This Is Actually Happening
Wondery - wondery.com
Latest episode: Tue Dec 16 2025
What if you were trafficked into a cult...or were mauled by a grizzly bear...or were stabbed 27 times by a serial killer - what would you do? This is Actually Happening brings you extraordinary true stories of life-changing events told by the people who lived them. From a man who woke up in the morgue to a woman stranded in a Mexican desert fighting to survive, these stories will have you on the edge of your seat waiting to hear what happens next.
Listen to exclusive episodes of This is Actually Happening ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/this-is-actually-happening/ now.
301 total episodes
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- Dec16388: What if you woke up in a tsunami?62mins
- Dec9387: What if your partner accused you of attempted murder?60mins
- Dec2386: What if you woke up with someone's hands around your neck?55mins
- Nov25385: What if you found healing through saving abandoned dogs?47mins
- Nov18384: What if you were run over three times?49mins
- Nov11383: What if you survived Jeffrey Epstein?53mins
- Nov4382: What if you spent four months as a doctor in Gaza?58mins
- Oct28381: What if you opened a portal to the world next door?34mins
- Oct21380: What if you had a spontaneous awakening?54mins
- Oct14379: What if you witnessed your client’s execution?53mins
- Oct7378: What if your private nightmare was also theirs?59mins
- Sep30377: What if you were a gay, Mormon, drug-dealing, federal informant?70mins
- Sep23376: What if a car crash shattered your world?54mins
- Sep16375: What if you had to fight your way out of the jungle?67mins
- Sep11What if you were mauled by a grizzly bear? [Rebroadcast #262]49mins
- Sep9What if you didn’t sleep for 120 hours? [Rebroadcast #170]55mins
- Sep2What if you could never be what they wanted? [Rebroadcast #246]45mins
- Aug28What if you signed a billion-year contract? [Rebroadcast #243]57mins
- Aug26What if you woke up and couldn’t move? [Rebroadcast #242]56mins
- Aug21What if you went missing? [Rebroadcast #196]65mins
- Aug19What if you never stopped searching? [Rebroadcast #195]55mins
- Aug14What if you ran through the pain? [Rebroadcast #208]50mins
- Aug12What if you entered the belly of the NARCO beast? [Rebroadcast #281]63mins
- Aug5374: What if a brutal assault saved your life?59mins
- Jul29373: What if your boyfriend ghosted you for his wedding?60mins
- Jul22372: What if you were lost on the Pacific Crest Trail?56mins
- Jul15371: What if you survived a catastrophic hurricane?56mins
- Jul8370: What if a bullet took your sight but not your vision?56mins
- Jul1369: What if you lit yourself on fire?57mins
- Jun24368: What if you were the only one left to grieve?54mins
- Jun17367: What if you were imprisoned in the Federal Supermax?64mins
- Jun10366: What if you infiltrated a doomsday hate militia?70mins
- Jun3365: What if they believed you staged your own kidnapping? Part 2: Denise68mins
- May27364: What if they believed you staged your own kidnapping? Part 1: Aaron59mins
- May20363: What if you dedicated your life to ending human trafficking?62mins
- May13362: What if you wrote your way out of prison?75mins
- May6361: What if your sister’s death was an unsolved mystery?54mins
- Apr29360: What if you were lost in an Arctic blizzard?55mins
- Apr22359: What if you nearly froze to death?41mins
- Apr15358: What if you were recruited to fight an invisible war?47mins
- Apr8357: What if you were the girl locked upstairs?56mins
- Apr1356: What if they stole a year of your life?83mins
Mar25355: A World Beyond Revenge: What if you identified the wrong man?73mins
Mar18354: A World Beyond Revenge: What if your son was killed by a distracted driver?44mins
Mar11353: A World Beyond Revenge: What if you were the common denominator?57mins
Mar6Restorative Justice in the UK vs the US: A Conversation with Keeva Baxter53mins
Mar4352: A World Beyond Revenge: What if they got the wrong guy?44mins
