<p>What if your mother left to follow a cult… or you woke up in a morgue… or if your boat got caught in a storm and began to sink -- what would you do?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This is Actually Happening brings you extraordinary true stories of life-changing events told by the people who lived them.&nbsp;From a man who finds out a celebrity crush isn’t who she seems 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.</p><p>New episodes come out every Tuesday for free, with ad-free episodes and exclusive past episodes available for Wondery+ subscribers.</p>

This Is Actually Happening

Growing up Jehovah’s Witness and then setting out to form an identity of her own, a woman reconciles the silences of her loving and devoted family with an unthinkable act that throws everything into question.

What if your family was consumed by an unthinkable act? [Rebroadcast - #126]

Growing up with a single mother and a father in jail, a dancer’s life is forever changed when one night, while doing a favor for a friend, two unknown shooters open fire.

240: What if nine bullets shattered your dreams?

On May 4, 2001, Bonny Lee Bakley was found fatally shot in a car on a dark North Hollywood street. The prime suspect was her husband, famed actor Robert Blake. But Bonny, a longtime con artist, had plenty of enemies. She left behind a trail of men she’d scammed, and she had a volatile relationship with Christian Brando, the troubled son of movie star Marlon Brando. 

Not since the O.J. Simpson case had the eyes of the nation been so fixated on a homicide. The search for Bonny’s killer took detectives on an eleven-month odyssey across the country and through Hollywood's underbelly of hustlers, drug addicts, and would-be hitmen. It would be the most expensive murder investigation in LAPD history to date. 

This is the story of Robert and Bonny’s toxic relationship, her shocking murder, and his chaotic trial. Did actor Robert Blake kill his wife? Or was the murder someone else's vendetta?

From Wondery, and the team behind the hit series Hollywood &amp; Crime (The Dating Game Killer, The Wonderland Murders, Death of Starlet) comes a six-part series about love, obsession and fame gone wrong. Co-hosted by Tracy Pattin and Josh Lucas.

Listen to The Execution of Bonny Lee Bakley: wondery.fm/TIAH_TEOBLB

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Presents: The Execution of Bonny Lee Bakley

A boy grows up in a household devastated by AIDS, opening a downward spiral of loss and a path of resilience.

239: What if a single decision led to a spiral of loss?

A teenage Russian immigrant in Iran is jailed and tortured during the Iranian Revolution of 1979, but when a prison guard falls in love with her, she’s forced to weigh the price of her freedom.

238: What if you were tortured in an Iranian prison?

Introducing the true crime podcast Persona: The French Deception— the story of Gilbert Chikli, one of the greatest con artists of all time.

What does it feel like to pick up the phone and scam someone out of $50 million? Host and award-winning journalist, Evan Ratliff, investigates how Chikli successfully duped some of the world’s most powerful people into handing over their fortunes. He explores how Chikli evaded the law for years and became a Robin Hood-like hero. More than just a tale of criminal genius, this is a show about the moment we’re living in right now — the golden age of scammers — and the power of seduction. But what happens when the fantasy we’ve been lured into finally crumbles away?

For all that and more, follow “Persona: The French Deception” wherever you get your podcasts. Or you can listen early on Amazon Music or early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery Plus in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery app: wondery.fm/TIAH_Persona

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Presents Persona: The French Deception

A woman struggles to find herself among her mother’s multiplying crises that always seem to find a new rock bottom.

237: What if your mom hoarded 90 cats?

A woman always seeking a sanctuary from a chaotic upbringing has her home and her life upended when a bizarre new roommate threatens to ruin everything she’s built.

236: What if you had the worst roommate ever?

After growing up with a patriarchal Christian home, a woman grapples with her father losing touch with reality when his delusions begin to dramatically unravel the family narratives.

235: What if delusion consumed your family?

Growing up Jewish and surviving the twin traumas of domestic abuse and antisemitic bullying, a man finally establishes a new life for himself, when devastating loss threatens to keep him locked in a cycle he can seemingly never escape.

