Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth both spent time in cultic groups, and that personal history makes Trust Me one of the most empathetic cult podcasts around. They interview survivors from organizations like NXIVM, Heaven’s Gate, the Manson Family, and OneTaste, balancing serious subject matter with dark humor in a way that never feels disrespectful. The show publishes weekly on Wednesdays and has built up nearly 250 episodes with a 4.5 star rating from over 2,300 reviewers on Apple Podcasts. What sets it apart is how the hosts handle their guests. Former cult members often come on other shows and feel like they are being treated as curiosities or spectacle. Lola and Meagan treat them like people, because they have been in similar situations themselves. The NXIVM episodes are particularly strong, but this is also a good show to keep listening to after those episodes end, because it expands your understanding of how coercive control works across many different settings. The Exactly Right network and iHeartPodcasts distribute the show, so production quality is consistent. Episodes typically run around an hour and feature a single guest going deep on their experience. If you are coming to this category because NXIVM grabbed your attention and you want to understand the broader patterns of cult manipulation, Trust Me is the natural next step.