The Secret Room | True Stories

We explore Ashley's complicated family dynamic and the challenges a sister faces when the brother she loves dearly has severe addictions.  When Ashley reveals her secret you might wonder about its consequences and whether Ashley bears any blame for what happened next. Production support: Susie Lark  Street Secrets:  Bobbi Jo Valdez PICTURES See Ashley and her brother on her wedding day.   It's one...

In our last Sunday feed I present a look back at some of our favorite Street Secrets from 2018.   Come back in just two days for our first regular Tuesday show.  It's "79. My Horrible Secret That Came True."    We'll be there every other Tuesday. Forever.  :) ~Ben Street Secret Team:  Bobbi Jo Valdez, Caitlin Bartholomew, Elkid and Susie Lark. PICTURES See Susie's favorite artistic renderings of S...

Jo hopes her boyfriend never discovers that she records him.   Because if she did the world she's constructed with those recordings would collapse in an instant.  Production support: Susie Lark and Dahlia Beta Street Secrets:  Bobbi Jo Valdez PICTURES See Jo holding a picture of her boyfriend, his face obscured, you know, to protect the innocent! Go get 'em: facebook.com/SecretRoomPod and instagra...

Today we peek into the secret lives of the rich and famous with a story that lands at the intersection of celebrity and . . . chicken!   A celebrity demands five live chickens be delivered to his New York City loft, but he never knew what it took to get them there.  Production support: Susie Lark. PICTURES  See Loretta's baby a couple of months after surviving the high-speed in utero chicken ride....

YouTube star Brittani Louise Taylor confesses the lie she told her viewers.   Today she tells Ben what she did and why she's kept it a secret…until now.   She also tells him the big way she's coming out with her truth.     Brittani's favorite charity: watoto.com . Production support: Susie Lark. Street Secret Team: Bobbi Jo Valdez.  Thanks guys. PICTURES Check out three pictures Brittani wanted me...

Tracy tells her harrowing tale of survival when she was a broke and destitute teen. Stories her mother never knew.   Stories shared here for the first time. Production support: Susie Lark. Street Secret Team: Bobbi Jo Valdez.  Thanks guys. PICTURES Tracy shared pictures of her from her high school, university and army days.  Go get 'em: facebook.com/SecretRoomPod and instagram.com/SecretRoomPod  a...

Quinn's dark preoccupation lead her to an unusual career.   Today she lifts the curtains to show us what really happens to the dead as they're prepared for their final journey. Production support: Susie Lark. Street Secret Team: Bobbi Jo Valdez.  PICTURES To give you an even bigger peek behind the curtain, Quinn's sharing a bunch of pictures.   There are a couple of Quinn…her face is obscured but...

Louise's brother Jessie was everyone's best friend.   So she had to conceal her happiness when he died.   Louise tells us about their complicated relationship and the unexpected things that have happened since he passed. Production support: Susie Lark. Street Secret Team: Bobbi Jo Valdez.  PICTURES Louise made a discovery when she was searching for pictures.   Read out exchange about it on social....

Sarah's daydreams are so vivid they've crept into her reality.  We learn how they manifest in the real world; and Sarah explains why she keeps them secret. Production support: Susie Lark. Street Secret Team: Bobbi Jo Valdez.  Thanks guys. PICTURES Sarah sent a picture of her "relationship vs. single" budget spreadsheet!  See how the numbers stack up with and without a boyfriend.  And see the apart...

The story of an unbreakable spirit in which a young woman is forced to make a decision that will haunt her the rest of her life. Production support: Susie Lark. Street Secret Team: Bobbi Jo Valdez.  Thanks guys.   AWAY TRAVEL OFFER Thanks to Away for supporting The Secret Room. Go to awaytravel.com/secret and use the promo code secret to get $20 off a suitcase!   PICTURES See the street where Clai...

Natalie's bizarre story of a two-pronged family betrayal and a kid who was like her brother. RAINN.org Sexual Assault Hotline (USA): 800-656-HOPE (4673). Production support by Susie Lark and Bobbi Jo Valdez PICTURES A couple days ago Natalie texted me some details that she didn't feel comfortable sharing in our interview.  She said I could post her text for you to read in full. Also see Theo, the...

Reverend Dave revealed in Ep. 53 that he had an X-Rated Tattoo.   But he called Ben recently to tell him he missed an important follow up question; one that would have revealed another secret!   We get to the bottom of it in this show. --- PICTURES:  See Reverend Dave's tattoo and a mysterious picture of Reverend Dave himself on our Facebook page.   facebook.com/secretroompod .

