Believable: The Coco Berthmann Story

In the spring and summer of 2021, Coco Berthmann seemed to be at the height of her popularity. She recorded a TEDx talk and appeared at events with Elizabeth Smart. But behind the scenes, more and more people were starting to doubt her story. Her solution? Come up with a bigger lie.

But even as Coco announced her cancer “diagnosis” on Instagram, internet sleuths were documenting her every move. And soon, Coco would find...

From the start of our investigation, we’ve heard the same question over and over again. “Why would someone lie about these things?” This week, we attempt to find out why Coco Berthmann lies ... with Forensic Psychiatrist Dr. Sohom Das.

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RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Net...

Coco told a lot of lies about her connection to Celine Dion. But to everyone’s surprise, one of the things she said about Celine appears to be rooted in truth. But a conversation that was meant to be a light-hearted look into Coco’s obsession with a pop star quickly turns more serious, as we examine the human cost of Coco’s lies. Plus, thanks to some clues Coco left behind, we get our first real glimpse into her mental hea...

The investigation returns to Germany to answer more questions about Coco’s childhood. This time, we focus on Coco’s accusations against Sebastian, a therapist who Coco says held her hostage and abused her for two years. Spoiler: As near as we can tell, Sebastian never existed. But to our surprise, there is another therapist who seems to have acted unethically, if not illegally, in Coco’s care.

If you or a loved one is ...

Coco Berthmann’s student visa is set to expire, and she’s desperate to stay in the United States. So… her story grows. Again. Coco meets with a best-selling author to talk about collaborating on a book. She tries to convince journalist Chris Hansen to make a documentary criticizing a major anti-trafficking organization… with her as a central character in the film. And she files rape charges against a well-known anti-traffi...

As Coco’s popularity grows, so do her lies. One of Coco’s videos captures the attention of conspiracy theorists, who spread it all across the globe. And Coco learns, the more outrageous her content, the more attention she gets. Behind closed doors, child sex trafficking organizations in Utah are beginning to question Coco’s story. But they’re still supporting her in public … and profiting from her celebrity.

If you or ...

To try to get to the truth of Coco Berthmann’s past, the investigation turns to Germany. Coco’s mother provides evidence to contradict many of Coco’s most horrific stories. But it’s clear that people were concerned about Coco’s welfare from the age of 12, when she first started showing signs of abuse. And even her mother believes that something must have happened to her. The investigation zeroes in on her mother’s former b...

By the summer of 2019, Coco Berthmann has gone public with her story. She's regularly invited to appear on podcasts and to speak at anti-trafficking events. One organization even flies her to Miami to give the keynote address at a star-studded benefit for survivors. But privately, Coco's story just isn't adding up. She shows all the outward signs of having lived through trauma, but she keeps getting caught in lies that hav...

It's February 2017, years before Coco Berthmann goes public with her story. She's a 23-year-old German au pair, living in Las Vegas. And she travels to Utah for college classes that are a requirement of her visa. There, she meets an instructor we’re calling Emily. The two quickly develop a Facebook friendship. Coco opens up about the abuse she endured back home in Germany. And Emily shares her faith, as a member of the Chu...

Coco Berthmann’s star is rising. She's young and pretty. And her eagerness to talk about the abuse she endured makes her a rarity in the anti-child sex trafficking space. For a while, it seems like Coco is everywhere, sharing her story of survival at international conferences, on podcasts and to her tens of thousands of social media followers. But in January of 2022, Coco shares some distressing news: She’s been diagnosed ...

Coco Berthmann became internet-famous by sharing her story of surviving sex trafficking as a young child growing up in Germany. She was sheltered and supported by families in Utah, where her faith and fame intertwined. But in 2022, Coco was arrested for raising money for a fake cancer diagnosis, and people began to doubt everything that she had ever said. Is her life story truly one big elaborate lie? Pulitzer Prize-winnin...