Pod Candy - Cults, Crimes & Killers

In this powerful and disturbing episode, Stacey, Dori, and Dr. John take a deep dive into Shiny Happy People, the chilling docuseries exposing the Duggar family and their ties to the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), a fundamentalist Christian organization led by the controversial Bill Gothard. What lies beneath the surface of big smiles and modesty? Abuse, control, and a dangerous culture of silence.

The hosts dissect the teachings and tactics of IBLP, including blanket training, purity culture, and the cult-like authoritarian system that robbed countless women and children of agency and safety. With raw honesty and expert insight, they explore how this toxic ideology went mainstream—fueled by TLC’s reality TV empire—and how survivors are now bravely breaking their silence.

In this powerful and emotional episode of PodCandy, Stacey, Dori and Dr. John dive deep into the harrowing yet inspiring story of Chavie Weisberger, a brave woman who escaped the confines of an ultra-Orthodox Hasidic Jewish sect—led by her own grandfather. From forced marriage and suppressed sexuality to a traumatic custody battle, Chavie’s journey reveals the dark side of religious extremism and the systemic control of women. With insight from psychologist Dr. John Mayer, the hosts explore themes of gender oppression, cult dynamics, and the resilience it takes to break free and reclaim your identity. Listener discretion advised—this episode includes discussions of sexual abuse and other sensitive topics.

Based on the original interview featured on "Cults to Consciousness" hosted by Shalise Ann Sola.

In this riveting and deeply personal episode of Pod Candy, your hosts Stacey, Dori, and Dr. John Mayer flip the script and share their own brushes with the dark world of manipulation, fraud, and deception. From Dr. Mayer's jaw-dropping story of identity theft and near ruin, to Dori’s financially and emotionally devastating entanglement with a predatory “tax loophole” scheme, to Stacey’s close call with a shady pyramid organization masked as personal development—this episode proves the scariest stories aren’t always on the news.

Together, they unpack how smart, self-aware people can fall victim to cons, cult-like mentalities, and emotional manipulation—and how they fought their way out. Raw, honest, and at times hilarious, this episode is a powerful reminder that anyone can be targeted, and healing starts with speaking up.

In this episode, Stacey, Dori, and Dr. John examine one of the most elaborate catfishing schemes in recent history.  The gang picks apart the Netflix Documentary; Sweet Bobby My Catfish Nightmare.  It's a wild story about a London based radio host who endured a nearly ten year relationship with a handsome cardiologist named Bobby, only to find out it was all a fictitious web of cruel deception.  Stacey, Dori and Dr. John discuss the psychology behind both catfisher and catfishee, and what causes someone to go to such great lengths to deceive another person.

In this episode Stacey, Dori and Dr. John dive deeper into the madness of Ed Gein through the eyes of two of the industry's leading experts.  Alex Flaster is the writer and producer of Biography's "Ed Gein" documentary.  Adam Rockoff is an industry expert on slasher films, and author of the critically acclaimed books; The Horror of It All: One Moviegoer's Love Affair with Masked Maniacs, Frightened Virgins and the Living Dead, and Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film.  Together the group discusses details of this gruesome case, and the reasons Ed Gein inspired some of Hollywood's most horrifying characters.

In this episode of Pod Candy, we're stepping into the rotting farmhouse of one of the most terrifying figures in American true crime history, Ed Gein.  His crimes shocked the nation and inspired some of the most infamous monsters in pop culture.  But the real Ed Gein was far more terrifying than any movie villain.  Join Stacey, Dori, and Dr. John as they unravel this heinous story and get to the bottom of what psychological traumas could cause a person to make furniture out of human skin, and soup bowls out of skulls.

Gwen Shamblin rose to fame in the 1990's with the Weigh Down Workshop, a Christian weight-loss program that promised spiritual freedom through self denial.  But behind the glossy sermons and the big hair was something darker.  Gwen didn't just want followers, she wanted absolute obedience.  Her Remnant Fellowship Church became a world of strict rules, public shaming and total control over its members' bodies, families, and souls.  Then came the scandals, the abuse allegations, the manipulation and finally the shocking plane crash in 2021 that killed Gwen, her husband Joe Lara, and other tip leaders leaving behind a trail of trauma and unanswered questions.  Stacey, Dori, and Dr. John analyze Gwen and her followers to dive into how one woman with an idea can manufacture a huge cult following.