Tai tells why she feels partially responsible for the murder committed by her best friend when they were 15. And there's a twist… Production support by Susie Lark, Caitlin Bartholomew and Elkid. PICTURES See the letters and Christmas presents Cody sent Tai over the years.  Also a bonus post-interview convo Tai and I had over text. Don't miss it. :) Get 'em now: facebook.com/secretroompod and insta...

Brittany bluffed her way through her final thesis. Everyone thinks she graduated but Brittany's not so sure. It's a story where both student and teacher were cheating. My guest is Brittany Ross, host of the Shortcomings Podcast, where she and her co-host Natalie Lander talk with guests about where they fell short in life.   Brittany's also an actress, appearing on U.S. television shows The Middle,...

Laura tells us how she was dramatically busted while cheating with a married man.   Then she went back for more.   What happened next will amaze you.  PICTURES Laura shared so many great pictures for you! See the bangle she dropped and the tank top she was struggling to adjust on that fateful day in Anthony's house.  You can also see the parking lot where she and Anthony used to meet before third...

Should a young woman with incurable cancer reveal the name of her daughter's movie star father? PICTURES See a picture Mila took of a typical Amsterdam canal house that leans to one side.  She says it looks a lot like hers.  facebook.com/secretroompod and instagram.com/secretroompod/  

Why Molly received an dishonorable discharge from the military and how she's able to keep it a secret.  PICTURES See Molly's Dishonorable Discharge, DD From 212. It says "fraudulent entry into military service" in black and white.   Also a picture of the combat boots she was issued for basic training.   They look brand new. facebook.com/secretroompod and instagram.com/secretroompod/  

Today's show explores how people behave, or shouldn't behave, in very different situations. We hear tales of operating rooms, a vibrator and food. PICTURES See Derrick suited up for the operating room.  Also see Lily, her partner and Sarah in a variety of great pictures while they were still friends.   facebook.com/secretroompod and instagram.com/secretroompod/ ~Ben

The surprising consequences for an accidental criminal.   And what one friend does when another makes a terrible mistake. PICTURES: From Sarah: "The first two pictures are from that infamous night. Look how happy and carefree we are...oblivious as to what was to come. :)  I'm the one in black and Tonya is in red." Sarah sent two others: The wide road to her home. And a picture of the scene of the...

CJ's first step into the professional world faltered a bit.  It was a misstep he had no intention of revealing, ever, until a remarkable coincidence 8 months later forced his hand.    PICTURES: See CJ, International Man of Mystery, at the mic during this very interview. Also, see the picture frame with stock photos that's been hanging sideways in producer Susie Lark's home for TWO years.  So embar...

Caitlin says she betrayed her best friend.   But you might think Caitlin was the friend betrayed.   It's a tale of deception that cuts two ways.  PICTURES: First up a screenshot of Tom's half contrite text.  There's also picture Caitlin took of her room the day she moved out of the house that she shared with Amy.   The neatly packed boxes and the vibrant colors of the room belie the turmoil in Cai...

Today a story about two secret brothers.   Jessica explains exactly what that means and how it's possible. The path to discovery at 39 years of age required careful navigation of family politics with her dad, her mom and her sister….    PICTURES: Jessica shared a couple of pictures for you.   In the first see Jessica and her sister sharing coffee.  Jessica also snapped a picture of the kewpie doll...

Sally joins us from Athens to tell us about her love affair with a Mafia kingpin in the early 90s . Hear the surprising way her romance started, what it was like inside the syndicate and how she got out. --- PICTURES: Sally hams it up for the camera, bikini clad on a Greek beach about the time she was dating Michael. And in another she weds her fiancé not long after her affair with Michael ended....

The complicated and intensely personal chain of events that have led Jessica to keep her father's death a secret. --- PICTURES: First up is a picture of Jessica's bio-dad looking really dapper in a sharp suit and red tie. Next there's a pic of Jessica as an adorable kid about the time her parents were getting divorced.   And of course, you have to see her dogs, which Jessica captioned "The cutest...

One woman's experience with female genital mutilation (FGM) and how it's impacted her life.   A story of perseverance and triumph. Here is the World Health Organization's fact sheet on female genital mutilation. --- PICTURES:  See the one memento Aisha's held on to: the armband from her stay at the hospital when her stitches were released.    A picture of it, in the jar where it rests, waits for y...