Trashy Divorces

Join us for an exploration of the failed romances that shaped - but certainly didn't break - two pioneering women writers. First, Alicia brings us an enduring mystery from the life of the mother of the genre, Agatha Christie. On Friday, December 3, 1926, the 36-year-old author disappeared without a trace, only be found 11 days later safe and sound in a hotel in Harrogate. What happened during this period has been a point of speculation for nearly a century, and Alicia thinks she's got all the tea for this one.Then, Stacie brings us closer to current events with the unfortunate tale of the celebrated marriage of writers Nora Ephron and Carl Bernstein. When they wed in 1976, they were considered a power couple. Bernstein had recently been half of the dynamic duo who took down a president, and Ephron was a columnist for Esquire magazine who was reinventing the form for women. They were the life of party in DC and New York, until Bernstein fell for the wife of a foreign ambassador. From this catastrophe, Ephron rebuilt herself and her career, and found lasting greatness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, pull on something mustard yellow and get your glitter scarves out of the closet: we're taking a trip to the 1970s!First up, Stacie has the trashy situation that rock superstars Fleetwood Mac found themselves in circa 1977, when the whole band was a roiling mess of heartbreak, infidelity, illicit attraction, and power-pop prowess.In the second block, Alicia has the heartwrenching story of the marriage of Carly Simon and James Taylor. Though they had two children and spent years together, James's drug addiction eventually made the marriage untenable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

And we're back! In case you aren't familiar with the subjects of our season two opener, Donald Trump is the son of a real estate millionaire based in Queens, New York. He got into the family business as a young man and made a bit of a name for himself, ultimately becoming a reality TV star. Along the way, he had five children, three weddings, and a couple of trashy divorces. We're not ruling out a third divorce for him, either.His story is trashy, but it's even trashier when you dive into the life of his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. Don Jr. had a startlingly tragic adolescence and has gone on to live deep in the shadow of his father - and somehow decided that the senior Trump's life choices were something to emulate. We don't get it either. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yes, it’s our week off, but we wanted to share some of the Trashy Tidbits that we put up on Patreon, as well as reveal Stacie’s hard-hitting No-Strology rebuttal to Alicia’s astrological framework. And wouldn’t you know it? No-Strology works pretty well as weird science too. We also update you on some Royals action, Rudy shouting, and preview a trashy octogenarian NYC divorce. See you back next Sunday, March 31, for Season 2! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For our season one finale – we’re taking one week off and will return March 31 – we wanted to play a little, so we’re telling some stories that might not normally fit into a theme this week. First, Alicia brings us the story of the King and Queen of the Jazz Age, writer F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda. Though they never actually divorced, the story is a great illustration of the reality that some marriages don’t work, and a lot of people would be better off ending a marriage rather than staying in it.Stacie follows that up with the story of a Manhattan address that ties together a bunch of Trashy Divorces threads. Its owners have included a previous Trashy Divorces subject, a divorcing couple we’re likely to cover in the future, and a slightly mysterious real estate magnate who will likely reappear. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we bring some soft focus with two divorces that seem to have left everybody – and perhaps the relationship itself – in better shape. First, Stacie tells the weird story of Sonny & Cher, and how Sonny’s unshakable vision of what Cher’s dreams looked like ultimately broke their relationship. Then Alicia shares the tale of England’s Prince Andrew and his lady love – possibly even to this day – Sarah Ferguson. They do seem to have had a spectacularly successful divorce. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we talk musical royalty from the UK and the US. First, Alicia tells us the terribly trashy tale of the love triangle between Beatle George Harrison, his wife, model Pattie Boyd, and guitar legend Eric Clapton. Then, Stacie brings us back across the pond to cover the fascinating but heartbreaking story of Ike and Tina Turner. This one’s tough, but ultimately, Tina Turner escaped and followed her dreams, becoming a role model for badasses everywhere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Alicia and Stacie look at a couple of divorces featuring people whose names may not be top of mind, but whose wealth makes them almost untouchable – until their marriages fail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to episode 8, where we're talking big time religious hucksters! Alicia walks us through the very trashy life - and marriages, and divorces - of Scientology founder and apparent boat enthusiast L. Ron Hubbard, and Stacie gives us the play-by-play of the scandal that didn't really change American evangelicalism (but probably should have), PTL Club founders Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A very merry Valentine’s Day to you and yours! To celebrate this ancient celebration of love, Alicia and Stacie invited a favorite friend pursuing her PhD in Mythology to talk about the Trashy Divorces of the ancient world. Alicia (yes, her name is also Alicia) shares a selection of sometimes disturbing, occasionally baffling, but deeply, deeply trashy interactions by gods, goddesses, and heroes from different cultures of yore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices