Mama Cass Elliot (Pt. 2): Rape, Murder, and Taking Secrets to the Grave
Explicit content warning
04/15/25 • 41 min
2 Listeners
Mama Cass’ role as Hollywood’s hippie den mother pulled her into the orbit of troubling company during the “Summer of Love.” The former singer of The Mamas and the Papas thrived in Laurel Canyon's social circles, which included her close friend Sharon Tate and Sharon’s husband, filmmaker Roman Polanski. But Cass’ alleged involvement in some of the long rumored-hedonistic events put her at the center of a counter-narrative that explosively disrupts the supposed motive for the Manson family murders. Decades later, there’s plenty to debunk about the final years of Mama Cass’ life— including a silly, fat-shaming myth surrounding her death that has persisted for nearly 50 years.
This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including domestic violence and graphic descriptions of violence and sexual assault.
Do you believe the accepted narrative around Helter Skelter as put forth by Vincent Bugliosi?? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, [email protected], or on socials @disgracelandpod.
To see the full list of contributors see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com.
This episode was originally published on December 13, 2022.
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Mama Cass’ role as Hollywood’s hippie den mother pulled her into the orbit of troubling company during the “Summer of Love.” The former singer of The Mamas and the Papas thrived in Laurel Canyon's social circles, which included her close friend Sharon Tate and Sharon’s husband, filmmaker Roman Polanski. But Cass’ alleged involvement in some of the long rumored-hedonistic events put her at the center of a counter-narrative that explosively disrupts the supposed motive for the Manson family murders. Decades later, there’s plenty to debunk about the final years of Mama Cass’ life— including a silly, fat-shaming myth surrounding her death that has persisted for nearly 50 years.
This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including domestic violence and graphic descriptions of violence and sexual assault.
Do you believe the accepted narrative around Helter Skelter as put forth by Vincent Bugliosi?? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, [email protected], or on socials @disgracelandpod.
To see the full list of contributors see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com.
This episode was originally published on December 13, 2022.
To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership.
Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER
Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND:
X (formerly Twitter)
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
Previous Episode
Mama Cass Elliot (Pt. 1): Dangerous Drug Dealer Boyfriends, International Arrests, and the Solo Career That Should’ve Been
Cass Elliot, AKA "Mama Cass" from The Mamas and The Papas, broke the mold of female pop superstardom and shattered expectations of what women in music “should” be. She also was arrested in London for theft, dated international drug dealers, and tanked what was supposed to be a career-defining solo performance while flying high on Iranian hashish. To this day, the biggest controversy swirling around the singer is her connection to the 1969 Manson Family murders. Her actions during the so-called “Summer of Love” might even be why the motive for the murders America has come to accept as fact...is actually entirely false.
To see the full list of contributors see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com.
This episode was originally published on November 29, 2022.
To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership.
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Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND:
X (formerly Twitter)
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
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Next Episode
Bonus Episode: Books They Don't Want You to Read and Books We Want Them to Write
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Next week, we're bringing you a story on Chris Cornell, lead vocalist of Soundgarden and Audioslave. We want to know: Which artists followup bands were bigger or as impactful as their breakthrough bands? Tell Jake at 617-906-6638, [email protected], or on socials @disgracelandpod.
For more great Disgraceland episodes, dive into our extensive archive, including such episodes as:
To hear an extended version of the After Party and unlock access to a monthly exclusive episode and ad free listening, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. This month's episode (coming next week!) will be on the Allman Brothers Band.
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