Infamous

Rachel goes to meet the most hated man in Asheville to hear his side of the story. Jared is ready to make amends with the women he’s wronged, but the only person who wants to hear him out is a six-foot-something martial arts instructor who makes a pretty surprising proposition to Rachel. When Jared finally leaves Asheville behind, where will he go next? And will he learn from his mistakes? Click ‘...

Waking Life Espresso is one of the most beloved, locally-owned coffee shops in Asheville, North Carolina. That is, until an anonymous online sleuth discovers that its owner, Jared Rutledge, is a wannabe manosphere influencer who’s been posting intimate details about his sexual partners online. Now, there are picketers outside. Guest host Rachel Monroe sits down with the women Jared exposes online...

Good looking, charismatic, and experienced, comedian and political commentator Hasan Minhaj is reportedly a frontrunner for Trevor Noah's hosting slot at The Daily Show. But when a writer starts looking into some of his standup stories, she realizes that he may be telling tall tales. This week, Natalie talks to New Yorker staff writer Clare Malone about her reporting on the scandal, and what quest...

In a matter of months, the diabetes drug Ozempic has become a household name, and the Danish pharmaceutical company that produces it has achieved a market cap that exceeds the size of its country’s economy — all because it can make people really, really skinny. Journalist Jo Piazza joins Vanessa and Natalie to discuss Ozempic, the celebrities who may or may not be taking it, and how this drug may...

This episode will be released for free starting September 14th. With so few leaders to turn to in this time of crisis, the public is willing to overlook Andrew Cuomo’s storied history of corruption scandals. But soon, the governor’s decisions will catch up to him, and to his family. A potentially fatal nursing home policy, a lucrative book deal, a slate of alleged harassment allegations — which sc...

This episode will be released for free starting September 7th. In the confusing, scary early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, one question captured the imagination of millions: Does New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo have nipple rings? Vanessa talks to several journalists, including nipplegate reporter Olivia Nuzzi and Chris Smith, to learn how the Cuomo family became a political dynasty, and how a si...

Today, there are two stories on Infamous. First, Vanessa talks to Decoder Ring's Willa Paskin about the event of the summer — the Barbie movie — and learns about Barbie's bizarre origin story, how she's evolved since the late fifties, and what's next for the Barbie franchise.  Then, Gabe Sherman returns to talk about a major scandal at one of the most elite private high schools in the country: Hor...

After notorious Wall Street scammer Bernie Madoff was sentenced to prison, he refused to speak with the media. But journalist Steve Fishman took that as a challenge. So he sent letters to every single other inmate at the facility, asking for an introduction to Madoff. And after months of asking around, Fishman finally got the call he’d been waiting for. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Infamous...

Philosophy queen Virginia Heffernan looks back on her experience wearing Google Glass and on the product’s ultimate failure, then considers what the fiasco can tell us about the current state of technology. How do the human weaknesses of Bezos and Musk influence the products they sell to us? And is the reign of these Silicon Valley titans coming to an end? Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Infam...

Newly aware of his increased risk for Parkinson’s Disease, Sergey is in a hurry to make a mark on the world with a new, cutting-edge technology: Google Glass. Except, what is Google Glass for? And why is it so…uncool? Sergey’s making reckless decisions in business, and in love. When he begins an affair with a much younger employee, there is collateral damage. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the In...

With the meteoric rise of Google in the early aughts, Anne Wojcicki and Sergey Brin became one of the wealthiest power couples in Silicon Valley. But when Anne strikes out to start her very own biotechnology company 23andMe, some critics question Sergey’s role in her success. Then, a DNA testing kit produces a troubling result that will change Sergey’s life. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Inf...

When Doug Band got between Bill Clinton and his daughter Chelsea, his rising star fell like a rock. Soon he found himself on the outside of an empire he'd helped to build. Subscribe to The Binge to get all episodes of Infamous: The Body Man ad-free right now. Click ‘try free’ at the top of the Infamous show page on Apple Podcasts to start your free trial or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wher...

After the presidency, Bill Clinton's reputation wasn't faring well, and neither were his finances. But his long-time assistant, Doug Band, figured out a way to solve all of that. And in doing so, he got incredibly wealthy. A story of social climbing and verve. Subscribe to The Binge to get all episodes of Infamous: Retail Revenge ad-free right now. Click ‘try free’ at the top of the Infamous show...

