Larry Flynt might be a name you are familiar with; he's been featured in books, movies, and quite a few news stories over the past 4 decades.

Larry has had 5 wives, 5 children, and many, many businesses. His most infamous business being Hustler magazine which became famous for publishing erotic content others would not in the mainstream.

So, how did a poor, Eastern Kentucky farm boy become a millionaire pornography kingpin during the conservative times of 1970s American media? And how did that success lead to a failed assassination attempt on Larry, a Supreme Court win in the name of the 1st Amendment, and the death of his beloved wife Althea? Listen to the wild ride of Larry Flynt's life today on Controversial Figures.

Connect with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FiguresPodcast

Episode Sources:

• An Unseemly Man. My Life as Pornographer, Pundit, and Social Outcast. Larry Flynt. 1996. https://www.amazon.com/Unseemly-Man-Pornographer-Pundit-Outcast/dp/1597775762
• Jerry Falwell Sr. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Falwell_Sr.
• Joseph Paul Franklin. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Paul_Franklin
• Larry Flynt. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Flynt
• Larry Flynt and 1968. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/1968-project/2018/07/13/larry-flynt-and-1968-making-pornography-empire/771604002/
• The People vs Larry Flynt. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_People_vs._Larry_Flynt
• Music: The 6 is Silent by Skyjelly

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg inspired many during her 87 years of life, and certainly during her 27 years serving as a justice on the US Supreme Court, the 2nd woman to ever do so in America. 

Ruth was strong in her values and the absolute definition of grit. She would be notably dubbed "The Notorious R.B.G." by a law student via a popular Tumblr page, and named on Forbes magazine's list of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women, and Time magazine's 100 most influential People.

So, how did Ruth break through multiple glass ceilings for men and women in her lifetime and what legacy does she leave behind? Find out today on the Controversial Figures Podcast.

Connect with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FiguresPodcast

Episode Sources:

• A Look Back at Some of RBGs Biggest Achievements. Breeze JMU.  https://www.breezejmu.org/culture/a-look-back-at-some-of-rbgs-biggest-achievements/article_5543fa14-0124-11eb-80fe-1f6d6eceaf7b.html
• How to Remember the 'Notorious RBG'. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/24/opinions/ruth-bader-ginsburg-notorious-rbg-deeper-meaning-joseph/index.html
• RBG. Documentary. Magnolia Pictures. 2018. https://www.rbgmovie.com
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg. https://achievement.org/achiever/ruth-bader-ginsburg/
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg apologizes to Colin Kaepernick. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2016/10/14/politics/ruth-bader-ginsburg-apologizes-colin-kaepernick/index.html
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg Fast Facts.  https://www.cnn.com/2013/03/07/us/ruth-bader-ginsburg-fast-facts/index.html
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Kaepernick protests. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2016/10/10/politics/ruth-bader-ginsburg-colin-kaepernick/index.html
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Bader_Ginsburg
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg Wishes This Case Had Legalized Abortion Instead of Roe v. Wade  https://time.com/5354490/ruth-bader-ginsburg-roe-v-wade/
• Music: The 6 is Silent by Skyjelly

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We start Part 2 of the Julian Assange story with many questions. Will Julian Assange evade extradition and his numerous looming legal charges? Did Julian assist Russia with illegal United States Presidential election interference in 2016? Did Julian help Edward Snowden escape capture by the United States? And maybe most controversially - did Julian really date Pamela Anderson? Find out all of this and much, much more on the Part 2 of wild and crazy Julian Assange today on Controversial Figures.

Connect with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FiguresPodcast

Episode Sources:

• CNN. Sweden drops investigation into Julian Assange. https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/19/europe/sweden-investigation-julian-assange-intl/index.html
• MarketWatch Hillary Clinton Says Julian Assange has to Answer https://www.marketwatch.com/story/hillary-clinton-says-julian-assange-has-to-answer-for-what-he-has-done-2019-04-12
• Risk. Showtime Movie. 2016. Risk | Official Trailer | Julian Assange SHOWTIME Documentary
• Schneier on Security. Unredacted US Diplomatic Wikileaks Cables Published https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2011/09/unredacted_us_d.html
• Wikipedia Hillary Clinton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillary_Clinton
• Wikipedia Julian Assange https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Assange
• Wikipedia Vault 7 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vault_7
• Music: The 6 is Silent by Skyjelly

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How did Julian Assange, a convicted Australian teenage hacker of the 1990s, become a secret revealing refugee on the run, attempting to evade extradition? Why did America to investigate if he broke the espionage act? And did Julian really hang out with Lady Gaga in London?  Find out all of this and more on Part 1 of Julian Assange today on Controversial Figures.

Connect with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FiguresPodcast

Episode Sources:

• Independent. Julian Assange - https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/julian-assange-we-just-kept-moving-2359423.html
• Wikileaks Press Release Regarding Julian Assange's Case Management Hearing https://wikileaks.org/Julian-Assange-Case-Hearing.html
• Wikipedia Afghan War documents leak https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_War_documents_leak
• Wikipedia Iraqi War documents leak https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War_documents_leak
• Wikipedia Indictment and Arrest of Julian Assange https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indictment_and_arrest_of_Julian_Assange
• Wikipedia Julian Assange https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Assange
• Wikipedia Torture Memos https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torture_Memos
• Wikipedia United States diplomatic cables leak https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_diplomatic_cables_leak
• Music: The 6 is Silent by Skyjelly

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How did activist atheist and Most Hated Woman in America Madalyn Murray O'Hair and her family end up dismembered, burned, and buried? Find out today on Controversial Figures.

Connect with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FiguresPodcast

Episode Sources:

• My San Antonio. The True Story Behind the San Antonio Kidnapping and Murder. https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/true-crime-SA-kidnapping-murder-Madalyn-OHair-11017782.php
• Newsweek Madalyn Murray O'Hair Biopic https://www.newsweek.com/madalyn-murray-ohair-most-hated-woman-america-netflix-atheism-biopic-574697
• NYT. Bodies Identified as Those of Missing Athiest and Kin. https://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/16/us/bodies-identified-as-those-of-missing-atheist-and-kin.html
• Wikipedia Madalyn Murray O'Hair https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madalyn_Murray_O%27Hair
• Music: The 6 is Silent by Skyjelly

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American business man Lou Pearlman created some of the biggest boy bands in the 1990s, including NSYNC, The Backstreet Boys, O Town, and LFO to name a few. Lou even called himself the 6th Backstreet Boy. These bands were performing to sold out concerts while selling merch and hundreds of millions of albums to screaming fans around the world.

It was estimated that Lou Pearlman's peak net worth was $300 million during the boy band craze era in the 1990s and early 2000s. So how did Lou  end up $300 million dollars in debt in 2006 and sentenced to 25 years of prison in 2008? Find out this and lots of other random boy band trivia today on the Controversial Figures Podcast.


Connect with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FiguresPodcast

Episode Sources:

• ABC News. The Hitman: From Pop to Prison The Hitman: From Pop to Prison l 20/20 l PART 1
• Vanity Fair. Mad About the Boys https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2007/11/pearlman200711
• Wikipedia Bye Bye Bye https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bye_Bye_Bye
• Wikipedia *NSYNC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSYNC
• Wikipedia Photo Mill https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photo_mill
• Wikipedia The Backstreet Boys https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backstreet_Boys
• Wikipedia Lou Pearlman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Pearlman
• Music: The 6 is Silent by Skyjelly

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As we discussed in the previous episode of Controversial Figures, American Lance Armstrong had just announced his 2nd retirement in 2011 at the age of 33. This was after winning a record breaking seven consecutive Tour de France races as a recent cancer survivor, and having only recently returned from his previous retirement. It was a shock that such a talented and successful athlete would suddenly announce his retirement.

But the revelations that would occur soon after Lance's retirement would be even more shocking. And would explain his abrupt departure.

Today, if you look at Lance Armstrong's Wikipedia page, under Career Achievements, there is a hidden section labeled "Voided results from August 1998 onward". When the hidden section is expanded, it shows the more than 40 professional cycling races Lance Armstrong no longer has credited to his name. Let's get into what lead to Lance losing all of his achievements from 1998 to 2010 and his complete ban from the sport of cycling on part 2 of the Lance Armstrong episode today on the Controversial Figures Podcast.


Connect with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FiguresPodcast

Episode Sources:

• CNN Lance Armstrong's Demise https://www.cnn.com/2012/10/22/sport/lance-armstrong-profile-cycling-usada/index.html
• ESPN The Rise and Fall of Lance Armstrong https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/29177242/the-rise-fall-lance-armstrong-need-know-watching-lance
• ESPN 'LANCE' Documentary https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/29209116/lance-part-1-how-watch-stream-espn-lance-armstrong-documentary
• The Guardian. Lance Armstrong's Doping Denials in Quotes. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/jan/18/lance-armstrong-doping-denials-quotes
• Wikipedia Floyd Landis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floyd_Landis
• Wikipedia Icarus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icarus
• Wikipedia Lance Armstrong  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_Armstrong
• Wikipedia Michele Ferrari https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michele_Ferrari
• Music: The 6 is Silent by Skyjelly

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Lance Armstrong was regarded as an elite cycling superstar. Between the years of 1999 to 2005, Lance had obtained seven consecutive Tour de France wins - something no one has ever achieved before, or since. He was considered by many to be the best athlete in his sport at the time.

And even more stunning? Just 2 years prior to first of these consecutive wins, Lance had been diagnosed with testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain; and not only did Lance survive, but seemingly thrived post treatment. 

He went on to create the Lance Armstrong Foundation - raising hundreds of millions of dollars from the sale of yellow Livestrong bracelets. Those little yellow bracelets became a ubiquitous feature on the wrists of many in America and around the world for cancer awareness and in support of the Texan hometown hero, Lance Armstrong.

So, how would Lance, only a few years later, become stripped of all of his achievements from August 1998 onward, including his seven Tour de France titles….and be labeled as a disgrace in the sports world? Find out today on the Controversial Figures Podcast.

Connect with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FiguresPodcast

Episode Sources:

• CNN Lance Armstrong's Demise https://www.cnn.com/2012/10/22/sport/lance-armstrong-profile-cycling-usada/index.html
• ESPN The Rise and Fall of Lance Armstrong https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/29177242/the-rise-fall-lance-armstrong-need-know-watching-lance
• ESPN 'LANCE' Documentary https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/29209116/lance-part-1-how-watch-stream-espn-lance-armstrong-documentary
• Wikipedia Lance Armstrong https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_Armstrong
• Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michele_Ferrari
• Music: The 6 is Silent by Skyjelly

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Belle Gibson was followed and endorsed by holistic medicine practitioners, food as medicine believers, and cancer survivors alike. Belle had created the wildly popular The Whole Pantry blog describing how she had cured herself of multiple cancers. 

It was estimated Belle and her company were worth millions. So how did Belle become worth exactly $0 in 2015? And where is Belle today? Find out today on the Controversial Figures Podcast.

Connect with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FiguresPodcast

Episode Sources:

• Amazon The Whole Pantry Book https://www.amazon.com/The-Whole-Pantry/dp/0718180410
• BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-41423491
  Brisbane Times https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/what-we-haven-t-learned-from-belle-gibson-20200126-p53utm.html
• Donelly, Beau and Nick Toscano, The Woman Who Fooled the World: Belle Gibson's Cancer Con, and the Darkness at the Heart of the Wellness Industry, 2017. 
• Health Goop Jade Egg Suit https://www.health.com/condition/sexual-health/jade-egg-goop
• News AU https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/belle-gibson-has-been-adopted-by-ethiopian-community-in-melbourne/news-story/faef622ee9d2b5bee4e4a9518420c315
• The Guardian Articles
  https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jun/20/cancer-con-artist-belle-gibson-cries-while-in-court-over-unpaid-410000-fine
  https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/apr/17/cancer-con-artist-belle-gibson-to-face-court-over-failure-to-pay-410000-penalty
• Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belle_Gibson 
• Music: The 6 is Silent by Skyjelly

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By his early 30s, Martin Shkreli had held a variety of impressive roles; he was the co-founder of multiple successful hedge funds, CEO of biotechnology firm Retrophin; and founder and CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals. So, how did young Martin Shkreli, with no formal training in chemistry and a Bachelor's Degree in business administration, become a pharmaceutical CEO and have an estimated worth by Fortune magazine in 2016 of $45 million? 

And how did Martin Shkreli only a few years later become a convicted felon worth practically nothing; referred to by the media as "Pharma Bro" and "the most hated man in America"? 

And whatever happened to that unreleased Wu Tang Clan Album Martin Shkreli bought for $2 million? Find out today on the Controversial Figures Podcast.

Connect with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FiguresPodcast

Episode Sources:

• CNBC https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/07/retrophin-paid-martin-shkreli-to-settle-all-legal-claims.html
• NetFlix Dirty Money, Drug Short episode
• Vanity Fair  https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/12/martin-shkreli-pharmaceuticals-ceo-interview
• Wikipedia
  • Martin Shkreli  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Shkreli
  • Naked Short Sell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naked_short_selling
  • Once Upon a Time in Shaolin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_Upon_a_Time_in_Shaolin
• Xconomy  https://xconomy.com/san-diego/2019/08/22/retrophin-sinks-as-drug-pharma-bro-martin-shkreli-co-invented-fails/ 
• Music: The 6 is Silent by Skyjelly

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