Shows
A Little Bit CultyPolitics, Power & Performative Diversity: Celina Caesar-Chavannes Speaks OutThis week on A Little Bit Culty, we’re diving into the deceptively polite world of Canadian politics—where the optics are polished, but the manipulation runs deep.Our guest is Celina Caesar-Chavannes, a former Member of Parliament and once a rising star in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party. She served as his parliamentary secretary before leaving in 2019, fed up with the gaslighting, tokenism, and isolation she faced for speaking out. Celina pulls no punches as she breaks down the emotional toll of navigating a system that rewards obedience over honesty, and how Tru...2025-07-281h 18
A Little Bit CultyFrom Devotion to Deconstruction: Laci Bean’s Journey Out (Part 2)This week on A Little Bit Culty, we’re back with Laci Bean, host of Deadly Faith, for Part 2 of her story—what came after she left the high-control ministry that tried to own her soul. Laci walks us through her deconstruction journey: questioning her faith, setting boundaries with family, and reckoning with the political beliefs she once held. We talk about the pressure to homeschool, the fallout from voting for Trump, and the trauma that opened her eyes. Now a trauma recovery coach, Laci shares how she helps others heal from religious abuse—and how ev...2025-07-2447 min
A Little Bit CultyFrom Devotion to Deconstruction: Laci Bean’s Journey Out (Part 1)This week on A Little Bit Culty, we’re getting holy uncomfortable. Our guest is Laci Bean, host of the podcast Deadly Faith, for the first of a two-part conversation about her time in a cult-like Christian ministry that pulled her in as a teenager and tried to own her soul. From ages sixteen to nineteen, Laci lived under strict rules that dictated what she could listen to, who she could talk to, and even how she thought about her family. The group promised love and belonging but delivered fear, isolation, and spiritual manipulation, all under the gui...2025-07-2137 min
A Little Bit CultyBonus Drop: NXIVM, Life Issues & the Sisterhood of Survivors (Part 1)We’re dropping in with a bonus two-parter featuring Lauren and Aaliyah—two former NXIVM insiders who became fast friends while navigating the pressure-cooker world of “life issues,” ranking systems, and weaponized empowerment. In part 1, we talk about how it all starts: the acting classes, the “juicy” coaching, the promises of personal growth… and how that slow creep into cult control messes with your sense of self, your relationships, and your gut instincts. We also take a minute to sound off on some recent headlines—because when powerful men keep dodging consequences (hi, Diddy), it’s hard not to draw compar...2025-07-1755 min
A Little Bit CultyTeenage Exorcisms & Mega-Church Millions: Rachael Reign’s UCKG StoryThis episode is sponsored in part by Betterhelp. This week our guest is Rachael Reign, a survivor of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG). At just 13, Rachael was swept into UCKG’s world of fire and brimstone – where teenage exorcisms were a weekly ritual, your mental health struggles meant demons were lurking inside you, and giving your last cent to the church wasn’t just encouraged – it was demanded. She shares how she went from being a bright, curious teenager to a youth group leader tasked with recruiting others, cleaning the church floorboa...2025-07-141h 00
A Little Bit CultyMemoir of Madness in a Cult of One - Sarma Melngailis Spills All the Tea on Healing (Part 2)Raw vegan queen. Netflix’s “Bad Vegan.” Culty comeback queen. Whatever label you stick on Sarma Melngailis, it’s clear she’s not done telling her side of the story – and we’re here for it. In Part 2 of our chat, Sarma gets even realer about life after Mr. Fox. From the mind games that taught her to dissociate, to her self-diagnosed matrix moments, she opens up about rebuilding her identity in a world that still sees her as a headline villain. She talks dating post-trauma, the healing power of alone time (cue: tears, journals, and EFT tapping), and...2025-07-1058 min
A Little Bit CultyMemoir of Madness in a Cult of One - Sarma Melngailis Spills All the Tea on Healing (Part 1)Raw vegan queen turned Netflix “villain”? In this episode, we sit down with Sarma Melngailis – yes, Bad Vegan Sarma – to get the real story behind the headlines. She’s back for her third culty chat, this time with the exclusive on her brand-new memoir The Girl with the Duck Tattoo (don’t worry, we ask her about the title). Sarma dives into the psychological warfare that turned her life upside down: coercive control, gaslighting, and a manipulative Mr. Fox who left her broke, arrested, and widely misunderstood. She opens up about the pain (and relief) of telling it all, what...2025-07-0732 minA Little Bit CultyBonus Drop: Dr. Laura Richards & Lisa Bilyeu on Cults, Control & Dirty Diddy SecretsThis week, we’re diving deep into the twisted world of coercive control with the one and only Dr. Laura Richards – renowned criminal behavioral analyst, podcaster, and global expert on stalking, coercive control, and violent crime. We’re also joined by Lisa Bilyeu, host of Women of Impact and queen of calling out BS wherever it lurks. Dr. Laura breaks down how cult leaders, predators, and power-hungry narcissists (looking at you, Sean Combs) use tactics straight out of the coercive control playbook to groom, manipulate, and dominate victims. We’re talking about how the “nice guy” veneer slowly erode...2025-07-0324 min
A Little Bit CultyMy Name Was Mushroom: Wendy Baker’s Journey Beyond the Source Family CultLong before kale smoothies went mainstream, The Source Family was seducing Hollywood with vegan food, free love, and a guru who called himself Father Yod. This wasn’t just LA’s first vegan restaurant – it was a commune where long-haired devotees in white robes took ice-cold showers at dawn, meditated for hours, and followed strict spiritual rules under their bearded leader. Celebrities like John Lennon and Cher might have stopped by for a meal, but for many teen girls – often runaways – this place became home, for better or worse. Wendy Baker was one of those girls. At 14, she left a...2025-06-3056 min
A Little Bit CultyMindf*ck 102: MK Ultra, Crypto Cults & Modern Brainwashing with Rebecca Lemov (Part 2)This week, we’re back with Harvard professor and author Rebecca Lemov to finish what we started: unraveling the tangled web of brainwashing…past, present, and disturbingly future-facing. In Part 2, we go deeper into the CIA’s infamous MK Ultra program and its many (many) spin-offs, asking what really went down with Charles Manson, Jack Ruby, and cult “consultant” Louis Jolyon West. From LSD to hypnosis to rebranding your science after burning the files, the government’s experiments in mind control were both extreme and incredibly hush-hush. We also explore how classic brainwashing tactics, like Milieu Contro...2025-06-2631 min
A Little Bit CultyMindf*ck 101: The Science of Brainwashing with Rebecca Lemov (Part 1)This week, we’re diving deep into the mind games with Harvard professor and author Rebecca Lemov, because if you’ve ever wondered whether brainwashing is real, the answer is a very unsettling yes. In Part 1 of our convo, we’re cracking open the origins of brainwashing—from communist re-education camps to the electric shock labs of the Milgram experiment—and asking why we still can’t seem to prove it in court. Rebecca's new book, The Instability of Truth, peels back the layers of mind control and thought reform, including what went down with Patty Hearst, why Stockholm...2025-06-2355 minA Little Bit CultyBonus Drop: Orgasm, Obsession & the Cult of OneTaste with Ellen HuetIt’s Thursday, and you know what that means: another bonus drop. And this one? It's got orgasms, criminal charges, and courtroom drama, so buckle up. Award-winning journalist Ellen Huet joins us to dish on OneTaste, the orgasmic meditation company that sold itself as a path to sexual liberation but now finds its top brass convicted of forced labor conspiracy. Ellen’s been deep in the trenches covering the scandal and sat through every jaw-dropping moment of the Brooklyn trial. We get into: The culty underbelly of “wellness” culture How orgasmic meditati...2025-06-1934 min
