On this week’s episode, Hannah finishes telling Jessica about Gwen Shamblin and the weight loss cult. In June 2018, Gwen divorced her husband of 40 years; and in August 2018, she married Joe Lara, an actor, pilot, and aspiring country music singer. Joe already had a daughter with Natasha Pavlovich, fellow actor and pilot and all around badass. Natasha worried about the influence Joe and Gwen were having on her daughter. So she took things into her own hands and represented herself in court while fighting for more custody and more rights to their daughter. 

During one of Joe’s weekends with their daughter, Natasha got a call that Joe’s plane had crashed into a lake. Thankfully, Natasha’s daughter was not on that plane. But Joe and Gwen were. Listen to the entire episode to find out what happened to Remnant Fellowship after Gwen’s untimely death. 

Come along with Hannah and Jessica as they discuss iced coffee, the double stuf Oreos Mandela Effect, and how we would be terrible cult leaders and members. 

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussions of child abuse, child death, homicide, and eating disorders. Listener discretion is advised.

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Sources:

Adams, L. (2025, July 21). Gwen Shamblin Lara plane crash led to reckoning over Remnant church: Notorious Nashville. Yahoo. https://www.yahoo.com/news/gwen-shamblin-lara-plane-crash-100035861.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJx3N20R-hSNLLZ_7GG41ltn6GDOo9rjB2OmvOxMHINMm6m_joO1FIliFDTrVyNkDUrelIxYDSsXKDPmdEtFXJ5gBnTbky2yb_s4dlV9vnWOoK0tALdRRESAFyEz5IlV3Gjm94S5emIiHR7oSrEKpW2LPXs33B_O-XA-CjOz-tyk

Capello, N., Dinerstein, R., Evans, R., Girard, R., Morgan, P.G., Teigen, C., Zenovich, M., & Dillon, L. (Executive Producers). (2021-2022). The way down: God, greed, and the cult of Gwen Shamblin [TV series]. HBOMax. 

CBS News. (2021, May 31). Remains of 7 people aboard small plane that crashed in Tennessee found. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tennessee-plane-crash-gwen-shamblin-lara-joe-lara/

In memory of Gwen Shamblin. (n.d.). About Gwen. In memory of Gwen Shamblin. https://www.gwenshamblinlara.com/about/

Morris, C. & Finley, J. (2023, March 22). NTSB determines cause of crash that killed Gwen Shamblin, Brentwood church members. WHSV3. https://www.whsv.com/2023/03/22/ntsb-determines-cause-crash-that-killed-gwen-shamblin-brentwood-church-members/

Remnant Fellowship. (n.d.). Elizabeth Kaufmann. Remnant Fellowship. https://www.remnantfellowship.org/about-remnant-fellowship/leadership-team/elizabeth-kaufmann/

Shoup, C. & Adams, L. (2023, March 23). Plane crash that killed Gwen Shamblin could have been avoided, NTSB report says. The Tennessean. https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2023/03/23/report-plane-crash-that-killed-gwen-shamblin-could-have-been-avoided/70039686007/