The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Taylor Armstrong Gets Her I Do Part 2

Episode Date: November 1, 2025

Taylor Armstrong continues to share her harrowing story of survival and how she finally found the courage to leave her abuser. From the shocking discovery of her husband's death to being thrust into single motherhood, to the relentless media...Taylor recalls how her life continued to spiral. How did she find the courage to open herself to love after trauma and grief? Her happy ending came through in a silver lining, a story that will make you believe that you should never give up on finding the kind of love you deserve in your chapter two. *Note: This episode contains content that some listeners might find disturbing. This episode discusses domestic abuse, as well as suicide. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Johnny Knoxville here. Check out Crimeless, Hillbilly Heist, my new true crime podcast from Smartless Media, campside media, and big money players. It's the true story of the almost perfect crime and the Nimrods who almost pulled it off. It was kind of like the perfect storm in a sewer.

That was dumb. Do not follow my example. Listen to Crimless, Hillbilly Heist, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I live below a cult leader, and I fear I've angered her. Wait a minute, Sophia. How do you know she's a cult leader? Well, Dakota, luckily it's I'm not afraid of a scary story week on the OK Storytime podcast.

So we'll find out soon. This person writes, My neighbor has been blasting music every day and doing dirt rituals. And now my ceiling is collapsing. I try to report them, but things keep getting weirder. I think they might be part of okay. Hold up. A real life cult? And what is a dirt ritual? No clue, Dakota. To find out how it ends. Listen to the OK Storytime podcast on the IHeart Radio 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. In early 1988, federal agents raced to track down the gang they suspect of importing millions of dollars worth of heroin into New York from Asia. Had 30 agents ready to go with shotguns and rifles and you name it.

Five, six white people. Pushed me in the car. I'm going, what about that? Basically, your stay-at-home moms were picking up these large amounts of heroin. All you got to do is receive the package. Don't have to open it, just accept it. She was very upset, crying. Once I saw the gun, I tried to take his hand, and I saw the flash of light. Listen to the Chinatown staying. the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere you get your podcasts. I'm Yvesa and I'm Maite Gomesja Juan and this week on our podcast, Hungry for History,

we talk oysters plus the Mianbe Chief stops by. If you're not an oyster lover, don't even talk to me. Ancient Athenians used to scratch names onto oyster shells to vote politicians into exile. So our word ostracize is related to the word oyster. No way. Bring back the OsterCon. Listen to Hungry for History on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Some listeners may find this content disturbing.

This episode discusses domestic abuse as well as suicide. Please proceed with caution. This is Taylor Armstrong, in her own words. Taylor, thank you for continuing to show your story. So now it happens. You've been outed and you talk to your friend. We're going to have to tell them. So what happens then?

So we start going to couples counseling with Dr. Sophie at Dr. Sophie's urging. And I let Dr. Sophie urge Russell into it. And so we started going and slowly. Dr. Sophie was, he's so amazing, but he would say, okay, you know, there's talk around town that there's some things going on and, you know, Russell, let's talk about this and is there any reality to that? And so he did it in such a slow way that it didn't seem like he was going to get ambushed on the show. It was just, you know, there's people talking around town and I don't know, are these things true? And he created a safety plan for us.

where he, so with our landline phones, but like if you two start to get in an argument, then you need to go into two separate rooms in the house and both get on the phone with me and we'll talk through it. I can't believe Russell was even open to talking to this person, much less like coming up with any kind of strategy. I mean, it's that he would even have this self-awareness to be open to, like, you know, this has to change.

I'm not sure he was open to this. has to change, but he was definitely, I think that Dr. Sophie's saying things like, you know, there's people that are talking. So he's more worried about this getting discovered. The perception of him before we finally told him, you know, it's

coming out on the show. And then how to go once you told him once he really knew? I think he was scared. I mean, it was, of course, angry as can be, and in denial. And then litigious. He started firing off emails to evolution, which I was aware of. And then he sent one to

Camille also threatening a lawsuit or whatever. I didn't know about that one, but I knew about the evolution one. And I think he, at that point, he was in panic mode thinking that he could somehow keep it off the show, which we both know. How was the, at that point, what was the, abuse, like the physical abuse was still happening, even though he'd been outed. I know that the abuse obviously still happened, but was he still, was it still physical? Was he more concerned now that he'd been outed? How that it matters, I guess. Well, no.

You know, I don't feel like the ranting got any better. Maybe it even got worse because it would be like him blaming me for now potentially destroying his career from this being on and his reputation. so definitely so a lot of that and well I mean ultimately you know how all of it ended well it's you're I can't believe you're such an open book I think it's whatever I'm not it's so brave but whatever to like just is it's kind of shocking how much you're willing to talk about it because again like as a viewer you I felt like I was watching it and somehow like getting it but I didn't get it at all as a viewer of

reality television, like this discussion is so different than, and I knew I was watching the episode when Camille said what she said. And so it was the shock, but like the details of it are just so horrible. So, okay, so you get divorce or you, obviously you file for divorce. And yes, of course I know what happened next, Russell commits suicide. Right, right. So, I mean, I don't even know. So I hadn't filed for divorce then. Oh, you hadn't? No, no. So, um, so. Let's see. So it was my, the last time he hit me, it was my birthday. And we had thrown a huge party. And that day, we checked into a hotel in Beverly Hills. And he gave me like all these gifts. And he wrote me a card. And it was like a front and a back of a card. And it was all about how he was going to change. And he knew that, you know, he hadn't been a good husband to me. And he had never. never done anything like that. You hear people talk about the honeymoon phase after someone's abusive to you, then they're super nice to your bringing roses the next day. He was not like that.

With me, there was no honeymoon phase. So he would be abusive and then, or verbal, whatever. But then the next day it was, it's your fault. No remorse. No remorse. No. We definitely did not have that honeymoon phase. So when I saw that happen on my birthday, I thought, okay, maybe things are going to change because I've never seen the sight of him. Maybe he really is going to be the good person that I know he can be. And it gave me so much hope. And so then we went to my birthday party. So we checked into the hotel. He gives me the gifts in the card.

And then we went to my birthday party. Had a great time. And Lisa, Vanderpump's daughter, had just gotten, had her bachelor's party on the show. And we went to Vegas. And we went to the Chippendales. You know, it was just silly. And we got up on stage. And, you know, they're all oiled up.

And it was, you know, a 20-year-old girls' bachelorette party. And we were filming the whole thing, obviously. So we go to the birthday. We have a blast. We get back to the room. We're in bed. And he says, I know you slept with the Chippendales in Vegas. And I was like, what? What are you talking about? And it was just like unfathomable. I thought, wait, it's only been like a matter of hours since he said he's not going to be this person again. And it's my birthday. And he's already back to being this person. And he's just berating me and, you know, saying how, what a slut I am and all. you know, all those kinds of things. And, I mean, first of all, this would be absolutely ridiculous. I'm going to go sleep with the Chippendale. And you were filming the show.

I mean, the whole thing was, I was just like, are you serious? Like, we're not really going here. Are we? This is ridiculous. This is absurd. I mean, I was with Lisa. Like, and then I'm just explaining everything when I shouldn't even have, I should just been like, I'm not having this conversation with you, but that wouldn't work with

him. Yeah, it's just, I mean, because it was always probably, I mean, this, yes, obviously it would be absurd to think you're having, you're with the Chippendendales guy, but it was always absurd. Like you had $14 of coffee. so you, you know, it's like, so you get to the point where you know it's not going to help try to explain it away, right?

It's like, it doesn't matter what you say at this point. He wants to rage. Absolutely. And so it just, he just escalated, and then he rose up in bed, and he punched me in the face. And because my head, I didn't have anywhere from my head to go back,

you know, because I was laying flat down in the bed. So that's when he fractured my orbital floor. So then I have. Your orbital floor. So if you look at your skull and where the eye socket would be, underneath there is the orbital floor. It holds the orbit of your eye. So he fractured that, which is actually,

and I believe it was Mayweather who had that injury in a boxing match. But it's a common injury with that area. But, yeah, so he fractured my orbital floor. And then that I went to see... You called the... Die 1-1? Was it... Mm-mm. And at first I thought, okay, it's not a big deal.

And then the next day, when I would move my eye around, it was like pinching underneath because the fracture. So like the piece of my eye was getting kind of stuck in it. And so I had just had LASIC and I was having trouble seeing out of that eye a little bit. It was like blurry. So I went to see Carrie a cell was my doctor at the time who did my LASIC because my and they told me my flap was wrinkled. And so they were going to have to try to do a repair on it.

And he said, this was interesting. So Russell went with me. I said he did. Yeah. So he said, the doctor said, how did this happen? And Russell had told me, tell him you were pushing Kennedy on a swing, and she kicked you. And so I told the doctor that. And the doctor said, really?

What kind of, like, he would even say to you, and that you, you, like, had to work with him. to make up the lie to the doctor. I feel like I'm, I feel like I'm Drew Baramore because every time you see her on a talk show, she's like this, but it's just the story is crazy. So go on, I'm sorry. So no, no.

So the doctor said, well, what kind of shoes does Kennedy wear? And I... He knew. Yeah. And I said, well, a tennis shoes. And he's like, oh, okay. Were you pushing her from the front of the swing? Oh, come on.

Yeah. This is just a laced doctor? Yeah. But he's like, oh, were you pushing her from the front of? of this thing? And Russell's standing there? Yeah. And the doctor was like, okay. Like, and just kind of like, all right, I'm going to, I'm going to let you, I'm going to let you go with this. But this is bullshit. He goes, well, I'll tell you this. I've only had to do a flap repair one other time. And it's from a police officer that was arresting someone and got punched in the face. Were you scared when he said it? Russell was there. Oh, yeah. But at the same time, I was like, I mean, he said it very purposefully. Yeah. And how do Russell react to that? Oh, nothing. I mean, he was good. He could be, you know, poker face on all of it.

So then I went to go see the ocular plastic surgeon. And this is how horrible it is when you're in these situations. So of all the injuries that he, that I had gone through with him, I go to get the radiography back on my eye. And now I can see the orbital floor fracture. And they're telling me I'm going to have to have reconfigure. constructive surgery. I have a titanium implant in my orbit now. And it wasn't until that moment that I confirmed for myself that I was being abused. It literally took me looking at an x-ray of a fracture in my face to go, I'm being abused. And not talking myself back out of it. So once that happened, I asked him to move out. And he completely changed. It was, was so fascinating. One of my friends years prior said to me, if you just stand up to him,

he'll start backing down. But you just being the weak one all the time. But I was too afraid to stand up to him. So once he moved out, he started becoming like so willing to do anything to put things back together to keep me. So now it's public, right? Because I was filming the show when he fractured my orbital floor. But now I have to have reconstructive surgery. So I have to let producers know I'm going to be out, you know, with this. So he... When you finally said, and you saw it, you had to almost see a picture.

It doesn't be outside of yourself, right? See it. That's what it feels like you're saying. Actually see it in, like, proof. There it is, in black and white in a picture. But so were you still scared? So now you say, move out, it's over. Or once you realized it for yourself, and you said, this is, I'm done with this.

Were you still afraid of him? Yeah, I was afraid because, you know, when, well, with control, with abusers, which it's all about control, right? So when you finally decide to leave, it is the most dangerous time with an abuser. Because now they've lost all control. And they've lost everything that was giving them their power. So when he moved out, I slept with one eye open, you know, and always made sure. the alarms were on. And Julie was there with me and my assistant. And I had to live in

nanny. So she was there. So I felt like we had enough people there flanking the situation if he were to just to go into a rage. The locks changed and took the precautions. But yeah, it was very scary because now he's lost the control. He's terrified of what's going to happen. He didn't want me to press charges. Were you going to? Probably not. But I was friends with some people in the police, and they had said, if you don't press charges, they're going to press charges anyway, because this is too much of a public case. I mean, they can't have this happening on television. There was nothing done about it. So that was a big fear, is not knowing how he was going to ultimately react. And if it was going to be, he's going to come in with a gun and kill me,

you know, or, you know, just with that fear of not knowing. Were you even communicating with him at this point? Or was it, did you? A little bit because he would call me. So we, would have conversations about like how to how he's going to support me and things like that and he was very willing to meet with me or talk to me on the phone and you know trying to placate me yeah of course keep me under control um and here I think maybe for the first time feeling a little bad that I was going to have to have reconstructive surgery like actually going wow I really hurt her this time as opposed to before when it was that I deserved it or I caused it um so I think all the pieces were coming together for him

and he was getting more panicked than anything. And fast forward we had had a meeting. Well, I got my I had my reconstructive surgery and then we had had a meeting scheduled at his office

to talk about Kennedy. I mean, I would picture you'd just scared to see his face at this point. Yeah. So that's why we were meeting in his office and people there. So we had this meeting and he would not miss a phone call or anything with me because, as I said, he was panicking. And so I went to his office and his lights were off. And he was a workaholic.

Like he worked nonstop. And that was very unusual for him and then not to show up for my meeting. Calling, calling, calling, calling, phone going to voicemail. And so then I thought, okay, maybe he forgot, whatever. So kind of went on with my day. And something about it just wasn't, didn't feel right to me. And I knew some other people in the office. So I kind of went down before I left the office and was talking to them,

just kind of biding some time thinking maybe he had a lunch meeting. So then I, he never came back. And I, it just was something about it that just was, didn't feel right to me at all. Especially because the way he had been reacting, you know, always making sure he was on task with me. So I started making a couple of phone calls for people that were close to him, that he worked with and no one had talked to him all weekend. And so I just had this weird feeling

and I decided to go over to the house where he was staying. And I was in the car with my assistant and my daughter and I called one of my closest friends' husbands is a world championship kickboxer. So I called him and asked him to meet me at the house. And he did. And then we were ringing the gate.

No one came. finally someone else led us in the gate and we went up to the house, up to the bathroom. We're knocking on the door, no answer, no answer. With Kennedy? Kennedy was in the car with my assistant. And so then we went around to, he had a large big bathtub and the bathroom windows, and we were kind of looking in to see if we could see anything. And so then finally, my friend put his...

hands. It's those rollout windows. So he put his hands underneath and to pull it out, pride the window open. And then that's when we saw Russell hanging. 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 it.

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, I'm Nora Jones, and I love playing music with people so much that my podcast called Playing Along is back. I sit down with musicians from all musical styles to play songs together in an intimate setting. Every episode's a little bit different, but it all involves music and conversation with some of my favorite musicians. Over the past two seasons, I've had special guests like Dave Grohl, Leveh, Rufus Wainwright, Remy Wolf, Mark Rebier, Mavis Staples, really too many in a name. And there's still so much more to come in this new season, including the powerful psychedelic duo Black Pumas,

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Because if you feel different, you drive different. Brought to you by NHTSA and the Ad Council. May 24th, 1990, a pipe bomb explodes in the front seat of environmental activist Judy Barry's car. I knew it was a bomb the second that it exploded. I felt it ripped through me with just a force more powerful and terrible than anything that I could describe. In season two of Rip Current, we ask, who tried to kill Judy Barry? And why? She received death threats before the bombing.

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Pointer on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast. or wherever you're listening now. No, you're like comforting me. It's so horrible. Yeah. And know that I've shared my story so many times over the last. I mean, this was 2011. And so when I tell it now,

it's almost as though I'm up here and I'm telling someone else's story. Yeah, because I feel like, I know, but I feel like I'm sure people are having his reaction too. You know, I watched you on TV. You never know, like, you know, even in like reality TV, like what's really, you know, going on with people. Yeah. Horrible. And, you know, the, but I do, when I do tell it, it's so important because my life, you know, my life was spared and my daughter's life was spared and murder suicide is not uncommon when there is domestic

violence involved. And so because I was left here, I feel like, I was left here to tell my story and to make sure that I help other people not end up in the same situation as I did. I mean, I can only imagine you must be saving people's lives every day. I mean, just because you're so honest about it. I have never heard it described in this kind of detail. I don't think. Maybe, I don't know, movies or obviously, but. Yeah, yeah.

Well, you know, and the other sad reality of it is I ran into the street and hysterics and I was on the ground and, you know, shock or just everything that you can imagine emotionally. And I was screaming hysterically crying. And my friend, the kickboxer was on the phone with 911. And then all of a sudden I said, oh my God, Kennedy. And he lived on a cul-de-sac. So we're dead in street. And so I thought, I have to get her out of here before all these emergency vehicles start coming. She'll never get down the hill, you know. So I kind of switched gears. is in a mom mode for just enough time to get her out of there. And she said to my assistant, she said,

did my daddy do something stupid? She was five at the time. We got her out of there. And, you know, it's so heart-wrenching to me that 911 tapes are public. I'm not really sure what the point of that is. Did it go public? Do people listen to it? Yeah.

I don't remember that. Oh, yeah. That's fucked up. You can hear me screaming. Like, and then I, you can hear me referring to Kennedy and you can hear me saying, I need my psychiatrist, Dr. Sophie. But, like, I don't understand that all 911 tapes, and if I'm wrong, somebody will correct me, but I believe they're all public. And I just, I don't find any reasoning in that whatsoever. So then it was all just a blur.

My, my mom drove up, my friends came. This point, how much did your mom know? Well, I, she was there when I had the surgery. surgery. Yeah, she knew. And I'll tell you a very sad thing about the day of the surgery, and this really goes to the cycle of abuse and how much control an abuser has over you. So my mom and my best friend were sitting in the recovery with me. I was kind of coming out of morphine, and Russell walked in the door of my hospital room with flowers. and Jen, I can tell you, it is one of the hardest things for me to share with people is that in that moment, I wanted him to crawl in bed with me and stay with me. So that's how that cycle is so powerful. I mean, even looking at the person that put me there and wanting him to get in bed and comfort

me, and I looked over at my mom and my best friend, and I thought, I can't do this to them any longer. I mean, I don't know what I'm thinking. Maybe it's the morphine, but the fact that I had that thought, I just thought, I'm never going to get out of this if I don't get out of it for somebody else.

And they wheeled me down to see Kennedy. She was too young to come up and she's sitting on my lap in the wheelchair. And I just thought, this has to end. I mean, I can't do this to everybody else, even though I'm willing to potentially get back with this maniac. I can't believe you're thinking of your mom.

Your mom must have been seeing him come in with flowers. Oh my God. Your mother must have been, I mean, I know you're a mom. I can't even imagine, like, how she felt at that moment, you know? Like. And he apologized to my mom and my best friend. I think they didn't even respond. Yeah.

I think it was just, they were in shock. And I was actually, it was a blink. of two feelings. When he walked in the door, I was scared. Like, what's going to happen? I don't know if he has a gun behind the flowers or what could potentially go wrong, but then that feeling of wanting him to get into bed with me when I reflect on that, I just think. Yeah, and to think that that's the person in that moment I thought would comfort me. It really is like the sick sense of what the cycle of abuse is like. Yeah. It's funny. I like.

trying to be like, you know, I know the whole story that he killed himself. I hate his fucking guts. Yeah, I don't know. You know his moms. I don't, if I were in that position, I mean, my mom, I think, was just so in shock when he walked in and in shock about everything that had happened that she didn't respond and probably was, would have been fearful to respond to him, not knowing what his, his reaction was going to be. But as us being moms, you know, I have no idea because I feel like my rage would have been so great. I don't know how I would have reacted. But thankfully, we're not ever going to be in that situation.

That's the, that we make my daughter listen to this one. I think all daughters should, I hope. Okay. So after Russell committed suicide, I'm trying to remember, hell, you're still filming the show at that point? Or we had wrapped? It was wrapped. So I had the orb before Reconstruction.

Okay. And that was a big part of the finale. So we were all at the finale. Dr. Sophie went with me. And then now I've had the surgery. And so there's not really anyone that can say they don't believe me at this point. Why are people saying they didn't believe you? Yeah.

There was a time when it was kind of like Camille and Adrian were saying they were having doubts, I will say. I'm not going to say they didn't believe me. This is a long time ago. I kind of, as you're saying it, it's kind of coming back to me. Yeah. And Lisa and Kyle were definitely on my side. and then, but, like, Camille and Adrian, they were just asking a lot of questions. I don't know.

When I look back, though, if it was out of fear for them that they didn't want to admit that they knew because now they see how crazy he was. Somehow culpable in it? Or, no, maybe, like, fearful. Like, we don't want. That he could come for them. Yes. Like, we're not going to say he did this because we don't want to, A, be involved.

You haven't talked to him, you haven't asked them ever about it? Well, Camille came out years later, unfortunately. You talk to them anymore? You know, I'm on great terms with all of them So I don't, you know, it's so far Orange County to Beverly Hills People think it's like side by side But it took me too and, yeah, I know, exactly

So it's not, we don't see each other like we would if I lived here But you've forgiven that it questioned you or that they Yeah, for sure And I do think part of it was out of fear That they didn't want him coming after them And I think that would I think they were, everybody was kind of in shock To begin with and that this was all getting ready to come out on the show

and fearful of what the result was going to be. And it was just a myriad of emotions. But that finale, I've had the surgery. Now he's living out. Then I find him hanging. And then there was a reunion? So then... How could I block this?

I can't imagine that I forgot this. But please. Yeah. So then... I was trying to think of the chamber of Vince. It was a little bit of a blur back then. So I had the surgery in July. I find him hanging in August.

And October would have been our sixth wedding universe. so then the show air oh i know so then they were trying to decide whether they air the show or not and you see in the first episode before the show airs all the girls get getting together at adrian maloof's house and they're on camera but they're discussing whether the show should air or not and camille was a hard no on wanting the show to air um why because she's the one that outed everything and probably thought she might be villainized i'm putting words in her mouth, but you know, that people would say, I can't believe you would out someone's abuse. Was she villainized? I don't remember that either. Um, I don't know. I was

kind of in a fog at that point. But, um, but later, unfortunately, Camille had an abusive situation of her own. And she went through it. I think she told me for like an hour or something. Um, and she came back to me and just said, the terror that she felt in that one hour that, she just felt so absolutely horrible to think about all that I had gone through. And she was just extremely apologetic and hate that she had to experience it to really recognize the terror that exists during those moments. But she was extremely supportive and sad and definitely forgiveness happened. But other than that, everyone was just very supportive.

I mean, you know, coming to the funeral and being supportive of me and checking in on me. I didn't leave my house for quite some time and Kyle and Lisa came over and they're so funny and we did fun silly things with Kennedy and just tried to put the pieces together, which were falling apart all over the place. I had armed security with me all the time and in my house even. And back then, the paparazzi were really relentless. You know, it's changed a little with all the iPhones and everybody posting their own stuff. But they were all over my streets. I mean, I couldn't leave the house. It was insanity.

It was truly my house was like ground zero for all these paparazzi and everything. And so it was just like people had to come see me because I couldn't leave and go anywhere. The first time I left, I had to go to force on to plan the funeral. And so my bodyguard at the time, they put me under a blanket. Oh, my God. know, in the back of the escalade and in the garage and then my assistant was in the front and we pulled out and then here they come. And so there's a huge, and you know, they all have Priuses back then. So they can always keep up with you longer. And then I'm in an escalate, the biggest gas guzzler. But so, you know, we were weaving in and out of traffic. And it was just, it was just, it was insanity. Like I never thought I'm going to be able to escape these people. I can't even leave my house. And so that was just adding on top of the shock and the recovery and the suicide. And then now. now I'm dealing with all of this and trying to figure out how to put the pieces of my life back together. And it was just awful. And I was getting interview requests from everyone you can

imagine up to Barbara Walters and thinking like, I am not ready for this onslaught of answering all of these questions. It was all so fresh. And I was in shock. And there were so many other problems that were going on from a logistical perspective with finances and because I had no access to money and just trying to figure out how I was going to put the pieces back together. And my daughter was at a very expensive private school, as you know. And so it was like on top of the shock, the recovery, the paparazzi and the press. And then, you know, my financial situation and trying to figure out how to put my life back together, not let my five-year-old daughter see that I was a complete and total wreck.

And it was just, it really feels like back then it was like I felt like I was just sitting in my backyard and drink Chardonnay and listen to the Eagles and just stare and think, I have no idea what I'm going to do because there were too many things going wrong and nothing was going right. All I know is what I've been told, and that to have truth is a whole lie. For almost a decade, the murder of an 18-year-old girl from a son. 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 occurring. 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, I'm Nora Jones, and I love playing music with people so much that my podcast called Playing Along is back.

I sit down with musicians from all musical styles to play songs together in an intimate setting. Every episode's a little bit different, but it all involves music and conversation with some of my favorite musicians. Over the past two seasons, I've had special guests like Dave Grohl, Leveh, Rufus Wainwright, Remy Wolf, Mark Rebier,

Mavis Staples, really too many to name. And there's still so much more to come in this new season, including the powerful psychedelic duo Black Pumas, my old pal and longtime songwriting friend, Jesse Harris, and the legendary Lucinda Williams. Listen to Nora Jones is playing along on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Cats are masters at using up their nine lives, like chasing laser pointers into walls, or jumping onto high shelves. But the one thing cats never do, text while driving. So be like a cat. And,

protect your one and only life. Don't text and drive. Don't drive distracted. A message brought to you by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Project Yellow Light, and the Ad Council. May 24, 1990, a pipe bomb explodes in the front seat of environmental activist Judy Berry's car. I knew it was a bomb the second that it exploded. I felt it ripped through me with just a force more powerful and terrible than

anything that I could describe. In season two of Ripcurrent, we ask, who tried to kill Judy Barry and why? She received death threats before the bombing. She received more stress after the bombing. The man and woman who were heard had planned to lead a summer of militant protest against logging practices in Northern California.

They were climbing trees, and they were sabotaging logging equipment in the woods. The timber industry, I mean, it was the number one industry in the area, but more than it was the culture. It was the way of life. I think that this is a deliberate attempt to sabotage our movement. Listen to RipCurrent Season 2 starting November 5th on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm I'm Yvalongoria, and I'm Maitegumazer Kuan.

And on our podcast, Hungry for History, we mix two of our favorite things, food and history. Ancient Athenians used to scratch names onto oyster shells, and they called these Oster Khan. to vote politicians into exile. So our word ostracize is related to the word oyster. No way. Bring back the OsterCon. And because we've got a very Mikaasa is Su Casa kind of vibe on our show, friends always stop by.

Pretty much every entry into this side of the planet was through the Gulf of Mexico. No, the America. No, the America. The Gulf of Mexico, continue to be it forever and ever. It blows me away how progressive Mexico was in this moment. They had land reform, they had labor rights, they had education rights. Mustard seeds were so valuable to the ancient Egyptians that they used to place them in their tombs for the afterlife.

Listen to Hungry for History as part of the My Cultura podcast network, available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What about his parents? Where were they? His parents, of course, had mental health issues. And they were divorced, but, yeah. Were they ever there for you or for? No. I mean, very sweet people, but definitely not capable of assisting in any way.

My mom was there. When I woke up the day after the suicide, my house was filled with, like, my very best friends. they were all I was one of my best ones was in bed with me my other best friend standing over me my other best friend um was she works for KTLA she's outside trying to manage the press like they were in full blown um like recovery mode for me immediately and then people come me to visit me at the house and and flowers from every place you can possibly imagine and so I had a lot of support thankfully is there then like everything else I guess people talk about no then that slowly starts to fade in terms of like, okay, now it's not so new anymore and you're still dealing with the aftermath. You're 100% right. Now all of a sudden, it's not everybody's standing over you and flowers pouring in, right? Then you have to deal with the reality of your situation.

And this little girl who now has lost her father. She was how old at the time? Five. She understood, wasn't, you know, does she remember this? I don't know how much detail she remembers. I'm sure because it was so, so much trauma. Yeah, she definitely, and, you know, and unfortunately those stories everywhere.

So, you know, she knew at a very early age all that had happened. When it first happened, I had told her that your daddy died because he was sick in the head. And I would just want to, I didn't, she did not know it was a suicide. But then, fast forward, when I finally did start taking her out of the house, the paparazzi would be chasing us and going, how does Kennedy feel about the suicide? And I'm like, you guys, come on now. I mean, you know, you need to do this to a five-year-old. I mean, so it was so bad back then.

And it's not like that anymore. So that's a good thing. But I had no privacy and no ability to really heal just because I was dealing with so many problems I was left with. And then just the stress of everything that was going to come out on the show. I mean, like I feel like if you could go get through that, you could get through anything. It sounds like the worst possible.

I cannot imagine how you were living through that. Yeah. Well, I always say that people will say, you're so strong, you're so strong. But the truth of the matter is that when you go through something, a tragedy, you know, you find strength inside you that you didn't know you have. And then you can take that and kind of put it in your back pocket. And so the next time you're faced with challenges in life, which you're going to be, right?

The universe doesn't go, Taylor's been through enough. We're not giving her any more problems. But I'm able to go, I got this. I mean, whatever's coming ahead of me is I've got that strength that I didn't know I have. It's part of my arsenal. You know, my warrior shield is very banged up. And if you want to go into battle, go in with me because I got you on this one. Yeah, it's good, though.

And it also is, it's important because there is life after. And so knowing what I've been through and when people are struggling and they want to share their story with me. I think you had the most amazing woman. I think you're the most amazing woman. I mean, again, like as a viewer, it's such a different experience, like to actually talk to you. And I've known you for a while. We'd be friendly. But I think you are incredible, especially now.

Thank you for letting me share it. Oh, please. Well, I mean, this is I do part two. So we're actually supposed to talk about part two in your new life. Well, we just spent so much time on part one. Yeah. 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 you 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, I'm Nora Jones, and I love playing music with people so much that my podcast called Playing Along is back.

I sit down with musicians from all musical styles to play songs together in an intimate setting. Every episode's a little bit different, but it all involves music and conversation with some of my favorite musicians. Over the past two seasons, I've had special guests like Dave Grohl, Leveh, Rufus Wainwright, Remy Wolf, Mark Rebier, Mavis Staples, really too many to name. And there's still so much more to come in this new season, including the powerful psychedelic duo Black Pumas, my old pal and longtime songwriting friend, Jesse Harris, and the legendary Lucinda Williams. Listen to Nora Jones is playing along on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. When your car is making a strange noise, no matter what it is,

you can't just pretend it's not happening. That's an interesting sound. It's like your mental health. If you're struggling and feeling overwhelmed, it's important to do something about it. It can be as simple as talking to someone, or just taking a deep, calming breath to ground yourself. Because once you start to address the problem,

you can go so much further. The Huntsman Mental Health Institute and the Ad Council have resources available for you at Love Your Mind, Today.org. May 24th, 1990, a pipe bomb explodes in the front seat of environmental activist Judy Barry's car. I knew it was a bomb the second that it exploded. I felt it ripped through me with just a force more powerful and terrible than anything that I could describe.

In season two of Rip Current, we ask, who tried to kill Judy Barry? And why? She received death threats before the bombing. She received more stress after the bombing. The man and woman who were heard had planned to lead a summer of militant protest against logging practices in Northern California. They were climbing trees and they were sabotaging logging equipment in the woods. The timber industry, I mean, it was the number one industry in the area, but more than it was the culture. It was the way of life.

I think that this is a deliberate attempt to sabotage our movement. Listen to Rip Current Season 2 starting November 5th on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast. or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm I Belongoria. And I'm Maite Gomenzrejoin. And on our podcast, Hungry for History, we mix two of our favorite things, food and history. Ancient Athenians used to scratch names onto oyster shells,

and they called these Ostercon, to vote politicians into exile. So our word ostracize is related to the word oyster. No way. Bring back the Ostercon. And because we've got a very mi-casa is-sucasa kind of vibe on our show, friends always stop by. Pretty much every entry into this side of the planet was through the Gulf of Mexico, not the America. No, the America.

The Gulf of Mexico, continue to be it forever and ever. It blows me away how progressive Mexico was in this moment. They had land reform. They had labor rights. They had education rights. Mustard seeds were so valuable. to the ancient Egyptians that they used

to place them in their tombs for the afterlife. Listen to Hungry for History as part of the My Cultura Podcast Network available on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I do want to know because I have met your husband and I know he adopted Kennedy and I do want to know about this happy ending or I don't know what to call it

but this next chapter And, you know, how you manage, like, even trusting somebody else, another man, you know, and how, like, how was that? How was, you must have been, how it means you did you date after this? Like, how did you even meet anyone, you know, or I'm sure you were afraid to leave the house for a long time. Yeah, for sure. And the realization that I'm never going to meet anyone authentically. That nobody's ever going to get to know me. For me, they're going to know what they saw on TV, what they see in the tabloids.

They heard about from other people. Exactly. Exactly. And that I'm a quote unquote victim. And, you know, so there's that whole side to it. And then also to your point, I thought I will never trust another man as long as I live. So after the suicide, all this financial stuff came to bear where he had emptied out all the bank accounts. I didn't have access to the bank accounts because, you know, as I told you earlier, he had financial control over me. So all these lies and things kept coming up that I was like... Well, that's all the money.

Well, that's a good question. So this kind of came out a little bit later for me. So I had to hire a law firm to look for the money, to get into the bank accounts. And when we had an offshore asset protection trust in the Cook Islands, and as far as I know, he told me, and it was going to be a large sum. And so I had a hire a law firm to help me try to get into these bank accounts and to get to the assets. And so I got those guys going. And then Russell was being sued by a public company when he died for $1.5 million.

So that lawsuit came to me. And so now I'm fighting that with a corporate law firm. And this is getting to chapter two. So a friend of mine said, I went over, they hid me again. took me to his house and he said, I'll never forget, he was making me dinner and he was stirring and he said, listen, you can wallow in this shit for the rest of your life, you can ruin your life and Canadi's, or you can put on your big girl pants and do something about it because nobody's coming to save you. And all I had heard prior, which I so appreciate too,

is it's going to be okay, like we love you, you know, all those kinds of reassurances, but to have somebody were there for you. Right, but just have somebody say to me, no one's coming to save you. So you better figure out what the hell you're going to do next. I mean, he was just very blunt about it. And as much as that seems like tough love, I walked away thinking, okay, this is actually on me. So he said, I'm going to make one phone call for you. And he called.

No. Come on. Get the hell out of you. Come on. He called my husband, John. Wait, why did he call him? What was John? I'll tell you.

You've got to be kidding me. I know. So John is an attorney. and he also was on Wall Street for 20 years. So he's done a lot of corporate litigation, SEC work. So the public company situation, all in his wheelhouse. He was G.C. for major companies. He was at Lehman.

So George said, you've got to help this girl. You've met her socially at my house a couple of times. But, like, she needs help. And she's never going to get out of this alone. So here comes John. and we fought probably almost for two years, I'm going to say, like literally, because every time he would call me, it was bad news. But so he started managing the two law firms.

He was like, listen, you can't charge this girl. This public company is going to bury her. There's no way she can fight at this level, you know, financially. And then they're looking for the assets on the other side with this other law firm. So now he's got the two law firms under control to the point where he's like, he had worked with a corporate one before. Was he expecting at this point? I mean, you're like, well, I've paid this.

guy too. No. How am I going to pay this guy? You knew from the get-go that he wasn't going to charge you? Yes. He was doing it as a favor to my friend, George. Wow. Yeah. And George is the kind of person that when you ask for a favor, you say yes. Really? Yes. You got me to George. He would like him. So we start that path. But every time he would call me, it was bad news. He would call me and say, they got into another bank account and it's empty. Or we got into, you know, it took a very long time to get into the trust because those are so well-protected. empty everything was gone and I joke and say I felt like at that point I like I couldn't put the puzzle pieces together because I knew that we were spending a lot of money every month and I'm

like where was the money coming from and where did the money go like so I bet that on top of the grief and every and trying to put the pieces back together so I'm like trying to figure out how I pay for my house my daughter's school like everything that's going on and they kept he every time he would call me his bad news. And so I would be like, what? You know, when he would call. And he'd be like, you know, I'm like, I don't want to make any decisions today.

And he'd be like, you're the only one that can make the decisions. So he was very matter of fact with me. But I remember at one point he told me that he went to my friend George and said, I can't work with this girl. Like, she's crazy. And George's like, she's going through a lot. So you're just going to have to stick it out. Like, we got to make this work for her.

So there was never, was like, at least like a friendship was start. Like, from the beginning, did you feel like even though you always used to fight? with him. Did you feel like he was like ally? He became a friend. Okay. Obviously. Yes. And, and, you know, he stood by my side through all of that when I think most people would have said, I can't deal with this girl. And that's where the trust was developed in thinking that I would never trust a man again, that now I have this person who stood by my side with no compensation and is managing these law firms to help protect me. Yeah, most people would have been like, I'm doing it for free. She's yelling at me. Every time I'm

I call. Yes. It's not my fucking fault. Like. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. You know, and so, and he'd never even heard of housewives. So he was like, oh, these women really are crazy, you know, so that compounding in the tabloids.

And so as things progressed with us, it was actually, speaking of the tabloids, we were in a restaurant in New York with other people. I think it was at my book, maybe my book signing or when I was signing my book contract. And we were leaving. and he threw a, the paparazzi were outside, and he threw a jacket over me and had his arm holding it over me. Well, of course, they took a picture, and it cropped out all the other people,

and it looks like he and I are leaving a restaurant together with his arm around me, right? And there was no relationship whatsoever back then. So, you know, fast forward, people were like, oh, they were dating, we were not dating back then. And we were still, like, very much in the logistics mode. And, yeah, so that is how that unfolded. But, yeah, the trust just developed over time.

And then the appreciation for everything he was doing for me and he's a good person. But they love definitely didn't come for a while, a long while. I think he was starting. Well, I know he was starting to have feelings for me because we've talked about it. Did you have, at that point, did you feel it in yourself at that point? No, no, nothing. I was like, you've got to be kidding me. You know, there was nothing there whatsoever.

Right. We were having, we were having dinner, dinner meeting. and with a sunglass manufacturer, actually, and she was sitting across from us. We were Javier's in Orange County. And all of a sudden, we looked at one another. We were sitting on the same side of the booth, and she was across from us, and we looked at one another,

and I was like, wait a minute. And I remember, like, looking away thinking, what was that? And, like, all of a sudden, he just looked like a completely different person to me. And I felt some weird emotion come over me, and I thought, wait, what's going on with me? Maybe it's the margarita.

But, and I, the sunglasses manufacturer, she goes, should I leave you two alone? And I was like, no, no, no, no. I don't, I was like, was like, was it that obvious? It was so bizarre that it just happened like that. So funny because I say to Rachel, my daughter all the time, like, you know, she's like, I like, I like the bad way. I'm like, really? Because I thought that I did. And then I met your father and he, I had no interest. He was just like the nicest guy. But I was like, no, I don't, there's no spark there. There's no spark there. And one day, I remember like, I don't know, he kissed me. And I was like, first, I didn't want him to, but he did.

I mean, he wasn't like, whatever. And I remember thinking like, wait a second, whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm like, I feel like with women, like you, as a woman, you having somebody that you are that is so reliable, that becomes sexy. Oh, good to you, kind, you know, different from, you're describing like the knight and shining armor who's going to come in and, you don't be dead. daddy and you don't have to work anymore and I'm going to all of the love bombing right it's like I would like for my own daughter like find the spark with a guy because he is um so kind and good and reliable and gentle and all of those things because that's what happened with jeff I really was like thinking it's we don't have that I don't want to hang from the chandeliers and which

not to saying that I not saying that I never did but what sparked it. it was like, wait a second, this guy is so wonderful to me. And like that is still to this day, you know, it's like, I just love him. We've been through it. But this is not about me. No, but anyway, just you're making me think. When he kissed you for the first time, no, was that the change right then? I just thought, because I was also seeing another guy, but I remember thinking, wait a second.

Like, I love Jeff Fessler. Like, he's the best. And like, he was a friend, you know, for more than anything. thing. I was sending him away. I was like, I don't feel it. Like, let's just be friends. And we didn't speak for a while because he wanted to just be front, whatever. And then he kept coming around. I was like, fine, we'll be friends again. And so wouldn't stop. We wouldn't leave me alone.

But he wasn't like a, I mean, he was always just gentle and kind. And he was an accountant. He used to be an accountant. And so he would like, do my taxes. I don't know. And I was like, he's such a great guy. I wish that I could feel that. And then one day, I did. And I still think, like, to this day, I wish, I hope for my daughter

that, yes, it's great to have a spark. all of the sex and the excitement and all of it. And you have to just, like, more important than that is, you know, like, for me, like a spark now is I get sparked from peace and from like peace in my life. And as I get older, even more appreciative of that, you know? Absolutely. I mean, that's like. And the sparks are super fun, but, I mean, we all know they fade eventually.

They fade. And, and I don't know, I hope she makes, I want her to make wise decisions. Oh, does she? you know, it's 23. Okay. I'm going to make her again watch and listen. Good. Listen to this.

I hope that all of my friends make listen and make their daughters listen. Because I, you know, you do, it's not like you're the first to tell the story of abuse, but you're so open about it. How does Kennedy feel about the fact that you're sharing all of it now? I don't think that Kennedy is affected by it. Probably because there's so much out there about it that it's probably, I'm not, I don't want to put words in her mouth, but it's been told so many times that maybe for her too. She doesn't feel like she's really

was in it, that she feels like she was up here, you know, looking down on it. And she has a great boyfriend who's very sweet and, you know, she's also very strong and very independent. And I think part of that is knowing what I went through and

knowing that she would never allow that in her life. So the cycle truly does stop with her. Wow. My mother was abused. Did she grapple with the fact that that was her father ever? I mean, I'm hoping, don't you have to tell me anything about Kennedy. No.

But, like, I'm sure it was a lot for her. Yeah. You know, we were talking about earlier about when she would stand in between Russell and me when she was a toddler and me not recognizing that she kind of knew what was going on. And I was taking her to school one day after the suicide. And she was in her car seat by me. And my psychiatrist, Dr. Sophie, had told me bring him up on occasion and try to put memories in her mind. So she doesn't think people just disappear. You know, and then we just don't talk about them anymore.

Yeah. So I said, we were a soft white and I said, do you miss daddy? And she goes, no. And she goes, no, in O. And I said, well, sometimes I miss daddy. And I said, remember that time? We were in Hawaii and I tried to give her a reference about Sandcastles. And she goes, Mommy, why would you miss a boy that screamed at you all the time?

At five. And I was so happy that she was behind me in her car seat because tears are running down my face thinking, oh my God, she knew way more than I thought, I thought I had protected her. No way, I've been in therapy for years and years, and my therapist always says they always know. Like these kids, they just do. Like, you think you're hiding stuff from your kids.

Your kids know what's going on. Absolutely. And that was one of the hardest things for me to wrap my head around is, oh my God, I stayed too long. And now I was a child, my earliest childhood memory is my father reading my mother. So I'm like a psychology 101 textbook that I would, then follow that exact path, you know, which is unfortunately predictable that an abuser,

someone who's in an abusive household is more likely statistically to become an abuser or a victim. Her people, her people. You know, yeah, exactly. So having had that in my life. That's the whole other idea that did. You had a father that beat up your mom. Mm-hmm. And my mom was so brave.

She was young. And she, I remember it so vividly, I remember what my pajamas looked like. And I had on blue zip up those plastic footy pajamas. Jammas with a teddy bear right here. I remember it perfectly. And in talking, and so my father was beating my mother and she grabbed me and we ran out the door and she never looked back. And she was young. Really? Yep. She was young. And I mean, so, so brave to not go back because, wow. Statistics say most people go back seven times before finally leaving. But she didn't. And I just, my mom,

I always have mad respect for her for being able to do that. And she was very, she was very young. You think maybe if you had shared it with her, like, when you were going through it, because I know you said you just, you just don't want to shatter her. But I wonder if she would have, I would just shattered her to think that you were going through it, something that she went through that was so awful. But I wonder if she would have helped, you know, like she would have, I don't know, who knows, in retrospect. I didn't want to, like you said, hurt her. Yeah. And I think that she knows I'm pretty, I would have been really hard to convince to leave. So it would have been a constant battle for her.

It would have put her through so much pain. And then seeing me not leave and then coming over for Christmas and Thanksgiving and just staring at him thinking what he's doing to me. She must be so proud of you now. He must just be, right? Yeah. I mean, I know that she was really heartbroken at first because I didn't go to her with all of this. I mean, she didn't express that to me, but I know that she was.

But I'm so proud of her for being so strong. But going back to Kennedy, like, the cycle definitely stops with her. There's just no way she would allow someone to treat her poorly. Nor could she wrap her head around how I would have ever done it. Good. No? So, she's doing great. But it was a hard moment when she asked me about the screaming at me all the time.

Why would you be with a boy or miss a boy? Well, hopefully, well, that will. It'll always amaze her when she hears, hopefully, the story. And it'll always, you know, how is that possible? My mother is a warrior. you know well so Taylor now that you are such a you are a hero and an advocate and a warrior and now you're like doing I mean how long has your advocacy been going on here like if you've been talking I know you have an event coming up I want you to talk about it yes but how long

I mean you wrote your book when I wrote my book very quickly and we put it out at the beginning of 2012 okay oh so okay so you've had the book so you put it out there yeah so and you have you been, so you've been going around talking about this for a long time? A long time. So, and I also would like to say it came up at the reunion, actually. So I needed the money for the book, you know, with everything I was going through. And so when I was offered the retainer for the book, the advance, I should say, I took it. But that part of that requirement contractually was that I had to have it written before the reunion because they wanted to launch it then.

And that was soon. So we wrote it very, very quickly. But I got some criticism at the reunion for writing it from Brandy, of course. I remember that. How's your book go or something like that, right? Like, it's been a hot minute. I don't remember, but we've worked through that over the years. But that was, I didn't have a choice.

I'm standing here with me. You did have a choice. Nothing but bills and a five-year-old and I needed the money. It's amazing that she would have said that. things look so different all these years later like wow yeah it was kind of it was in that moment I just thought oh my you're a you're a simple mom like how could you not understand you know so yes so the book comes out and I started doing the book book tour and started doing you know slowly started doing some public speaking um universities corporations so amazing YWCA well tell us okay so tell us what's

going on now tell us what's going there's an event coming up on the 11th of November November 13th I'm so sorry. That's okay. 1113, in her voice. That's okay. Thank you. 1113, in her voice. In Illinois.

Please tell us about it. Yes. YWCA, which I love speaking with them, working with them. They are amazing. And, you know, we all know how incredible their work is. And they are in Evanston, Illinois. So I will be there on November 13th in her voice and it will be in my voice. Love it.

I love it. I love it, too. I love you. I love you too, honey. I'm so proud of you. Thank you. And thank you for letting me share my story with more people. Yeah.

Taylor, thank you so much for. continuing to share your story. You are definitely helping to save people from the grips of their abusers and just know that they aren't alone. You guys, this podcast is about you, the listeners. Do you have questions when it comes to your chapter two? Not sure where to even start. Call us or email us. All the info is in the show notes. Follow us on socials. Make sure to rate and review the podcast. I do part two. An I heart podcast where falling in love and loving yourself is the main objective. Hello, America's sweetheart Johnny Knoxville here.

I want to tell you about my new true crime podcast, Crimeless, Hillbilly Heist, from Smartless Media, campside media, and big money players. It's a wild tale about a gang of high-functioning nitwits who somehow pulled off America's third largest cash heist. Kind of like Robin Hood except. for the part where he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. I'm not that generous.

It's a damn near inspiring true story for anyone out there who's ever shot for the moon, then just totally muffed up the landing. They stole $17 million and had not bought a ticket to help him escape. So we're saying, like, oh God, what do we do? What do we do? That was dumb. People do not follow my example. Listen to Crimless, Hillbilly Heist, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I live below a cult leader, and I fear I've angered her.

Wait a minute, Sophia. How do you know she's a cult leader? Well, Dakota, luckily it's I'm not afraid of a scary story week on the OK Storytime podcast. So we'll find out soon. This person writes, my neighbor has been blasting music every day and doing dirt rituals. And now my ceiling is collapsing. I tried to report them. but things keep getting weirder.

I think they might be part of a cult? Hold up, a real-life cult? And what is a dirt ritual? No clue, Dakota. Find out how it ends. Listen to the OK Storytime podcast on the IHeart Radio 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 podcast. And to binge the entire season, ad free, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcast. I'm I'm Yvalongoria, and I'm Maitego.

And this week on our podcast, Hungry for History, we talk oysters, plus the Miambe chief stops by. If you're not an oyster lover, don't even talk to me. Ancient Athenians used to scratch names onto oyster shells to vote politicians into exile. So our word ostracize is related to the word oyster. No way. Bring back the OsterCon. Listen to Hungry for History on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Michael Lewis here.

My best-selling book, The Big Short, tells the story of the build-up and burst of the U.S. housing market back in 2008. A decade ago, the Big Short was made into an Academy Award-winning movie. Now I'm bringing it to you for the first time as an audiobook narrated by yours truly. The Big Short's story,

what it means to bet against the market, and who really pays for an unchecked financial system, is as relevant today as it's ever been. Get the Big Short now at Pushkin's, or wherever audio books or wherever audio books are sold. This is an IHeart podcast.