Miss Understood with Rachel Uchitel

Sarah Edmondson never thought she'd join a cult.

Like so many others, she was searching for personal growth, community, and purpose when she discovered NXIVM—a self-help organization that promised to help people become the best version of themselves.

Instead, she found herself trapped inside one of the most notorious cults in modern history.

In this eye-opening conversation, Sarah shares how she became involved with NXIVM, the red flags she noticed from the beginning, and why she ignored them. She opens up about the secret inner circle known as DOS, the shocking branding ritual that changed everything, and the moment she realized the organization was far more dangerous than she ever imagined.

Rachel also shares her own experiences with coercive environments and explores the psychology behind manipulation, control, and why intelligent, successful people can find themselves caught in systems they never intended to join.

This is more than a story about NXIVM.

It's a conversation about trust, belonging, influence, and how easily our instincts can be overridden when the right person—or organization—knows exactly what we want to hear.
Sarah's New Book "A Little Bit Culty: Navigating Cults, Control and Coercion" : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GSLMQSNG/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_api_gl_i_1SRVB8CAP59353KWMAFF?linkCode=ml1&tag=sarahjedmonds-20&linkId=392e3fe96936a691bf47e4d22bdf4b09
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Executive Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠George Carmona

For decades, Joey Merlino has been one of the most controversial and recognizable figures in America. Federal prosecutors called him the boss of the Philadelphia crime family. He's spent years behind bars, fought some of the biggest federal cases of his life, and recently became the subject of renewed public attention through a Netflix documentary.
In this candid conversation with Rachel Uchitel, Joey opens up about prison, solitary confinement, loyalty, betrayal, gambling addiction, family, second chances, and how he navigates a world where everyone seems to have an opinion about him. Whether you view him as a mob boss, businessman, survivor, or something else entirely, this conversation reveals a side of Joey Merlino that rarely makes the headlines.
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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Rachel on Instagram!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/racheluchitelnyc/?hl=en
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Executive Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠George Carmona

After Netflix's The Crash reignited national attention around Mackenzie Shirilla, Rachel Uchitel sits down with former inmate Kat Crowder, who spent time incarcerated with her in Ohio prison.
Kat shares what Mackenzie was really like behind bars, why she says the woman featured in the documentary didn't match the person she observed in prison, and what inmates thought about one of the most talked-about true crime cases in recent years. She also discusses Mackenzie's prison reputation, disciplinary reports, relationships behind bars, and the reaction inmates had to seeing the documentary while incarcerated.
But this conversation becomes much more than a story about Mackenzie. Kat opens up about her own troubled past, her father's suicide, addiction, multiple arrests, a high-speed police chase that landed her in prison, and the daughter she believes ultimately saved her life. It's a powerful story about accountability, redemption, second chances, and rebuilding after prison.
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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Rachel on Instagram!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/racheluchitelnyc/?hl=en
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Executive Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠George Carmona

Boomer Buddies Rescue: https://www.boomersbuddies.com
Jessica Davis IG: https://www.instagram.com/jessandheranimals/?hl=en
As wildfires tore through California, many residents were forced to flee without knowing if they would ever see their pets again. In this heartbreaking episode, Rachel Uchitel speaks with animal rescuer Jessica Davis, who entered the Palisades fire zones to search for stranded animals after entire neighborhoods had been destroyed. Jessica shares the emotional stories of desperate owners, surviving pets found hiding in the rubble, and the devastating reality facing California’s overwhelmed shelter system. From rescue efforts during active fire conditions to the growing animal crisis happening across the state, this is a powerful conversation about survival, compassion, and the bond between people and their animals.
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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Rachel on Instagram!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/racheluchitelnyc/?hl=en
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Executive Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠George Carmona

Reality TV icon, model, entrepreneur, author, and luxury real estate powerhouse Kelly Bensimon joins Rachel for a deeply personal conversation about reinvention, resilience, and why being misunderstood may actually be her greatest strength.
Fresh off filming E!’s highly anticipated new reality series The Golden Life — which reunites original RHONY legends in Palm Beach — Kelly opens up about what it was really like stepping back into ensemble reality television on an entirely different network with a completely new storytelling style and energy.
But this episode goes far beyond reality TV.
Kelly shares the truth about rebuilding herself over and over again — from modeling and publishing to becoming one of the top luxury real estate brokers in New York and Florida — all while learning how to stand firmly on her own two feet. She reflects on public perception, fame, heartbreak, and why she’s finally comfortable owning the parts of herself the world never fully understood.
She also addresses her complicated history with Bethenny Frankel, discusses the lasting tension from the RHONY years, and gives her honest thoughts on friendship, competition, and reality television today. The conversation also dives into love, dating, and relationships after the end of her engagement to financier Scott Litner in 2024.
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PLEASE LIKE, SHARE, SUBSCRIBE, AND GIVE US A 5-STAR REVIEW!: ratethispodcast.com/missunderstood
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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Rachel on Instagram!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/racheluchitelnyc/?hl=en
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Executive Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠George Carmona