Feb27The Framework of Restorative Justice: A Conversation with Yoana Tchoukleva64mins
Feb25351: A World Beyond Revenge: What if your brother was murdered in a hate crime?60mins- Feb18350: What if nothing could tear us apart? Part 2: Daniel53mins
- Feb11349: What if nothing could tear us apart? Part 1: Donna65mins
- Feb4348: What if you survived the Burundian genocide?49mins
- Jan28347: What if you were held captive in plain sight?59mins
- Jan21346: What if you risked your freedom to liberate the animals?64mins
- Jan14345: What if you were a political hostage in Iran?68mins
- Jan7What if you survived a serial killer? [Rebroadcast #259]57mins
- Dec31What if you ran the ER five blocks away? [Rebroadcast #202]49mins
- Dec24What if nine bullets shattered your dreams? [Rebroadcast #240]56mins
- Dec17344: What if you spent 7 years in a Thai prison?61mins
- Dec10343: What if you were caught in a spiral of violence?53mins
- Dec3342: What if you suffered decades of excessive punishment?58mins
- Nov26341: What if you had an unquenchable thirst for danger?56mins
- Nov19340: What if you kept knocking at death’s door?49mins
- Nov12339: What if someone gave up everything to save you?59mins
- Nov5338: What if you thought you got away with it?57mins
- Oct29337: What if they delighted in your misery?51mins
- Oct22336: What if you escaped a polygamous cult?60mins
- Oct15335: What if you were left for dead?63mins
- Oct8334: What if your parachute didn’t open?52mins
- Oct1333: What if you saw the black mass of death?60mins
- Sep24332: What if the worst was yet to come?55mins
- Sep20What if you had to relearn who you are?? [Rebroadcast #111]40mins
- Sep17331: What if you killed the wrong person?57mins
- Sep10330: What if your son was murdered at Sandy Hook?64mins
- Sep3What if you were on the 68th floor? [Rebroadcast #203]50mins
- Aug27What if a horrifying loss led to a grand adventure? [Rebroadcast #179]49mins
- Aug20What if your cry for help led to an unthinkable tragedy? [Rebroadcast #173]44mins
- Aug13What if you couldn't stop shining? [Rebroadcast #189]47mins
- Aug6What if you faced the monster in the mirror? [Rebroadcast #215]61mins
Aug1The 82 Percent: Podcast Live Event at Mannys108mins- Jul30What if they died in your hands? [Rebroadcast #220]52mins
Jul25The 82 Percent: Bonus Conversation with Alex Chen42mins
Jul23329: The 82 Percent #6: What if you became your husband’s guardian?59mins
Jul16328: The 82 Percent #5: What if you were a seahorse dad?57mins
Jul9327: The 82 Percent #4: What if you found your family on the path of celibacy?54mins
Jul4The 82 Percent: Bonus Conversation with Jessica Fern38mins
Jul2326: The 82 Percent #3: What if you discovered a new way to love?51mins
Jun25325: The 82 Percent #2: What if you grew up in a polyamorous family?56mins
Jun20The 82 Percent: Bonus Conversation with Heath Schechinger and Lily Lamboy53mins
Jun18324: The 82 Percent #1: What if you were asexual?51mins- Jun11323: What if you were suddenly a blank slate?61mins
- Jun4322: What if you kept hitting rock bottom?50mins
- May28321: What if they tried to erase you?47mins
- May21320: What if your mom believed she was the good witch?50mins
- May14319: What if you couldn’t find your way home?57mins
- May7318: What if your daughter went missing?57mins
- Apr30317: What if you found peace in the fog of war?60mins
- Apr23316: What if a masked man appeared at the foot of your bed?56mins
- Apr16315: What if your life became a movie?54mins
- Apr9314: What if you harbored an unrelenting fury?54mins
- Apr2313: What if you had to find your own salvation?52mins
- Mar26312: What if you believed your love could cure him?57mins
- Mar19311: What if you danced for those who couldn’t?49mins
- Mar12310: What if your mother disappeared?45mins
- Mar5309: What if you gave everything to The Job?50mins
- Feb27308: What if they couldn’t wake me up?61mins
- Feb20What if you spent 15 hours on the edge of sanity? [Rebroadcast #89]45mins
