This Is Actually Happening
Wondery
What if you were trafficked into a cult...or were mauled by a grizzly bear...or were stabbed 27 times by a serial killer - what would you do? This is Actually Happening brings you extraordinary true stories of life-changing events told by the people who lived them. From a man who woke up in the morgue 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.
Listen to exclusive episodes of This is Actually Happening ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/this-is-actually-happening/ now.
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Top 10 This Is Actually Happening Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best This Is Actually Happening episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to This Is Actually Happening for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite This Is Actually Happening episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
261: What if your mother was a victim of a secret government experiment?
This Is Actually Happening
01/17/23 • 53 min
A woman learns shocking truths about what happened to her mom when she was young, while caretaking her mentally ill father and grappling with revelations that haunt the family forever.
Producer: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits
Social Media:
Instagram: @actuallyhappening
Twitter: @TIAHPodcast
Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com
Website for Andrew Waits: www.andrdewwaits.com
Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happening
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
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.
Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.com
Content/Trigger Warnings: domestic abuse, sexual abuse, explicit language
Intro Music: ""Illabye" – Tipper
Music Bed: “Re-Entry” – Lee Rosevere
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.
6 Listeners
266: What if you thought everyone was dead?
This Is Actually Happening
02/21/23 • 53 min
While in the depths of a toxic relationship, a woman begins experiencing a magical, unseen world around her, but on a layover on a flight through LA, the world becomes all too real.
Today's episode featured Kimberly Rose. If you'd like to reach out to her, you can email at [email protected], or find her on Instagram at @thefakekimberlyrose.
Producers: Whit Missildine, Jason Blalock
Editing: Matt Volla
Content/Trigger Warnings: substance abuse, mental illness, sexual abuse of a minor, suicide attempt, suicidal ideation, psychosis, explicit language
Social Media:
Instagram: @actuallyhappening
Twitter: @TIAHPodcast
Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com
Website for Jason Blalock: jasonblalock.com
Show Sponsors: Betterhelp: This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/HAPPENING and get on your way to being your best self.”
Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happening
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
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.
Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.com
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.
4 Listeners
271: Point Blank #3: What if you shielded your students?
This Is Actually Happening
03/28/23 • 44 min
Coming from a career in the military, law enforcement and police dispatch, Ken Yuers found his true calling as a teacher for at-risk youth, and eventually landed a job at Rancho Tehama elementary, when one day in 2017, gunshots outside the classroom brought a horror on him and his students that he never imagined.
Today’s episode is Part Two of our limited series, “Point Blank,” featuring five stories of people impacted by the spree killing of Rancho Tehama California in 2017. There, a lone gunman killed his wife, then his neighbors and then began a shooting spree, attacking 8 different locations in the span of only 25 minutes, ending at elementary school, and leaving 6 people dead and 18 wounded.
This series is co-produced by This Is Actually Happening creator and host, Whit Missildine and Connor Sheets, investigative journalist with the Los Angeles Times, with special thanks to Jason Blalock, and Andrew Waits. To find out more about the shooting, you can read the original article by Connor that inspired the story, titled: “It was California’s forgotten mass shooting. But for victims, the ‘hell’ never ends,” on the latimes.com
Producers: Whit Missildine, Connor Sheets
Editors: Whit Missildine, Jason Blalock
Content/Trigger Warnings: gun violence, mass shooting, death, child endangerment, explicit language
Social Media:
Instagram: @actuallyhappening
Twitter: @TIAHPodcast
Connor Sheets
Twitter: @ConnorASeets
Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com
Website for Jason Blalock: www.jasonblalock.com
Show Sponsors: Betterhelp: This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/HAPPENING and get on your way to being your best self.”
Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happening
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
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.
Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.com
Intro Music: ""Illabye" – Tipper
Music and Sound Design by: Marcelino Villalpando
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.
3 Listeners
265: What if a routine pickup led to a crushing blow?
