What Really Happened?: Recent Episodes
Andrew Jenks Entertainment, Inc. and Seven Bucks Productions
We live in an age where news comes at us fast, and from all angles. We see a headline that catches our attention, but often just skim the surface, before the next headline comes along. In Season 3, award-winning documentarian Andrew Jenks uses the power of great storytelling to take us on a journey through the biggest scandals to recently hit headlines. He’ll unravel the layers, bringing to life key figures, and shedding light on the important, yet overlooked components to paint the entire picture. Executive produced by Seven Bucks Productions’ Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia and Brian Gewirtz, Andrew Jenks and Cadence13.
On September 3, 2018, a rancher in Laredo, Texas, discovered a woman’s body shot execution-style on the side of the road. When investigators identified her as a local sex worker, their search for the killer took them into the darkest corners of the city. Then, after days of false starts and dead-ends, another body turned up, terrifying residents and leading law enforcement to conclude a serial killer is at large. More would die before a survivor finally came forward and identified the killer… but his motives proved as confounding as his crimes. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Many factors go into being successful: intelligence, experience, street smarts, luck... they all play a part. But there's always more to the story than what the public sees. With that in mind, JJ and Tommy bring you The Old Man and the Three - Leadership Series. In these bonus episodes, you will be taken behind the curtain and given a look at how some of the most successful people in the world made their mark, and the unique qualities and traits that lead them down their respective paths. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
From the Peabody Award nominated C13 Originals Studio, and the creators of Root of Evil, comes a new documentary series about the stories, and family we can’t escape. Jackee Taylor has been hidden in WITSEC, better known as the Witness Protection Program, for almost 40 years. But after a strange and violent incident reveals secrets about her past, Jackee begins a journey to find out the truth about herself, and her family. Hers is a twisted tale of darkness, murder, mystery, tragedy, and resilience, which traverses the country, and lands in the most violent era of one of the country’s most violent cities - 1970s Cleveland. At the heart of this story, is Jackee’s relative - a former member of the world’s most powerful motorcycle club, a sociopath, a killer, and an informant. Jackee can’t move forward unless she reconciles with his past, and she’s finally telling this story in the hopes that others don’t have to live kind of life that she has. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In the roaring 1980s X world, Traci Lords reigned supreme. No one questioned her right to sovereignty. Only, it turned out, the biggest star in Adult, wasn’t one. As America would discover in July 1986, when the FBI busted down her door. Traci Lords was really Nora Kuzma, who entered the industry as a 15-year-old high school sophomore. Traci, the victim, was saved. And the industry, the villain, was very nearly destroyed. But what if the victim here was also the villain; the villain, also the victim? Welcome to Once Upon a Time... in the Valley is the world's first real-life psychological thriller and porno-noir mystery. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Origins is back! James Andrew Miller brings you behind the scenes of the Cameron Crowe classic that put us on the bus with Stillwater and taught us what life on the road with a Rock-n-Roll band was all about - not to mention adolescent love and heartbreak. Come join Jim as he brings the band back together and sits down with the cast, starting with the writer and director himself, Cameron Crowe - plus Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Jason Lee, Patrick Fugit, Zooey Deschanel, Jimmy Fallon, rock stars Peter Frampton & Nancy Wilson, and more. It's all happening. Don't miss it. ALMOST FAMOUS now available on Digital and Blu-Ray from Paramount Home Entertainment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Andrew Jenks went on a date to a restaurant he really liked, only for it to go out of business. Years later, he realized the head chef was in the news for uniquely inspiring reasons. In partnership with Dell, a special episode on business, failure, and adding up the little wins in order to do something grand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Welcome to Hope, Through History with Jon Meacham. This limited series explores some of the most historic and trying times in American History, and how this nation dealt with these moments, the impact of these moments and how we came through these moments a unified nation. Season One takes a look at critical moments around the 1918 Flu Pandemic, the Great Depression, World War II, the polio epidemic and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Gangster Capitalism is back. This season, the NRA is in the crosshairs. This past year has rocked the country’s most powerful special interest organization like none other. Internal power struggles have exposed the group’s questionable, and possibly illegal practices which now threaten the nearly 150 year old nonprofit like never before. We’re pulling back the curtain to reveal that this has little to do with guns. It’s about money. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In Part 1, we explored the myriad of theories as to why MH-370 vanished, digging into one that is most common, and understanding how it came to be so widely accepted. But does it make the most sense? In Part 2, Jenks dives into another theory, and while it isn’t the most popular, it may be the most logical in helping to explain the biggest mystery of the decade. Guests Christine Negroni, Best-Selling Author ('The Crash Detectives'), Mark Williams-Thomas, Investigative Journalist Florence De Changy, Journalist & Author ("The Disappearing Act; The Impossible Case of MH370") Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
On March 8, 2014, a Boeing-777 carrying 239 people suddenly disappeared. It has been called the biggest mystery of the decade, fueling a slew of conspiracy theories and heated debate. How did a massive commercial airplane and everyone aboard just vanish? This episode explores different theories, but also unravels why there are so many. As it turns out, the most popular theory may not be the most logical.
Guests: Christine Negroni, Best-Selling Author ('The Crash Detectives'), Mark Williams-Thomas, Investigative Journalist Jay Rosen, Media Critic and Writer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Rachel DeLoache Williams made a new friend named Anna Delvey. Anna came from a wealthy German family, lived in a New York City hotel, and was starting an ambitious foundation. But when a trip abroad goes awry, Rachel starts to realize her 'friend' may not be who she thought she was.
Guests: Rachel DeLoache Williams, author ('My Friend Anna') Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
One of the most famous people in the Dominican Republic is shot and nearly killed. Two established reporters can’t figure out who did it. Should we believe the authorities? Or could it have been the notorious Cesar “The Abuser”? Why won’t anyone talk? Despite knowing who took the infamous shot, it may just be impossible to know what really happened.
Guests: Daniel Castro, reporter (Bleacher Report, “‘It Was A Confusion’: The Shooting of David Ortiz”) Danny Gold, reporter (Sports Illustrated, “The Broken Case of David Ortiz”) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wayne Rooney, a famous soccer player, and his wife's private photos were getting leaked to a tabloid magazine. But then, Colleen, Wayne's wife, discovers through an ingenious Instagram trick who the culprit is.
The story became an international sensation. But what does it say about the news that makes the headlines?
Guests: Charlotte Wilder, Senior Writer Sports Illustrated Lizzie Curdy, UK TV Personality Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Robert Kraft is the owner of the New England Patriots, one of the NFL’s most prestigious franchises. His world came crashing down when he was arrested in a sex trafficking sting. But as it turns out, that is just the beginning of the story. Guests: May Jeong, Journalist (Vanity Fair) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jussie Smollett was on the hit TV show Empire. He suddenly became a household name after he reported being the victim of a racist and homophobic hate crime. But investigators, including the FBI, now believe that's not what really happened. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Horse-racing is part of America’s pastime. And the Santa Anita racetrack is perhaps the most prestigious in the country. But within the span of only a few months, 30 horses had died. What really happened?