- Feb13What if you discovered you were the enemy? [Rebroadcast #230]56mins
- Feb6307: What if you fell hard for the scam?60mins
- Jan30306: What if you lived someone else’s life?62mins
- Jan23305: What if you were expected to do no harm?48mins
- Jan16304: What if you were poisoned?53mins
- Jan9What if you swallowed 48 bags of cocaine? [Rebroadcast #156]47mins
- Jan2What if you rescued everyone to save yourself? [Rebroadcast #198]52mins
- Dec26What if you grew up in a violent gang? [Rebroadcast #163]52mins
- Dec19303: What if your brother became a monster?60mins
- Dec12302: What if you could only find closure within?52mins
- Dec5301: What if you were pulled into the abyss?49mins
- Nov28300: What if your boyfriend lit himself on fire? (300th episode)51mins
- Nov21299: What if your only hope for life was choosing death?52mins
- Nov14298: What if you were caught in the gears of the machine?49mins
- Nov7297: What if you were a human jumper cable?48mins
- Oct31296: What if you were haunted by the living and the dead?58mins
- Oct24295: What if you had to betray your family to save them?55mins
- Oct17294: What if you shot your girlfriend?49mins
- Oct10293: What if you believed your son was possessed?51mins
- Oct3292: What if a shocking lie revealed your inner truth?45mins
- Sep26291: What if your wife had 21 personalities?61mins
- Sep19290: What if your husband entered The Void?62mins
- Sep12289: What if you walked into your high school with a shotgun?63mins
- Jul25288: What if you didn't know you were in a cult?74mins
- Jul18287: What if you couldn’t explain his heinous act?45mins
- Jul11286: What if you were born without a hand?46mins
- Jul4285: What if your life was not your own?56mins
- Jun27284: What if you found the antidote in the venom?49mins
- Jun20283: What if you saved your family from annihilation?48mins
- Jun13282: What if you believed you were unlovable?58mins
- Jun6281: What if you entered the belly of the Narco beast?62mins
- May30280: What if you lived on the line between life and death?56mins
- May23279: What if you survived online child exploitation?44mins
- May16278: What if you couldn't keep her safe?51mins
- May9277: What if you survived the Bosnian genocide?63mins
- May2276: What if you left your kids held hostage?57mins
- Apr25275: What if the demons were too large to see?52mins
- Apr18274: What if you were crushed by 10,000 pounds of stone?48mins
Apr14Point Blank: Bonus Interview with Connor Sheets28mins
Apr13Point Blank: Inside the Mind of the Rancho Tehama Gunman25mins
Apr11273: Point Blank #5: What if you were the sister of the gunman?61mins
Apr7Point Blank: Bonus Stories - Jared and James55mins
Apr4272: Point Blank #4: What if you made yourself a target?57mins
Mar28271: Point Blank #3: What if you shielded your students?44mins
Mar21270: Point Blank #2: What if your grandson was orphaned?42mins
Mar14269: Point Blank #1: What if you pled for your life?43mins- Mar7268: What if he followed you into the house?54mins
- Feb28267: What if you were forced to keep the nanny's secret?48mins
- Feb21266: What if you thought everyone was dead?53mins
- Feb14265: What if a routine pickup led to a crushing blow?51mins
- Feb7264: What if you were carjacked at gunpoint?44mins
- Jan31263: What if a darkness destroyed your family?54mins
- Jan24262: What if you were mauled by a grizzly bear?49mins
- Jan17261: What if your mother was a victim of a secret government experiment?53mins
- Jan10260: What if your husband claimed you were dead?49mins
- Dec13259: What if you survived a serial killer?57mins
- Dec6258: What if you fell in love with a vampire?55mins
- Nov29257: What if you didn't know who to believe?52mins
- Nov22256: What if you prepared your boyfriend's body?51mins
- Nov15255: What if they didn't ask and you couldn't tell?48mins
- Nov8254: What if your father annihilated the family?66mins
- Nov1253: What if you couldn't even remember the crash?44mins
- Oct25252: What if you watched your mother disappear?45mins
- Oct18251: What if a false allegation stole what you valued most?41mins
- Oct11250: What if a devastating truth only deepened the mystery?54mins
- Oct4249: What if you knew your baby was going to die?47mins
- Sep27248: What if an invisible disease blew up your life?47mins
- Sep20247: What if you didn't see the signs?50mins
- Sep13246: What if you could never be what they wanted?45mins
- Sep6245: What if you were taken to the dark side?47mins
- Aug30244: What if you could never make him proud?41mins
- Aug23243: What if you signed a billion-year contract?57mins
- Aug16242: What if you woke up and couldn't move?56mins
- Aug9241: What if you were the other woman?50mins
- Jul26What if you suddenly felt like a werewolf? - [Rebroadcast - #119]47mins
- Jul12What if a minor procedure left you permanently altered? - [Rebroadcast #135]45mins
- Jun21240: What if nine bullets shattered your dreams?58mins
- Jun14239: What if a single decision led to a spiral of loss?50mins
- Jun7238: What if you were tortured in an Iranian prison?69mins
- May31237: What if your mom hoarded 90 cats?54mins
- May24236: What if you had the worst roommate ever?60mins
- May17235: What if delusion consumed your family?52mins
- May10234: What if your joy came with a tragic price?48mins
- May3233: What if they invaded your home?43mins
- Apr26232: What if you committed a hate crime?51mins
- Apr19231: What if they all betrayed you?46mins
- Apr12230: What if you discovered you were the enemy?55mins
- Apr5229: What if your life unraveled thread by thread?47mins
- Mar29228: What if you grew up with the ghosts of war?51mins
- Mar22227: What if you faced a terrifying beast?48mins
- Mar15226: What if you had three different faces?44mins
- Mar8225: What if you stared into the abyss?43mins
- Mar1224: What if they stole your childhood?50mins
- Feb22223: What if you were the dirty little secret?44mins
- Feb15222: What if you were a stranger in your own home?44mins
- Feb8221: What if you were addicted to each other?45mins
- Feb1220: What if they died in your hands?51mins
- Jan25219: What if you bled to death?49mins
- Jan18218: What if the family glue came undone?51mins
- Jan11217: What if you saw the face of death?53mins
- Dec14216: What if you opened Pandora's Box?55mins
- Dec7215: What if you faced the monster in the mirror?60mins
- Nov30214: What if you woke up in oblivion?45mins
- Nov23213: What if they were murdered trying to protect you?49mins
- Nov16212: What if everyone pretended you were dead?48mins
- Nov9211: What if you had to let her go to save yourself?52mins
- Nov2210: What if you didn't know where they were taking you?56mins
- Oct19208: What if you ran through the pain?49mins
- Oct12207: What if you faced the ultimate betrayal?51mins
- Oct5206: What if no one believed you?50mins
Sep30The Long Shadow: Bonus - Interview with Whit Missildine and Dan Taberski39mins
Sep28205: The Long Shadow: What if you processed the remains?48mins
Sep21204: The Long Shadow: What if you fought the fire?49mins
Sep14203: The Long Shadow: What if you were on the 68th floor?50mins
Sep7202: The Long Shadow: What if you ran the ER five blocks away?51mins- Aug31201: What if you believed it was all your fault?50mins
- Aug24200: What if you were consumed by your only cure?57mins
- Aug17199: What if your deepest friendship was your darkest fate?52mins
- Aug10198: What if you rescued everyone to save yourself?52mins
- Aug3197: What if you died?66mins
- Jul27What if you survived a genocide? [Rebroadcast - #113]51mins
- Jul20What if you had a ten-year nightmare? [Rebroadcast - #103]47mins
- Jun22196: What if you went missing?66mins
- Jun15195: What if you never stopped searching?55mins
- Jun8194: What if you ran but couldn't hide?57mins
- Jun1193: What if your deepest secret was shared with the world?62mins
- May25192: What if one wrong turn meant life or death?44mins
- May18191: What if you suffered from trichotillomania?34mins
- May11190: What if your fairytale was finally within reach?45mins
