Pop Crime

An investigative article by The Daily Mail into RHONY’s new housewife, Rebecca Minkoff, and her ties to the Church of Scientology ended up having consequences for Journalist Jacques Peterson when became a target of “fair game.” In this episode, Kiki is joined by Peterson, who tells a harrowing story of harassment from the Church of Scientology while delving deep into the aggressive tactics employed by Church to silence critics. Peterson sheds light on the delicate balance between Bravo's nuanced handling of controversy and the tragic death of Lisa McPherson, which is intricately linked to the Minkoff family. This conversation navigates the complex intersections of power, influence, and media as Peterson recounts the challenges of reporting on Minkoff’s link to Scientology and the backlash he faced post-publication. Tune in as we uncover the untold story behind the headlines and reflect on what comes next once the Church of Scientology enters the Bravo-verse? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Enter the courtroom whirlwind of the Wagatha Christie trial, a gripping saga that seized the UK's attention…and no, there were no dogs involved. WAGs (the Wives And Girlfriends of famous football players) are celebrities in their own right. And when leaked stories from WAG Colleen Rooney’s private Instagram began to suspiciously show up in the tabloids, she crafted a daring plan to publicly expose the culprit. In this episode, Kiki is joined by New York Times journalist, Isabella Kwai, to untangle the web of celebrity intrigue and media scrutiny while exploring the explosive intersection of fame, betrayal, and social media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Naomi Judd and her daughters, Ashley Judd and Wynonna Judd, have navigated through significant family challenges. The renowned country music family has confronted childhood abuse, mental health struggles, and Ashley's influential role in the #MeToo movement. In this episode, Kiki Monique links up with Pablo The Don, a culture and music critic, to dissect the intricate dynamics and conflicts within the Judd family. Together they delve into themes of codependency, familial secrecy, and the impact of trauma on their creative expression. Together, they underscore the significance of breaking the cycle of generational trauma and highlight the transformative power of autonomy and chosen family. @pablothedon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The New Jersey Housewives have given the Bravo-verse legal lessons in everything from defamation, to restraining orders, to assault. But when Teresa and Joe Guidice were sentenced to prison for bank, mail, wire and bankruptcy fraud, it became one of the most shocking moments in reality TV history. In this episode, Kiki is lawyering up with Cesie Alvarez, attorney and host of the Bravo Docket podcast, to answer the question-why on earth would someone commit federal crimes on camera? And together they reveal that the cases surrounding the RHONJ are much darker than people think. Plus, if you ever wanted to know the true story behind Teresa’s table flip seen around the world, you’ll definitely want to listen. @thebravodocket Sources: https://www.nj.com/entertainment/celebrities/2010/08/real_housewives_of_new_jersey_80.html https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/celebrity-justice/danielle-staub-settles-with-ex-husband-kevin-maher/#:~:text=Oh%20yes%2C%20and%20she%20also,the%20satisfaction%20of%20both%20parties https://radaronline.com/exclusives/2010/09/exclusive-documents-danielle-staubs-ex-husband-testifies-about-her-life-sex-drugs/ https://nypost.com/2020/07/04/inside-the-mob-ties-that-plague-rhonj-star-dina-manzos-family/ https://www.amazon.com/Undercover-Cop-Brought-Real-Life-Sopranos/dp/1250005876?tag=nypost-20&asc_refurl=https://nypost.com/2020/07/04/inside-the-mob-ties-that-plague-rhonj-star-dina-manzos-family/&asc_source=web https://people.com/tv/dina-manzo-caroline-manzo-family-drama-everything-we-know/ https://nypost.com/2024/03/25/us-news/rhonj-star-dina-manzos-ex-in-hot-water-again-over-claims-he-hired-mob-goon-to-rough-up-her-new-beau/ https://people.com/tv/albie-manzo-defends-mom-caroline-manzo-for-writing-letter-in-support-of-brother-in-law-tommy-manzo-this-isnt-about-family-drama/ https://archive.findlaw.com/blog/bankruptcy-fallout-the-teresa-giudice-auction/ https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/rhonjs-louie-ruelas-ups-and-downs-over-the-years/ https://pagesix.com/2024/02/13/entertainment/luis-ruelas-bo-dietl-sued-for-allegedly-hacking-computers-for-abuse-of-rhonj-stars-ex/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brandy Melville grew a loyal following among Gen Z who flaunted their Brandy Melville baby tees in GRWM videos and clothing hauls. But