iHeartPodcasts

Atonement: The John Paulk Story

Society EN ↓ 7 episodes

John was an ex-gay, ex-drag queen and an evangelical Christian. He married an ex-lesbian, had three children and became the poster boy for “conversion therapy” for over 15 years, traveling across the world to preach the idea you can ‘pray away the gay’. John Paulk was living proof that they could change, that God would love them, and that they could live a “normal” heterosexual life. But John was living a lie: he was still gay. Now, he’s ready to tell his story.

Author

iHeartPodcasts

Episodes

6. To Hell and Back 17.02.2026 44:54

John comes out for the third - and final - time. In this final chapter, hear John’s journey from shame to accountability, and the hard-won freedom of living authentically. — Atonement: The John Paulk Story is a production of iHeart Podcasts and Goldhawk Productions in association with Marks Media Co. It was presented by John Paulk. The producer was Kate Holland. The Programme Consultan...

5. A House of Cards 10.02.2026 48:56

When John Paulk slips into a D.C. gay bar, everything he’s built looks set to collapse. Caught, exposed, and suffocated by shame, he clings to a lie that fools no one - not even himself. — Atonement: The John Paulk Story is a production of iHeart Podcasts and Goldhawk Productions in association with Marks Media Co. — If you’ve been affected by any of the issues covered in t...

4. The Gospel According to John 03.02.2026 50:56

John looks back at the spiritual wreckage the ex-gay movement leaves behind - and the lives it destroys. Publicly, he’s its polished poster boy. But behind the public halo, he’s drowning. — Atonement: The John Paulk Story is a production of iHeart Podcasts and Goldhawk Productions in association with Marks Media Co. — If you’ve been affected by any of the issues cover...

3. For Better or For Worse 27.01.2026 46:52

John’s marriage becomes the jewel in the ex-gay movement’s crown. Soon the couple are everywhere: Oprah, national ad campaigns, even the cover of Newsweek. But beyond the spotlight, cracks are forming. — Atonement: The John Paulk Story is a production of iHeart Podcasts and Goldhawk Productions in association with Marks Media Co. — If you’ve been affected by any of th...

2. There’s No Place Like Home 20.01.2026 1:03:57

John makes his way to the residential program that will shape his life forever. There, he meets John Smid, the former director of Love in Action. And the woman who would become his wife. — Atonement: The John Paulk Story is a production of iHeart Podcasts and Goldhawk Productions in association with Marks Media Co. — If you’ve been affected by any of the issues covered in this se...

1. The Dancefloor 13.01.2026 59:20

John steps back into the story he once tried to outrun. Alongside expert insights and survivors of “Conversion Therapy”, John begins peeling back the layers of how he became one of the most totemic figures of the ex-gay movement. — Atonement: The John Paulk Story is a production of iHeart Podcasts and Goldhawk Productions in association with Marks Media Co. — If you’v...

Introducing: Atonement: The John Paulk Story 06.01.2026 2:27

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