Journalist Jennings Brown returns, this time with a guest who goes by Justice, to talk about a new internet cult leader named Liana Shanti and her social media presence, which targets women with wellness cleanses, women's empowerment, wild conspiracy theories, and grandiose claims about her supernatural powers. They discuss Shanti's followers' pattern of changing their names, accusing family members of abuse without evidence, and suddenly taking their children out of state. Plus, a house in Florida called Destiny Manor where a group of her followers have moved, how Justice's own loved one fell down the rabbit hole, and how survivors are banding together to stop Shanti.

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Accomplished Olympic runner and The Longest Race author Kara Goucher shares how she and her partner were invited to join the prestigious Nike Oregon Project and coach Alberto Salazar, how Alberto's methods seemed effective at first but became more controlling and inappropriate over time, what led her to become a whistleblower, and the stark contrast she eventually saw with a healthy coaching relationship.

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No one is perfect. Not even Lola and Meagan. Today the ladies delve into the extreme belief of perfectionism, its connection to purity culture, Lola and Meagan's firsthand experience with OCD and religious trauma, how to address your inner cult leader, the intersectionality with cancel culture, and the importance of staying connected to those with extreme beliefs.

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Time to level up. MLM expert and author of Ponzinomics, the Untold Story of Multi-Level Marketing, Robert Fitzpatrick, discusses the history of MLMs including why they took off in the 80s, their connection to the American Dream and economic inequality, the biggest scams he's seen over the years, how MLMs disconnect people from their identities, and what we can do about it if its happening to someone we love.

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Learn more about Robert's work at https://www.pyramidschemealert.org/ 

Support victim survivors and prevent further abuse at https://voicesforthetruth.org/

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In the second half of their conversation with Kingston Clan survivor Priscilla Tucker, Lola and Meagan learn more about the leader of the group, why being sent to a bad kid camp turned out to be a positive experience for Priscilla, and how she worked for billion-dollar fraudster Jacob Kingston, ultimately helping the FBI take him down. Plus, how Priscilla ended up finally getting out of the group, thanks to the show Escaping Polygamy (and Lola's mom!).

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Priscilla Tucker, friend of the show and survivor of Mormon-offshoot polygamist group the Kingstons, talks about the origins of the group and how it differs from other polygamist sects, why so many members become doctors and lawyers, and her upbringing, including how she began working for pennies from the age of 8. They also discuss the leader of the group, its history of incest and underage marriages, and her brief underage engagement to her first cousin.

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Have you been scammed? Lola and Meagan have... and one of them was even part of one. What the Hack podcast host Adam Levin joins Trust Me to chat about phishing, romance scams that target the elderly, social engineering, who the scammers ARE, and tips on how to protect your identity online.

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In part two of Lola & Meagan's interview with Bride of Christ Church survivor Zacch Comfort, they discuss how leader Thomas Clyde Smith Jr's control tactics got more extreme once the group moved to the Oregon commune, including separating children from their families, requiring people to hit each other in church, and cycling children into his home for sexual abuse - as well as how the group ultimately fell apart, and what Zacch's life is like now working in a psychiatric hospital.

Plus, for Lola's cultiest thing of the week, she and her friend Liz Y2K discuss discovering a man they both dated has been arrested for serial rape, and how the police are seeking additional victims to come forward.

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If you have information on Ben Belser, contact:

LAPD's Operations West Bureau, Special Assault Section

213-473-0447

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Or for anonymous tips:

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LAcrimestoppers.org

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Survivor of The Bride of Christ Church and creator of the Boiled Frogs podcast, Zacch Comfort, shares how convicted child molester Thomas Clyde Smith, Jr went from seeing visions in a psych ward to starting his own church, asserting control and arranging marriages while the group was in Las Vegas, the eventual move of the cult to a commune in Oregon, how Zacch's parents came to join the cult, and how infamous criminal Lawrence Singleton nearly came to live in the cult.

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If the shoe CrossFits... Former employee and enthusiast of CrossFit, Sam Ciavarella, shares about a time when she constructed her whole identity around CrossFit, the feeling of constant pressure to push herself to the limit, the shady story of the original owner, comparing CrossFit to generally competitive athletic endeavors, and why pushing yourself that hard can be physically dangerous. 

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