recent reports of devastating waste, mountains of discarded clothing, along with allegations of racism, antisemitism, and sexism gave the world a much needed reality check about the brand. In this episode, Kiki conducts an eye opening interview with Eva Orner, director of the new documentary ‘Brandy Hell-ville and the Cult of Fast Fashion,' to discuss how and why former Brandy Melville employees blew the whistle, how the fast fashion industry is ruining our planet, and why those at the top must be held accountable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate Middleton, formally known as Catherine, Princess of Wales, announced on March 22, 2024 that she has cancer. It came as a shock to many, but for some-it was straight up unbelievable and led to many conspiracies. In this episode, Kiki is diving into those conspiracy theories with Betches’ resident Royal expert Samantha Bush, who runs the wildly popular account @bravohistorian and is the host of the Chronically Online podcast. Together, they discuss why Kate Middleton became "QAnon for Wine Moms," how the Pop Apologists account contributed to the spread online, and why we should all stan Camilla Parker Bowles. @bravohistorian Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1ZmbRXTKAs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-cpiSUN0TU https://people.com/palace-responds-kate-middleton-conspiracy-theories-online-surgery-recovery-rare-statement-8602191 https://twitter.com/Andy/status/1769904785673597150 https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/03/kate-middleton-conspiracies-privacy/677729/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On March 25, 2024, armed federal agents on ground and in helicopters, swarmed Diddy’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami as part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation. Since the raid, social media has been ablaze with unverified information. Some of has been accurate, some of it has been complete misinformation. In this bite-sized, breaking news episode, Kiki is weeding out fact from fiction, gathering all we know so far about the raid and current lawsuits. Sources: https://www.tmz.com/2024/03/25/diddy-homes-raided-federal-law-enforcement-beverly-hills-miami/ https://pcjc.blogs.pace.edu/tag/conviction-rate/#:~:text=The%20Southern%20District%20of%20New%20York%20also%20boasts%20a%20shockingly,in%20a%20plea%20of%20guilty. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5BGed8MpiI/?igsh=ZDE1MWVjZGVmZQ== https://www.autoevolution.com/news/diddy-buys-justin-bieber-a-lamborghini-gallardo-22677.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Where is Wendy Williams? That was the question on everyone’s mind; Is she in hiding? Is she even ok? How's her health? Well, the public got their answer when Hulu’s documentary, “Where Is Wendy Williams?” aired last month ... and it only caused more concern. Why does her family say they don’t know where she is or how to contact her? How did a woman who spent decades building her empire and wealth suddenly lose it all? And how did a bank become her financial guardian? In this episode, Kiki is joined by podcaster and pop culture queen, Taylor Strecker,to discuss what has transpired since the Wendy Williams doc aired and all the drama surrounding her conservatorship. @taylorstrecker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actor Drake Bell has been trending online since breaking his silence, revealing that he was the unnamed child star in the 2003 sexual abuse case against former dialogue coach, Brian Peck. Since, even more child stars have come forward with allegations of a toxic work environment at Nickelodeon, sharing their experiences in the new HBO documentary, Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. In this dynamic episode, Kiki is joined by two former All That cast members, Giovannie Samuels and Bryan Hearne, to reveal some shocking truths about their experiences on set and why they would never let their own kids be on TV. @only1giovannie @hearne3000 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the one year anniversary of Scando-val and it has us wondering…will this ever die?? In this episode, Kiki quickly recaps the dramatic downfall of Tom Sandoval and now his ex, Ariana Maddix, who discovered he was having a salacious affair with her best friend and VPR co-star, Rachel Leviss. Kiki is joined by Ryan Bailey, host of the podcast So Bad It’s Good, to deep dive into the shocking new revenge porn lawsuit filed by Leviss and why it's America’s sweetheart, Madix, who could end up being the one in trouble. Plus, Ryan lets us know why he thinks Bethenny Frankel's intentions seem v sus and the tea on what happened when Leviss joined Kiki’s Live. @sobaditsgood Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices