Believe Her
Lemonada Media
Believe Her is true crime, upside down. In September 2017, young mom Nikki Addimando shot and killed her partner, Chris Grover. She was sentenced to nineteen years to life in prison for murder. Through rare access to police audio, a month-long trial, conversations with Nikki, and original reporting, journalist Justine van der Leun lays out the killing, the evidence, and the aftermath. As this six-part series unfolds, listeners will put together different pieces of a disturbing puzzle. One thing is clear: perception ≠ reality. Believe Her is a riveting chronicle that grapples with assumptions we make about domestic and sexual violence, the lo...
Introducing: Pantsuit Politics
We’re excited to share a show we know you’ll love: Pantsuit Politics. Hosted by Kentuckians Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers, Pantsuit Politics offers a refreshing, thoughtful take on news and culture. It’s all about paying attention to what’s happening in the world—without the anxiety. This week, destruction can be part of the building process; it certainly is a key part of Elon Musk’s approach to business and his new - legally ambiguous - role with DOGE. There is, however, a fine line b
Feb 24, • 1:20:04
Listen Now: Being Trans
We’re dropping something special in your feed this week- we’re reexploring BEING Trans. BEING Trans was the first series of its type when it premiered in 2022- it’s reality TV for your ears. No scripts, no interviews, just real life as it happens. The show follows four trans people as they go about their lives in Los Angeles. You’ll be there for the highs and the lows, the messy, complicated, beautiful moments that make us who we are. Trans people don’t often get to tell their own stories, in th
Feb 14, • 48:47
Introducing: When It Clicked
What’s it like to spend years in a state penitentiary and then make it big in Hollywood? What makes a death row warden become a leading voice in prison reform? How does a conservative Christian in the deep South decide we can’t incarcerate our way out of a drug crisis? For all of these people, they had a moment when their thinking about justice and safety changed. In this series, host Ana Zamora – founder of The Just Trust – sits down with business leaders, advocates, actors, artists, and unexpe
Jan 29, • 30:09
Introducing: Legacy Talk with Lena Waithe
We’re thrilled to introduce you to Legacy Talk with Lena Waithe. Hosted by Emmy-winning writer, actor and producer, Lena Waithe, Legacy Talk is a series of conversations celebrating the brilliance and artistry of some of the most iconic Black women in entertainment. Join Lena as she sits down with powerhouses like Jada Pinkett Smith, Debbie Allen, and more, as they explore how these legends shaped the industry and inspired a generation. They’ll dive into their creative process, how they prepared
Nov 12, 2024 • 6:13
Introducing: My So-Called Midlife with Reshma Saujani
We’re excited to introduce My So-Called Midlife, a new podcast by Reshma Saujani and Lemonada Media. “Is this it?” That’s the question our host Reshma Saujani asks herself daily. She’s the founder of two successful nonprofits, she’s married to a great guy, and she’s raising two beautiful children. She’s gotten everything she’s ever wanted, so why does she feel so unsatisfied? Is this a woman’s version of a midlife crisis? She’s determined to figure it out, and with the strength of her group cha
Oct 16, 2024 • 10:09
Listen Now: Wiser Than Me is Back!
We’re so excited to let you know that Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus - is BACK for a third season – with even more wisdom from some legendary older women! Each week, you’ll hear Julia have insightful, funny, and important conversations with these ladies who have so much to teach us about living unapologetically and focusing on the stuff that really matters. This season is yet again chock-full of marvelous guests, and, as always, every episode ends with a conversation between Julia and he
Oct 9, 2024 • 23:37
Introducing: Mind Your Own with Lupita Nyong’o
We’re excited to tell you about a brand new storytelling show – hosted and produced by the amazing Lupita Nyong’o – that we are just loving. It’s called Mind Your Own, and it’s about navigating what it means to belong, all from the African perspective. Lupita Nyong’o knows what home feels like. But where exactly is it? In Mexico, where she was born? Kenya, where she grew up? Or the States, where she’s spent the past 20 years? Like Lupita, millions of Africans are spread out across the globe fol
Sep 19, 2024 • 18:44
Listen Now: Squeezed with Yvette Nicole Brown
This week we’re dropping in your feed to tell you about a new Lemonada show, Squeezed with Yvette Nicole Brown. Whether we’re young or old, part of the sandwich generation or child-free, care is universal. In this seven-part series, actress and caregiver Yvette Nicole Brown looks at caregiving over the course of a lifetime, exploring the lives of everyday people, spotlighting the daily dramas, hardships and joys of caregiving across America. So many of us are caught up in the challenges of provi
Aug 21, 2024 • 7:55
Listen Now: The High Life with Ricki Lake
Hosted by Emmy-winning talk show host Ricki Lake, The High Life brings us into Ricki’s blissed-out world of joy and pleasure, featuring conversations with compelling guests who have cracked the code to living a full and vibrant life. Join Ricki as she continues her lifelong journey of self-reinvention by talking to friends and experts in the realm of healing, health and wellness such as Olympian Alexi Pappas, journalist and psychedelics expert Ernesto Londoño, and death doula Alua Arthur. She’ll
Jul 16, 2024 • 8:41
Listen Now: Podcrushed featuring Ariana Grande
We’re excited to drop in your feed today a special episode of Podcrushed featuring the prolific, amazingly talented, and incredibly sweet Ariana Grande. In this first part of a two-part conversation with the pop icon, the crew has a wide-ranging conversation on childhood, Ariana's Broadway origins, and getting to act alongside her best friends. Podcrushed is the podcast where hosts Penn Badgley, Nava Kavelin, and Sophie Ansari bring you stories and conversations about middle school - from childh
Jul 4, 2024 • 1:03:11
Listen Now: Pop Culture Debate Club with Aminatou Sow
We’re excited to drop in your feed today to tell you about a new series from Lemonada Media and the BBC: Pop Culture Debate Club with Aminatou Sow. Being a pop culture fan naturally comes with a lot of opinions. You’ve got your favorites and you’re ready to defend your picks at a moment’s notice. That’s what Pop Culture Debate Club is all about. Each week, two notable mega-fans square off, ready to convince host Aminatou Sow that their opinion on TV, movies, and music is the only one that matter
Jun 27, 2024 • 7:59
Listen Now: The Pink House with Sam Smith
We’re excited to drop in your feed today to tell you about a new Lemonada Media series called The Pink House with Sam Smith. Hosted by five-time Grammy winner Sam Smith, The Pink House is about the people and places that make us who we are. One of those places was Sam’s childhood home in the English village of Great Chishill, literally called The Pink House. It was a space of total warmth and love where Sam felt safe enough to find their voice. Each week, join Sam in conversation with icons and
Jun 13, 2024 • 6:18
Listen Now: Pack One Bag featuring Stanley Tucci
We are dropping in your feed today to share a new series that we know you will enjoy. Pack One Bag is epic true story of an Italian family, split apart by love, fascism and war. Through shocking discoveries - and Stanley Tucci’s artistry - an enthralling personal history comes to life. When documentarian David Modigliani was a kid, his grandfather, Franco, won the Nobel Prize. But, David’s always been more fascinated by the love story that made it possible -- his grandparents' romance on the ru
Jun 5, 2024 • 7:53
Listen Now: Fail Better with David Duchovny
We are dropping in your feed today to tell you about a new Lemonada Media series called Fail Better with David Duchovny. On Fail Better, David, who has experienced both low and high profile failures throughout his life, explores the vast world of failure - how it holds us back, propels us forward, and ultimately shapes our lives. Each week, he will chat with guests like Ben Stiller, Bette Midler, and more about how our perceived failures have actually been our biggest catalysts for growth, revel
May 7, 2024 • 9:55
Listen Now: The Letter Season Two
The hit true-crime podcast The Letter is back for Season Two. Today, we’re dropping into your feed to offer you a sneak peek of this gripping and impactful story. On a winter morning in 1982, two young fathers were found shot to death in a van parked outside an upscale Utah restaurant.The killer soon confessed, but his story about what happened - and why he chose violence - would create more pain, conflict, and questions for the families left in the wake of the murders. As the families of the m
Apr 16, 2024 • 14:33
Listen Now: Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
We’re dropping in your feed to let you know that Julia Louis-Dreyfus has returned for Season 2 of her award-winning podcast, Wiser Than Me™! Each week, she has funny, touching, personal conversations with iconic older women who are brimming with the kind of unapologetic attitude and wisdom that only comes with age. Julia sits at the feet of some extraordinary teachers this season and of course her 90-year-old mom, Judy. Tune in to laugh, cry and get wise. All Hail Old Women! You’re about to h
Mar 28, 2024 • 29:40
Listen Now: When We Win
Today, we are dropping in your feed to introduce you to When We Win, a new podcast from Lemonada Media that asks, is the impossible possible? What will it take to create a truly engaged democracy that represents all of us? Each week, Maya Rupert talks to some of the most incredible women of color in office today who ran against insurmountable odds and won, from the all-women city council in St. Paul, Minnesota, to the youngest Black woman to serve in Congress. So stop asking yourself if we can w
