Crime House True Crime Stories is the ultimate destination for true crime fans. Every episode

features two notorious cases from that week in crime history, tied by a common theme like

infamous serial killers, mysterious disappearances, tragic murders, and more. Every Monday,

uncover the full stories behind the headlines as host Vanessa Richardson takes you through

high-profile investigations like the murder of Gabby Petito, the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart,

and the mass suicide of the Heaven's Gate cult. Follow Crime House True Crime Stories — a

Crime House Original — wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of child abuse and sexual coercion.

It started with a pizza party for single moms. But soon, there were purple-lit temples, custom medallions, and a man who called himself “Donato the Christ”. What could possibly go wrong?

In Part 1 of Frankie Tease’s gripping story, we follow her teen years inside Long Beach, California’s Morningland—a so-called spiritual community where rituals masked control, and devotion was slowly weaponized.

Manipulation. Isolation. Grooming disguised as enlightenment—and a disturbing undercurrent of coercion that only grew darker with time. Frankie lived it all. And this is just the beginning.

Next week brings even more revelations… as well as Frankie’s road to freedom.

LINKS:

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Have a story of your own? We’d love to hear it. Reach out to: [email protected]

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Whitney wanted a Friday night dress. She got a pink Cadillac and a cult instead.

At 21, she joined Mary Kay just trying to pay her $200 rent. What she got was a crash course in manipulation disguised as empowerment, a swirl of culty catchphrases, and a trunk full of sparkle-dusted dreams.

In this episode, Whitney takes us on her journey from California cake decorator to one of Mary Kay’s youngest Sales Directors—and eventually, to the other side, where she finds healing, purpose, and a life that’s truly her own.

No pins. No pearls. No plastic praise.

LINKS:

Come see us LIVE at the Napa Valley Streaming Festival!

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Support the show: If Was I in a Cult? has impacted you, please rate and review—it really helps more people find us! And consider joining our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus culty goodness.

Have a dark and sparkly story of your own? We’d love to hear it. Reach out anytime: [email protected]

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Today, we’re taking it back to where it all began: our very first episode. Meet Johanne Hanks, who went from BYU grad to plural wife to party planner for Jesus in a yuppie Mormon doomsday group called The True and Living Church. You know… TLC.

Faced with the fear of an impending apocalypse, Joanne and her husband move to a small Utah town to live "Mormonism on steroids", which means wearing long underwear, communicating with the dead, prophetic visions, odd temple rituals, cookies with Jesus, and the law of celestial marriage (aka polygamy). 

We’ll be back next week with one of the OG MLMs… May Kay. Pucker up for that one.

Come see us LIVE at the Napa Valley Streaming Festival!

Johanne’s Book: “It’s Not About the Sex, My Ass”

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Support the show: If Was I in a Cult? has impacted you, please rate and review us—it truly helps! And consider joining our Patreon for ad-free episodes and a cult-free community.

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As Tyler owns up to overlooking a crucial part of Orange County's troubling past, Liz is secretly grateful for his mistake—for without it, they might never have met today's inspiring guest, Vida.

Growing up in South Central LA, Vida's father found salvation in a Pentecostal church led by a self-proclaimed prophet. For Vida, the church was initially a comforting community, offering structure and belonging. But over time, it became clear that what she knew as normal was deeply damaging: fasting replaced freedom, demons blamed for everyday struggles, and poverty persisted despite relentless donations. Vida shares her journey from unquestioning devotion to courageous self-discovery, ultimately reclaiming her life from the tangled legacy of faith, trauma, and generational pain. 

Thank you, Vida, for your courage, your honesty, and your wisdom—and yes, for challenging Tyler's musical tastes.

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**Support us: If 'Was I in a Cult?' has impacted you, please rate and review us—it truly makes a difference! And consider joining our Patreon for ad-free episodes and more community connection.

**if you have your own story of navigating spiritual trauma or culty family dynamics, reach out to us at [email protected]—we'd love to hear from you!

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You’ve heard of doomsday cults and self-help cults… but what about an alien cult? This week, we’re taking you on a journey beyond the stars—or at least, beyond logic—as we explore The Raelians.

This episode is love bombing at its best and most seductive form.

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Have you ever been love-bombed into a belief system that felt too good to be true? Or maybe you’ve found yourself drawn into a group that promised cosmic truths, only to leave you questioning everything? We’d love to hear your story—email us at [email protected] 

Want ad-free episodes? Support us on Patreon and help fund our de ep dives into the culty corners of everyday life—because sometimes, the things we accept as 'normal' deserve a second look.

Link to register for Writing Symposium

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Fine dining is all about precision, artistry, and luxury on the plate—but behind those kitchen doors, the pressure, hierarchy, and chaos tell a very different story.

This week, we sit down with Chef Amber Evans, who opens up about the unspoken rules of the industry, the reality of life inside a Michelin-starred kitchen, and the moment she realized she had become the very thing she once feared. Could it be that she had been in … a cult? 

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Follow Chef Amber for mouth-watering content! @chefamberevans 

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Have you ever worked in a high-pressure, high-control environment that blurred the lines between passion and exploitation? Or maybe you’ve broken free from a system that demanded your total devotion? We’d love to hear your story—email us at [email protected] 

Want ad-free episodes? Support us on Patreon and help fund our de ep dives into the culty corners of everyday life—because sometimes, the things we accept as 'normal' deserve a second look.

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Crystal was born into a world where women obeyed, children served, and questioning authority was a sin. Raised under the oppressive rule of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP)—yes, the same Christian fundamentalist cult as the Duggars, “Shiny Happy People”—she spent her youth cleaning toilets, raising her mother’s children, and being prepped for a life of submission. 

But Crystal had other plans. 

This is the ultimate rags-to-riches story. She didn’t just escape the cult—she obliterated every expectation it had for her. From eating half-eaten Snickers bars out of the trash to becoming a wildly successful entrepreneur, from being promised to a 30-year-old man at 15 to discovering (in the most hilariously ways possible) that she really enjoys sex—Crystal’s life is nothing short of jaw-dropping. 

At times hilarious, at others absolutely heart-wrenching, Crystal shares with raw honesty how indoctrination shapes identity, how control distorts self-worth, and how breaking free comes at a cost. But she also proves that no matter how deep the conditioning, you can defy every expectation, reclaim your power, and build a life beyond your wildest dreams.

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You can find Crystal Ball on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn 

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Have your own story about high-control groups, or breaking free from an oppressive system? Email us at [email protected] —we’d love to hear it.

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Liz on “What Came Next” 

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There was no commune. No matching robes or group chants. A charismatic leader? Yes. But no room full of followers. This is a story about a cult of one —  a lesser-known, yet perhaps more common, type of cult.

When Alex first met her college advisor, she thought she’d found a mentor—someone brilliant, charismatic, and seemingly invested in her success. But behind the charm lay something much darker. Slowly, methodically, he pushed boundaries under the guise of guidance and concern—first emotionally, then physically—until she was isolated from friends and family, no longer trusting her own judgment.

In today’s episode, we explore how one-on-one cults operate using the same tactics as larger cults—love-bombing, coercion, and manipulation—but in the intimate, hidden space between just two people.

This is a chilling tale of how a trusted authority figure became a master manipulator, pulling the strings until Alex’s world was no longer her own. It’s a stark reminder that sometimes the most dangerous cult leader isn’t the one standing on a stage—but the one sitting across from you, offering a warm smile and a seemingly harmless invitation to talk. 

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Got a story about manipulation, power dynamics, or your own cult of one? Email us at [email protected]

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What happens when your dreams of becoming a therapist are unexpectedly dashed and a TIkTok astrologer promises to solve all your problems? Meet Taylor Marie, who found herself in an online cult that claimed to have "the only astrology system that works." Led by a charismatic married couple, this group charged outrageous prices for "life-altering" astrology readings, promised entrepreneurial and personal success, and preached that all other astrologers were frauds. 

Taylor’s story is a cautionary tale about online communities, manipulation, and the dangerous power of social media cults. In this episode, she shares how she got entangled in the group, how it slowly consumed her life (and bank account), and the toxic breaking point that forced her to see the truth and get out. Her exit isn’t pretty — the leaders fought back with lawsuits, public smears, and astrology-based threats. 

But today, Taylor has reclaimed her power, faced the fear-mongering from the cult head on, and found her true purpose—one that wasn’t predicted by a TikTok “guru.”

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Follow Taylor’s NEW account: @taylormarietherapy

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Got a story that’ll make us say, “The stars did NOT see that coming”? Email us at [email protected] —we promise we won’t charge $555 for it.

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