Hello!

Today, we speak to Dena Kaplan. Dena played Abigail in the Australian television series, Dance Academy. Dena has had a varied life; she moved overseas and landed a job in music and is now a mother to her two-year-old daughter Maya and is the co-host of her podcast, Life Academy with Alicia Banit. 

In this conversation, Dena reflects on her early 20s, filming Dance Academy, and how the TV show really shaped her life. She also opens up about the dependency she developed on prescription medication, her journey to sobriety, and the invisible string that reconnected her to her partner Alex, 11 years later.

For help and support about the themes covered in this episode, call our National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015.

To support Dena, you can follow her on Instagram @denaamy, and listen to her podcast Life Academy wherever you get your podcasts.

Big thanks to Mejuri for supporting this episode of Inherited. Mejuri’s biggest sale of the year starts now! Save up to 30% when you spend just $150 – shop now at mejuri.com.

And shoutout to ANASTASIA The Broadway Musical, too! Grab your tickets now at Anastasiathemusical.com.au.

Inherited is hosted by Ruby Hall (@rubytuesday2.0), produced by Annabelle Lee and executive-produced by Lucy Hunt.

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We’ll be back with another episode next Tuesday.