2301: Cracks in the Fandom part 1

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Javier Leiva

True Crime, Society & Culture, Technology

4.7 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 6 October 2025

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

🎧 NEW SERIES: “Cracks in the Fandom” What would you do if you thought your favorite celebrity was stalking you? That’s exactly what Meghan Walsh claims. She says she’s being harassed by not one, not two—but three stalkers. And one of them? Is Mariska Hargitay, best known as Detective Olivia Benson from Law & Order: SVU. Yeah. I know how that sounds. But here’s the thing: the more I looked into it, the more the story started to twist. This new series, Cracks in the Fandom, is not about whether Mariska is actually stalking someone (spoiler: come on). It’s about why someone might believe that. What happens when online relationships go sideways. And what’s really going on underneath the noise. I’m releasing the first three extended cuts that are ~10 minutes longer than what you'll eventually hear on the public feed. There are 5 episodes total. And trust me, this story goes places I did not expect. Your feedback means a lot. Let me know what you think of the pacing, the structure, or anything that feels confusing. This is your sneak preview—and your chance to help shape how the story is told. First 3 episodes available now on Patreon and PRETEND+: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pretendradio PRETEND+ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/pretend/id6443456985 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	True Story Media
0:05.4	Say hello to the next generation of Zendesk AI agents
0:10.5	built to deliver resolutions for everyone.
0:12.9	Loved by over 10,000 companies,
0:14.7	Zendesk AI agents easily deploy in minutes
0:16.9	to resolve 30% of interactions instantly.
0:19.5	That's the Zendesk AI effect.
0:21.0	Find out more at Zendesk.com.
0:27.4	Reagan, it's not going to be easy, but you survived the assault, and you're going to survive
0:34.5	this.
0:35.9	This is actress and activist Mariska Hargitay.
0:40.1	How do you know?
0:45.9	Because I did.
0:48.4	So if you ever want or need to talk, I'm here.
0:55.3	Mariska plays Captain Olivia Benson on NBC's Law and Order SVU for the last 26 years,
1:01.8	the longest running primetime drama and television history.
1:05.5	As Olivia Benson, she fights for victims of sexual assault by getting the bad guys.
1:10.9	But in real life, Mariska Hargitay, she has fought to eradicate the rape kit backlog in the U.S.
1:17.3	With her nonprofit, the Joyful Heart Foundation.
1:21.0	While putting together the story, my producer McKenzie has consistently reminded me
1:25.4	that Mariska Hargitay is basically a big deal.
1:29.0	She's a feminist icon.
	...

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