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PRETEND

PRETEND

By: Creative Babble
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From cult leaders to con artists and undercover FBI agents, PRETEND exposes those pretending to be someone they're not.All rights reserved 2024 Social Sciences True Crime
Episodes
  • Listen Now: Business Wars
    Jul 23 2025
    In the year 2000, the merger of AOL and Time Warner seemed like the moment that the pendulum shifted from offline to online media. But the megamerger went off script fast. In-fighting, cooked books and incompatible corporate cultures would turn it into a marriage from hell, one that would scar both companies. But before any of that could happen, AOL had to overcome the odds…to take America online. In this season of Business Wars, we explore why the biggest merger in US history turned into a corporate catastrophe. Listen to Business Wars: The AOL Time Warner Disaster right now wherever you get your podcasts: Wondery.fm/BW_IFD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    8 mins
  • 2202: The Playwright part 2
    Jul 22 2025
    In Part 2 of The Playwright, we shift focus to the show at the center of it all: The History of Now. Written and directed by Jason Bartlett, the play was billed as a bold, political drama. It was a plan meant to honor a woman he claimed to love. But former cast members and collaborators started noticing red flags. Was this play ever really meant to open? Or was it all just a front? Was The History of Now a sincere artistic project...or just another performance? Written and Produced by: Javier Leiva & Mackenzie AmesEditor: Puneeth ShenoyTheme Music: by Thechicken.net Episode Credits: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    40 mins
  • 2201: The Playwright part 1
    Jul 15 2025
    In this episode, we investigate the mysterious Jayson Bartlett and the many women whose lives he upended. Emma was a single mother in England who fell for Bartlett’s charm and artistic persona. At first, everything seemed perfect. But soon, she realized she was being gaslit, lied to, and emotionally manipulated. Then there’s Melanie. She lived in North Carolina and had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. She thought she had found love and a creative partner. Instead, Jayson took control of her finances and disappeared. Episode Credits: Written and Produced by: Javier Leiva & Mackenzie AmesEditor: Puneeth ShenoyTheme Music: by Thechicken.net 🔓 Get Early Access: Hear the next episode early and unlock bonus content by subscribing to:Pretend Plus on Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/pretend/id6443456985 Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/c/pretendradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    44 mins

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