told. Until now.
Starting point is 01:03:10 I want to let you know that you can get access to all episodes of Roershack Murder at City Hall 100% ad-free with an I-Heart True Crime Plus subscription available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Plus, you'll get access to all episodes of Rochak Murder at City Hall one week ahead of everyone else, available only to IHeart True Crime Plus subscribe.
Starting point is 01:03:31 So don't wait. Head's Apple Podcasts. Search for Iheart True Crime Plus and subscribe today. Hi, I'm Iris Palmer, host of the Against All Odds podcast. Every week, I'm sitting down with exceptional people who have broken barriers even when the odds were stacked against them. Like chef Victor Villa of Vias Tacos. You know the taquero from the Bad Bunny halftime show?
Starting point is 01:03:54 It was great. It was a big moment. It was special. And I felt like I was really representing my family, you know, my brand. My city, I was representing all taqueros, not only of like, you know, the U.S., but of Mexico and beyond, all the taqueros of the world. Listen to Against All Odds on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This financial literacy month, we are talking about the one investment most people ignore, building a business around the life you actually want. It was just us, making happen whatever he said was going to happen and then it happened.
Starting point is 01:04:27 On those amigos, entrepreneurs like America Sam and Joe Hafe, get real about money, taking risk, and while your dream might be the smartest move. At the end of my life, what am I really going to care about? And the conclusion I came to is what I did to make the world a better place in whatever way. Listen to those amigos on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

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