Foretold
Paulina Stevens grew up in an insular Romani American family, destined to leave school, marry young, and become a fortuneteller. By 17, her fate was sealed — until she decided to leave it all behind. "Foretold" follows Paulina as she navigates the consequences of her decision to leave her community and redefine her identity. Hosted by Los Angeles Times reporter Faith Pinho, "Foretold" will take you past the neon "psychic" signs and trendy tarot cards to unravel myths and stereotypes that have followed the Romani people for centuries.
Episodes
In the final episode of “Foretold,” Paulina makes a career choice and starts figuring out her place in the world. And Paulina and Bobby’s custody battle culminates in a decision about their daughters’ future.
Check out behind-the-scenes photos and host Faith E. Pinho's reflections on the series.
Read the episode transcript.
Dive deeper: There is no monolithic “Romani American experience,” not even in California — there are a multi...
Faced with the consequences of her decisions, Paulina grows estranged from her family — but meets Gina, a cousin who left the community decades before. And Paulina turns to her ultimate battle: the fight for her children in court.
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Dive deeper: There is no monolithic “Romani American experience,” not even in California — there are a multitude of them. See opi...
In the beginning, Faith thought Paulina was giving her a hot news tip about psychics and scams. Years of investigation revealed something else.
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Dive deeper: “I would not exist if my ancestors had not practiced Drabarimos,” or spiritual medicine, spiritualist and filmmaker George Eli writes. He delves into how he got into his line of work and why his communi...
Now that Paulina has left her family, she has a choice to make: Does she take her custody case through the Romani judicial system? Or does she turn to the American courts, trusting the system she has always been taught to fear?
Check out more information about this episode.
Read the episode transcript.
Dive deeper: There is no monolithic “Romani American experience,” not even in California — there are a multitude of them. See opinio...
As a young mother, Paulina grows disillusioned with her home life and yearns for independence and a space she can call her own. Once she opens a new psychic shop, she meets a couple of new clients who give her a peek into their outside world — and there’s no going back.
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Dive deeper: There is no monolithic “Romani American experience,” not even in...
Now married, Paulina moves in with Bobby’s family in Orange County and is met with a host of expectations: cooking, cleaning, serving, working at the psychic shop and having children. This kind of family dynamic has helped keep the Romani culture alive across the centuries. But it still catches Paulina by surprise.
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Before Paulina was born, her future seemed predestined: She’d marry her relative and close family friend, Bobby. They were a match written in the stars. And their wedding only augured more good things to come. Or so she thought.
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Dive deeper: There is no monolithic “Romani American experience,” not even in California — there are a multitude of them...
We go back to where it all began: Morro Bay. Paulina shows Faith her hometown, where she recounts a childhood in a tightknit family, vibrant parties and an education cut short.
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Dive deeper: There is no monolithic “Romani American experience,” not even in California — there are a multitude of them. Author Oksana Marafioti shares her recollections ...
In the fall of 2019, reporter Faith E. Pinho received a tip from Paulina Stevens. Paulina said she had grown up in an insular Romani community in California, where she was raised to be a wife, mother and fortuneteller — until she decided to break away. This opens the door to a story spanning multiple continents, hundreds of years and complex, even metaphysical, realities.
Check out photos and more information about this episode.
At 12 years old, Paulina Stevens could predict the course of her entire life. Growing up in a traditional Romani family, Paulina was destined to become a wife, mother and fortuneteller. Married at 17 and a mother by 19, Paulina settled into a predetermined life... until she decided to change the course of fate. "Foretold" is a gripping journey of self-discovery as Paulina navigates the consequences of her decision to leave her comm...
A conversation with actor Simu Liu about defying tropes as Marvel’s first Asian superhero, feeling empowered on the set of “Shang-Chi” after his experience with “Kim’s Convenience,” and the importance of being the “masters of our own narrative.” Guest photo by Miller Mobley.
A conversation with comedian and actor Maz Jobrani about centering his Iranian American identity in his standup, toeing the line with stereotypes onstage, and immigrating to California as a child when his family fled the Iranian Revolution. Guest photo by Storm Santos.
A conversation with model, actor and dancer Leyna Bloom about making history as the first trans cover model for a Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, embracing her Black and Filipina identity, and reconnecting with her mother — who was deported more than 20 years ago. Guest photo by Zenobia.
A conversation with comedian and filmmaker Hari Kondabolu about taking on "The Simpsons" with his documentary “The Problem With Apu,” where he draws the line between activism and comedy, and why he’s cool with white people walking out of his shows. Guest photo by Rob Holysz.
A conversation with Maitreyi Ramakrishnan of the Netflix comedy series “Never Have I Ever” about her Tamil Canadian identity, having Mindy Kaling as a boss and breaking ground by playing a flawed Asian American lead on TV. Guest photo by Yasara Gunawardena / Netflix.
A conversation with Emmy-nominated actor Lucy Liu about fame, art, motherhood and standing up for herself on the set of "Charlie’s Angels." Guest photo by Sophy Holland.
A conversation with comedian and writer Jenny Yang about giving ourselves permission to create, her past life as a labor organizer and how growing up among other Asian Americans taught her she could do it all.
A conversation with chef and food media personality Sohla El-Waylly about cooking Bangladeshi food with her mom, appropriation vs appreciation and microaggressions in food media. Guest photo by Jingyu Lin.
A conversation with actor John Cho about fatherhood, the complexities of fame and unpacking the stories our parents tell us.
A conversation with writer Nicole Chung about challenging the narrative of her adoption story in her memoir “All You Can Ever Know,” processing grief and why it’s so hard to talk about racism. Guest photo by Erica Tappis.
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