Paul is arrested and must defend his schemes over the years. Victims speak out about being played by Erickson for years, but apologies and contrition aren’t exactly his style. UPDATE 10/11: After we published these episodes, Maria Butina reached out to tell her side of the story. Stay tuned after the episode for an exclusive interview.  Unlock all episodes of Infamous, ad-free right now by subscri...

The Feds come down on Paul’s girlfriend Maria Butina, and the truth of her connections in Russia spill into the open. But Paul’s past isn’t squeaky clean either, and begins to draw attention from the FBI. Unlock all episodes of Infamous, ad-free right now by subscribing to The Binge. Plus, get binge access to brand new stories dropping on the first of every month — that’s all episodes, all at once...

Paul Erickson made headlines in 2017 when it was revealed that his Russian girlfriend, Maria Butina, could’ve been a spy who was using him to gain access to the highest levels of the Republican Party. Two years later, he was arrested for wire fraud and money laundering. But it seems like this may just be scratching the surface of Paul’s life. Unlock all episodes of Infamous, ad-free right now by s...

Few musical acts have played the heel as well as the Insane Clown Posse. In 2011, the FBI even classified Juggalos, the group’s rabid fans, as a criminal gang. But still, every year, tens of thousands of fans make a pilgrimage to Legend Valley, Ohio, for a week of all-out debauchery. Zoe Nightingale reports from inside America’s most notorious music festival. A Campside Media & Sony Music Entertai...

Judith Miller is publicly taken to task by her own editors. But when she’s entangled in a scandal, being fired from the Times ends up being the least of her problems. Subscribe to The Binge to get all episodes of Infamous: “Little Miss Run Amok” ad-free right now. Click ‘try free’ at the top of the Infamous show page on Apple Podcasts to start your free trial or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access...

Judith Miller doubles down on finding evidence for WMD and heads to Iraq with the military to find them herself. But while she’s away in Iraq, the New York Times faces its biggest scandal in years. Subscribe to The Binge to get all episodes of Infamous: “Little Miss Run Amok” ad-free right now. Click ‘try free’ at the top of the Infamous show page on Apple Podcasts to start your free trial or visi...

The New York Times undergoes changes after 9/11, and Judith Miller is on the cutting edge of war on terror reporting. When the Bush administration begins raising alarm about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Judy begins finding evidence for their claims. Only thing is, her reporting is based on a lie. Subscribe to The Binge to get all episodes of Infamous: “Little Miss Run Amok” ad-free right n...

We deep dive into the heiress who bankrolled NXIVM, Clare Bronfman, talking about what psychological factors were at play when she became entrenched in the cult, and the turmoil her involvement sparked. Subscribe to The Binge to get all episodes of Infamous: NXIVM's Inner Circle ad-free right now. Click ‘try free’ at the top of the Infamous show page on Apple Podcasts to start your free trial or v...

India Oxenberg talks about what was happening behind the scenes in NXIVM when they granted Vanessa access, India’s difficult but rewarding healing journey, and why stories like this one continue to fascinate and provoke. Subscribe to The Binge to get all episodes of Infamous: NXIVM’s Inner Circle ad-free right now. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Infamous show page on Apple Podcasts to start y...

At a NXIVM summit, Vanessa begins to suspect that her exclusive access is a sham. No one, it seems, is being honest. When the federal indictments are finally released, she’ll learn exactly what everyone has been lying about and discover the chilling truths the lies concealed. Subscribe to The Binge to get all episodes of Infamous: NXIVM’s Inner Circle ad-free right now. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the to...

It turns out that NXIVM has bigger problems on their hands than just some bad press. Vanessa flies to Guadalajara, to meet their leader, supposed genius and Ayn Rand super-fan Keith Raniere, ahead of his indictment. Subscribe to The Binge to get all episodes of Infamous: NXIVM’s Inner Circle ad-free right now. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Infamous show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetThe...

Vanessa meets more higher-ups in NXIVM, like Nancy Salzman, and learns about JNess, NXIVM’s all-female empowerment subgroup. Disturbing details crop up, and the darkest allegations against the company begin to come to light. Subscribe to The Binge to get all episodes of Infamous: NXIVM’s Inner Circle ad-free right now. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Infamous show page on Apple Podcasts or vis...