BLINK Q&A: You Asked, Jake Answers Part 1

Blink | Jake Haendel's Story

Sony Music

True Crime

4.9 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 23 December 2025

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Journalist Hannah Smith hosts an intimate BLINK Q&A with Jake Haendel, responding to listener questions submitted across platforms. Jake revisits locked-in syndrome, the exact moment he finally broke free—and what it felt like—along with storming, recovery updates, and life after going public. The conversation also explores addiction, resilience, and what comes next. Part 2 dives into the break, the legal fallout, and the truth behind what’s been unfolding off-mic—details Jake has never fully shared before. Content warning: Drug use/abuse, addiction, medical trauma, serious illness, paralysis/coma, death & dying, emotional distress & mature content. Resources can be found on our website, blinkthepodcast.com . . . . . Created by Jake Haendel Hosted by Hannah Smith Edited by Scott Somerville Original composition by Michael Marguet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Train Dreams is now nominated for five Critics' Choice Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay,
0:08.0	and two Golden Globe Awards, including Best Actor Joel Edgerton.
0:12.0	I don't know where the years go.
0:13.0	It is also nominated for four Independent Spirit Awards.
0:16.0	Figured out, let me know. I'd like to ask for a few back.
0:19.0	And winner for Best Adapted Screenplay from National Board of Review.
0:23.4	New York Magazine hails it as the best picture of the year.
0:27.5	Train Dreams, only on Netflix.
0:35.8	Jake here.
0:37.4	As you know, my whole life has been a wild ride.
0:41.3	And honestly, it's gone crazier since Blink launched back in February.
0:46.3	Blink has been voted best of 2025 by Apple, which is crazy, but not surprising because arguably I do have the craziest story ever.
0:58.5	And that only happens because of you, the listener. So thank you. Thank you for listening. Thank you for
1:05.2	caring. And thank you for the overwhelming support. A lot of happens since the show came out.
1:12.6	There are updates, there are things I haven't talked about,
1:16.6	and there are a lot of questions I promise to get to.
1:19.6	So today we're doing something a little different.
1:22.6	A Q&A episode.
1:24.6	Let's get into this shit.
1:41.2	Before we jump in, I want to introduce Hannah Smith.
1:43.4	Hannah's a big fan of Blink.
1:47.5	She's an incredible journalist, and you might know her from shows like The Opportunist and her current show The Knife, a true friend podcast. Hi, Jake. I'm so glad to be here
	...

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