234: What if your joy came with a tragic price?

Growing up in a loving Mexican immigrant family in the US, everything changes in a young girl’s life when a home invasion, abandonment and unprocessed losses mount, leading to a dramatic wake up call.

233: What if they invaded your home?

A man suffers a serious injury after a drunken fight, but in its wake, a deeper unhealed wound festers that leads to an act of hate.

232: What if you committed a hate crime?

Just before coming into adolescence, a young girl experiences an unspeakable trauma, but a bigger horror begins once she reveals her secret.

231: What if they all betrayed you?

Growing up with a sense of heroic duty, a man becomes a cop fighting the drug war, when the sobering realities of his job lead him to profound awakening.

230: What if you discovered you were the enemy?

Growing up evangelical in the Purity movement of the 1990s, a woman constructs the ideal life, when piece by piece, her image of family, marriage and her identity begin to be dismantled.

229: What if your life unraveled thread by thread?

A woman struggles to break out of her role caretaking a father who was haunted by his experiences in Vietnam, but when both of their worlds unravel, she must find a new source of strength.

228: What if you grew up with the ghosts of war?

A newly married man traveling the world with the love of his life faces unimaginable horror on a hiking trail in Romania.

227: What if you faced a terrifying beast?

Soon after coming into adolescence, a woman develops flu-like symptoms of an unknown illness that continue to progress until it alters her forever.

226: What if you had three different faces?

At the peak of his life, having built a successful marriage, family and career, a man faces a series of compound losses that put him through a dark night of the soul.

225: What if you stared into the abyss?

After a girl is saved from her abusive father, she finds solace in her mother’s protection, but when her mother meets a new man, an even greater menace threatens to take everything.

224: What if they stole your childhood?

A woman who always felt different is compelled to hold a shocking secret that could shatter the family illusion.

223: What if you were the dirty little secret?

A man who always felt like he didn’t belong in his own house wakes up one morning to a surreal tragedy.

222: What if you were a stranger in your own home?

A woman struggles to free herself from the catastrophic consequences of an obsession with a man she cannot leave

221: What if you were addicted to each other?

An obstetrician must find healing and forgiveness after an unexpected tragedy opens old wounds.

220: What if they died in your hands?

A man goes on a duck hunt with his friends, when a freak accident changes everything.

219: What if you bled to death?

Growing up in a strict, sheltered household, a woman must confront a new reality when her older sister, who was the glue of her family and her identity, begins to fall apart.

218: What if the family glue came undone?

From the ashes of her own descent into severe mental illness, a nurse finds resilience to face her job’s gravest challenges.

217: What if you saw the face of death?

A man attempts to reconcile the sudden onset of psychotic symptoms with his Catholic identity.

What if the Devil was battling for your mind? [Rebroadcast - #116] 

A woman fights for survival during an infamous mass shooting in Las Vegas.

What if everything turned to mayhem? [Rebroadcast - #110] 

Still reeling from an estrangement from her own mother, a woman digs into her past and unravels secrets that shake the family foundation.

What if you uncovered the family secret? [Rebroadcast - #118] 

After her first marriage falls apart, a woman has a second chance at a dream family, but growing suspicions lead her to unimaginable revelations.

216: What if you opened Pandora's Box?

Growing up in the projects and a broken home, a man learns survive on the streets through dealing drugs and brutal violence, when a desperate moment leaves him with a choice that changes everything.

215: What if you faced the monster in the mirror?

Breaking away from her childhood, a teenager buries a traumatic encounter in self harm, pushing her to the limits of life and death.

214: What if you woke up in oblivion?

Growing up in an abusive household, a woman struggles to find meaning in her life, when one night, a sudden, unexpected, violent attack changes her life forever.

213: What if they were murdered trying to protect you?

A woman’s happy childhood with her single mother unexpectedly takes a bewildering, dark turn, leading to a moment that will change everything.

211: What if you had to let her go to save yourself?

A woman growing up in a sheltered life with conservative parents is taken from her driveway one night and led into a darkness she never could have fathomed.