This Is Actually Happening
02/14/23 • 51 min
Reeling from the early loss of his father and abuse in the family, a man finds an outlet through cars and becomes a repo agent, but on a routine job one night, he faces a life-altering danger that will change him forever.
Today’s episode featured Brian White. If you’d like to reach out to Brian, you can email him at [email protected]
Producer: Whit Missildine, Aviva Lipkowitz
Content/Trigger Warnings: death, domestic violence, abuse of a minor, assault, graphic bodily injury, explicit language
Social Media:
Instagram: @actuallyhappening
Twitter: @TIAHPodcast
Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com
Show Sponsors: Betterhelp: This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/HAPPENING and get on your way to being your best self.”
Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happening
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
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.
Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.com
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.
3 Listeners
Introducing: Something Was Wrong
This Is Actually Happening
06/19/23 • 5 min
The hardest true crime story to report on is... your own.
The sixteenth season of Something Was Wrong features host Tiffany Reese’s firsthand account of surviving a childhood mired with abuse and uncertainty, and the eventual murder of her beloved baby brother, Bobby. Tiffany uncovers layers of her family’s secret history throughout the season. Her goal is to use her own experience to continue empowering victims of manipulation, coercion, familial abuse, and police brutality, as well as enhance the safe, victim-centered space she has already cultivated. In season sixteen, listeners will come to understand Tiffany’s truly personal stake in victim advocacy.
Listen to Something Was Wrong: Wondery.fm/SWW_TAH
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
3 Listeners
260: What if your husband claimed you were dead?
This Is Actually Happening
01/10/23 • 49 min
After a chaotic upbringing ending with her parents’ divorce, a woman falls into the hands of a man whose promises are too good to be true.
Today's guest requested to remain anonymous, but if you'd like to reach out to her, you can email at [email protected].
Producer: Whit Missildine, Sara Marinelli
Social Media:
Instagram: @actuallyhappening
Twitter: @TIAHPodcast
Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com
Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happening
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
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.
Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.com
Content/Trigger Warnings: domestic abuse, sexual abuse, explicit language
Intro Music: ""Illabye" – Tipper
Music Bed: “Cylinder Four” “Cylinder Five” – Chris Zabriskie
Outro Music: "The Moon is Down" - El Diablo & Adam Schraft (Rojo y Negro) @eldiablosf @rojo-y-negro www.eldiablobass.com/
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.
3 Listeners
284: What if you found the antidote in the venom?
This Is Actually Happening
06/27/23 • 49 min
Growing up Muslim in the Middle East, a woman juggles the chaotic expectations of a severely abusive mother with her desire for self-expression; but when she comes into a sexual awakening, a secret world opens where a deeper healing waits.
Producers: Whit Missildine, Aviva Lipkowitz, Andrew Waits
Content/Trigger Warnings: domestic violence, domestic abuse of a minor, sexual fetish and kink, BDSM, explicit language
Social Media:
Instagram: @actuallyhappening
Twitter: @TIAHPodcast
Website: thisisactuallyhappening.com
Website for Andrew Waits: andrewwaits.com
Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happening
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 wondery.com/plus
Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link: thisisactuallyhappening.com/shop to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop.
Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.com
Intro Music: ""Illabye" – Tipper
Music Bed: “Uncertain Outcomes” - SkyeVoyager
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 and Crisis Lifeline: Text or Call 988
National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264
National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
3 Listeners
221: What if you were addicted to each other?
This Is Actually Happening
02/08/22 • 45 min
“All that stuff I went through, the abuse, the physical, verbal, everything was not rock bottom for me....Me realizing that I was being abusive to people I loved, that was my rock bottom.”
Producers: Whit Missildine, Jason Blalock
Episode Summary: A woman struggles to free herself from the catastrophic consequences of an obsession with a man she cannot leave
Social Media:
Instagram: @actuallyhappening
This Is Actually Happening Discussion Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/201783687561039/
Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com
Website for Jason Blalock: jasonblalock.com
Content/Trigger Warnings: infant death, domestic violence, graphic domestic abuse, near death, abortion, explicit language
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
Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happening
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.
Intro Music: "Illabye" – Tipper
Music Bed: “Re-Entry” – Lee Rosevere
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.
2 Listeners
336: What if you escaped a polygamous cult?
This Is Actually Happening
10/22/24 • 60 min
A woman born into the notorious Mormon cult, Church of the Firstborn, grows up in constant fear of their fatal practice of “blood atonement”, but after suffering under the oppression of her husband and caretaking his multiple wives, she plots a daring international escape.
Today’s episode featured Pamela Jones. If you’d like to reach out to her, you can email her at [email protected], or you can find her on Instagram @pamela_speaks
Visit pamelaspeaks.live to find out more about her life as an author, speaker and coach. She also has another project about the hypocrisy, secrecy and scandals of the cult: wickedconfessionsuncensored.com.
Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Aviva Lipkowitz
Content/Trigger Warnings: cult, religious abuse/trauma, polygamy/plural marriage, child bride/child marriage, abuse, fraud, blood atonement/death, murder (religious & cartel), the afterlife, poverty, birth control, rape/sexual coercion, explicit language
Social Media:
Instagram: @actuallyhappening
Twitter: @TIAHPodcast
Website: thisisactuallyhappening.com
Website for Andrew Waits: andrewwaits.com
Website for Aviva Lipkowitz: avivalipkowitz.com
Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happening
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 wondery.com/plus
Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link: thisisactuallyhappening.com/shop to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop.
Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.com
Intro Music: "Illabye" – Tipper
Music Bed: Cylinder Four
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 and Crisis Lifeline: Text or Call 988
National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264
National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
2 Listeners
272: Point Blank #4: What if you made yourself a target?
This Is Actually Happening
04/04/23 • 57 min
After a chaotic upbringing and early adulthood, Jessie Sanders carved a life for himself in Rancho Tehama, California and formed a deep friendship, but when his sister reported hearing gunshots at the elementary school that day, Jessie knew exactly what he needed to do, confronting the horror, heroism and traumatic aftermath of loss and violence.
Today’s episode is Part Four of our limited series, “Point Blank,” featuring five stories of people impacted by the spree killing of Rancho Tehama California in 2017. This series is co-produced by This Is Actually Happening creator and host, Whit Missildine and Connor Sheets, investigative journalist with the Los Angeles Times, with special thanks to Jason Blalock, and Andrew Waits. To find out more about the shooting, you can read the original article by Connor that inspired the story, titled: “It was California’s forgotten mass shooting. But for victims, the ‘hell’ never ends,” on the latimes.com
Producers: Whit Missildine, Connor Sheets
Editors: Whit Missildine, Jason Blalock
Content/Trigger Warnings: gun violence, incarceration, solitary confinement, cancer, drug use, mass shooting, death, child endangerment, explicit language
Social Media:
Instagram: @actuallyhappening
Twitter: @TIAHPodcast
Connor Sheets
Twitter: @ConnorASeets
Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com
Website for Jason Blalock: www.jasonblalock.com
Show Sponsors: Betterhelp: This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/HAPPENING and get on your way to being your best self.”
Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happening
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
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.
Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.com
Intro Music: ""Illabye" – Tipper
Music and Sound Design by: Marcelino Villalpando
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.
2 Listeners
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FAQ
How many episodes does This Is Actually Happening have?
This Is Actually Happening currently has 483 episodes available.
What topics does This Is Actually Happening cover?
The podcast is about Society & Culture, True Crime, Documentary and Podcasts.
What is the most popular episode on This Is Actually Happening?
The episode title '261: What if your mother was a victim of a secret government experiment?' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on This Is Actually Happening?
The average episode length on This Is Actually Happening is 38 minutes.
How often are episodes of This Is Actually Happening released?
Episodes of This Is Actually Happening are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of This Is Actually Happening?
The first episode of This Is Actually Happening was released on Sep 11, 2013.
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@jennylang
Nov 3
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