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Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and the Abuse of Power

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A podcast about cults, extreme belief, and abuse of power – from two hosts who’ve actually lived it. Hosted by Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth. If you have your own story about cults, high c...

Episodes

20 of 284 episodes

Makelle Bistline, Part 2 - Becoming Sam Bateman’s Wife, Keeping Secrets from a “Prophet,” and Helping the FBI Take Him Down

This week is part two with Makelle Bistline, one of polygamist cult leader Sam Bateman's former wives who helped take him down from the insi...

53:41Oct 28, 2026

Makelle Bistline, Part 1 - The FLDS, Marrying Sam Bateman, and Resisting Control Through Taylor Swift

This week's guest is Makelle Bistline, who grew up in the polygamist sect the FLDS and became one of the wives of self-proclaimed prophet Sa...

50:42Oct 21, 2026

Felicia Rosario - Larry Ray’s Coercive Tactics, Life After the Sarah Lawrence Cult, and Becoming an Expert Witness

This week, the girls are joined again by Felicia Rosario, survivor of the cult at Sarah Lawrence, led by a man named Larry Ray. Today Felici...

69:41Oct 14, 2026

Stephen Kinzer - MKUltra, Sidney Gottlieb, and the CIA’s Hunt For Mind Control

This week, author and historian Stephen Kinzer joins Trust Me to discuss his book, Poisoner in Chief, and its subject: chemist Sidney Gottli...

70:58Oct 7, 2026

Renee Spencer, Part 2 - The Jesus Christians, the “Kidney Cult,” and Suing Your Daughter’s Religious Group

This week is part two with advocate and therapist Renee Spencer, who sued the Jesus Christians, aka the "kidney cult," after they recruited...

57:37Sep 30, 2026

Renee Spencer, Part 1 - When Your Daughter Joins the “Kidney Cult”

This week is part 1 with advocate and therapist Renee Spencer, whose daughter was recruited into the Jesus Christians: a group commonly refe...

42:57Sep 23, 2026

Larena & Elyse Wynn, Part 2 - Leaving Mormonism, Becoming Dominatrixes, and Reclaiming Power with BDSM

We're back with twins Larena and Elyse Wynn, also known as Mothermary. In part 2 this week they'll talk about how Elyse got fed up with bein...

60:27Sep 16, 2026

Larena & Elyse Wynn - Montana Mormons, Sex at BYU, and the “Miracle" of Forgiveness

This week is part 1 with musicians, identical twins, and former Mormons turned dominatrixes Larena and Elyse Wynn, also known by their band...

50:20Sep 9, 2026

John Hunter - Manufacturing Mania in Self-Help Seminars

This week's guest is psychology researcher and lecturer Dr. John Hunter, joining the show to talk about intensive self-help seminars–k...

70:48Sep 2, 2026

Laci Mosley – Scams vs. Cults, and the Many Forms of Fraud

This week, the girls are joined by Laci Mosley, comedian, actress, and host of the Scam Goddess podcast and TV show (and author of Scam Godd...

74:37Aug 26, 2026

Michele McPhee – The Polygamist, the Criminal, and Their Multibillion-Dollar Scam

This week, Meagan and Lola sit down with Michelle McPhee, investigative reporter and host of podcast Kingdom of Fraud, to discuss how Jacob...

65:20Aug 19, 2026

Anke Richter, Part 2 - Harem Culture, Leaving ISTA, and DeCult

This week is part 2 with Anke Richter, journalist, author of Cult Trip, former member of Tantric group ISTA, and founder and director of New...

43:05Aug 12, 2026

Anke Richter, Part 1 - Ecstatic Dancing, Tantric Sex, and Joining ISTA

Today is part 1 with Anke Richter, journalist, author of Cult Trip, former member of Tantric group International School of Temple Arts, and...

59:05Aug 5, 2026

Sophie Fergi, Part 2 - Living with Piper, Constant Control, and Being Shunned by the Squad

This week is part two with Sophie Fergi, former child influencer featured in the Netflix docuseries Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluen...

60:12Jul 29, 2026

Sophie Fergi, Part 1 - Kidfluencing, Joining the Squad, and the Dark Side of YouTube

This week is part one with Sophie Fergi, former child influencer who told her story in the Netflix docuseries Bad Influence: The Dark Side o...

43:52Jul 22, 2026

Jasper Hoffman, Part 2 - Undercover Therapy, Leaving the Mennonites, and the Aftermath

This week, the girls are back with Jasper Hoffman, writer, podcaster, and former Mennonite. In part two today, Jasper explains what the perf...

50:18Jul 15, 2026

Jasper Hoffman, Part 1 - From Atheists to Mennonites

This week, the girls are joined by Jasper Hoffman, writer, podcaster, and former Mennonite. In part one, she explains how her parents went f...

52:26Jul 8, 2026

Dr. Christine Marie - Undercover in a Cult Town: Taking Down False Prophet Sam Bateman

This week, Lola's mom Dr. Christine Marie (and the podcast's very first guest!) comes back on the show to talk about moving to FLDS town Sho...

81:04Jul 1, 2026

Nikki G, Part 2 - The Seven Mountain Mandate, “Church Hurt,” and Why Cults Aren’t Just a White People Problem

In part two with Nikki G., she discusses more of the high-control groups she joined, the political project of the Seven Mountain Mandate tha...

61:42Jun 24, 2026

Nikki G, Part 1 - Down the Rabbit Hole, Cult Hopping, and Surviving the Black Church

This week, Nikki G., host of Surviving the Black Church and survivor of FIVE different high-control groups, discusses joining the first chur...

49:21Jun 17, 2026