The world is a complicated place. Stories can help us simplify things. But, how a story is told, and who tells the story to us, has a huge impact on our understanding of what really happened. 

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"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them." - James Baldwin ... This episode examines the impact parents had on the lives of children who went on to become world leaders and cultural phenoms.

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Jenks identified that many of the leaders he chronicled in Season 2 understood the power of keeping information hidden, or remaining outright silent, in a variety of situations. This first Reaction Episode focuses on silence as a major theme of WRH? Season 2.

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Jenks explores Kanye West’s search for identity, his rebelliousness, and ultimately, his desire for artistic freedom, through the lens of his childhood.

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There have been films and TV shows about the brave and heroic SEAL TEAM 6, and other Marines, that killed Osama Bin Laden and changed history. There is a famous photo that captured President Obama and his team watching the raid from the Situation Room. Secretaries Clinton and Gates, Vice President Biden, and President Obama have all talked in detail about the moments captured in that photo. Now, this episode offers a chance to hear from those in the photo we don’t instantly recognize, and those who were there, but just outside the frame. For those individuals, What Really Happened? Guests: Ben Rhodes (former Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications), Tony Blinken (former Deputy Secretary of State and Deputy National Security Advisor), Nick Rasmussen (former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center), and Pete Souza (former Chief Official White House Photographer)

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Jenks saw Angela Merkel on TV at George H. W. Bush's funeral. Then, he remembered that Donald Trump wouldn't shake her hand when the two first met. What could be learned from Merkel’s relationships with Presidents Clinton, W. Bush, and Obama? As it turned out, a specific, largely unknown meeting Merkel had in the Oval Office, before she became the leader of Germany, held the answer to what really happened. Guests: Dr. Jonathan Olsen (Department Chair and Professor of Government at Texas Woman’s University), Dr. Joyce Mushaben (Professor of Global Studies and Curators' Professor of Comparative Politics & Gender Policies at University Missouri-St. Louis), and Dr. Manfred Konukiewitz (former official under Chancellor Angela Merkel)

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Kendall Jenner is one of the most famous people on Earth. And so, it made sense for the global brand Pepsi to feature her in a commercial in 2017. But, the commercial faced a major backlash for co-opting the imagery of social-political movements. Who decided this was a good idea? This is the anatomy of a commercial gone terribly wrong. What Really Happened? Guests: Brad Jakeman (former President of PepsiCo Global Beverage Group), DeRay Mckesson (activist, author, and host of the "Pod Save The People" podcast), Ed Castillo (Brand Strategist and current owner of Brand Disposition, Inc.), Ephrat Livni (journalist and lawyer), and Charles R. Taylor (John A. Murphy Professor of Marketing, Villanova School of Business)

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Meek Mill, one of the hottest rappers in the world, violated parole too many times. But when the judge at his hearing began giving him tips on his music and lifestyle, people started to question who was in the wrong. It all got more bizarre after she sentenced Meek to two-to-four years in prison. Until recently, he resided in solitary confinement. And then, in a bizarre twist, the FBI asked Meek for help investigating the judge. What Really Happened? Guests: Jason Flom (The Innocence Project), Inimai Chettiar (Brennan Center for Justice), and Ryan Ferguson (author). 

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You wouldn’t think one of the best basketball players in the world, worth well over $100 million, spends his summers in a two-bedroom apartment in San Diego, but that’s what Kawhi Leonard does. In San Antonio he opted to live with his mom, and they played Jenga at night over enchiladas. His disinterest in the spotlight, and focus on the game, made him a perfect fit for the militant, and world-champion, San Antonio Spurs, led by their revered coach Gregg Popovich. Just like the Spurs’ prior stars, Leonard was humble and loyal. But in his last year with the team, he suddenly cut himself off from everyone. He refused to return, and landed in Toronto with the Raptors. What Really Happened? Guests: Chris Mannix (Sports Illustrated, host of The NBA Crossover podcast)

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Would Apple exist without if Steve Jobs had never taken acid? Jobs said repeatedly that taking LSD was one of the "two or three most important things" he ever did in his life. But was this a tale to galvanize press, or a genuine belief. What Really Happened? Guests: Daniel Kottke (college friend of Steve Jobs), Trip Hawkins (entrepreneur, founder of Electronic Arts), Maia Szalavitz (reporter and author), Dr. John Amodeo (author), and Andrew Stanton (filmmaker).

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