Joe Drape, New York Times reporter and Best-Selling author of American Pharoah: The Untold Story of the Triple Crown Winner's Legendary Rise Larry Smith, horse trainer Dr. Alec Walen, professor of law and philosophy Kathy Guillermo, senior vice president of PETA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
After a night out, Alison was picked up in a Lyft to go home. When she awoke the next morning and checked the app, she found it odd her driver had taken her into another state. What transpired after is her journey putting the pieces of the night together, and the battles she faced with Lyft, the NYPD, and her own conscious. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NXIVM claimed to offer personal and professional development seminars through its "Executive Success Programs". But in reality it was a a cult and a pyramid scheme that brainwashed and blackmailed women into being sex slaves. GUESTS: Sarah Edmondson, author of Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult that Bound My Life Rick Alan Ross, author of Cults Inside Out: How People Get in and Can Get Out Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It was a Tinder match. Then a date. But she got sick. When she woke up in the middle of the night, her date was in her basement. 911 was called, but the police came in a surprise fashion. Unless, the whole thing was made up. What really happened? GUESTS: Dr. Joseph Stubbersfield, Urban legend expert and researcher Matthew Hutson, Writer/Author (The New Yorker, Wired, The Atlantic and book The 7 Laws of Magical Thinking) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Barry and Honey Sherman were one of the richest couples in the world. They were beloved for giving hundreds of millions to those less fortunate. But when both were found murdered in their mansion, enemies suddenly appeared. What really happened? Guests:Jeffrey Robinson (Financial Crime Author)Shashank Upadhye (former VP Global Intellectual Property at Apotex, Inc) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
George Huguely had it all: a bright future, a scholarship on University of Virginia’s esteemed lacrosse team, and a summer job lined up. When George was brought in to speak with police, he believed it was because of an argument he got in with his ex-girlfriend. But when he told them what happened during the argument, everything changed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
There are great bands and there are great albums. But, there are only a handful of artists who have sold out stadiums for decades, redefined the bond between artist and fans, influenced a way of life, and innovated an entire industry along the way. Hosted by music journalist Dean Budnick, LMTR tells the story of a band, their fans, and the journey that made them one of the most successful touring bands of all time. With over 50 interviews, season one of LMTR will shed light on a band who helped to pioneer an entire industry on many impactful and important levels, doing it their way. Long May They Run is a production of C13Originals, a division of Cadence13. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Only months ago, the head of the Gambino Family was shot several times and killed. Rumors sparked of a mob war. Who had killed him? It turns out, it wasn’t anyone people were expecting. What really happened? Guests: Geoff Schumacher, The Mob Museum Travis View, Co-host QAnon Anonymous Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Detective Joseph Recarey and Police Chief of Police Michael Reiter are about to find out they are in for the surprise of their lives. They thought they were up against a vast network of Epstein’s friends, lawyers, and private investigators. But as it turns out, it is also their own government. Plus, Epstein dies. And conspiracy theories run wild. What is true. And what is not. Guests Include: Tim Malloy, co-author of Filthy Rich; The Shocking True Story of Jeffrey Epstein Barbara McQuade, former US Attorney Kirk Blouin, former Palm Beach police officer EJ Dickson, Rolling Stone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Everyone has heard about Jeffrey Epstein. But in such a deep case, there are many untold stories that ultimately lead to bringing him down. This isn’t just about Epstein. It’s about power, cover-ups, corruption, and a Florida detective who risked it all to fight the people he thought were on his own team. Guests Include:Tim Malloy, co-author of Dirty Rich; The Shocking True Story of Jeffrey Epstein. Barbara McQuade, former US Attorney. Kirk Blouin, former Palm Beach police officer. EJ Dickson, Rolling Stone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What Really Happened? is back, launching Tuesday, September 10th with a special two-part series on the shocking life and death of billionaire sex trafficker Jeffery Epstein. In this new season, Andrew Jenks unravels some of the biggest scandals is recent history. From the bizarre saga of Jussie Smollett, to the conspiracy-theory fueled murder of a Gambino family mob boss, to the mysterious deaths of 30 horses at the Santa Anita racetrack; Jenks will deep-dive into each topic, taking listeners on a journey beyond the headline. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Everyone is once again wondering what really happened to Britney Spears. Has she lost her freedom? In a follow-up to the hit Season 1 episode of WRH?, “Without a Voice”, Jenks talks with author Sady Doyle about Britney’s current situation, from her unique perspective, and discusses the deep impact of fame throughout American culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Since our Season 2 episode, "The Secret Sonic War", the main question remains: what really happened in Cuba? Reporting on this topic has continued in the New York Times, USA Today, The New Yorker, CNN, and many other outlets. But, Jenks believes he may now have the answer. This episode also features two special guests, and WRH? listeners, Marie Mayhew and Alik Eleyjian. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jason Flom is an entrepreneur, music industry executive, and social justice activist, known for his work with the Innocence Project. In this interview, Jenks talks to Jason about the ever-expanding US prison population, criminal justice reform efforts, and how mass incarceration makes us less safe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Season 1 of the new series, Gangster Capitalism is centered on the 2019 college admissions scandal that is exposing everyone from CEOs to celebrities. Award-winning documentarian and host of What Really Happened?, Andrew Jenks uncovers the origins and inner workings of this unprecedented scam, introducing you to the people involved, and exploring the larger debate around higher education in America. The final chapter of this story is still being written, as the federal investigation into these crimes grows and unfolds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Journalist and author Jim Miller recently took his talents to podcasting, with his critically acclaimed series Origins. After Jim and Jenks met at the podcast studio two years ago, they quickly became friends, with Jenks seeing Jim as a mentor. In this episode, the pair talk about Jim’s extraordinary career and his books on CAA, ESPN, and SNL. The guys bond over how they have adjusted their respective careers to the world of podcasting. And, make sure to wait fro Jim's classic Bill Murray and Larry David stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
After receiving a shocking voicemail a few months ago, Jenks's What Really Happened? journey comes full circle on this episode, as he sits down for an enlightening conversation with Maryum Ali, daughter of the great Muhammad Ali, to discuss the very first episode of of WRH?, "The Talk", about the time Muhammad Ali talked a 21-year-old out of committing suicide. During the interview, Maryum tells Jenks about her dad’s approach to life, growing up with “The Greatest” as her father, and ultimately, what really happened when Joseph almost jumped. Afterwards, Jenks chats with Irish What Really Happened? listener, Nick Quinn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jerry Ferrara starred in HBO’s hit comedy, Entourage, and now has a leading role in the acclaimed Starz show, Power. In this episode, Jenks talks to Jerry about working with everyone from Morgan Freeman to Mark Whalberg, navigating the Hollywood landscape, and much more. It also becomes increasingly obvious over the course of the interview that Jenks is smitten with Jerry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jenks talks to Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, not to mention his former roommate, Matt Heineman, about his documentaries "Cartel Land" and "City of Ghosts", his riveting feature film "A Private War", and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In Budapest, she plays chess in ancient baths. In the Sahara Desert, she serves tea. When she met the Dalai Lama, he interviewed her. She is the most interesting person in the world. Jenks talks to cognitive scientist and one of the main contributors to the Theory of Linguistic Relativity, Lera Boroditsky, about how language shapes the way we think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Andrew Stanton is a storytelling guru. He's won Academy Awards for Finding Nemo and Wall-E, and his films have made over a billion dollars worldwide. But, he's also experienced the other end of the spectrum when John Carter lost $250 million and got terrible reviews. In this wide-ranging interview, Jenks talks to Stanton about his hit films, how to face failure, and how he ignores the critics... plus, one nasty joke. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Suki Kim is the only writer ever, as far as we know, to have lived undercover in North Korea. She was there for 6 months. She managed to get out alive, secretly taking notes that eventually became her book, “Without You, There is No Us”, a best-seller in 2015. Jenks recently read the book and was captivated. Suki's unparalleled experience provides unique insight into the hermit kingdom. In this wide-ranging interview, Suki explains everything from what it’s like to live in North Korea to the future of what is considered the most inaccessible country in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Four-star General Stanley A. McChrystal led the Joint Special Operations Command in Iraq during the Persian Gulf Wars and was the top Commander of American forces in Afghanistan, eventually retiring after a controversial Rolling Stone article was released. In this interview, McChrystal opens up about a range of topics he doesn't normally speak about: everything from nightmares he’s been having, the value of humor, and the importance of storytelling to how his grandchildren have changed him for the better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Critically-acclaimed documentary filmmaker, Erin Lee Carr, joins Jenks live at SXSW Festival to discuss the premier of her new HBO film, "I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth vs. Michelle Carter", documentaries going mainstream, particularly in the true crime genre, and what really happens when making a documentary film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jenks will sit down with a wide range of notable personalities to discuss “what really happened” during a specific, significant time in their lives. Jenks will kick off the series on March 13 with a special interview with filmmaker Erin Lee Carr conducted at SXSW. Additional guests throughout the rest of the season include: retired four-star General Stanley McChrystal, Academy Award-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton, cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky, who gave the most popular TedTalk of 2018, New York Times bestselling author Suki Kim and Matthew Heineman, Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jenks ponders the future of Netflix, and considers the possibility for interactive podcasts. He takes calls from a few listeners, and also gets corrected on what he missed during Season 2. And, he gets a surprise voicemail from a special someone who promises she has the answer to Jenks’ first ever What Really Happened?. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The world is a complicated place. Stories can help us simplify things. But, how a story is told, and who tells the story to us, has a huge impact on our understanding of what really happened. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them." - James Baldwin ... This episode examines the impact parents had on the lives of children who went on to become world leaders and cultural phenoms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jenks identified that many of the leaders he chronicled in Season 2 understood the power of keeping information hidden, or remaining outright silent, in a variety of situations. This first Reaction Episode focuses on silence as a major theme of WRH? Season 2. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jenks explores Kanye West’s search for identity, his rebelliousness, and ultimately, his desire for artistic freedom, through the lens of his childhood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
There have been films and TV shows about the brave and heroic SEAL TEAM 6, and other Marines, that killed Osama Bin Laden and changed history. There is a famous photo that captured President Obama and his team watching the raid from the Situation Room. Secretaries Clinton and Gates, Vice President Biden, and President Obama have all talked in detail about the moments captured in that photo. Now, this episode offers a chance to hear from those in the photo we don’t instantly recognize, and those who were there, but just outside the frame. For those individuals, What Really Happened? Guests: Ben Rhodes (former Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications), Tony Blinken (former Deputy Secretary of State and Deputy National Security Advisor), Nick Rasmussen (former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center), and Pete Souza (former Chief Official White House Photographer) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jenks saw Angela Merkel on TV at George H. W. Bush's funeral. Then, he remembered that Donald Trump wouldn't shake her hand when the two first met. What could be learned from Merkel’s relationships with Presidents Clinton, W. Bush, and Obama? As it turned out, a specific, largely unknown meeting Merkel had in the Oval Office, before she became the leader of Germany, held the answer to what really happened. Guests: Dr. Jonathan Olsen (Department Chair and Professor of Government at Texas Woman’s University), Dr. Joyce Mushaben (Professor of Global Studies and Curators' Professor of Comparative Politics & Gender Policies at University Missouri-St. Louis), and Dr. Manfred Konukiewitz (former official under Chancellor Angela Merkel) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Kendall Jenner is one of the most famous people on Earth. And so, it made sense for the global brand Pepsi to feature her in a commercial in 2017. But, the commercial faced a major backlash for co-opting the imagery of social-political movements. Who decided this was a good idea? This is the anatomy of a commercial gone terribly wrong. What Really Happened? Guests: Brad Jakeman (former President of PepsiCo Global Beverage Group), DeRay Mckesson (activist, author, and host of the "Pod Save The People" podcast), Ed