A Little Bit CultyRide or Die: Jess Rothschild Spills on SoulCycle's Inner CircleThis episode is sponsored in part by BetterHelp. This week, we’re clipping in with Jess Rothschild to talk about SoulCycle: the high-octane, candlelit cardio craze that once had New Yorkers dropping $20k to ride front row. With $100M+ in revenue, instructors trained like pop stars, and a tightly curated sense of belonging (read: exclusivity), SoulCycle pedaled its way into cultural obsession—and, depending on who you ask, cult status. Jess, a former SoulCycle regular and host of the GLAAD-nominated Finding Fire Island and new docu-podcast Cult of Body & Soul, joins us to unpack the seductive psychology of t...2025-06-161h 07
A Little Bit CultyCults Like Us: Jane Borden on LGATs, Humor & Human Potential (Part 2)We’re back with Part 2 of our conversation with Jane Borden, author of Cults Like Us, where we pick up right where we left off – with the Puritans, of course. Because what’s more American than a doomsday cult in denial? In this half, we explore how their legacy of moral perfectionism, isolationism, and a rigid “us vs. them” worldview continues to shape American institutions, politics, and even pop psychology. Jane takes us through the cult wars of the ’80s and ’90s, the rise of deprogrammers and cult apologists, and the influence of Large Group Awareness Trainings (aka LGATs) lik...2025-06-1237 min
A Little Bit CultyCults Like Us: Jane Borden on Puritans, Power & American Exceptionalism (Part 1)Were the Puritans America’s first cult? Our guest this week makes a compelling case for yes. Jane Borden is a journalist and the author of Cults Like Us: Why Doomsday Thinking Drives America. In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, she joins us to unpack how Puritan beliefs—think apocalypse prepping, chosen nation syndrome, and the worship of wealth—laid the groundwork for the kind of culty thinking that still thrives in America today. We dig into the legacy of American exceptionalism, the allure of authoritarian leaders, and the ways our pop culture heroes reflect Purita...2025-06-0940 min
A Little Bit CultyIs It a Spiritual Path or a Cult? Mitch Horowitz Helps Us Break It DownThis week on A Little Bit Culty, we’re getting a little mystical—with our eyes wide open. Historian and occult scholar Mitch Horowitz joins us to explore the space where spirituality meets personal growth, and how easily it can slip into culty territory. His latest book, Practical Magick: Ancient Tradition and Modern Practice, helps make sense of mystical ideas while encouraging intentional belief. We dig into the red flags to watch for on the seeker’s path, from peer pressure and time abuse to isolation and guru worship. We also talk about money, emotion, and how perfor...2025-06-021h 28A Little Bit CultyPurity Culture & Sex Shame: Healing with the SexvangelicalsCan religion ruin your sex life? This week on A Little Bit Culty, Sarah and Nippy are joined by psychotherapists and certified sex therapists Jeremiah Gibson and Julia Postema—co-hosts of the podcast Sexvangelicals: The Sex Education the Church Didn’t Want You to Have. Together, they explore how religion, especially purity culture and fundamentalist gender roles, can cause lasting damage to relationships and sexual well-being. From internalized shame to rigid scripts about gender and sex, Jeremiah and Julia explain how high-control religious environments affect intimacy long after someone leaves the faith. They also discuss the...2025-05-1957 min
A Little Bit CultyGoop, Teens, and Wellness Myths with Hayley KrischerThe beauty and wellness industry promises healing, glow-ups, and self-love—but what happens when those promises come wrapped in pseudoscience, toxic messaging, and culty marketing tactics? This week, Sarah and Nippy are joined by culture journalist and author Hayley Krischer, whose latest novel You Belong to Me explores the power and peril of the wellness world—especially for women and teenage girls. Together, they unpack how this booming, often unregulated industry thrives on physical insecurities and mental vulnerabilities, pushing pricey products and questionable advice under the guise of “self-care.” From celebrity brands like Goop to TikTok t...2025-05-051h 05
A Little Bit CultyHoodwinked by the Algorithm: Dr. Mara Einstein on Cult Tactics in Marketing (Part 1)You don’t have to join a cult to get manipulated—just log onto the internet. This week on A Little Bit Culty, we’re diving into the marketing matrix with Dr. Mara Einstein, professor, media critic, and author of Hoodwinked: How Marketers Use the Same Tactics as Cults. From influencer culture and MLMs to “brand cults” and rage farming, Mara breaks down how modern marketing preys on fear, insecurity, and our need to belong. She joins Sarah and Nippy for a deep-dive into the culty parallels between conversion funnels and recruitment tactics, why brands like Apple...2025-04-211h 02
A Little Bit CultyLaura Richards: What Kanye West, Britney Spears, and Blake Lively’s Cases Reveal About Coercive Control (Part 2)This episode is sponsored in part by Betterhelp. We’re back with behavioral science expert Laura Richards for Part 2 of our deep dive into coercive control—and how it shows up in some of today’s most talked-about celebrity cases. Laura, who spent ten years at New Scotland Yard and helped establish the UK’s coercive control laws, joins us again to unpack the ways power and control are used to manipulate, silence, and harm. This time, we dig into recent headlines involving Kanye West, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, Britney Spears, and the Depp v. Heard...2025-03-311h 05
A Little Bit CultyLaura Richards: What Gabby Petito, “Dirty John,” and Keith Raniere Have in CommonThis episode is sponsored in part by Betterhelp. What do serial killers, cult leaders, and domestic abusers have in common? According to criminal behavior analyst Laura Richards, quite a lot. In this powerful conversation, Laura explains the concept of coercive control—the psychological abuse tactic often at the core of these crimes—and how it plays out across intimate relationships, cults, and high-profile cases. Laura spent a decade at New Scotland Yard investigating rape, murder, and abduction. She went on to found the Homicide Prevention Unit and Paladin, the world’s first national stalking advocacy service. Her work h...2025-03-241h 02
A Little Bit CultyMonkey on a Stick: Corruption within the Hare Krishna Movement with Jason LapeyreThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com/CULTY to get started today. Remember the Hare Krishnas? The ones with the shaved heads and orange robes who used to chant and panhandle at airports? What started as a movement promoting inner peace and material detachment descended into chaos, corruption, and crime. In this week’s episode, Sarah and Nippy sit down with filmmaker Jason Lapeyre, director of the new documentary Monkey on a Stick: Murder, Madness, and the Hare Krishnas. Together, they explore the movement’s descent into a shocking underworld of abuse, drug smuggling, and even...2025-01-2059 min
A Little Bit CultyF*ck This, I’m Out: Remembering Mike RinderThis week, we’re honoring the life and legacy of our dear friend and hero, Mike Rinder. Mike was a pivotal figure in the fight against cultic abuse, and his courage and compassion set the gold standard for turning a difficult past into a powerful force for good. To celebrate his incredible contributions, we’re re-releasing this conversation from March 2021, where Mike shared his remarkable journey out of Scientology, the intricacies of whistleblowing, and the resilience it takes to rebuild after leaving a high-control group. In Mike’s own words, “If you are in any way fighting to end tho...2025-01-161h 22
A Little Bit CultyRift and Redemption: Cait West’s Escape from Christian PatriarchyWhat’s it like to grow up in a world where your life’s only purpose is to serve the men around you? Cait West knows firsthand. Raised in a household steeped in Christian patriarchy—a radical movement that places men in absolute control over their families—Cait was homeschooled, groomed to be an obedient wife and mother, and forbidden from pursuing a career or formal education. By the time she escaped at 25, she had no driver’s license, no real job experience, and few resources to navigate life outside the confines of her upbringing. Despite all of that, C...2024-12-301h 04
A Little Bit CultyVoices From Beyond: Jonathan Mark on NXIVM’s Unsolved MysteriesThis episode is brought to you in part by Squarespace. Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULTY to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CULTY. This week, we sit down with medium Jonathan Mark, who brings closure to grieving families and assists law enforcement in solving cold cases. Jonathan opens up about his journey from reluctant medium to trusted investigator, sharing personal stories, insights into high-profile cases like Gabby Petito’s, and the emotional toll of his work. Jonathan also offers a reading, providing deeply personal insights, and delves into chilling revelations about the...2024-12-231h 03
A Little Bit CultyJustice Denied: The JonBenét Ramsey Case and the Cult of GroupthinkThis episode is brought to you in part by Squarespace. Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULTY to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CULTY. John Ramsey knows a lot about culty thinking within police investigations. He experienced it firsthand after his daughter, JonBenét Ramsey, was murdered in 1996. JonBenét was the six-year-old beauty queen found strangled and beaten to death in her Boulder, CO home. Despite DNA evidence pointing to an unknown male intruder, John and his family were the prime suspects for years, and they weren’t officially exon...2024-12-1653 min
A Little Bit CultyJules Hartley: “Breath of Fire” and the Cult of Kundalini Yoga (Part 2)Bringing you an extra special Part 2 for today's bonus episode with Jules Hartley. You may have heard of Kundalini yoga from its popularity with celebrities, but you might be less familiar with its culty history. Invented in the late 60s by a guru-turned-cult leader named Yogi Bhajan, Kundalini is an intensive form of yoga that weirdly uses breathing exercises to manipulate people. After its founder died in 2004, one of his followers, Guru Jagat, picked up where he left off. Jagat founded the Ra Ma Institute, which she ran more like a cult than a yoga studio. Our gu...2024-12-1143 min
A Little Bit CultyJules Hartley: “Breath of Fire” and the Cult of Kundalini Yoga (Part 1)You may have heard of Kundalini yoga from its popularity with celebrities, but you might be less familiar with its culty history. Invented in the late 60s by a guru-turned-cult leader named Yogi Bhajan, Kundalini is an intensive form of yoga that weirdly uses breathing exercises to manipulate people. After its founder died in 2004, one of his followers, Guru Jagat, picked up where he left off. Jagat founded the Ra Ma Institute, which she ran more like a cult than a yoga studio. Our guest today, Jules Hartley, escaped Ra Ma in 2017. She’s featured in the HBO...2024-12-0948 min
A Little Bit CultyWhitney Cummings: Healing, Humor, and Hollywood's Culty SideThis episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. In this week's episode, Sarah and Nippy welcome friend and comedian Whitney Cummings to the podcast to explore the nuanced overlaps of culty dynamics and Hollywood culture. Whitney shares her unique perspective on vulnerability, healing, and her fascination with neuroscience, while also opening up about her personal quest for meaning. From the allure of community and control to a hilarious recount of being “rejected by Scientology,” Whitney blends humor with insight as she navigates topics like forgiveness, boundary-setting, and her less-than-conventional healing experiences. And if this episode has y...2024-12-021h 17
A Little Bit CultyThrough the Labyrinth: Amanda Knox on Coercion, Media, and AdvocacyAuthor and podcaster Amanda Knox sits down with Sarah and Nippy to discuss the culty nature of the Italian justice system. Amanda shares how she was coerced by the police into confessing to a crime she did not commit and details her experience with a media that is more concerned with ratings than truth. She also discusses the ongoing process of healing from trauma and her ongoing work in criminal justice reform. Amanda’s podcast, “Labyrinths,” explores the complexities of the justice system and the human stories often obscured by sensationalized headlines. She has also authored the best-s...2024-11-251h 14
A Little Bit CultyBonus Episode: Nobody Should Believe MeEnjoyed our chat with Andrea Dunlop? You’re in luck! This week, we’re featuring an episode from Andrea’s podcast “Nobody Should Believe Me” in the ALBC feed. We love this show, and hope you do too. Welcome to Season 4 of “Nobody Should Believe Me!” This season we are following the story of Jordyn Hope as they unravel the secrets of their childhood. After revelations that they were abused as a child, Jo bravely returns to their small, deeply religious hometown to attempt to unravel their many lingering questions about their upbringing. Was their abuse a secret? If not...2024-11-2154 min
A Little Bit CultyCult of One: The Manipulation of Munchausen by Proxy (Part 2)This is the second part of a two-part interivew. Listen to Part 1 here. When describing a cult, the first thing that comes to mind is often a powerful leader at the helm of a large group of followers. That’s not the case with today’s guest. Andrea Dunlop, author and host of the podcast “Nobody Should Believe Me,” is an expert on Munchausen by Proxy. Munchausen by Proxy is a form of mental illness and child abuse where a caregiver, typically a parent, induces or fabricates symptoms in their child to make them appear sicker than they actual...2024-11-1842 min
A Little Bit CultyCult of One: The Manipulation of Munchausen by ProxyThis episode is brought to you by Squarespace. Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULTY to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CULTY. When describing a cult, the first thing that comes to mind is often a powerful leader at the helm of a large group of followers. That’s not the case with today’s guest. Andrea Dunlop, author and host of the podcast “Nobody Should Believe Me,” is an expert on Munchausen by Proxy. Munchausen by Proxy is a form of mental illness and child ab...2024-11-1144 min
A Little Bit CultyDinner for Vampires: The Star of a Cult TV Show on Leaving a Real Life Cult (Part 2)This is the second part of a two-part interview, listen to Part 1 here. Bethany Joy Lenz became a household face during the meteoric rise of the teen CW soap “One Tree Hill.” However, as she appeared in homes across the country every week, she was leading a double life with her participation in a culty Bible group for a decade. Lenz found her voice to break free and had the inspiration to write a personal memoir on the experience, “Dinner for Vampires,” sharing for the first time publicly her experience in the group and her struggles...2024-11-0437 min
A Little Bit CultyDinner for Vampires: The Star of a Cult TV Show on Leaving a Real Life CultBethany Joy Lenz became a household face during the meteoric rise of the teen CW soap “One Tree Hill.” However, as she appeared in homes across the country every week, she was leading a double life with her participation in a culty Bible group for a decade. Lenz found her voice to break free and had the inspiration to write a personal memoir on the experience, “Dinner for Vampires,” sharing for the first time publicly her experience in the group and her struggles to break free. In this episode, Sarah and Nippy talk with Bethany about the...2024-10-2835 min
A Little Bit CultyThe Cult of True Crime: Terry Dunn Meurer and "Unsolved Mysteries"Today’s show puts a different spin on our usual subject matter. We’re going to discuss something that has millions of followers and has become a world-wide obsession: true crime! Alright, it isn’t a cult (technically!), but it’s definitely infiltrated our minds and media. Our guest today is Terry Dunn Meurer, the co-creator and executive producer of Unsolved Mysteries—the OG in crime-related television. Terry’s talks about the evolution of true crime in media, and the massive surge of interest it’s seen in recent years. Fascination with true crime is extremely common a...2024-10-2153 min
A Little Bit CultyCulty Voicemail Roundup: ALBC Listeners Speak (10/14/24 EDITION)This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com/CULTY to get started today. Hey campers, we hope your October’s been spooky so far. We’ve got a batch of listener voicemails to check out, so pull up a chair and we’ll get into it. Today’s callers want to talk about a real potpourri of culty stuff. We cover Arbonne, Optavia, BDSM and consent, Eckhart Tolle, and as always, a little bit of the hot NXIVM goss to round out the hour. Also… let it be known that: The views...2024-10-1439 min
A Little Bit CultyDiet Wars: Wade T. Lightheart on Culty NutritionThis episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. We’re calling it now, we’re gonna get some flack on this one. It’s no surprise, but anytime we mention diet, fitness, or nutrition, we hear about it in our DMs. There’s some tension here, we know it, we see it, and we hear you. And it makes sense. In the world of health and diet, there’s a lot of snake oil salesmen out here. The cult of nutrition is very real. Today’s guest is a friend who is familiar with...2024-10-071h 10
A Little Bit CultyThe Cult Next Door: Mike King on the Zion Society Well, this is a first for us. Today, we’re covering the Zion Society, which was a cult run by a landscaper, Arvin Shreeve. Based out of Ogden, Utah, Shreeve and his followers had some of the most manicured lawns in the neighborhood. But, behind lush green lawns hid sinister secrets. This polygamist sect had about 100 members at its peak, hiding in plain sight in a quiet suburban cul-de-sac. Former lieutenant Mike King was the one to discover them. With a tip from one of the former followers, Mike helped put Shreeve and many of his followers behi...2024-09-301h 08
A Little Bit CultyDancing for the Devil: Andrea Marks on the 7M TikTok CultIf you haven’t seen the Netflix series “Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult,” it’s worth a watch. It follows Robert Shinn and his Los Angeles-based church, Shekinah, which has engaged some heavy-hitting social media stars to make a ton of money for his church. The families of those social media stars — who have been cut off from their loved ones by Shinn — think that Shekinah is a cult. And, well, we agree that it sure does seem a little culty. This week, we talked with Andrea Marks — a journalist who has covered both Robert Shinn and his church...2024-09-2351 min
A Little Bit CultyPatreon Unlocked: Tia Levings on Escaping TradlifeUsually what happens behind the Patreon, stays behind the Patreon. But, not today! In this preview behind the paywall, we’re featuring one of our favorite people, who just so happens to be a newly-minted New York Times bestselling author! Tia Levings released her memoir ‘A Well-Trained Wife’ in August, and the book became an instant bestseller. The deeply personal memoir details Tia’s experience in and eventual escape from Christian Fundamentalism. If this sounds familiar, you may have heard Tia when she appeared on the pod for a two-part interview (listen to Part 1 & Part 2 here). 2024-09-1644 min
A Little Bit CultySpeaking Way Up: Nikieta Lambert, Erika Cheung & Jessica Willis FisherThis episode is sponsored by Better Help! Ready for another remix? This episode features highlights with some of the bravest women to grace our feed. From escaping childhood abuse and religious cults, these outspoken women did what was right in the moment, despite the immense pressure and abuse weighing down on them. Nikita Lambert spent 15 years climbing the ranks at the evangelical International Churches of Christ (ICOC) before she became an outspoken voice against the institution. At 22, Erika Cheung joined the ranks at Theranos, only to blow the whistle less...2024-09-0936 min
A Little Bit CultyTo the Moon and Back: Lisa Kohn and the Unification ChurchLisa Kohn likes to tell a story about these great seats she once had at Madison Square Garden — at her mother’s mass wedding. Yes, Lisa — the award-winning author of “To the Moon and Back: A Childhood Under the Influence” — grew up in the Unification Church, also known as “the Moonies,” with her mom and a life of “sex, drugs, and squalor” in New York City’s East Village. She talks with Sarah and Nippy about her experiences in the church, what was happening during those mass weddings in the 1970s, and what it means to be “under the influence of faith.” 2024-09-021h 01
A Little Bit CultyPost Narc Therapy: Robin Stern, Dr. Ramani & Dr. Christine CocchicolaThis episode is sponsored by Better Help! The doctor is in! This week’s remix episode features conversations on personality disorders, controlling behaviors, and more. Suspecting a narcissist in your midst, or recovering from a controlling relationship? This episode might be perfect for you. This week, you’ll hear snippets from three different mental health professionals. Dr. Robin Stern is a psychological sleuth who not only wrote a book about gaslighting, but literally coined the widely used term. Then licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Ramani Durvasula helps us flip the script on the pre...2024-08-2636 min
A Little Bit CultyWitness Underground: Scott Homan on Music & The XJW MovementThis episode is sponsored by Better Help. Is rock and roll an untapped conduit for healing after shunning? Filmmaker Scott Homan’s debut documentary feature “'Witness Underground”, sheds light on the experiences, creative expressions, and defection of ex-members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses community. The film delves into the journey of notable underground bands within the culty, culty JW organization, and chronicles their musical legacy comprising over 30 albums across multiple decades. Scott joins us today to talk about his experience coming of age as a second generation JW, and how he and other ex-JWs have harnessed the power of a...2024-08-191h 12
A Little Bit CultyA Landmark Sampler: Anne Peterson, Rick Ross, and Rob CopelandThis episode is sponsored by Better Help! To keep your culty content coming even while we’re on a bit of a hiatus, we whipped up this sampler platter of snippets from some ALBC episodes on the burning topic of Shmandmark, AKA Landmark Worldwide. This week, we’ll revisit insights into Landmark, its founder Werner Erhard (also known as Jack Rosenberg), and the controversies surrounding the organization's alleged practices. We’ve got cult expert Rick Ross, former members like Anne Peterson, and investigative journalists Rob Copeland sharing their takes on Landmark. Also… let...2024-08-1239 min
A Little Bit CultyProdigal Daughter: Katherine Spearing on The Christian Patriarchy MovementThis epiosde is sponsored by Better Help. What does a thriving life look like after surviving a cult? Katherine Spearing has some ideas about that, and some real life experience to back those ideas up. She survived the cult of the The Christian Patriarchy Movement, also known as the Stay-At- Home-Daughter Movement. And yeah: That’s as terrible as it sounds. The most prominent characteristic of this particular cult is that it requires adult daughters to stay home until they marry, serving their father in preparation for serving their husband. Raised in this environment meant that Katherine was...2024-08-051h 07
A Little Bit CultyStreaming Heroes: Sarma Melngailis, Tom Krumins & Ruthy HeilerThis episode is sponsored by Better Help. Coming up for air from your latest binge-watch? This remix episode is for you. This week, we’re revisiting conversations with guests fresh off docuseries adaptations of their stories. For better or worse, these series highlight the unique cult experiences of their subjects, sharing their story with a wider audience than ever before. This episode includes highlights with Sarma Melngailis restauranter and subject of Netflix’s “Bad Vegan.” Sarma shares the good and the bad that comes with sharing your story with a wider audience. Then, Boy Scout...2024-07-2941 min
A Little Bit CultyFrom Hell to Stanford: Cameron Black on Thriving After AbuseThis episode is sponsored by Better Help! Here’s our conversation with Cameron Black, a 20-something Stanford University student who has overcome some very culty, very harrowing challenges. He chats with us about his healing process and the hard work of finding himself again after the abuse he experienced in a commune, a hellish Jesuit school experience, and several wilderness programs for troubled teens. How he got from there to Stanford is nothing short of a miracle. Be sure to check out his TedX talk for even more context. Also please take note: Cameron survived childhood abuse of...2024-07-1553 min
A Little Bit CultyTwinRay: ‘We Are the Resurrection’This episode is sponsored by Better Help. On this week’s show, we’ll talk to Demetria. She was immersed in TwinRay — an Oregon-based shop and health center that organizes “mass global meditations for peace.” But our guest says there’s way more going on here than peaceful reflection. She talks about how TwinRay’s leaders exploit people for cash and dose event attendees with psychedelic substances — among other forms of profiteering and manipulation — at a gold-covered Ashland mansion. We sat down with her to find out everything there is to know about TwinRay’s mysterious leaders. Demetria — also know...2024-07-0851 min
A Little Bit CultyThe Polygamist’s Daughters: Anna & Celia LeBaron on Escape and RedemptionThis episode is sponsored by Better Help. Anna Lebaron is one of more than fifty children born to infamous polygamist cult leader Ervil LeBaron, aka “Mormon Manson.” So you can probably imagine that her upbringing was both extraordinary and devastating: As she recounts in her excellent book, The Polygamist’s Daughter, she lost multiple family members at the hands of other family members, including those she lost in the infamous “4 o’clock murders” — a bit of blood atonement that led to four people being killed. Those murders are depicted in the 2024 Hulu documentary “Daughters of the Cult.” 2024-07-011h 08
A Little Bit CultyThe Grotto: Crypto, NFTs, & An Online Hellscape (Part 3)This is episode is sponsored by Better Help. This week: The final installment of our talk with four people lured into The Grotto — a mostly online hub for digital art that turned into a kind of Ponzi cult with plenty of love bombing and possible fraud. Our guests — anonymous, but going by Charm, Kateryna, Shayna, and Fomo — say it all begins with Jaime Dubuar Dean, aka “@thr33som3s,” who is a supposed former professional baseball player-turned digital artist who used Discord to coerce people to invest in his NFTs. With each dollar spent on his art, he promise...2024-06-241h 09
A Little Bit CultyThe Grotto: Crypto, NFTs, & An Online Hellscape (Part 2)This is episode is sponsored by Better Help. On this week’s show, the second installment of our wide-ranging, in-depth, and ultimately hopeful talk with four people lured into The Grotto — a mostly online hub for digital art that turned into a kind of Ponzi cult with plenty of love bombing and possible fraud. Our guests — anonymous, but going by Charm, Kateryna, Shayna, and Fomo — say it all begins with Jaime Dubuar Dean, aka “@thr33som3s,” who is a supposed former professional baseball player-turned digital artist who used Discord to coerce people to invest in his NFTs. With e...2024-06-2042 min
A Little Bit CultyThe Grotto: Crypto, NFTs & An Online Hellscape (Part 1)This episode is sponsored by Better Help. On this week’s show, we’ll talk to four people lured into The Grotto — a mostly online hub for digital art that turned into a kind of Ponzi cult with plenty of love bombing and possible fraud. Our guests — anonymous, but going by Charm, Kateryna, Shayna, and Fomo — say it all begins with Jaime Dubuar Dean, aka “@thr33som3s,” who is a supposed former professional baseball player-turned digital artist who used Discord to coerce people to invest in his NFTs. With each dollar spent on his art, he promised that...2024-06-171h 01
A Little Bit CultyA Cult Within a Cult: Charlotte Medlock on Guru JagatThis episode is sponsored by Better Help. TikTok-famous Charlotte Medlock was once swept up in the world of the late Guru Jagat, aka Katie Griggs, the Rama Institute and Kundalini. Charlotte wants you to know that this particular Russian nesting doll of Yoga, new-age West Coast-style spirituality, and female empowerment vibes wasn’t all love and light. And we want you to know it all sounds more than A Little Bit Culty. We’re chatting with her about what she thought she was getting into when she first collided with Guru Jagat; when it all started to go o...2024-06-101h 06
A Little Bit CultyThe Fund: Rob Copeland on Ray DalioThis episode is sponsored by Better Help. Is the famed hedge fund Bridgewater Associates operating a cult in plain sight? Or is it just a little bit culty? Journalist and author Rob Copeland joins us for a deep dive into Wall Street’s seedy underbelly, and the troubling story of Bridgewater’s founder—the pseudo philosopher-king Ray Dalio. You’ll want to read Rob’s NYT bestseller ‘The Fund’ this summer, if you haven’t already, and then you can decide whether or not you agree with us that Ray Dalio is radiating serious Keith Raniere vibes. Rob joins us to c...2024-06-031h 10
A Little Bit CultySecurely Speaking: Attachment Nerd Eli Harwood (Part 2)This episode is sponsored by Better Help. Eli Harwood we can’t quite quit you just yet, but we feel very secure about it. The ever-quotable and mega-helpful licensed therapist, author, and educator is back again for another episode, and breaking down what attachment patterns can mean for cult survivors and seekers, parents and children, lovers and fighters, Mars and Venus. By our calculations that means EVERYBODY should listen to this. But dear hearts, kindly back up if you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet! She’s the bee’s knees, and part 1 dropped last week. Also two-parte...2024-05-271h 03
A Little Bit CultySecurely Speaking: Attachment Nerd Eli Harwood (Part 1)This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Are cult leaders born or made? Did we get sucked into NXIVM because of our attachment styles? Was Vanguard always just wookin’ pa nub in all the wrong places? In this episode of A Little Bit Culty, licensed therapist and social media sweetheart Eli Harwood joins us for a chat about the way that attachment patterns impact our vulnerability to culty situations and vice-versa. It can be a real intricate venn diagram, ya know? (Or maybe it’s a line graph, or a Gantt chart. We don’t know. We’re not char...2024-05-2052 min
A Little Bit CultyPatreon Replay: Sarah’s Mom Has Got It Going OnThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Happy Mother’s Day Monday, ALBC babies. To celebrate the occasion, we unlocked a Patreon episode starring none other than Sarah’s mom. We talk a lot about culty villains on this podcast, but we always want to highlight the heroes, too…and Ellen is an embodiment of what it looks like to heroically love someone through—and out of—a cult journey. She joins us in this very special installment of the show to talk about what it was like to witness Sarah’s initial NXIVM days, and what happened when the goi...2024-05-1349 min
A Little Bit CultyPatreon Replay: Lucy Taylor on Greek Life & Death at Penn StateWe unlocked this previously released Patreon episode so everyone can hear it, because people need to know: Campus Greek Life Ain’t It. Lucy Taylor joins us to discuss the red flags of ‘rushing’, the tragic hazing death of a Penn State student, and her ongoing crusade to make frats and sororities as obsolete as landlines and fax machines for future generations of college students. About Lucy Taylor: Lucy Taylor is the creator, editor, producer, and host of SNAPPED, a podcast which explores the inner workings of sororities and fraternities on America’s college cam...2024-05-0246 min
A Little Bit CultyGreek Tragedies: Lucy Taylor on Campus HazingThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Newsflash: Culty, culty college frats and sororities are still fraught with peril. Where do we even start? There’s the deadly hazing incidents…the rampant sexual assaults…the blatant racism. And while we’re talking about it: There are also far too many red Solo Cups coming out of frats and sororities. (Microplastics are very scary, yo!) It’s a lot to grapple with. Luckily, we brought in some pro help to cover the state of campus Greek Life with us, and specifically the state of a nightmare called: Fraternity hazing. SNAPPED po...2024-04-2944 min
A Little Bit CultyThe NXIVM Extravaganza | Moira Kim Penza, Robert Gavin, and Vanessa GrigoriadisThis epiosde is sponsored by Better Help. Hey Listener, you asked for a greatest hits medley of all our NXIVM related guests in one or two meaty episodes.And hear ye, hear ye we have delivered. This is our second NXIVM extravaganza, and we hope you dig it. We’ll be back soon with all new episodes, and until then you can always hang out with us on Patreon at patreon.com/alittlebitculty if you can’t get enough of our culty, culty content. But now…let’s dig into the main course shall we? Keith Ran...2023-09-1852 min
A Little Bit CultyWhen the World Didn’t End: Guinevere Turner’s Cult Memoir (Part 2)Today’s episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Here’s Part 2 of our conversation with Guinevere Turner whose memoir When the World Didn’t End is drawn from fastidiously kept childhood diaries written while she was raised in a cult. If you haven’t listened to Part 1, back up and listen. In Part 2, Turner shares what it was like to return to “normal” life, how her story became a thriller, and what’s helpful, not-so-helpful, and just plain weird about life post-cult. Please note, this series includes details of underage sexual abuse. Listener discretion is strongly advised. If you...2023-08-2143 min
A Little Bit CultyWhen the World Didn’t End: Guinevere Turner’s Cult Memoir (Part 1)Today’s episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Guinevere Turner recently published a memoir about being raised in a cult, being kicked out, and finding her way in the world. Her book When the World Didn’t End dives deep into her experience drawn from fastidiously kept diaries. Here on A Little Bit Culty Turner shares some off-the-cuff stories. We chat about writing craft. And Turner brings up questions about our collective obsession with the cultiverse. Please note, this series includes details of underage sexual abuse. Listener discretion is strongly advised. If you, or someone who know, i...2023-08-1452 min
A Little Bit CultyInto Quicksand: Kate Amber on How Cults Pull You InThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Landmark Worldwide is a corporation that offers personal and professional development programs with a total of over 2.4 million (!) past participants in 21 countries. Yikes on bikes—that sounds a bit like NXIVM on steroids. Well, while Landmark isn’t technically a cult, it certainly is “A Little Bit Culty”, with no shortage of spirit-stomping coercive control and intimidation in order to create “A world that works for everyone by 2020.” Wait, is that how 2020 went and we’re just misremembering it?! Today’s guest, Kate Amber, survived Landmark and went...2023-04-241h 00
A Little Bit CultyYour Turn to Listen: Gwenith Kikkawa and Kevin Alexander on ResilienceThis episode is sponsored by Better Help.You know the old adage; person A joins an organization, person B joins the same organization, persons A and B learn organization is a cult and, after getting married, decide to escape. Wait, is that not normal? Well, thankfully Sarah and Nippy aren’t the only ones who’ve experienced this. Gwenith Kikkawa (they/them) and Kevin Alexander (they/them) are multiple-cult survivors, meaning they’ve experienced culty horrors not just once (like a great majority of our guests), but numerous times. Now, the couple has channeled their experiences into art vi...2023-04-101h 19
A Little Bit CultyStolen Youth Continued: Zachary Heinzerling on Larry Ray’s CultThis episode is sponsored by Better Help. If you haven’t heard of the Sarah Lawrence Sex Cult, it is perhaps time to get out from under that rock you’re living under. Also, you should listen to our last episode with Daniel Levin, for which this episode is part two! But essentially, after being released from prison, Ray moved into his daughter’s student residence just 30 minutes north of Manhattan and began terrorizing her friends through physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. This lasted a shocking ten years before Ray was finally arrested and held accountable for his wrongdoings. 2023-02-2751 min
A Little Bit CultyStolen Youth: Daniel Levin on Larry Ray’s CultThis episode is sponsored by Better Help. If you haven’t heard of the Sarah Lawrence Sex Cult, it is perhaps time to get out from under that rock you’re living under. After being released from prison, Ray moved into his daughter’s student residence just 30 minutes north of Manhattan and began terrorizing her friends through physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. This lasted a shocking ten years before Ray was finally arrested and held accountable for his wrongdoings. Our guest today, Daniel Levin, was one of Ray’s victims, and has survived to tell the tale...2023-02-201h 01
A Little Bit CultyThe Kids Are Alright: Sarah & Nippy on Zen ParentingThis episode is sponsored by Better Help and was originally released on Zen Parenting Radio. Here’s a scary thought: fully-grown adults are susceptible to cults, or cult-adjacent behavior (there is truly cultish influence all around us in politics, wellness communities, and so on). So imagine how dangerous this whole world is for children, who are far less likely to have the wherewithal to identify and refute coercive persuasion. If you’re one of our regular listeners, you already know how ubiquitous this shit is (unfortunately); so what can we do to protect our youth? Well...2023-01-091h 09
A Little Bit CultyHello Cultiverse 10/27/22In this weekly-ish host huddle, Sarah and Nip talk about the latest culty news, and respond to your voicemails. They also accept and integrate your best and worst reviews, and take it all into consideration for future episodes. No muss, no fuss…just two married podcasters having a date night in the early to mid-afternoon. Hear Ye, Hear Ye: The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and...2022-10-2740 min
A Little Bit CultyHello Cultiverse 10/20/22In this weekly-ish host huddle, Sarah and Nip talk about the latest culty news, and respond to your voicemails. They also accept and integrate your best and worst reviews, and take it all into consideration for future episodes. No muss, no fuss…just two married podcasters having a date night in the early to mid-afternoon. Hear Ye, Hear Ye: The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and...2022-10-2030 min
A Little Bit CultyHello Cultiverse 10/13/22This show/episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. In this weekly-ish host huddle, Sarah and Nip talk about the latest culty news, and respond to your voicemails. They also accept and integrate your best and worst reviews, and take it all into consideration for future episodes. No muss, no fuss…just two married podcasters having a date night in the early to mid-afternoon. CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will Retherford Senior Producer: Jess Tardy The...2022-10-1335 min
A Little Bit CultySarma Speaks: A ‘Bad Vegan’ ExclusiveA Little Bit Culty – If the producers of Tiger King decide to make their next true crime show about you, you’ve got a helluva story. Sarma Melngailis is the woman at the heart of “Bad Vegan” the buzzworthy Netflix docu-series that chronicles her meteoric rise to fame, and her disturbing crash and burn from celebrity chef to fugitive. It’s the stuff of clickbait gold, but beyond the headlines, there’s usually more to it. And Sarma’s story is, you guessed it: More than a little bit culty. We don’t want to spoil anything, but there’s a Ke...2022-03-211h 28
A Little Bit CultyUnholy Spirits: Eric Skwarczynski on Darkness in the IFBA Little Bit Culty – There’s a dark cloud hanging over the Independent Fundamental Baptist movement, and our guest today wants you to know about it. Eric Skwarczynski is the host and creator of the Preacher Boys podcast, which is a platform for survivors’ stories and the basis of an upcoming documentary film about a deeply disturbing pattern of sexual predation and abuse claims within the IFB. Eric joins us to talk about blowing the whistle on the IFB, what sucks about purity culture (hint: everything), and what it will take to create a sea change among current...2022-03-141h 17
A Little Bit CultyMiranda Beverly-Whittemore on Cult FictionA Little Bit Culty – This episode is a little bit different. Author Miranda Beverly-Whittemore is not a former cult member or a cult awareness expert like most of our guests, but her novel Fierce Little Thing weaves a culty tale that almost makes you think she is. It’s a little like “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” except in this case, it’s “I Know What You Did When You Were a Teenager 20 Summers Ago While Living on a Survivalist Commune Run by a Charismatic Maniac in Rural Maine.” She joins Sarah and Nippy to talk about com...2022-03-071h 10
