Escaping NXIVM

Escaping NXIVM is the podcast that set the standard for NXIVM coverage. Produced by CBC, it follows Sarah Edmondson’s journey out of the organization through 12 episodes of investigative reporting by documentarian Josh Bloch, who happens to be Edmondson’s childhood friend. That personal connection gives the whole thing a texture you rarely get in true crime audio. Sarah’s testimony carries the show. There are long stretches where it is just her voice, recounting her years inside the group, the branding ceremony, and the slow realization that something was deeply wrong. The production is deliberately spare, almost minimalist, which makes her words hit harder. You forget you are listening to a podcast and start feeling like you are sitting across from someone at a kitchen table as they tell you the worst thing that ever happened to them. The series earned a 4.7 rating from over 600 Apple Podcasts reviewers, and it deserves every bit of that. Episodes range from about 20 to 55 minutes, with the bonus episodes filling in details the main arc could not cover. If you only listen to one NXIVM podcast, this is the one. It is focused, personal, and does not waste your time with filler. The reporting is careful without being dry. Sarah and Nippy Ames became the public faces of the NXIVM whistleblower movement, and hearing the story in their own words, before any documentary crew showed up, remains essential listening for anyone trying to understand what actually happened in Albany.