Toxic

We're starting this episode with Jenna's take from the frontlines in Minneapolis, where she lives, and the horrors she's seen there firsthand in the wake of ICE's terror campaign. Spoiler: It's all bad. But you can do something, no matter where you are. Visit standwithminnesota.com to donate to families impacted and to the tireless volunteers standing guard in the negative temps 24/7.

Next, because we can't let ICE distract us from the fact that women are in peril every day, and most often by their own partners in their own homes, we're telling the story of Elizabeth "Lizzie" Weinstein. Lizzie was a mother, former ER nurse and outspoken critic of the family court system whose life ended under still-unclear circumstances last July.

After divorcing her ex-husband, prominent attorney Brian Stryker Weinstein, Lizzie alleged abuse and corruption within a system she said stripped her of her children, her finances and her credibility—while protecting power and wealth. What followed was a series of deeply troubling events involving her being put behind bars, subjected to psychiatric confinement against her will and court orders that raise more questions than answers.

This episode traces Lizzie's story through its many confusing and perplexing twists, exploring how family court can be weaponized against survivors—and why the full truth of what happened to her may never be known. We close with an interview with Natalie Blundell, Lizzie's friend, a domestic violence advocate and the founder of WeSpoke.org, who shares her perspective on Lizzie's final years and what her case reveals about systemic failures that continue to impact women across the country.

We want to hear from you. Do you have a story we need to discuss or a guest we should feature? Visit us at ToxicThePodcast.com and share your story. We're sorry if we can't reply to every email immediately, but we we are trying our best to respond to everyone who writes in. Just know that we hear you and you're not alone.

If you're experiencing abuse or domestic violence, please consider connecting with a trained advocate near you. You can find local advocacy groups and information on all facets of abuse at DomesticShelters.org.

Finally, help us spread these important conversations further. Share an episode of Toxic with someone just as pissed off as you that this keeps happening. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform or social media please leave us a review. Your support helps us amplify these critical stories.

Together, we can create change.

It's one of our favorite episodes of the year where we recap a bad (or is it actually a genius?) holiday movie. This year's pick: Christmas at the Catnip Cafe. Olivia, a marketing exec (OF COURSE SHE IS) is left half a cat cafe in her aunt's will and who owns the other half? A hot vet who loves cats, obviously. Olivia hates cats! And has no time for romance or small towns! But does love to make vegetable tians! Oh my god, WHAT will happen?!

Have a very festive, safe holiday y'all. And men, ask how you can help, FFS.

We're back! Thanks for your patience. We had life stuff.

This week, Jenna and Amanda are strapping on their metaphorical hazmat suits and wading into the darkest corners of the internet: the manosphere. What starts as "dating tips" or "how to be more confident" quickly turns into a pipeline of misogyny, conspiracy thinking victimhood narratives ("men have it the worst!"), and in too many cases, encouragement of real-world violence against women.

We're breaking down how this ecosystem has gone fully mainstream, how influencers sell young men a fantasy of power and entitlement—usually wrapped in $999 "mastermind" courses—and why boys searching YouTube for perfectly innocent advice on dating or fitness are now just one algorithmic shove away from some of the most toxic women-hating, pro-grape messaging online.

Come for the snark. Stay for the unsettling realization that this stuff is everywhere now.

If you want to go even deeper into the manosphere, we can't recommend highly enough Laura Bates' book "Men Who Hate Women: From Incels to Pick-Up Artists, the Truth About Extreme Misogyny and How It Affects Us All."

And to jumpstart a fun conversation over morning coffee, get your "Prevent Male Podcasts" coffee mug at our Toxic store here!

We want to hear from you. Do you have a story we need to discuss or a guest we should feature? Visit us at ToxicThePodcast.com and share your story. We're sorry if we can't reply to every email immediately, but we we are trying our best to respond to everyone who writes in. Just know that we hear you and you're not alone.

If you're experiencing abuse or domestic violence, please consider connecting with a trained advocate near you. You can find one through DomesticShelters.org.

Finally, help us spread these important conversations further. Share an episode of Toxic with someone just as pissed off as you that this keeps happening. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform or social media, and please consider leaving us a [kind] review. Your support helps us amplify these critical stories.

Together, we can create change.

Sigh. Here we go again. In a case of this-can't-possibly-be-true-oh-my-god-why-is-the-system-so-broken-this-is-why-women-keep-dying, a Tucson, Ariz., judge set free Michael Martinez Duran from a Pima County jail while he was awaiting trial for charges of domestic violence, including strangulation, which we KNOW is one of the deadliest red flags of a future homicide.

Due in court Sept. 19, Michael never made it. Instead, he did something most of us could 100 percent predict any abuser who had already been escalting his abuse was going to do when losing power and control—he murdered his girlfriend, a mom and brand-new grandmother, Michelle Gracia, 47, less than two weeks before he was set to be back in court.

In this episode, we discuss the deadly consequences of downplaying an abuser's threats — and the heartbreaking ways victims often disconnect from the reality of their danger, because fully facing it can feel impossible.

We are also honored to have Michelle's mother, Linda, talk to Amanda in this traumatic aftermath about her daughter's murder, and how it was absolutely preventable. (Apologies for the sound quality of the phone call.)

Please consider making a donation to Michelle's GoFundMe, if able, to help support her children moving forward.

We want to hear from you. Do you have a story we need to discuss or a guest we should feature? Visit us at ToxicThePodcast.com and share your story. We're sorry if we can't reply to every email immediately, but we we are trying our best to respond to everyone who writes in. Just know that we hear you and you're not alone.

If you're experiencing abuse or domestic violence, please consider connecting with a trained advocate near you. You can find one through DomesticShelters.org.

Finally, help us spread these important conversations further. Share an episode of Toxic with someone just as pissed off as you that this keeps happening. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform or social media, and if you're willing, leave us a review. Your support helps us amplify these critical stories.

Together, we can create change.

This week's installment of "Crappy News You Can't Believe Is Real" kicks off with Republicans in the Senate deciding, "Nah, the American people don't need to know about the Epstein files," as they quietly murdered an amendment that would've forced the public release. The literal worst FBI director of all time, Kash Patel, said there was "no credible evidence" Epstein trafficked minors, because the dozens of survivors who have come forward over the years to say they have been trafficked don't count because we still don't believe women.

Trump then minimized domestic violence as a "little fight with your wife" and the murder of Charlie Kirk stirred up some strong debates about how we need to disagree better, but not about how we need to talk about men's entitlement and their anger issues. Weird how we keep ignoring that elephant.

Let's talk about all of this and then do that thing where we're not sure if we're laughing or crying together.

We want to hear from you. Do you have a story we need to discuss or a guest we should feature? Visit us at ToxicThePodcast.com and share your story.

If you're experiencing abuse or domestic violence, please reach out to someone you trust. You can also connect with a trained advocate near you through DomesticShelters.org.

Finally, help us keep this conversation going. Share an episode of Toxic on your socials with the hashtag #listentothisyafools. JK, hashtag it whatever you want. Please also follow us on your favorite podcast platform or social media, while free speech is still a thing, and if you're willing, leave us a [good] review. Your support helps us amplify these critical stories.

Together, we can create change.

One in four women will be the victim of rape or attempted rape in their lifetime and of those rapes, at least 25 percent of the perpetrators will use drugs to assist their sexual assault. Commonly known as roofies, this collection of drugs can take effect in as little as 10 to 15 minutes, not giving us ladies very much time to Nancy Drew the reason why the room is spinning that stranger is now ushering us out to an Uber we don't remember ordering.

Enter Joy Hoover, creator of Esōes Cosmetics (prounced S.O.S., for obvious reasons). Her ingenious Bluetooth-connected lipgloss is not only an actual cosmetic, but also a livesaving device that can test your drink to see if it's been spiked, but also send an emergency message to anyone in your contacs or call emergency services with a simple click.

Yes, we wish we had a product that stopped men from raping rather than a product that stopped women from getting raped but we this is the reality we're currently in. Joy is hoping to change that going forward, though, announcing recently that she is running for the U.S. House of Representatives for the state of Nevada. WE NEED MORE KICKASS FEMINIST WOMEN IN CONGRESS.

Listen to our interview with Joy today and then pick up your Baddie in a Box kit or a #SwipeRed Kit for 10% off with code Toxic10.

We want to hear from you. Do you have a story we need to discuss or a guest we should feature? Visit us at ToxicThePodcast.com and tell us your idea.

If you're experiencing abuse or domestic violence, please reach out to someone you trust. You can also connect with a trained advocate near you through DomesticShelters.org.

Finally, help us keep this conversation going. Share an episode of Toxic with someone as pissed off as you. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform or social media, and please leave us a review. Your support helps us amplify these critical stories.

Together, we can create change.

Today we're unraveling the complex story of Ghislaine Maxwell — socialite, heiress, convicted sex trafficker and now prison camp roomies with someone from Real Housewives who tried to swindle elderly people out of their money. Totally the same.

Without excusing anything Maxwell chose to do (because crime is a choice), it's important that we try to understand why women in particular are drawn into the recruiter roles in the dark underworld of sex trafficking.

From power dynamics to psychological conditioning to daddy issues, in order to actually prevent and end human trafficking and sexual abuse, we need to understand the female side of exploitation.

Also, we're on YouTube now! You can see our faces and see our pets! More previous episodes will be uploaded soon.

We want to hear from you. Do you have a story we need to discuss or a guest we should feature? Visit us at ToxicThePodcast.com and share your story, see our merch and access resources for survivors and support persons.

If you're experiencing abuse or domestic violence, please reach out to someone you trust. You can also connect with a trained advocate near you through DomesticShelters.org.

Finally, help us keep this conversation going. Please leave a rating and a review below. We'll even take one word. "Cool" works. Or maybe "Neat." This helps us to reach more people and amplify these critical stories.

How many times have we heard this tale? A woman accuses a man in power of assaulting or abusing her. She is immediately put on trial, accused of "ruining a good man's reputation." His assault is swept under the rug and the survivor is called a man-hating feminist (which is not inaccurate and for good reason).

Chanel Miller.

Amber Heard.

Blake Lively

E. Jean Carroll.

Christine Blasey Ford.

And today, Anne Hauben. She bravely reached out to Toxic to let us know she was ready to talk about what happened to her at 18. She's now in her 50s.

Before everyone says, "BuT WhY nOw?!" be aware that less than 23% of rapes and sexual assaults are reported to authorities, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The reasons? See above list. Those women went through hell after they came forward. What 18-year-old is eager to sign up for that? What 18-year-old is even 100 percent sure of what constitues rape?

Guess what, nonconsent = rape. And that's what Anne says happened during a high school trip to Bermuda. The man in question? A city councilman named Ward Hamilton of Melrose, Massachusetts, a small suburb of Boston.

Anne thought the voters might want to know what kind of man they were voting for. Turns out, that was an inconvenience for them more than anything. Anne was called crazy. A liar. Told to take her supposed trauma elsewhere.

So she came to Toxic. Because we'll believe her. Because we know women don't lie about this kind of thing for funsies.

And we also believe in holding men accountable.

Welcome to Anne's story. Which is also E. Jean's story. Which is also Christine's story.

This episode is a little long, but worth it.

Also, COMING SOON, you'll be able to hear some of the more recent Toxic episodes, including this one, on YouTube. So, stay tuned.

Your review of Toxic would help immensely. 3.8 what?! The trolls are coming for us -- please help combat them with a quick click on the five stars below.

We want to hear from you. Do you have a story we need to discuss or a guest we should feature? Visit us at ToxicThePodcast.com and share your story.

If you're experiencing abuse or domestic violence, please reach out to someone you trust. You can also connect with a trained advocate near you through DomesticShelters.org.

Washington state police are still looking for 32-year-old Travis Decker, suspected of killing his three young daughters last Monday, June 2, near Rock Island Campground in Chelan County, Washington. It's just another heartbreaking example of a judge not listening to a woman when she says a man is dangerous. How many examples will it take?

Meanwhile, admist his breakup with Elon, Trump is soothing himself with an ego parade on Saturday in D.C. the cost of which could literally eradicate homelessness, while weaponizing the National Guard in Los Angeles and allowing ICE to hunt down brown people for sport. Cool, cool, cool. In response, people with their sanity still intact are rising up in nationwide in more than 2,000 No Kings Day protests this coming Saturday, June 14. Grab a poster board, a sharpie and an American flag, because we're taking it back, and join us. Go to nokings.org to find the protest nearest you.

We want to hear from you. Do you have a story we need to discuss or a guest we should feature? Visit us at ToxicThePodcast.com and share your story.

If you're experiencing abuse or domestic violence, please reach out to someone you trust. You can also connect with a trained advocate near you through DomesticShelters.org.

Finally, help us keep this conversation going. Share an episode of Toxic with someone at the protest this Saturday, the cop who tries to tell you to move back or your racist uncle, just because. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform or social media, and please consider leaving us a review so we can be seen in this vast sea of equally talented podcasts. Your support helps us amplify these critical stories.

Together, we can create change.

We're honored to welcome Nichole Schmidt to Toxic today — a friend of the pod and a fierce advocate for survivors, especially young survivors of dating violence. In 2021, her 22-year-old daughter, Gabby Petito, was murdered by her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, during what was supposed to be an idyllic cross-country van trip — and instead became a national tragedy.

This past February, Netflix released American Murder: Gabby Petito, a docuseries featuring never-before-seen details about how Gabby's story unfolded. Ultimately, she became yet another preventable victim of dating violence, strangulation — and, yes, femicide.

Just two weeks before her death, police in Moab, Utah, pulled the couple over after a witness saw Brian hit Gabby. Despite clear signs of abuse — and officers even identifying it as assault — Laundrie wasn't arrested. Instead, they named Gabby the primary aggressor and gave Brian a hotel room usually reserved for domestic violence victims. The incident laid bare just how much law enforcement — and society — still doesn't understand about abuser tactics.

A little over a month later, Brian strangled Gabby to death in Wyoming. He later scribbled a confession in a notebook before dying by suicide — because, of course, accountability was never on his itinerary.

Today, Nichole shares what life has been like since Gabby's death — and how she's working to keep her daughter's memory alive, one survivor at a time.

We want to hear from you. Do you have a story we need to discuss or a guest we should feature? Visit us at ToxicThePodcast.com and share your story.

If you're experiencing abuse or domestic violence, please reach out to someone you trust. You can also connect with a trained advocate near you through DomesticShelters.org.

Finally, help us keep this conversation going. Share an episode of Toxic with someone also outraged by the relentless epidemic of violence against women. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform or social media, and please consider leaving us a review. Your support helps us amplify these critical stories.

Together, we can create change.