Castillo (Brand Strategist and current owner of Brand Disposition, Inc.), Ephrat Livni (journalist and lawyer), and Charles R. Taylor (John A. Murphy Professor of Marketing, Villanova School of Business) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Meek Mill, one of the hottest rappers in the world, violated parole too many times. But when the judge at his hearing began giving him tips on his music and lifestyle, people started to question who was in the wrong. It all got more bizarre after she sentenced Meek to two-to-four years in prison. Until recently, he resided in solitary confinement. And then, in a bizarre twist, the FBI asked Meek for help investigating the judge. What Really Happened? Guests: Jason Flom (The Innocence Project), Inimai Chettiar (Brennan Center for Justice), and Ryan Ferguson (author). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
You wouldn’t think one of the best basketball players in the world, worth well over $100 million, spends his summers in a two-bedroom apartment in San Diego, but that’s what Kawhi Leonard does. In San Antonio he opted to live with his mom, and they played Jenga at night over enchiladas. His disinterest in the spotlight, and focus on the game, made him a perfect fit for the militant, and world-champion, San Antonio Spurs, led by their revered coach Gregg Popovich. Just like the Spurs’ prior stars, Leonard was humble and loyal. But in his last year with the team, he suddenly cut himself off from everyone. He refused to return, and landed in Toronto with the Raptors. What Really Happened? Guests: Chris Mannix (Sports Illustrated, host of The NBA Crossover podcast) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Would Apple exist without if Steve Jobs had never taken acid? Jobs said repeatedly that taking LSD was one of the "two or three most important things" he ever did in his life. But was this a tale to galvanize press, or a genuine belief. What Really Happened? Guests: Daniel Kottke (college friend of Steve Jobs), Trip Hawkins (entrepreneur, founder of Electronic Arts), Maia Szalavitz (reporter and author), Dr. John Amodeo (author), and Andrew Stanton (filmmaker). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In 1876, Buffalo Calf Road Woman, also known as Brave Woman, miraculously saved her brother from death against the Americans trying to take over their land, and soon afterwards she became a war leader for her tribe. Only 15 years ago, Northern Cheyenne storytellers broke more than 100 years of silence about the battle, and they credited Buffalo Calf Road Woman with striking the blow that resulted in the death of none other, than a Civil War hero, Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer. A story of peace and war, heroes and villains, myths and facts, and trying to understand, what really happened? Guests: Richard DeSirey (author of "Morning Star, Let Us Make a New Way"), Dr. Herman Viola (author of "Little Bighorn Remembered: The Untold Indian Story of Custer's Last Stand"), former Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado, and Joseph and Rosemary Agonito (authors of "Buffalo Calf Road Woman: The Story of a Warrior of the Little Bighorn") Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A 6-year-old boy was stuck in a hot air balloon that happened to look like a flying saucer, 7,000 feet above ground, flying over Colorado. Cable news channels had a field day. And, when the balloon landed, something didn't add up. Ultimately in this episode, a professor predicts what won't happen in years to come, an Academy-Award nominated filmmaker unravels where he's going, and a storytelling guru helps make sense of "breaking news" as Jenks sorts out... what really happened? Guests: Matt Heineman (Academy Award nominated filmmaker: The Private War, Cartel Land, and City of Ghosts), Robert McKee (author, lecturer, story consultant), and Bob Thompson (Trustee Professor of Television, Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
President Bill Clinton and President Boris Yeltsin were ready to change the world. Their epic press conferences and newly released phone transcripts reveal a sincere friendship. But, as time went on, things got complicated, and led to Vladimir Putin. Guests: Adele Lindenmeyr (Professor of History and Dean of Villanova University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences), and Evelyn Farkas (former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia/Ukraine/Eurasia) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Famous musicians Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse all died at 27 years old. Some call this phenomenon "a media construct". Research shows that of the 3,463 musicians who died in the last two hundred years, there is a 40% spike at the age of 27, compared to the years surrounding it. But, recent studies on the brain help put this data into context. What really happened? Guests: Charles R. Cross (New York Times Best-Selling author of "Heavier Than Heaven"), and Dr. Roger McIntyre (Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology at the University of Toronto, Head of the Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit at the University Health Network) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The most famous comedian in the world had just signed a $50 million contract, and had started filming the third season of his critically acclaimed show, Chappelle's Show. Then, he had a “meltdown” and “escaped” to South Africa. Now, more than ten years later, Jenks revisits what really happened, and finds Dave at a town hall meeting in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
King John II of France is missing from the pages of history. There are no movies, no books, hardly a Wikipedia page. But, after Jenks dug in to the mystery of this seemingly forgotten king, a whole medieval world came to life. As it turns out, John II, perhaps better known as John the Good, sailed to England to turn himself in as a prisoner of war, abandoning his stunned French subjects to fend for themselves through the Dark Ages. Is he the worst king in history? Or, has he been unfairly lost to the annals of time? What Really Happened? Guests: David Green (author/historian), Michael Jones (author/historian), Michael Pye (author/historian), Neil Murphy (author/historian), and Peter Hoskins (author/historian) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
John Carter is one of history's biggest box office flops: $250 million... gone. But, it was directed by two-time Academy Award winner Andrew Stanton, had Disney’s marketing prowess, and was based on the book that inspired Star Wars and Avatar. What Really Happened? This episode is the anatomy of a blockbuster gone bust, a possibility even when the person in charge is brilliant. Guests: Andrew Stanton (filmmaker), Michael Sellers (author, filmmaker, former CIA officer), Germain Lussier (film critic), Robert McKee (author, lecturer, story consultant), Matt Singer (film critic), and Brooks Barnes (New York Times Media and Entertainment reporter) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In the last couple of years, American embassy officials in Cuba have been injured by "sonic attacks". Jenks has followed all the leads, being convinced at one point that acoustic weapons don’t even exist, and then that they do exist, and the Russians, and then the Cubans, and then, believe it or not, the Americans were responsible. At other points, he thought it was rogue factions within different countries, only to later think maybe it was environmental factors, or mass hysteria, or a wide-range of other medical conditions he'd never heard of. What Really Happened? Guests: Fulton Armstrong (former CIA officer), Carlos A. Treto (former Cuban Ambassador), Peter Kornbluh (Cuba Documentation Project), Tim Golden (Pulitzer Prize winning journalist), Steve Dorsey (CBS News journalist), Juliette Volcler (acoustics journalist, author of "Extremely Loud; Sound as a Weapon"), Ben Rhodes (US Deputy National Security Advisor for President Obama, author of "The World as It Is; A Memoir of the Obama White House"), Dr. Robert Bartholomew (Sociologist, Center for Inquiry in Buffalo, NY), Dr. Jon Stone (Professor of Neurology at the University of Edinburgh), and Dr. Christopher Muth (Associate Editor at The Journal of the American Medical Association) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What really happened in 2001 when Venus Williams forfeited a semi-final match against her best friend and sister, Serena Williams? Headlines charged her father, Richard Williams, with orchestrating which sister would win. Guests: James Blake, Selena Roberts, Ben Rothenberg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What Really Happened? returns on September 19th with new episodes including the backstrokes of Serena Williams, Dave Chappelle, Balloon Boy and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In 1993, Daniel Green was charged with the murder of James Jordan. Now 25 years later Andrew Jenks attempts to better understand the trial and investigation, visits Daniel Green in prison, and provides his take on what really happened. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jenks reacts to a surprising pattern he uncovered after recording Season 1. And, as a result, he speaks with Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, a world- renowned psychologist named to TIME magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jenks speaks with two groundbreaking biographers that changed how the public perceived Princess Diana. New York Times best-selling author Andrew Morton (Diana; In Her Own Words) talks about secretly working with Princess Diana and publishing a book that essentially she wrote and Tina Brown (The Diana Chronicles) speaks about her own personal relationship with Diana and what the Princess would have accomplished should be alive today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jenks speaks with New York Times Best Selling author and biographer Paul Reid about the accuracy of "The Darkest Hour", inaccurate Churchill quotes tweeted by Congresspeople, and Churchill’s famous speech after Dunkirk. Jenks also speaks with a listener, Jhamie, who reached out on Twitter with her constructive criticism for Andrew about how he talked about mental health in the fifth WRH Season 1 episode, BLACK DOG, and their shared mental health experiences dealing with depression. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jenks responds to listener feedback (1:05:30), interviews critically acclaimed actress Brittany Snow (36:24), and paparazzi Daniel Ramos (3:55), who was there taking pictures when Britney Spears infamously smashed in a windshield with an umbrella. Jenks also talks with lawyer and conservatorship expert Lee Kaster (1:39:19) to better understand if Britney has in fact lost her financial freedom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
