372 episodes
This Is Actually Happening Wondery
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- True Crime
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4.6 • 9.2K Ratings
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What if you were trafficked into a cult...or were mauled by a grizzly bear...or were stabbed 27 times by a serial killer - what would you do? This is Actually Happening brings you extraordinary true stories of life-changing events told by the people who lived them. From a man who woke up in the morgue to a woman stranded in a Mexican desert fighting to survive, these stories will have you on the edge of your seat waiting to hear what happens next.
New episodes come out every Tuesday for free. Listen 1-week early and to exclusive past episodes - all ad-free - with Wondery+ or Amazon Music with a Prime membership or Amazon Music Unlimited subscription.
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What if your life became a movie?
After his mother falls in love with Frank, the member of a one-hit-wonder 80s band, a man’s life becomes a roller coaster of neglect, scams, and chaos, but when he turns the camera on the inside of his family, a new world opens he never thought possible.
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What if you harbored an unrelenting fury?
After losing her entire family at ten years old, a woman’s grief evolves into a self-destructive rage, and as systems of care, punishment and rehabilitation keep failing her, she’s forced to create her own path to healing.
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What if you had to find your own salvation?
Growing up queer, bullied and abused in a heavily religious community, a man tries and to change his sexual orientation through prayer, but as he pieces his life together and heals past harms, tragedy and misfortune raise more questions than answers.
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What if you believed your love could cure him?
Finally finding love and marriage after feeling unworthy of romance, a woman develops symptoms of a mysterious and debilitating illness, but in the roller coaster of recovery, her husband’s mental illness creates a new level of chaos.
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What if you danced for those who couldn’t?
An Indigenous woman from the Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation whose grandparents suffered the horrific abuses of the Canadian Indian residential schools finds her own path to healing amidst the ravages of generational trauma on her family and community.
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What if your mother disappeared?
After being kidnapped by her mother in a custody battle, a woman finds herself cut off and under the thumb of an abusive stepmother, but after years of chaos and yearning, she finally learns the devastating truth.
Customer Reviews
People that have left 1 star reviews…
have not throughly thought through the message behind these stories and certainly don’t live in the shoes of the people sharing their stories. No one is forcing you to listen and if you’re basing your rating off of ONE episode, you are clearly missing out. This podcast has been a great way to realize that everyone has a very unique life experience. Don’t even bother reading the one star reviews, because those people don’t know what they’re talking about, period.
Pretty good!
Just taking a break from the current episode that I am listening to to give 5 stars.
I want to say that the story teller is having a hard time, and is very emotional- I feel bad for the person, but the story seems to be about a recklessness with relationships, a lack of empathy and understanding for other people, and an expectation of acceptance and forgiveness.
I had a hard childhood myself. And I looked for forgiveness. Those people who we try to find solace in do not owe us anything. In fact they often have their own problems. I hope we all find true peace- but it’s not going to be found with the attitude that you are owed it, or that you can have it now. Hang in there, My heart goes out to you story teller.
Maybe skip a few episodes
I’ve found this podcast to just be okay but the last story about Amy and her childhood was just too much. She’s unstable and crying every other sentence. If you’re not emotionally stable enough to get through any of your story without crying, maybe it would be better spoken in therapy. I’m sorry you’re still struggling.
Amy-you were a very cruel person regardless of your circumstances. Do you blame them for not accepting your forgiveness? You say you’re not a victim but parts of this podcast state otherwise.
This episode can be skipped. It was just too much pity me.