210: What if you didn't know where they were taking you?

A man searches for healing after his father, a disgruntled post office worker, falls into a violent downward spiral.

208: What if you ran through the pain?

Growing up in the Mormon church, a woman follows a structured path to love and marriage, but what hides underneath threatens to unravel everything she’s built.

207: What if you faced the ultimate betrayal?

After her parents’ divorce a girl’s relationship with her mother tailspins until a shocking accusation throws everything into chaos.

206: What if no one believed you?

Whit Missildine, host of This Is Actually Happening and The Long Shadow, and Dan Taberski, host of Missing Richard Simmons and Nine Twelve discuss 9/11 their approaches to their respective series honoring the tragedy.

The Long Shadow: Bonus - Interview with Whit Missildine and Dan Taberski

In the aftermath of September 11th, 2001 a cardiologist volunteers to help process the body parts from those who lost their lives in a temporary morgue inside a Brooks Brothers department store.

205: The Long Shadow: What if you processed the remains?

On September 11th, 2001, the first female firefighter in the New York City Fire Department confronts the impossible tasks of that day and the skewed narratives that followed.

204: The Long Shadow: What if you fought the fire?

A Port Authority employee narrowly escapes from the 68th floor after a plane hits the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001, but the most devastating impact comes from the psychological wounds that haunt her life for decades after.

203: The Long Shadow: What if you were on the 68th floor?

On September 11th, 2001 an ER Doctor finds himself in charge of the closest emergency room to the Twin Towers.

202: The Long Shadow: What if you ran the ER five blocks away?

A woman who finally finds her sense of purpose after a tumultuous upbringing realizes a mother’s ultimate horror.

201: What if you believed it was all your fault?

“All the reality that I had been putting off, and all of the denial, it all crashed in on me.”

 

Producers: Whit Missildine, Jason Blalock




Episode Summary: Growing up in the closet with a mentally ill mother, a man finds his true love, but as their past continues to weigh in, the only remedy he knows threatens to consume everything he’s built.




Today's episode featured Gabriel. Gabriel is now a psychiatric social worker and licensed therapist in Orange County, California. You can find out more about Gabriel on Instagram @gabriel.emmm.

 

Website for Jason Blalock: www.jasonblalock.com

 

Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening

Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com




Wondery Plus: All episodes of the show prior to episode #130 are now part of the Wondery Plus premium service. To access the full catalog of episodes, and get all episodes ad free, sign up for Wondery Plus at https://wondery.com/plus

Episode Sponsors: Best Fiends, Lending Tree, BetterHelp: betterhelp.com/happening

Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happening

 

Engage with the Community: Join the This Is Actually Happening Discussion Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/201783687561039/

 

Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link: https://www.thisisactuallyhappening.com/shop to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop. 

 

Content/Trigger Warnings: drug abuse, drug addiction, opioids, overdose, death, suicide, explicit language

 

Intro Music: "Illabye" – Tipper

Music Bed: Ambient Themes by Nigel Coutinho

 

Services

If you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources.

 

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 

National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264

National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)

Crisis Text Line: Within the US, text HOME to 741741

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

200: What if you were consumed by your only cure?

Following early experiences of isolation and bullying, a man assigned female at birth finds a beautiful friendship, that soon descends into a bewildering cycle of gaslighting and obsession.

199: What if your deepest friendship was your darkest fate?

A woman with severe harm OCD encounters the many faces of death and dying but finds renewal in caring for others and ultimately herself.

198: What if you rescued everyone to save yourself?

After surviving a brutal upbringing in the South Bronx, a man finds himself on the other side of death following a minor accident and returns with a profound awakening.

197: What if you died?

A refugee recounts her experience of the horror and devastation of the Rwandan genocide.

What if you survived a genocide? [Rebroadcast - #113]

A musician is sideswiped by a sudden break into a nightmarish world that will not let him go

What if you had a ten-year nightmare? [Rebroadcast - #103]

After a chaotic upbringing, a man assigned female at birth finds a new community with caring mentors, when their mental illness threatens to unravel his entire reality.

What if you transitioned into an alternate reality? [Rebroadcast - #124]

A woman recounts her childhood dealing with a mentally ill father obsessed with Disneyland.

What if the happiest place on earth was your worst nightmare? [Rebroadcast - #79]

A man is relentlessly stalked by his girlfriend's ex.

What if her ex-boyfriend tried to kill you? [Rebroadcast - #114]

A woman who seeks awakening through myriad healing practices finds her ultimate challenge when she goes missing in a Maui forest.

196: What if you went missing?

Decades after her brother disappeared in the early 1980s, a woman becomes deeply involved in the search for a missing friend.

195: What if you never stopped searching?

A woman is haunted by a relentless threat of danger when her pursuit of safety turns into obsession.

194: What if you ran but couldn't hide?

A man haunted by an early childhood trauma finally establishes his own identity only to be sideswiped by another unwanted, shocking exposure.

193: What if your deepest secret was shared with the world?

A lifelong traveler heads out for a quick bike ride in the Swiss Alps and finds herself lost in a dark, icy unknown.

192: What if one wrong turn meant life or death?

Growing up with a close, religious family a young woman’s aspiration for perfect beauty turns her into the very image of herself she was afraid of.

191: What if you suffered from trichotillomania?

Following an early childhood trauma, a woman seeks to fill the void with a series of unhealthy relationships, until a fairytale romance promises to be everything she ever wanted

190: What if your fairytale was finally within reach?

Growing up in a home of abandonment and neglect, a teenager finds a grand, new reality in the rabbit hole of addiction until they can no longer find their way back.

189: What if you couldn't stop shining?

A woman grows up with an idyllic childhood in Scotland, when a phobia of mysterious origin begins consuming her thoughts and eventually her future

188: What if you spent four years inside?

A young man growing up in an abusive home falls into a whirlwind romance that throws him into another cycle of chaos

187: What if you were trapped all over again?

Growing up with an unreliable mother, a woman develops severe OCD with multiple phobias, until she must confront the most improbable scenario

186: What if you were consumed by a preposterous phobia?

Grappling with her identity and disruptive health anxiety, a woman reaches in adulthood with a dream job and strong community, when suddenly her worst-case scenario becomes a reality.

185: What if you kept shaking hands with death?

Growing up in an environment of constant change, a woman vows to find a different path to stability, only to have a shocking revelation turn her world upside down

184: What if you didn't know who he was?

After making a successful career and surviving several tumultuous relationships, a woman descends into the darkest depths of severe mental illness

183: What if everyone was watching you?

A mother struggles to raise her child through a series of chaotic relationships, when one day, as her daughter’s mental illness spirals out of control, an unthinkable decision will change their lives forever

182: What if your daughter committed a seemingly unforgivable act?

After a traumatic childhood, a young woman spirals into mental illness and in her darkest moment makes an unthinkable decision that will change her family forever

181: What if you committed a seemingly unforgivable act?

A young woman’s first trip to reconnect with her homeland in Ethiopia takes a terrifying turn as hijackers take over an otherwise routine flight

180: What if your plane was hijacked?

A horrific accident leaves a man severely disabled, but after hitting rock bottom in his recovery a new life opens he could never have imagined

179: What if a horrifying loss led to a grand adventure?

A woman finally escapes the trauma of her mother’s mental illness only to find a new, more horrifying monster in the very place she finds respite

178: What if you couldn't tell him what really happened?

Having adapted to the challenges of growing up with cerebral palsy, a woman is sideswiped into a new life after a crash she can’t remember changes everything.

177: What if you woke up two months later?

A woman develops a severe eating disorder that lands her in intensive psychiatric care, where an extreme treatment program traps her in an alternate reality from which she cannot escape.

176: What if you were trapped in a never-ending dream?

A man’s rage grows after growing up with racism and abuse, leading to transformative encounters with brutality, violence and ultimately, inner strength.

175: What if you had their knee on your neck?

A woman answers a Craigslist ad for a job and ends up on a harrowing night that doesn’t add up

174: What if you couldn't remember that night?

A mother faces the ultimate tragedy at the hands of those who are supposed to protect and serve.

173: What if your cry for help led to an unthinkable tragedy?

A woman fights for her life after her husband turns into a monster.

Holiday 2020 Rebroadcast - #100: What if he wouldn’t let you leave?

An American working in Tokyo ends up in the crosshairs of a notorious organized crime family.

Holiday 2020 Rebroadcast - #87: What if you were hunted by the Japanese Mafia?

After a brutal rape at age 11, a woman keeps her secret, only to be haunted decades later by events that compel her to confront her deepest fears

172: What if you were lured into an unspeakable hell?

Growing up surrounded by racism and police brutality, a man tries to understand and heal his past by seeing what’s really inside the belly of the beast.

171: What if you saw inside the belly of the beast?

A young woman hungry to explore the world goes on a trip to Tanzania and unexpectedly finds herself caught in an endless cycle of impending doom.

170: What if you didn't sleep for 120 hours?

At a young age, a man develops a fetish for diapers that ends up reshaping the course of his adult life.

169: What if you were an Adult Baby Diaper Lover?

A woman self-medicating for anxiety and depression spirals into an alternate reality after an other-worldly encounter

168: What if you believed you were Jesus Christ?

After growing up in a rigid Christian community, a woman finds beauty in revolting behaviors.

167: What if you had a fetish for disgust?

After visiting a psychiatrist for mild anxiety, a young man embarks on a wild spree that will alter the course of his life forever.

166: What if you didn't have any fear?

Growing up blind and isolated from her peers in a strict upbringing, a woman finds empowerment in a kinky world where the power balance is reversed.

165: What if you were a blind dominatrix?

After a teenage girl begins dating her mom’s student, a shocking accusation leaves a small-town family in ruins.

164: What if a shocking accusation devastated your family?

The uncanny, extraordinary, true stories of events that have dramatically altered the lives of ordinary people; a son is shot by his own father, a woman's sister develops multiple personalities, a man wakes up in the morgue. These are riveting, moving and often haunting stories that will stick with you long after you listen.

All episodes of the show prior to episode #130 are available ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ to access the full This is Actually Happening catalog, along with exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App. https://wondery.app.link/happening

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Introducing This is Actually Happening

After tragedy strikes a Vietnamese refugee family, a young man finds his new home in a violent gang, forever marking his life path through acts of destruction and redemption.

163: What if you grew up in a violent gang?

A woman puts the pieces of her life back together after a childhood spent inside an insidious religious cult in Los Angeles.

162: What if you grew up in a cult?

After growing up in an abusive household, a man confronts a startling, ambiguous loss

161: What if you suffered a shocking loss?

Stranded in a Mexican desert, the ocean waves of Guam, and the sandstone boulders of Utah, three people face their deepest fears in the unforgiving wilderness of the natural world.

Happenings Vol. 1: No Man's Land

A woman walking to work in the early morning hours faces the ultimate terror.

160: What if you were assaulted by a stranger in the dark?

A lifelong friendship filled with care, love and personal growth takes a shocking turn in the aftermath of a brutal act of violence

159: What if someone you love committed a monstrous crime?

A man suffering the deep generational traumas of poverty, racism, abuse and mental illness finds transformative power in an ancient plant medicine

158: What if you entered The Void?

After 30 years running a Zen Hospice center, a man reflects on what it's like to help transition people through the dying process.

Rebroadcast - #43: What if you witnessed a thousand deaths?

A Yale student moves to Congo to pursue his journalistic dreams and finds an ignored world of people suffering under war and dictatorship whose stories never make the news

Rebroadcast - #93: What if you witnessed the limits of human suffering?

A young black girl born to a drug-addicted mother is adopted by white, middle-class parents, only to face more sinister taboos as she becomes a stranger within her own family.

This Is Actually Happening

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Latest episode: Tue Jun 28 2022