Reality Life with Kate Casey

Kate discusses the Netflix documentary Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story, a chilling true-crime examination of Utah therapist Jodi Hildebrandt and her role in a devastating child abuse case involving popular parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke. Directed by Skye Borgman, the film explores how Hildebrandt, a licensed therapist and life coach, built power and credibility through her program ConneXions, ultimately manipulating Franke and others by weaponizing therapeutic language and moral authority. The documentary escalates as it reveals the “inhumane and merciless disciplinary regime” enforced under Hildebrandt’s influence, normalizing cruelty in the name of accountability and faith. The story r...

A countdown and discussion of the standout true crime documentaries released or streaming this year, from gripping investigations to haunting narratives that kept viewers talking.     Reality Life with Kate Casey What to Watch List: https://katecasey.substack.com Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/katecasey Twitter: https://twitter.com/katecasey Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/katecaseyca Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itskatecasey?lang=en Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/113157919338245 Amazon List: https://www.amazon.com/shop/katecasey Like it...

Julian Hobbs and Deniese Davis, the filmmakers behind the explosive three-part docuseries The Cult of The Real Housewife. The series investigates Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Mary Cosby and Faith Temple Pentecostal Church, led by Cosby and her husband, Robert Cosby Sr. With claims of spiritual and financial and misconduct circling Cosby and the church, the series unpacks the allegations behind the headlines and reveals the darker and more unsettling truth.   The series is directed and produced by Elli Hakami and Julian P. Hobbs for TLC.      Reality Life with...

Kate discusses what to watch this week including Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story (Netflix), The Cult of the Real Housewife (TLC), My Korean Boyfriend (Netflix), and Critical Incident (HBO).     Reality Life with Kate Casey What to Watch List: https://katecasey.substack.com Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/katecasey Twitter: https://twitter.com/katecasey Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/katecaseyca Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itskatecasey?lang=en Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/113157919338245 Amazon List: https://www.amazon.c...

This episode tells the remarkable story of Duke Kahanamoku, one of the most important cultural and sports figures to ever come out of Hawaii and the subject of the documentary The Waterman. More than an Olympic gold medalist and the man who introduced surfing to the world, Duke was a global ambassador for Hawaiian culture at a time when Native traditions and identity were under threat.   Bill Pratt, champion swimmer, outrigger canoe paddler, and Cultural Advisor with the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation  along with The Waterman director Isaac Halasima discuss Duke’s enduring influence, the true m...

Ace Fanning, co-host of Sister Wives: Love Should Be Multiplied, Not Divided, joins Kate for a fast-moving, hilarious conversation covering Sister Wives and Real Housewives.     Reality Life with Kate Casey What to Watch List: https://katecasey.substack.com Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/katecasey Twitter: https://twitter.com/katecasey Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/katecaseyca Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itskatecasey?lang=en Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/113157919338245 Amazon List: https://www.amazon.com/shop/katecasey Like it...

Kate revisits the magic with Fixing Famous People co-hosts Chris DeRosa and Dominick Fupa, whose last appearance had listeners crying laughing. This time, we’re diving into With Love, Meghan, Netflix’s lifestyle series devoted to homemaking, entertaining, and intentional living—hosted by one of the most famous figures of the last five years, Meghan Markle, also known as the Duchess of Sussex.     Reality Life with Kate Casey What to Watch List: https://katecasey.substack.com Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/katecasey Twitter: https://twitter.com/katecasey Instagram...

In 1961, George Carroll, a 30-year-old U.S. Army veteran and father of six, vanished without a trace from his family’s Long Island home on Olive Street, leaving behind a wife and young children, including his eight-month-old son Michael. For decades, the Carroll children were told their father had abandoned them, but unanswered questions lingered as the family endured years of silence, abuse, and buried secrets after their mother, Dorothy Carroll, remarried the family’s handyman, Richard Darress.   Driven by a lifelong search for truth, Michael Carroll eventually bought the family home and, alongside his sister...

Executive producer and Reality With The King podcast host Carlos King joins Kate for an unfiltered deep dive into the real mechanics of reality television—what we think happens, what actually happens, and why a reunion seating chart may be more dangerous than an open bar.   From Housewives casting and OG obsession to producer manipulation, fan-favorite delusions, and the pettiest reasons reality stars refuse to film, Kate and Carlos pull back the curtain on the psychology, power plays, and behind-the-scenes chaos that fuels unscripted TV.   Reality Life with Kate Casey What to...

Kate discusses what to watch this week including Elway (Netflix), Cover-Up (Netflix), Members Only: Palm Beach (Netflix), and The Secret World of Looksmaxxing (Hulu).    Reality Life with Kate Casey What to Watch List: https://katecasey.substack.com Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/katecasey Twitter: https://twitter.com/katecasey Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/katecaseyca Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itskatecasey?lang=en Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/113157919338245 Amazon List: https://www.amazon.com...

Every December, the same two songs return — playing in stores, homes, airports, and holiday parties around the world. Do They Know It’s Christmas? and Last Christmas have become so deeply embedded in our global celebration of the season that it feels like they’ve always been there. But they haven’t.   In this episode, Kate takes a deep dive into the remarkable back stories behind two of the most iconic Christmas songs ever recorded, both released within days of each other in December 1984 — and both created under dramatically different circumstances.     Reality Life...

Kate is joined by Patrick Hickey, co-host of Bad TV podcast, for a wide-ranging conversation that moves from Sean Combs to Real Housewives. Patrick shares his personal connection to Sean “Diddy” Combs and what it’s been like watching the conversation evolve in real time, especially in the wake of the Netflix docuseries Sean Combs: The Reckoning. They also discuss Taylor Swift, music industry strategy, documentaries, and Real Housewives.  Reality Life with Kate Casey What to Watch List: https://katecasey.substack.com Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/katecasey Twitte...

John Maggio, director of the HBO documentary Paul Anka: His Way, about the life and legacy of one of popular music’s most enduring figures.   Paul Anka, born in 1941 in Ottawa, Canada, rose to fame at sixteen with the hit single “Diana.” Unlike many artists of his era, Anka maintained early control over his songwriting and publishing, a decision that enabled a career spanning more than six decades. In addition to his own recordings, he wrote songs for artists including Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, and Tom Jones, most notably “My Way.”   ...

Kate breaks down the shocking true story behind Hulu’s Missing Millionaires and the disappearance of Australian financial fraudster Melissa Caddick.   Melissa Caddick appeared to be a successful Sydney-based financial advisor living an enviable life in one of the city’s wealthiest coastal neighborhoods. But in November 2020, as federal police raided her home for operating a massive Ponzi scheme, Melissa walked out for a morning run and never returned.     Reality Life with Kate Casey What to Watch List: https://katecasey.substack.com Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/ka...

Dana Bowling joins Kate to discuss Taylor Swift: The End of an Era on Disney+, and Southern Charm and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on Bravo.   Reality Life with Kate Casey What to Watch List: https://katecasey.substack.com Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/katecasey Twitter: https://twitter.com/katecasey Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/katecaseyca Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itskatecasey?lang=en Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/113157919338245 Amazon List: https://www.amazon.com/shop/katecasey Like it t...

Kate discusses what to watch this week including Murder in Monaco (Netflix), The Secrets We Bury (ID Discovery), Breakdown: 1975 (Netflix), and Born to Be Wild (Apple TV).     Reality Life with Kate Casey What to Watch List: https://katecasey.substack.com Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/katecasey Twitter: https://twitter.com/katecasey Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/katecaseyca Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itskatecasey?lang=en Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/113157919338245 Amazon List: https://www.amazon.com/shop/katecas...

In this episode, Kate talks with Kim Huynh, whose family story spans continents, generations, and a lifetime of unanswered questions. Kim first caught Kate’s attention through an Instagram video where she revealed a stunning discovery: her father—born and raised in Vietnam—had finally found a biological relative through a genealogy site. The match confirmed what had long been whispered but never proven: his father was an American soldier in the Vietnam War, a man he never knew, and about whom his own mother gave no identifying information.   Kim shares her father’s powerful origin stor...

In this episode, Kate breaks down Meghan Markle’s new Netflix holiday special With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration with veteran TV producer and Fixing Famous People host Chris DeRosa. Together they unpack the highly curated Montecito setting, the wreath-making and hosting “how-to” segments, Meghan’s viral red-pajama moment, and why the special has become such a lightning rod for both fans and critics. Chris offers an insider producer’s perspective on what worked, what felt off, and how he would have shaped the project for more authenticity and impact. Whether you loved it or were left puzzled, this conversation reframes M...

Susan Powter joins Kate to discuss her new documentary Stop The Insanity: Finding Susan Powter on Apple TV+.   In the 90s, pop culture icon Susan Powter burst onto the scene with her signature bleach-blonde buzz cut and bold message of health and wellness. After conquering infomercials, becoming a New York Times bestselling author, hosting her own talk show, and seeing her face on thousands of products, she dramatically walked away from Hollywood. Crippling lawsuits with her business partners left her bankrupt, and for the past twenty years, she has lived as a total recluse, below the...

In this episode, Kate explores Charmed by the Devil, the haunting new Oxygen documentary built from journalist Laura Greenberg’s 40-year investigation into serial killer Douglas Gretzler and the more than 500 hours of intimate audiotapes she recorded with him. Through conversations with Co-Executive Producer Lauren Flowers and Laura’s nephew, actor Ben Giroux, they unpack how one of the deadliest killing sprees in American history quietly vanished from headlines, how Laura’s journalistic pursuit evolved into a deeply complicated relationship with Gretzler, and what it took to shape decades of material into a coherent, ethically grounded film.     <...