- May4189: What if you couldn't stop shining?46mins
- Apr27188: What if you spent four years inside?50mins
- Apr20187: What if you were trapped all over again?48mins
- Apr13186: What if you were consumed by a preposterous phobia?44mins
- Apr6185: What if you kept shaking hands with death?48mins
- Mar30184: What if you didn't know who he was?51mins
- Mar23183: What if everyone was watching you?49mins
- Mar16182: What if your daughter committed a seemingly unforgivable act?46mins
- Mar9181: What if you committed a seemingly unforgivable act?56mins
- Mar2180: What if your plane was hijacked?39mins
- Feb23179: What if a horrifying loss led to a grand adventure?50mins
- Feb16178: What if you couldn't tell him what really happened?56mins
- Feb9177: What if you woke up two months later?39mins
- Feb2176: What if you were trapped in a never-ending dream?44mins
- Jan26175: What if you had their knee on your neck?46mins
- Jan19174: What if you couldn't remember that night?53mins
- Jan12173: What if your cry for help led to an unthinkable tragedy?43mins
- Dec15172: What if you were lured into an unspeakable hell?57mins
- Dec8171: What if you saw inside the belly of the beast?37mins
- Dec1170: What if you didn't sleep for 120 hours?54mins
- Nov24169: What if you were an Adult Baby Diaper Lover?39mins
- Nov17168: What if you believed you were Jesus Christ?55mins
- Nov10167: What if you had a fetish for disgust?36mins
- Nov3166: What if you didn't have any fear?56mins
- Oct27165: What if you were a blind dominatrix?38mins
- Oct20164: What if a shocking accusation devastated your family?53mins
- Oct17Introducing This is Actually Happening1min
- Oct6163: What if you grew up in a violent gang?51mins
- Sep22162: What if you grew up in a cult?59mins
- Sep8161: What if you suffered a shocking loss?45mins
- Sep1Happenings Vol. 1: No Man's Land74mins
- Aug25160: What if you were assaulted by a stranger in the dark?43mins
- Aug11159: What if someone you love committed a monstrous crime?
- Jul28158: What if you entered The Void?67mins
- Jun16157: What if you couldn't tell anyone?51mins
- Jun2156: What if you swallowed 48 bags of cocaine?45mins
- May19155: What if you had to pull the plug?48mins
- May5154: What if your mom was murdered by a serial killer?46mins
- Apr28BONUS Episode - Tyson Was Abducted - from What Was That Like podcast73mins
- Apr21153: What if you wanted to disappear?48mins
- Apr7152: What if you were a human shield?53mins
- Mar24151: What if he made you think you were crazy?48mins
- Mar10150: What if you were trapped in a cycle of abuse?52mins
- Feb25149: What if you committed child sexual abuse?65mins
- Feb11148: What if you killed someone?59mins
- Jan28147: What if your best friend was dying?48mins
- Jan14146: What if you thought your mother was a robot?46mins
- Dec17145: What if your best friend met a tragic fate?41mins
- Dec3144: What if you suffered from postpartum depression?51mins
- Nov19143: What if you were seduced into a whole new world?68mins
- Nov5142: What if it happened in broad daylight?48mins
- Oct22141: What if you witnessed a horrific act?31mins
- Oct8140: What if you were entangled in a web of shame?42mins
- Sep24139: What if your father disappeared?49mins
- Sep10138: What if at three months pregnant your world was turned upside down?42mins
- Aug27137: What if you were the one to break the silence?44mins
- Aug20136: What if you had to fight for your life?40mins
- Aug13135: What if a minor procedure left you permanently altered?43mins
- Aug6Season 9 Announcements2mins
- Jun11134: What if your singular dream fell to pieces?39mins
- May28133: What if your life went up in flames?39mins
- May14132: What if you were kept from the one you loved most?29mins
- Apr30131: What if a psychotic break split your life wide open?31mins
- Apr16130: What if you had thoughts of harming those you love most?37mins
Sep111: What if your boyfriend lit himself on fire? (1st episode)12mins