In this episode of Pod Candy, Stacey and Dori dive into the disturbing case of Jared Fogle, the former Subway spokesman whose wholesome public image hid a far darker reality. As they revisit the documentary Jared From Subway: Catching a Monster, they break down how an American success story unraveled into a horrifying criminal case involving child exploitation, undercover recordings, and years of hidden abuse.

They also examine the woman who risked everything to help expose him, the larger web of people tied to the case, and the failures that may have allowed the abuse to continue. With insights from Dr. John, the episode explores the psychology behind predatory behavior and the devastating impact these crimes leave behind. It’s a furious, emotional, and deeply unsettling conversation about manipulation, power, and the monsters that can hide in plain sight.

*Listener discretion advised.
Source Documentary: "Jared From Subway: Catching a Monster" on HBO Max.

In this episode of Pod Candy, we unpack HBO Max’s Murder in Glitter Ball City, a shocking true crime story set in Louisville’s flashy nightlife scene, where sex, drugs, and a brutal murder collide. Stacey, Dori, and Dr. John break down the twisted relationships, the toxic dynamics, and the courtroom chaos behind a case that feels almost too bizarre to be real. Listener discretion is advised for explicit themes, drug use, and violence.

Source Documentary: "Murder in Glitterball City" on HBO Max

In this episode of Pod Candy, Stacey, Dori, and Dr. John Mayer break down Hollywood Hustler: Glitz, Glam & Scam, the jaw-dropping documentary about Zach Horowitz, the aspiring actor who built a Hollywood fantasy so convincing that friends, investors, and insiders handed over millions. What started as promises of exclusive film distribution deals with major studios and streamers unraveled into one of Hollywood’s most shocking Ponzi schemes.

As they unpack the layers of deception, Stacey and Dori dig into the power of image, access, and manipulation in an industry where perception can easily outweigh reality. They debate whether the people closest to Horowitz truly had no idea, or whether some ignored the red flags because the lifestyle was just too good to question. Dr. John joins the conversation to explore the psychology behind grifting, sociopathic behavior, enabling, and how charm and confidence can keep even the smartest people hooked.

It’s a wild conversation about greed, illusion, loyalty, and the danger of believing the story someone wants you to see.

Source Documentary: "Hollywood Hustler: Glitz, Glam & Scam" on Prime Video

In this deeply unsettling episode of Pod Candy, Stacey, Dori, and Dr. John Mayer unpack HBO Max’s The Cult Behind The Killer: The Andrea Yates Story—and the disturbing web of severe mental illness, postpartum psychosis, religious extremism, and coercive influence surrounding one of the most devastating crimes in modern American history. Rather than reducing the Andrea Yates case to a headline, the conversation digs into the warning signs, the role of Michael Woroniecki’s radical teachings, and the broader systems that failed Andrea and her children.

Listen as we examine how cult-like ideology, fear-based religious messaging, and untreated psychological crisis can collide with horrifying consequences. They also explore the unsettling parallels raised in the documentary, including the normalization of child abuse, the emotional fallout for survivors like Moses Storm, and the lingering questions about accountability that still remain today. This is one of Pod Candy’s heaviest episodes—thoughtful, emotional, and unflinching in its search for context beneath this horrific crime.

In this very, very cool Pod Candy bonus episode we're giving you a best-of “killers” mashup featuring highlights from past episodes, stitched together into one dark, bingeable ride.

In this compilation, Stacey, Dori, and Dr. John Mayer revisit four infamous cases—pulling the most jaw-dropping moments, sharpest psychological insights, and most heated “wait…WHAT?!” reactions.

In this episode of Pod Candy, Stacey and Dori dive into Corey Feldman Versus the World—a YouTube documentary filmed around 2016 that tracks Corey Feldman during a turbulent stretch of touring, isolation, and relentless public scrutiny.

What starts as “wait…what am I watching?” quickly turns into something darker: the documentary’s “angels” era—young women recruited into Feldman’s orbit—raises unsettling questions about control, power, and cult-like dynamics, including reports of strict rules and basic-needs restrictions while on the road.

Joining them, Dr. John zooms out from the spectacle and into the psychology—connecting paranoia, “dark media” conspiracies, and the “love and light” self-mythology to a broader pattern of delusion and grievance. Stacey and Doris’ minds are blown when Dr. John drops his most provocative comparison: parallels to Charles Manson—the entourage structure, the messiah framing, and the obsession with being recognized as a “real” artist.
Find out what happens when childhood fame, unresolved trauma, and the need to control the narrative collide… and who gets hurt along the way.

Content warning: This episode discusses childhood trauma, abuse and mental health struggles.

Source Documentary: "Cory Feldman vs The World" on Youtube TV

In this chilling episode of Pod Candy, Stacey and Dori unpack Netflix’s documentary “Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story” a real-world case of charisma turned coercion, where a Utah therapist-turned–“life coach” allegedly leveraged religion, fear, and authority to control families and justify horrific abuse.

The trio digs into how Hildebrandt built an “empire” through her “Connextions” program—pushing rigid “truth vs. distortion” rhetoric, encouraging no-contact separations, and draining families financially—while allegedly isolating partners and turning spouses against each other. They also explore the explosive crossover with YouTube mom Ruby Franke, and the harrowing details that emerged after one of Franke’s children escaped for help, exposing evidence of extreme neglect and torture.

Joining them, Dr. John Mayer adds clinical insight into the psychology of manipulation—why vulnerable communities can fall into moral panic, how “authority” becomes a weapon, and why it’s crucial to verify a therapist’s credentials. Especially when someone rebrands as a “coach” to dodge accountability. The conversation is equal parts furious, heartbroken, and laser-focused on the bigger takeaway: when “family values” become a shield for control, the harm can be devastating.

Source Documentary: "Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hilderbrandt Story" on Netflix

In this episode of Pod Candy, Stacey and Dori dive into a raw, emotionally charged conversation sparked by Netflix’s The Perfect Neighbor. They focus on the bigger questions the documentary raises—about boundaries, neighbor conflicts, police response, fear, and how everyday tensions can spiral into irreversible tragedy

Their discussion moves candidly between empathy and accountability as Stacey and Dori debate personal responsibility, parental boundaries, and whether this situation could—or should—have been stopped long before it turned deadly. Forensic psychologist Dr. John Mayer joins to add psychological context, exploring anger, isolation, entitlement, and how unresolved conflict can become a dangerous obsession.
The team unpacks the uncomfortable gray areas: how people justify their behavior, how systems fail, and how easily “normal” disputes can escalate when no one truly intervenes. Thought-provoking, emotional, and deeply human, this conversation stays with you long after the episode ends.

Source Documentary: "The Perfect Neighbor" on Netflix