Infamous

Vanessa and Natalie unpack the kid-centric platform that’s quietly reshaping advertising, culture, and online life. They talk with tech reporter Sam Biddle, who explains why Roblox feels less like a game and more like a vision of the internet’s future. For more, check out Sam’s article on Roblox. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Infamous show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to g...

To celebrate the time of year when we all make resolutions to better our lives—and to understand why it can be so hard to follow through with them—Vanessa sits down with Wharton/UPenn economist Dr. Corinne Low, author of Having It All: What Data Tells Us About Women’s Lives and Getting the Most Out of Yours. They talk about why so many of us feel maxed out—especially women juggling kids, work, and...

This week, Natalie talks to journalist and biographer Amy Odell about her new book, Gwyneth: The Biography, and Marty Supreme. They also discuss Gwyneth’s early Hollywood power plays, the Miramax years, and how Goop turned controversy into an empire. To hear more from Amy, check out her podcast Back Row with Amy Odell. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Infamous show page on Apple Podcasts or vis...

Gwyneth Paltrow takes the stand in her ski crash trial against a retired optometrist. But as new facts emerge, is it possible that Gwyneth could be one of America’s most-hated celebrities and also a brave defender of justice? Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Infamous show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you get your podcasts. Find more great podcasts from...

For the holidays, we’re rerunning our story about a ski run mishap. Gwyneth Paltrow is as famous for her luxury lifestyle as she is for her movies. But when she collides with a man on a ski slope in Park City, Utah, she finds herself in a real-life high-end whodunnit, where fact is stranger than fiction. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Infamous show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge....

Fashion writer Amy Larocca joins Vanessa to unpack the modern wellness obsession—from expensive self-care gadgets to Ozempic and glow culture. They dig into Amy’s book How to Be Well: Navigating Our Self-Care Epidemic, One Dubious Cure at a Time and ask when wellness became a moral obligation. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Infamous show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get...

Michael Crichton’s widow says HBO’s hit medical drama The Pitt is cashing in on her late husband’s creation, ER. Now, they are in court. New York Times reporter Nicholas Kulish joins Vanessa and Natalie to explain how Noah Wyle’s nostalgic reboot pitch turned into a massive battle. You can read the original story here. Also, listen to our episode on Mean Girls. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the...

Investigative reporter and Gen-Xer Jason Leopold (Bloomberg News), and freedom-of-information lawyer Matt Topic, join Vanessa and Natalie to unpack how they dig government secrets out of the dark, from the $2 million sale of “pharma bro” Martin Shkreli’s one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang album to Epstein’s personal emails. Listen to Matt and Jason’s podcast Disclosure. You can also learn more about Matt’s leg...

Orgasmic Meditation was supposed to close the “pleasure gap.” Instead, it led to a federal indictment. Natalie talks to Bloomberg’s Ellen Huet, author of Empire of Orgasm: Sex, Power, and the Downfall of a Wellness, about the woman behind OneTaste and the explosive allegations that led to the startup’s downfall. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Infamous show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetT...

Allison After NXIVM follows Smallville star Allison Mack from her early days as a child actor to her time spent in prison for her role in a sex cult. Listen to Natalie explore the experience of interviewing Allison. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Infamous show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you get your podcasts. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music...

From the Puritans to QAnon, strange thinking has shaped America more than most of us realize. Natalie Robehmed talks with author Jane Borden about why our culture keeps breeding new cult-like organizations, and how to recognize the signs before it’s too late. Check out Jane’s book, Cults Like Us: Why Doomsday Thinking Drives America. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Infamous show page on Apple...

How did Jenna Jameson go from Vegas strip clubs to becoming the world’s most famous porn star—and what does her story reveal about sex, the internet, and the birth of personal branding? Natalie and Vanessa talk with Molly Lambert, creator of the new podcast JennaWorld: Jenna Jameson, Vivid Video, & The Valley. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Infamous show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetThe...

Model Wars tells the story of the 80s fashion world. It’s not just parties and pretty clothes—beneath the surface is drugs, sex and violence. In the first episode, we meet Paul Fisher, a kid from the San Fernando Valley who has a chance encounter with a alleged mobster that leads him to start a modeling agency in New York City. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Infamous show page on Apple Podcas...

Vanessa has a new podcast, called So Your Parents Are Old! Join Vanessa as she talks to friends, experts, and celebrities about the chaos of dealing with aging parents. From Medicaid nightmares to emotional meltdowns in storage units, it’s a brutally honest, often hilarious look at one of life’s most disorienting stages. Come for the catharsis, stay for the gallows humor and unfiltered conversatio...

From Charli XCX handing out cigarettes at her wedding to The Bear cast chain-smoking to Carrie Bradshaw’s bestie lighting up in bed—it looks like smoking is back in the zeitgeist. But what about Juul and the vape craze that was supposed to kill cigarettes? This week, Vanessa and Natalie unpack Juul’s meteoric rise and fall. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Infamous show page on Apple Podcasts o...

In the final episode of our Epstein mini-series, Vanessa sits down with Andrew Lownie—author of the explosive new book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York—to explore Prince Andrew’s ties to Epstein. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Infamous show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you get your podcasts. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Ent...

Jeffrey Epstein’s arrest sets off a political firestorm—and within weeks, his shocking death behind bars sparks one of the biggest conspiracy theories of our time. In this episode, Vanessa and Natalie trace Epstein’s downfall: from the victims who spoke out, to the Miami Herald investigation that brought him back into the spotlight, to the strange circumstances of his death. Click ‘Subscribe’ at t...

In Palm Beach, Jeffrey Epstein built a façade of respectability—a waterfront mansion that doubled as the center of a predatory empire. Behind the gates, teenage girls were lured in with promises of easy money. Read Vanessa’s book, Blurred Lines: Sex, Power and Consent on Campus, and check out Natalie on Instagram at @natrobe To connect with Infamous's creative team, join the community at Campsidem...

We explore how Les Wexner, the billionaire behind Victoria’s Secret and The Limited, became entangled with Jeffrey Epstein. We also talk about how Ghislaine Maxwell’s role as Epstein’s friend and employee added another layer of complexity. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Infamous show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you get your podcasts. Find more great...

Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell were more than a jet-set couple. In this episode of Infamous, we unravel the origins of their partnership, which would culminate in one of the most shocking scandals of our time. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Infamous show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you get your podcasts. Find more great podcasts from Sony Musi...

We’re joined by Mike Isaac, New York Times tech reporter and one of the sharpest voices covering Silicon Valley. In light of his colleague Emily Steel’s explosive new reporting on Uber, Mike takes us inside the company, pulling back the curtain on the chaos, power struggles, and cultural clashes at its heart. Don’t miss his bestselling book Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber, which goes even deeper...

If you're here looking for a new episode, we are off August 28th! Enjoy the last rays of sun and see you in September.  Freakier Friday is the big guilty pleasure of the summer, so we’re bringing back this deep dive. How did Lindsay Lohan go from starring alongside Meryl Streep and Jamie Lee Curtis to doing court-ordered community service at the LA county morgue? Vanessa and Natalie are joined by...

New York Times Culture Reporter Joe Coscarelli joins Vanessa and Natalie to unpack Justin Bieber’s meteoric rise, public stumbles, and unexpected reinvention with his surprise album Swag. Plus, Vanessa shares the behind-the-scenes story of her controversial Rolling Stone profile of 16-year-old Bieber. You can hear more from Joe Coscarelli on Popcast, or read his book, Rap Capital: An Atlanta Story...

In this episode, Amy Merrick joins us to unpack the rise and fall of American Apparel—a brand that once defined hipster cool and sexual provocation. We explore its bold aesthetics, and controversial founder Dov Charney, who had an ignominious fall. Read Vanessa’s book, Blurred Lines: Sex, Power and Consent on Campus, and check out Natalie on Instagram at @natrobe To connect with Infamous's creativ...

Author Neil Gaiman built a career on dark, psychological stories like The Sandman and Coraline. Now he and his ex-wife, musician Amanda Palmer, are facing disturbing accusations that echo the themes in his work. Journalist Lila Shapiro joins Vanessa and Natalie to discuss her viral Vulture article, “There Is No Safe Word,” and the blurred the lines between art, intimacy, and control. Read Vanessa’...