Feb 13, 2024 • 22:05
Nikki is Free
On January 4th, 2024, Nikki Addimondo was released from prison and reunited with her family. To celebrate, we are sharing two excerpts that were previously only available to our Lemonada Premium subscribers. These two conversations speak to the range of the incredible reporting in this series – one touches on the heart of Nikki’s personal story and the other reminds us that Nikki was not the only person put behind bars for trying to save her own life – this is an issue still impacting so many ot
Jan 22, 2024 • 19:03
Listen Now: Everything Happens with Kate Bowler
Today, we’re dropping in your feed to share with you a podcast we know you’ll love. It’s called Everything Happens with Kate Bowler. Are you living your best life now? Not always? This is a podcast for you. Duke Professor Kate Bowler is an expert in the stories we tell about success and failure, suffering and happiness. She had Stage IV cancer. Then she didn’t. And since then, all she wants to do is talk to funny and wise people about how to live with the knowledge that, well, everything happens
Dec 15, 2023 • 45:51
Listen Now: The Deep Dive
We’re dropping into your feed this week to share another Lemonada Media series with you. Each week on The Deep Dive, comedians and best friends Jessica St. Clair and June Diane Raphael take a ‘deep dive’ into their real lives and discuss a wide range of topics including how to pursue joy amidst the insanity of motherhood and family, grief and loss, sh*t they put on their faces, and why they refuse to check their voicemails or unpack their suitcases. The Deep Dive captures the friendship of two w
Nov 18, 2023 • 1:03:16
Listen Now: The Defenders
We are dropping in your feed to share Lemonada Media's newest series, The Defenders. On Friday, June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Since then, it's been a barrage of bad news and bleak headlines. But for every restriction, there are many more acts of resistance, and a growing network of activists, clinic workers, faith leaders, and everyday people working to expand access to care.This is the story of the fight for freedom in a post-Roe America, co-hosted by Samantha Be
Nov 8, 2023 • 44:37
Introducing Hard Feelings with Jennette McCurdy
We’re dropping in your feed today to bring you the first episode of our newest Lemonada podcast, Hard Feelings with Jennette McCurdy. If you like what you hear, there’s another episode out now and waiting for you in the feed! Don’t forget to like and subscribe. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 24, 2023 • 20:01
Check Out: The Dough
We’re dropping in your feed today to introduce you to the newest show from Lemonada Media that we think you’ll like: The Dough. The Dough is an eye-opening new 10-episode podcast series about the financial trapdoors any of us could fall into. From messy divorces to wellness products that are too good to be true, join host X Mayo (The Blackening, The Daily Show, Swarm) as she explores the financial flops and money myths that stand in the way of financial freedom. On this show, cash is queen, and
Oct 12, 2023 • 41:36
Introducing: Stranger Becomes Neighbor
Thanks for listening to Believe Her. We are dropping in the feed to let you know about a new podcast called Stranger Becomes Neighbor - Afghan Arrivals. We will never forget the images we saw two years ago when the Taliban took over and the U.S. scrambled to evacuate refugees from the Kabul airport. Some 80,000 Afghans would eventually arrive in America at a time when the resettlement agencies were critically low on resources. For the last two years, host Andrea Smardon followed the refugees and
Aug 15, 2023 • 11:42
Listen Now: Blind Plea
We’re dropping in your feed today to let you know about a gripping new series from Lemonada Media, BLIND PLEA. In 2017, Deven Grey, a young mother, shot and killed her abusive partner in a remote trailer in rural Shelby County, Alabama. She claimed self-defense and filed a Stand Your Ground claim. Instead of freedom, she was handed a “blind plea” – an option to take an unknown sentence in exchange for pleading guilty. As a Black woman who shot and killed a white man in Alabama, she did the only
May 17, 2023 • 41:04
Listen Now: Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus!
Hey listeners! We’re dropping in your feed today to give you the first full episode of Lemonada Media’s brand-new show, Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus. On the premiere episode of Wiser Than Me, Julia sits down with the one and only Jane Fonda. With a career spanning over six decades, Jane – now 85 years old – hits all the highlights: staying fit at any age, fantasizing about funerals, getting heckled on set by Katharine Hepburn…and something about a fake thumb. The first two episodes of
Apr 11, 2023 • 48:00
Listen Now: Last Day is back!
We’re dropping in your feed today to let you know that Last Day is back! But we’re doing things a little differently this time around, and we want to give you a sneak peek of what’s to come. Last Day is and has always been a show about the moments that change us, fundamentally and forever. So, each week, we’ll be bringing you a new story about someone’s “last day” — who they were before, and how they’ve found a way to exist in the after. We’ll laugh. We’ll cry. We’ll share real conversations wit
Mar 29, 2023 • 6:02
Introducing: Discarded
We’re dropping in your feed today to let you know about a new Lemonada Media series, DISCARDED. DISCARDED tells the story of a modern-day Erin Brockovich, set on the Mississippi River in an area known as “Cancer Alley.” Her name is Sharon Lavigne, her community is St. James Parish in Louisiana, and her fight is to keep out one of the largest plastic manufacturing companies in the world. In this investigative four-part series, hosted by Emmy award-winning journalist Gloria Riviera, we unwrap the
Feb 7, 2023 • 24:39
Listen Now: USA v. García Luna
From Futuro Investigates and Latino USA —in partnership with Lemonada Media—“USA v. García Luna” tells the story of the most powerful Mexican government official ever to face trial in the United States for his alleged ties to the infamous drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. Peniley Ramírez has one obsession: Genaro García Luna, Mexico’s top security official from 2006 to 2012. For years, Peniley broke news of his alleged corruption in Mexico and the U.S.. Yet, García Luna seemed untouchable. Th
Dec 16, 2022 • 38:13
Listen Now: Uncared For
The producers of this series wanted to share Lemonada Media’s new release with you. It’s called Uncared For. You’re more likely to die as a pregnant person in the United States than any other wealthy nation in the world. Why? This six-part series, hosted by award-winning journalist SuChin Pak (Add to Cart, MTV News), takes a deeply personal and wide-ranging look at maternal health care around the globe to find the answer. We start in the United States then travel to Germany, the Netherlands, and
Nov 15, 2022 • 20:55
Amazon Music Presents COLD: The Search for Sheree
Sheree Warren left her job in Salt Lake City on a mild October evening in 1985. She told a coworker she was headed to meet her estranged husband, Charles Warren, at a car dealership. But she never made it, Sheree vanished. When her car mysteriously surfaced weeks later, hundreds of miles away in Las Vegas, no one could say how it got there. When a young mother disappears under unexplained circumstances, police always turn suspicious eyes towards the husband. And although there was distrust aroun
Nov 11, 2022 • 8:56
Listen Now: The Untold Story
The producers of this series wanted to give you a listen to the latest season of The Untold Story. This season, they’re taking a look at a number of criminal justice failures happening right before our eyes. In the first episode, they go deep inside Rikers, a pretrial detention center. While people await their day in court, the conditions at the island are simply inhumane due to violence, overcrowding and inadequate medical care. Rikers is scheduled to close in 2027, but at the rate we're going,
Oct 26, 2022 • 18:34
Listen Now: Funny Cuz It’s True with Elyse Myers
The producers of this series wanted to introduce you to another Lemonada listen, Funny Cuz It’s True with Elyse Myers. Each week on Funny Cuz It’s True, Elyse will be sitting down with her favorite creators, friends and comedians to find the stories that have stuck with them and changed their lives in small ways, and the not-so-funny moments that have become funny over time. She wants to know how they handled these situations and learned to laugh about them years later. How do they do it? Great
Oct 5, 2022 • 20:44
Check this out: Ricki Lake Is Back, and This Time, She's Got a Podcast
The producers of this series wanted to recommend another Lemonada Media podcast that they know you’ll love. New episodes of Raised by Ricki premiere every Thursday wherever you get your podcasts. Grab a friend and some snacks – we’ll provide the tea. We’re traveling back to the 90s, when The Ricki Lake Show was the place for drama and fun unlike anywhere else on TV. Ricki and Kalen are joined by Stuart Krasnow, former supervising producer of The Ricki Lake Show, to talk about the show’s beginn
Sep 15, 2022 • 54:00
True Crime Upside Down: The Letter
The Letter is a new original true crime podcast hosted by award-winning journalist Amy Donaldson. This 8-part narrative series tells the story of the brutal murder of Zachary Snarr, which took place in Salt Lake City, UT, on August 28, 1996. The Letter weaves a story of forgiveness, guilt, and what happens after the headlines die down and the real story begins. On Zach Snarr’s last day alive, he got up early to help his father at work, he cleaned the kitchen for his mother and he made his sister
Sep 7, 2022 • 36:12
Listen to This: Call For Help
For far too long, the United States has put mental healthcare on the back burner. Through enormous advocacy and the initiation and rollout of the 988 hotline, a theoretical lifeline is now at the fingertips of every American. But in a country with a deep history of criminalizing mental health, will 988 live up to its potential? Today, Stephanie explores how 988 came to be, along with all the promise and peril it carries. Weekly special correspondent Zak Williams shares his personal mental health
Aug 16, 2022 • 14:12
Last Day Special: Unpacking Fear, Danger, and Mass Shootings
The producers of this series wanted to share another Lemonada Media show with you that they know you will find helpful in a critical moment where the country feels as if it’s spinning out of control. It’s called Last Day. In this award-winning series, Lemonada co-founder and author Stephanie Wittels Wachs confronts massive epidemics with humanity, wit, and a quest for progress. Now, back for a third season, Last Day grapples with guns in America, asking: How can we live safely in a country with
May 27, 2022 • 47:49
BEING Trans: Introducing Audio Reality
The producers of this series would like to share with you another show they know you’ll love. BEING is reality TV for your ears, an innovative new audio format like no other podcast you've ever heard. This season, it’s BEING Trans. This week, we meet Sy, a nonbinary transgender legal assistant in Los Angeles. They transitioned after marrying their husband, Robert, and having a baby. While things seem great on the surface, Sy confesses they've been putting off having a tough conversation with R
Apr 28, 2022 • 19:57
Last Day Preview: Everyone Out Here is Armed
In episode 1 of Last Day from Lemonada, the team travels to Montana, where cowboy culture reigns supreme, everyone is armed and 86 percent of firearm deaths are suicides. There, we meet a couple that represents all the contradictions at the root of America’s gun debate: One is a suicide prevention advocate, and the other is the most adamant Second Amendment supporter we’ve ever met. Plus, the team tries out shooting some big-ass guns. To hear the next episode of Last Day, search for Last Day w
Apr 13, 2022 • 52:57
BONUS: Criminalized Survivor Sandra Brown on the Criminal Legal System
In this bonus interview, Justine sits down with Sandra Brown, the criminalized survivor who you heard from in Chapter 6. Sandra was recently released from prison, where she worked on rebuilding herself over the course of 21 years, and is now working toward her Ph.D. This conversation has been edited for time and clarity. Resources: If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, use a safe computer and contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at www.thehotline.org or cal
Dec 2, 2021 • 22:28
Chapter 6: Criminalized Survival
In the final episode of Believe Her, Nikki reflects on the shocking outcome of her appeal and what this means for others in similar situations going forward. Justine talks to criminalized survivors across the U.S. about how and why they were incarcerated for their attempts to protect themselves or loved ones from abuse. Resources: For more information about Nikki’s case and to sign a petition supporting her clemency application, follow the We Stand With Nikki campaign on Instagram
Nov 18, 2021 • 41:24
Chapter 5: The Missing Evidence
A 12-person jury convicted Nikki of murder, but they didn’t see the whole picture. Many key pieces of this puzzle didn’t make their way into the courtroom. In this episode, Justine follows up on disturbing gaps in the evidence. Through conversations with Nikki’s lawyers, digital forensic experts, Nikki’s therapists and Nikki’s children’s therapist, Justine explores what was not shown at trial. Resources: If you or someone you know is experiencing
Nov 11, 2021 • 49:14
Chapter 4: Victim or Master Manipulator?
Is Nikki a victim or is she a master manipulator who planned and plotted Chris’ murder? This question was at the heart of Nikki’s trial. There, the defense team put forth a cache of evidence of abuse. But the prosecution suggested that Nikki wanted attention, tried to destroy her credibility and asked: if the abuse was so bad, why didn’t Nikki leave? Justine unpacks the trial, and what the verdict says about how our criminal legal system views self-defense laws when it comes to
Nov 4, 2021 • 55:07
Chapter 3: The Silencing
Nikki was abused, doubted and silenced from a young age — and yet, there were still too many so-called “bad facts” that helped the prosecution build their case against her. This week, Justine talks to one of Nikki’s childhood friends about witnessing the early abuse and the cycle of trauma that followed. Resources: If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, use a safe computer and contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at www.thehotli
Oct 28, 2021 • 53:29
Chapter 2: Deep Dark Secrets
Let’s go back to when Nikki and Chris first met at Mr. Todd’s Gymnastics Studio. Justine takes us to Poughkeepsie, New York to talk to the people who were closest to both Nikki and Chris to try to find out how their seemingly loving relationship spiraled into years of abuse and, ultimately, Chris’ death. Resources: If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, use a safe computer and contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at www.thehotline.org or ca
Oct 21, 2021 • 50:17
Chapter 1: Chris is Dead
In September 2017, Nikki Addimando, a young mom of two, shot her partner of nine years, Chris Grover. Nikki was sentenced to 19 years to life in prison for murder but she claims she was acting in self-defense. In this first episode, journalist Justine van der Leun takes us on a journey that starts with the night of the killing and ends at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison in upstate New York. Resources: If you or someone you know is experiencing dom
Oct 21, 2021 • 47:27