A Little Bit CultyMake Me A God: Jon AtackA Little Bit Culty – Jon Atack wants to help you protect yourself from the human predators who roam among us, and believes that every bad relationship, every destructive group, and every dangerous government has a human predator at its heart. This conversation was recorded several months ago, but it feels a bit prescient now that Putin is raining hellfire on Kyiv. The author, academic, and former Operating Thetan Section V chats with Sarah and Nippy about why it seems like psychopaths are running the world, and why he still has hope that humanity can turn things around in...2022-02-281h 30
A Little Bit CultyBentinho Massaro Sucks Part 2A Little Bit Culty – He’s just one guy, but there’s so much culty shit flying around Bentinho Massaro that our first episode went into extra innings. Part two of our spotlight on the International Man of Alleged Assholery continues with Jade Alectra, Keilan McNeil, and Jacqueline Graham taking us into the pivotal moments that helped them wake up, pack up, and peace out of his toxic basecamp. They also share why they’re speaking out, even though it is all still painful AF; what’s helping them heal; and where they’re finding the joys of life after...2022-02-211h 22
A Little Bit CultyBentinho Massaro Sucks Part 1A Little Bit Culty – Imagine a narsty blend of an Instagram influencer, spiritual huxter, Winklevoss twin, and Hugh Hefner’s ghost. These are the vibes that Bentinho Massaro is serving. He’s got all the scary charisma and shiny trappings of a culty overachiever, like thousands of social media followers, a grandiose plan to build a fully enlightened society by 2035, and he even claims to vibrate at a higher frequency than other humans. He’s also already achieved a rite of passage that’s becoming all too common among culty fuckwads: His name in headlines concerning the suspicious...2022-02-211h 27
A Little Bit CultyKeely Griffin on Twin Flames & Other Dumpster FiresA Little Bit Culty – Speaking of soul-crushing scams that exploit the basic human need for love and belonging, we’ve got a doozy of a Valentine’s Day episode for you. We’re not labeling the organization at the heart of this episode a cult, but we are asking our guest Keely Griffin if loving and leaving Twin Flames Universe was the bad trip that reports published by Vanity Fair, Vice, and Daily Mail make it sound. Once a devotee of TFU, Keely shares what made the YouTubey, Facebooky spiritual community sound promising at first, just how quickly i...2022-02-141h 17
A Little Bit CultyThat’s One More Season, Innit?A Little Bit Culty – We thought about recording our Season 2 finale in dubly, but you don’t do heavy metal in dubly. In this wrap-up episode Sarah and Nippy answer your burning questions, preview what’s ahead next season, seek a patron saint of quality mattresses, and generally have a good time all the time. We think you’ll be knocked out by their exuberance, their raw power, and their punctuality. How much more Spinal Tappy could these show notes be? The answer is none. None more Spinal Tappy. ~ The views and opinions expresse...2022-01-0344 min
A Little Bit CultyAttachment Theory: Dr. Alexandra Stein on Terror, Love & BrainwashingA Little Bit Culty – Think you’re immune to culty shit? Dr. Alexandra Stein begs to differ. She’s one of the world’s leading experts on ideological extremism and dangerous social relationships, and she makes a very convincing case that under the right set of circumstances almost anyone can be radically manipulated to engage in otherwise incomprehensible and often dangerous acts. In this episode, she joins us to discuss her experience as a former cult member, and the relationship between neuroscience, attachment, and indoctrination. More about today’s guest: Alexandra Stein, Ph.D. is a social p...2021-12-131h 23
A Little Bit CultyBrazen: Nadia Bolz-Weber on Sex, Shame & Toxic ReligionA Little Bit Culty – She’s just about the most rockin’ Reverend we’ve ever met. In this episode, Nadia Bolz-Weber takes us to church on everything from sex-obsessed religious doctrine and toxic positivity to cancel culture. Also, if you’ve been searching for an episode that will illuminate what St. Augustine’s medieval boner issues have to do with purity rings, you are in the right place. More about today’s guest: Nadia Bolz-Weber is an ordained Lutheran Pastor, and founder of House for All Sinners & Saints in Denver: a progressive, queer-inclusive Lutheran congregation. She’s written t...2021-12-061h 08
A Little Bit CultyGuru-Free: Laura Tucker on Safety for SeekersA Little Bit Culty – In 2009, Laura Tucker attended a Sedona spiritual retreat and sweat lodge hosted by charismatic spiritual teacher James Arthur Ray. It all went tragically wrong, resulting in the deaths of fellow attendees Liz Neuman, Kirby Brown and James Shore. On this episode, Laura chats with Sarah and Nippy about her experience, what it means to practice safe spiritual seeking, and the dark side of self help. More about today’s guest: Laura Tucker is the host of the Free Your Inner Guru® Podcast, a photographer, writer, and a self-described ‘recovering coach.’ A creative...2021-11-291h 17
A Little Bit CultyGroundbreaker: Moira Penza on Prosecuting NXIVMA Little Bit Culty If you watched “The Vow” or have followed the fall of NXIVM, you know Moira Kim Penza as the prosecutor who brought Keith Raniere to justice. Her accomplishments are mighty: Like Keith’s conviction on all counts including racketeering and sex trafficking and a brisk 120 year sentence. Moira’s groundbreaking approach to the case has been credited with paving the way for other sex trafficking prosecutions against powerful individuals. In other words: She’s a total badass. In this episode, Moira sits down with Sarah and Nippy to talk about what it’s like to take...2021-11-221h 12
A Little Bit CultyThe Heretic: Dr. John Dehlin on MormonismA Little Bit Culty – He was raised in a conservative Texan Mormon family, but today Dr. John Dehlin is an outspoken LGBTQ ally, a clinical psychologist, and a groundbreaking podcast host of the longest-running and most popular Mormon-themed podcast. The excommunicated member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (or the LDS Church) joins Sarah and Nippy for a conversation about the history of the Mormon faith, the truth about Joseph Smith, and what the ‘Book of Mormon’ got right. More about our guest: John founded the Mormon Stories Podcast, was an influential early p...2021-11-151h 20
A Little Bit CultyStolen: Elizabeth Gilpin on the ‘Troubled Teen’ IndustryA Little Bit Culty – As a high school student, Elizabeth Gilpin was taken from her bed in the middle of the night, left in the woods for three months of forced camping with 12 other girls, then remanded to a prison-like boarding school where she and other so-called ‘troubled teens’ were subjected to nightmarish conditions and psychological abuse. Her debut memoir, “Stolen” is a harrowing account of her time at Virginia’s Carlbrook school, and examines the therapeutic boarding school industry’s culty trajectory from an actual cult named Synanon to an entrepreneurial charismatic type with zero credentials named Mel Wass...2021-11-081h 06
A Little Bit CultyLuLaRich Girl: Roberta Blevins on Life After MLMA Little Bit Culty – Don’t call her a #bossbitch. She’s the boss, bitch. Roberta Blevins was a Trainer with LuLaRoe, had a team of 75 women under her, and made over $65,000 in bonuses alone. But when she came to the conclusion that it was a rigged, losing game she didn’t just leave the business: she testified in the Washington State vs. LuLaRoe Pyramid Scheme lawsuit as a witness for the state. The fan favorite from the buzzed-about LuLaRich docuseries sits down for an A Little Bit Culty chat with Sarah and Nippy about what it’s like whe...2021-11-011h 15
A Little Bit CultySounds Cultish: Amanda Montell on Fanatical LanguageA Little Bit Culty – Sticks and stones break bones, but words build entire cult empires. In this episode, Sarah and Nippy sit down with Amanda Montell to discuss how cultish groups and social media gurus use language to manipulate followers and cultivate power. Amanda is a writer, language scholar, and the author of two critically acclaimed books: Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism and Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language (HarperWave). Her books have earned praise from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and others, and Amanda is currently de...2021-10-251h 26
A Little Bit CultyHello Again, Cultiverse.A Little Bit Culty – It’s been a minute, but A Little Bit Culty is back. Season 2’s kickoff episode finds co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Anthony “Nippy” Ames covering what’s been going on in their world, what is new in the cultiverse, and what’s ahead this season on the podcast. There’s a lot of cult news to catch up on: like NXIVM sentencings, R. Kelly’s day in court, and Nicole Kidman’s wig on ‘9 Perfect Strangers. Sarah and Nippy report on what they’ve been up to over summer vacation, and answer all sorts of burning questio...2021-10-1852 min
A Little Bit CultyShameless: Dan Shaw on Gaslighting, Narcissists, & Recovering from Cultic AbuseA Little Bit Culty – Daniel Shaw, LCSW, checks every imaginable box on A Little Bit Culty’s dream guest checklist. He’s a psychoanalyst in private practice in New York City and in Nyack, New York. He originally trained as an actor at Northwestern University and with the renowned teacher Uta Hagen in New York City, and later worked as a missionary for an Indian guru. His eventual recognition of cultic aspects of this organization led him to become an outspoken activist in support of individuals and families traumatically abused in cults. Simultaneous with leaving this group, Dan began his tr...2021-05-031h 04
A Little Bit CultyThe Breakup: Samantha Freedom on Leaving The Alt-RightA Little Bit Culty – What happens when you find a sense of identity, and belonging, and maybe even something approximately like love within a group that is in fact a violent and racist extremist organization? And if by chance you wake up to what's inherently terrible about it, and manage to escape that thinking, how do you then seek redemption? In 2017, Samantha Freedom was the top ranking woman leader in Identity Evropa, the white nationalist organization behind the violent Charlottesville, Virginia ‘Unite the Right’ rally that resulted in the death of 20 year old Heather Heyer. That event was when Samant...2021-04-261h 04
A Little Bit CultyWTF: Matthew Remski On ConspiritualityA Little Bit Culty – Is everything more culty than ever right now? Has yoga always been this dicey? WTF is the deal with the flood of culty headlines? With so much happening at rapidfire pace in the culti-verse, A Little Bit Culty lit up the Bat signal and Matthew Remski of the Conspirituality podcast answered. He’s an author, an investigative journalist, and a dad who also happens to be a two-time survivor of yoga-related cults. And if you know the Conspirituality podcast, you know that he and his co-hosts offer a weekly master class on a whole venn diag...2021-04-191h 24
A Little Bit CultyCatching Up: Sarah & Nippy Circle BackA Little Bit Culty – It’s been a minute since Sarah and Nippy had a date night, or a chance to catch their breath and talk about all the feedback, questions, and responses they’re getting from the A Little Bit Culty audience. In this episode, they answer questions from listeners, cover what’s trending in the cultiverse, and what chaps their asses about Yoga, passive aggressive emails, and the oppressive positivity in faux-happy songs. They also talk about dream guests, the audiobooks and songs that are burning up their playlist and even read some the most pointedly not-so-great reviews...2021-04-1237 min
A Little Bit CultyIllusion of Hope: Douglas Brooks On MLMsA Little Bit Culty – If you’ve ever lost a friendship or a small fortune to a multi-level marketing organization, this episode of “A Little Bit Culty” is here to help un-gaslight you. Douglas Brooks, an attorney who represents victims of deceptive schemes, knows that getting caught up in one can be devastating. For the better part of 3 decades, he’s dedicated a significant portion of his practice to representing the victims of deceptive MLM schemes, including cases such as Webster v. Omnitrition International, Rhodes v. Consumers' Buyline, Inc., and Jacobs v. Herbalife International. He’s interviewed or deposed hundreds of p...2021-04-051h 16
A Little Bit CultyHappy Now: Susan Dones & The Early ExitA Little Bit Culty– If you’ve followed the story of the rise and fall of NXIVM, you know Susan Dones as the one-woman wrecking crew who served as her own legal representation in a series of court battles after she left the organization. But if you don’t know her story, just know this: She was way ahead of the curve on calling bullshit Keith Raniere and his flying monkeys. She also paid dearly for it. In this episode, Sarah and Nippy reconnect with Susan to talk in-depth about her role as one of the original “NXIVM 9,”...2021-03-291h 14
A Little Bit CultyTake Back Your Life: Dr. Janja Lalich & Cult RecoveryA Little Bit Culty – Dr. Janja Lalich’s book about the cult recovery process was a game changer for Sarah and Nippy when they first began unpacking their NXIVM experiences. It still is. As Nippy says: “She's someone who has been through (her own) heavy duty cult indoctrination, woken up, gotten her way out. She's kept on going. She's dedicated her life to helping other people understand how cults operate and how to come back from them.” In this episode, Sarah and Nippy reconnect with Dr. Lalich for a conversation about her journey from cult member to author-expert, and her insi...2021-03-221h 12
A Little Bit CultyF*ck This, I’m Out: Mike Rinder & The About-FaceA Little Bit Culty – Sometimes you just have to call it. Mike Rinder was born and raised in Scientology and rose to the very top of the church’s worldwide hierarchy to become its international spokesperson and head of Special Affairs for over 20 years. But when he escaped the organization in 2007, he cut his losses; leaving with only a briefcase and the clothes on his back. In this episode, Mike joins Sarah and Nippy to talk about the trail he blazed out of Scientology, the ongoing work of whistleblowing, and what it’s like to be a dissident when you’re...2021-03-151h 23
A Little Bit CultyHeal That Sh*t: Leah Remini & The AftermathA Little Bit Culty: What’s it like to break up with a powerful, hyper-litigious religious organization while the whole world watches? What’s life like for a fiery changemaker, post-Aftermath? On this episode of A Little Bit Culty, Sarah and Nippy welcome truth teller Leah Remini for a conversation about her headline-making break with the Church of Scientology and her ongoing work to expose the truth about the organization. They chat about the Fair Game doctrine, the parallels between their escape stories, and what they’ve learned so far about what it takes to heal that shit. Abou...2021-03-081h 11
A Little Bit CultyThis Is Us: Meet The HostsA Little Bit Culty – In this premiere episode of A Little Bit Culty, co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Anthony “Nippy” Ames catch listeners up on life since NXIVM, and their new normal as whistleblowers documented in the critically-acclaimed HBO series The Vow. The pair share the story of how the A Little Bit Culty podcast came to be, and state some intentions and ground rules up front. Namely, as co-hosts of the podcast, they don’t want to be in the business of punching down on people who are still in cults. They also state their mission to be as responsi...2021-03-0142 min
A Little Bit CultyTEASER: A Little Bit Culty with Sarah & NippyThink you might be in a cult? Want to know the signs? Join Sarah Edmondson and Anthony “Nippy” Ames to talk about things that are...a little bit culty. Or in their case: a whole bunch of culty. As whistleblowers documented in the critically-acclaimed HBO series “The Vow,” Sarah and Nippy have a lot to say about their experience, and burning questions to ask people with similar stories. They’re here to help people understand, heal from, and avoid abusive situations one little red flag at a time. Listen in as they share their stories, have frank and unscripted conversations with other...2021-02-0502 min