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Harsh Reality: The Story of Miriam Rivera

Introducing: Harsh Reality: The Story of Miriam Rivera

Harsh Reality: The Story of Miriam Rivera

Wondery

Exhibit C, Society & Culture

4.31.7K Ratings

🗓️ 22 November 2021

⏱️ 3 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

It was supposed to be a reality show with a twist. In a sun-drenched villa in Ibiza, six hot guys compete for a cash prize and for the love of the beautiful and mysterious Miriam. It’s meant to be her big break: the moment she becomes the superstar she was born to be. But this is the era of “cruel reality TV” and the show producers have a different goal: they want to surprise the men with the fact that Miriam is trans. A new six-episode investigative series from Wondery, the makers of The Shrink Next Door and The Apology Line, and from Novel, HARSH REALITY is the story about love, lies, reality TV and a woman before her time: Miriam Rivera. Written by Agnes Borinsky and hosted by Trace Lysette.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

It's morning in Ibiza. A few clouds streak the powder blue sky. Up on a mountain side, a gorgeous white

0:15.3

villa bathed in sunlight. And on the patio of that villa, a group of hot, young, single men,

0:22.7

and a reality TV crew. All cameras were there trying to make sure we didn't miss a second of the

0:28.0

action. There's the karate instructor, the royal marine, the songwriter, the chef, the recruitment

0:34.3

consultant, the lifeguard. For the past three weeks, they've been competing for a cash prize and

0:40.3

the love of a beautiful woman. It's been a lot of fun and a little sexy and a little dangerous.

0:47.3

And it's all come down to this, the grand finale. It was a pressure cooker atmosphere.

0:53.4

But something is wrong. I can still see her standing there and she's shaking as she's talking.

1:00.1

Because what the producers have been making for the past three weeks isn't an ordinary reality

1:06.2

TV series. What's about to go down is a total disaster. One that will change the lives of

1:13.5

everyone there that morning, the production crew, the contestants, and the woman at the center

1:20.4

of the show. Miriam Rivera. Miriam was the focus of the program. Miriam knew what she was doing.

1:30.4

She wants to fame. She had decided to be a superstar. You can't just do that, just throw a trans girl

1:36.7

into a straight man's layer that's putting, you know, a deer in a lion's cage.

1:43.4

From Wondry and Novel comes a new story about love. We had discussions. What if you actually fell in

1:49.2

love and should say, well, that would be great, but it's very unlikely.

1:52.7

Lies. If the secret got out, it was game over for the show. And reality TV.

1:58.4

I can't remember whether it was ever proved or rather just a rumor that was it like being used

2:02.1

for porn films. I just had that feel about it. I was just blown up with them and was like, yeah,

2:07.2

you should feel guilty actually because you signed up for this and you knew what you were doing.

2:11.2

They're ripped apart. The British tabloid press ripped apart.

2:14.6

You know, they'd stitch us up. We're going to stitch them up as best we can.

...

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