After listening to this episode, we'll know why Chris Christie joined ABC News as a political commentator, and why he apparently, now as a former Governor, got caught trying to cut the TSA line at Newark airport. In this reaction episode to The Lone Wolf, Jenks also talks about his phone call with David Widlstein, aka The Lone Wolf (5:46), about what Christie's future may look like (1:08:56), interviews Matt Katz author of the preeminent Christie biography (12:14), Washington Post fact checker and reporter Sal Rizzo (48:27), and talks about feedback from listeners including a caller from New Jersey (1:04:25). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jenks recaps Season 1's overwhelming response and kicks off the 'Reaction Episodes', 6 episodes where he gets feedback from listeners and speaks with experts or people who had first hand accounts related to each topic. This episode includes Jenks' diagnosis of cable news, an Ali story from Golden Globe winner Dylan McDermott (18:25), interviews with NY Times Best Selling author Jonathan Eig (44:29) and Ali aficionado and author Dave Hannigan, listener reaction (24:18), and Jenks' updates on his quest to find Joseph (15:12) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In the spring and summer of 2017, network and cable TV aired endless “specials” and documentaries to commemorate the 20 year anniversary of Princess Diana’s death. Many of the programs claimed to have exclusive interviews or footage, and most of them focused on her finals days alive, re-igniting potential conspiracy theories. Jenks watched them all. He believes much of their focus was on inauthentic interviews and lazy storytelling oftentimes missing the larger, more important story of the change agent that Diana was and how Prince William and Prince Harry’s similar spirit, and empathy for the underserved, may prove to be her greatest legacy of all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Andrew Jenks was ready to sell his new movie based on the inspirational Winston Churchill, who had chronic depression but still saved the free world from Hitler and the Nazis. Like Churchill, Jenks lives with depression. But after speaking with biographer Paul Reid and Sonia Purnell, Jenks wonders if Churchill’s depression, or ‘black dog’, is really just a myth. Jenks also speaks with Dr. Paul Keedwell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Before he even won his second championship, Michael Jordan wasn’t just the best basketball player in the league, he also had the perfect image. But then in 1992, a book came out, ‘The Jordan Rules’, and the public and media couldn't believe it - Jordan was human. About a year later, he retired. But why did he leave the game in his prime? Was it a secret suspension? Did he really want to play minor league baseball? Could any of the conspiracy theories be true? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Did everyone miss the true nature of Britney Spears’ ‘meltdown’? Now, 10 years later, there is growing attention being paid to a little known legal concept that Spears is under, called a ‘conservatorship’. This episode takes a look at exactly what happened to Britney Spears on February 18th, the day of her infamous head-shaving incident. And, since a series of ensuing missteps, and triumphs, over the years, Jenks will question if she’ll forever forego the right to even get a cup of coffee without permission from her father and lawyer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Is a columnist who monitored New Jersey traffic, and a lone wolf who, in high school took stats for Chris Christie’s baseball team, the respective hero and villain of the scandal which we all now know as Bridgegate? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In 1981, on a 9th floor building and in front of hundreds of people, Muhammad Ali talked a 21- year-old out of committing suicide. The story ran the following evening in front of 36 million people on the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. But with new sources and information, Jenks questions if this was a concocted event, devised by Ali himself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Season 1 of WHAT REALLY HAPPENED? chronicles documentarian Andrew Jenks as he examines and contextualizes famous figures and historical events, while discovering untold stories and unraveling newfound narratives. WHAT REALLY HAPPENED is executive produced by Seven Bucks Productions’ Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia and Brian Gewirtz, Andrew Jenks and Cadence13. Coming October 25th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices