Behind the Filter

Our After Dark Edition is back for a new season! Ashley and I recap the summer, share a skin-care update, and talk through a bizarre streak of bad luck. Then it’s time for “the audacity”: a viral divorce grievance list, age-gap dating, strange DMs and unsolicited advice about how women should talk and dress. Our conversation then takes a heartfelt turn as we discuss an 80-year-old woman who held her own funeral to hear what loved ones would say—and reflect on grief, resilience, turning 40, dating burnout and more!

This week on Behind the Filter, we sit down with Coumba Kebe, a Healthcare Executive and Democratic candidate for Indiana State Treasurer. A first-generation American who grew up in Franklin Township, Coumba explains why she left corporate healthcare, what pushed her into politics, and how she’d run an office that oversees roughly $16 billion. We talk Medicaid, transparency, voter turnout, and more.

After six weeks completely off, I return to the podcast for my most raw, unfiltered, and emotionally transparent solo episode yet.

August and September pushed me into pure survival mode. I break down why I went silent and open up about the devastating passing of my close friend, colleague, and WIBC Traffic Reporter, Matt. I also share how I had to walk through a second wave of heartbreak —and how faith, grace, and forgiveness kept me grounded when my world felt shattered. Yet in the exact same breath, I had the surreal tension of celebrating the biggest milestone of my broadcasting career: landing my own radio show

What happens when you sit your Puerto Rican mom down in front of a microphone while on a family vacation? A LOT. From Río Piedras, Puerto Rico—with the natural chirps of the El Yunque rainforest coquís humming in the background— I sit down with my mom, Wanda, for one of the most eye-opening conversations about life. Wanda opens up about her family’s move from Mayagüez to Brooklyn, navigating an American school system without knowing a word of English, marriage at 16, and becoming a mom at 17. Wanda’s resilience is nothing short of incredible.

In this episode of Behind the Filter, we sit down with Sierra for an honest conversation about her experience surviving sexual battery by a prominent local figure in the Indianapolis Latin dance scene. Sierra walks us through the night that changed everything, the emotional weight of self-blame, and the moment she found the courage to report her assault to law enforcement. Sierra’s Strength in sharing her story is a powerful reminder that speaking out isn't just about seeking justice for oneself—it's about breaking cycles of harm for everyone who comes next.

In Part 3 of our ongoing investigation into the Troubled Teen Industry, Behind the Filter brings you the testimonies of survivors Isabella and Haven . Together, they pull back the curtain on Central Indiana Teen Challenge (CITC)—now operating as Refuge Girls Academy in Lebanon, Indiana—a facility facing serious accusations of abuse, trafficking, and forced labor from 35 women in an expanded federal lawsuit filed by Cohen Malad, LLP.

In this episode, Isabella and Haven detail the shocking reality behind CITC’s faith-based facade that includes isolation, solitary confinement, medical trauma, food deprivation, forced child labor and more. We also explore the painful aftermath—from educational neglect to the deep rifts created between parents and their children. Isabella and her mother Kim share their ongoing journey toward repairing their relationship, while Haven speaks out and stands up to ensure no other child endures what they survived.

In Part 2 of our deep dive into the "Troubled Teen Industry," we pull back the curtain on the expanded federal lawsuit against Central Indiana Teen Challenge (now operating as Refuge Girls Academy). What was marketed to desperate parents as a safe, faith-based residential haven for struggling youth is now facing documented allegations of abuse, human trafficking, and forced labor. We take you inside the updated federal complaint filed by Attorney Andi Simmons from Cohen Malad, LLP, which has exploded from nine original plaintiffs to 35 brave women coming forward to expose what happened to them as minors.

The studio lights are hot, but the hot takes are hotter in this week’s unmedicated ADHD edition of Behind the Filter: After Dark. This week, we expose the wildest parts of our inbox—from self-righteous keyboard warriors attacking an unbiased news report, to a follower who went from "you're my savior" to "you suck" in a 24-hour weekend window.

Then, we tackle the heavy stuff: Ashley opens up about her personal journey with singlehood, mapping out the realities of IVF as a 39-year-old virgin, and why "choosing yourself" has altered the modern marriage timeline. We also break down the controversy out of New York as the state moves to legally replace the words "Mother" and "Father" with gender-neutral alternatives like "Gestating Parent."

To wrap it all up, we jump headfirst down our favorite late-night conspiracy rabbit holes!

In this week's episode of Behind the Filter: Unfiltered Weekly, we break down the newly amended federal lawsuit filed by CohenMalad, LLP against Central Indiana Teen Challenge (now operating as the Refuge Girls Academy) in Lebanon, Indiana. What was marketed to families as a safe, faith-based therapeutic sanctuary was, according to a federal complaint, a calculated trap of abuse, psychological breakdown, and commercial labor trafficking. We will give you an overview of the complaint and will also share some of the first-hand accounts of the 35 women fighting back.

We are officially back in the studio, feeling normal, and completely on schedule! In this edition of Behind the Filter: After Dark, we dive headfirst into the internet drama we unwittingly sparked on TikTok after sharing our thoughts on AI relationships, break down China’s terrifying new $175,000 companion robot, debate the viral Chicago graduation split that went a little too far, and define the soul-crushing new dating trend known as "quiet dumping." Plus, Ashley gives us a highly anticipated update on her dating life after her new guy finally hit Google to look up her Age of Attraction past. Grab a ZERO FKS seltzer and pour yourself into this wild recap!