The landslide of allegations against Sean Diddy Combs was started by a singular person - R&B singer Cassie Ventura. Cassie’s allegations formed the framework for the federal case against Sean Combs, which is set to kick off May 5, 2025. Tess takes a deep look into Cassie’s harrowing escape and the surprising stories Cassie’s intersects with.

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Pop Mystery Pod is written and produced by Tess Barker @tesstifybarker. Produced by Tyler Hill.

Theme song by Rick Wood @Rickw00d.

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Selena Quintanilla was 23 years old, and well on her way to becoming an international megastar when she was shot and killed by Yolanda Saldivar, the president of her fan club. Though a biopic starring Jennifer Lopez paints a fairly simple picture of this tragic death, the truth appears less black and white. Only two people really know how and Selena died that day, and one of them was Selena. Joining Tess to talk through this operatic tale of a forever young pop star is hilarious comic Vanessa Gonzalez @vanessagcomedy.

Watch the sourced documentary Selena and Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them

Read the sourced book: To Selena, With Love, By Chris Perez

Watch the sourced biopic “Selena.”

Follow Pop Mystery Pod on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @popmysterypod

Pop Mystery Pod is written and produced by Tess Barker @tesstifybarker. Produced by Tyler Hill.

Theme song by Rick Wood @Rickw00d.

Support independent pop journalism and join us on Patreon at Pop Mystery Pod. Get access to ad free episodes, bonus content, and polls about upcoming topics. patreon.com/PopMysteryPod

Follow Tess’s other podcasts Lady to Lady and Toxic: The Britney Spears Story wherever you get your pods.

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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If there is such a thing as the typical college experience, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, the two most famous child star twins of all time, were probably never going to have it. Nevertheless, they persisted…kind of. Joining Tess to talk through the Olsen twins transition to otherworldly fashion icons is writer, actor, and comic Guy Branum.

See Guy’s new one-person show “Fruitful” live in Chicago May 6th, St. Paul May 7th. And watch “Hacks,” the HBO comedy Guy just won a Golden Globe for.

Read sourced article:

WSJ: “Mary Kate and Ashley Olsens’ The Row Launches Menswear”

NYT: “No Labels For the Olsen Twins”

Vogue: “Mary Kate and Ashley Find a Home for ‘The Row’ in Paris”

Follow Pop Mystery Pod on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @popmysterypod

Pop Mystery Pod is written and produced by Tess Barker @tesstifybarker. Produced by Tyler Hill.

Theme song by Rick Wood @Rickw00d.

Support independent pop journalism and join us on Patreon at Pop Mystery Pod. Get access to ad free episodes, bonus content, and polls about upcoming topics. patreon.com/PopMysteryPod

Follow Tess’s other podcasts Lady to Lady and Toxic: The Britney Spears Story wherever you get your pods.

Make sure to leave us a review! And tell a friend about the show!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Olsen twins are endlessly fascinating celebrities. They were selected for stardom before they could walk. They’re both an inspirational story and I cautionary tale. They’re just so important. Joining Tess to talk through the wild mystery that is the Olsen twins existence is writer, actor, and comic Guy Branum.

See Guy’s new one-person show “Fruitful” live in Chicago May 6th, St. Paul May 7th. And watch “Hacks,” the comedy Guy just won a Golden Globe for.

See the “Tiny Tycoon” TV Guide cover here.

Read sourced article:

Washington Post “Less is More: How the Little Stars of “Full House” Hit the Big Time

Watch sourced documentary “Celebrity Profile: The Olsen Twins” here.

Follow Pop Mystery Pod on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @popmysterypod

Pop Mystery Pod is written and produced by Tess Barker @tesstifybarker. Produced by Tyler Hill.

Theme song by Rick Wood @Rickw00d.

Support independent pop journalism and join us on Patreon at Pop Mystery Pod. Get access to ad free episodes, bonus content, and polls about upcoming topics. patreon.com/PopMysteryPod

Follow Tess’s other podcasts Lady to Lady and Toxic: The Britney Spears Story wherever you get your pods.

Make sure to leave us a review! And tell a friend about the show!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Forget skeletons in the closet. Barbra Streisand has a mall. In her basement. Like, a real one. Joining Tess to tour this fascinating and unhinged corner of American architecture is writer, director, and podcaster Chelsea Devantez. Chelsea’s memoir “I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This, But I’m Going to Anyway,” is out now. Her podcast “Glamorous Trash” is pop perfection and a must-listen!

Got 48 hours? Check out “My Name is Barbra.”

Want to see more of that Malibu house? Check out “My Passion for Design.”

Follow Pop Mystery Pod on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @popmysterypod

Pop Mystery Pod is written and produced by Tess Barker @tesstifybarker. Produced by Tyler Hill.

Theme song by Rick Wood @Rickw00d.

Support independent pop journalism and join us on Patreon at Pop Mystery Pod. Get access to ad free episodes, bonus content, and polls about upcoming topics. patreon.com/PopMysteryPod

Follow Tess’s other podcasts Lady to Lady and Toxic: The Britney Spears Story wherever you get your pods.

Make sure to leave us a review! And tell a friend about the show!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Before she was proclaiming she’d invented “gay pop,” child dance phenom-turned heavily costumed try-hard helmed a junior girl group called XOMG. The group claimed to offer aspiring pop stars as young as 8 years old a line into their show biz dreams. Some claim what followed was a candy-flavored nightmare.

Joining Tess to talk through Jojo’s turn as a teacher and her life as a child star, is comedian, actor, podcaster, and singer Jade Catta-Preta @jadecattapreta.

To learn more about this story check out the Rolling Stone article “Jojo Siwa Promised Them Stardom. They Say They Were Thrown in the Trash.”

Follow Pop Mystery Pod on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @popmysterypod

Pop Mystery Pod is written and produced by Tess Barker @tesstifybarker. Produced by Tyler Hill.

Theme song by Rick Wood @Rickw00d.

Support independent pop journalism and join us on Patreon at Pop Mystery Pod. Get access to ad free episodes, bonus content, and polls about upcoming topics. patreon.com/PopMysteryPod

Follow Tess’s other podcasts Lady to Lady and Toxic: The Britney Spears Story wherever you get your pods.

Make sure to leave us a review! And tell a friend about the show!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“Plaintiff would pay for her statement regarding Tupac.” In this chilling line from an assault case filed against Sean Diddy Combs, legal representatives for Ashley Parham, an alleged victim’s of Sean Combs synopsize what is a shocking and brutal claim of sexual assault by Combs. Parham’s story is deeply disturbing. It also provides telling insight into Comb’s alleged network of trafficking and coercion…and seems to point to figures still hiding in the darkness.

Follow Pop Mystery Pod on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @popmysterypod

Pop Mystery Pod is written and produced by Tess Barker @tesstifybarker. Produced by Tyler Hill.

Theme song by Rick Wood @Rickw00d.

Support independent pop journalism and join us on Patreon at Pop Mystery Pod. Get access to ad free episodes, bonus content, and polls about upcoming topics. patreon.com/PopMysteryPod

Follow Tess’s other podcasts Lady to Lady and Toxic wherever you get your pods.

Make sure to leave us a review! And tell a friend about the show!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cameras wrap on “It Ends With Us.” Now, the real battle begins. After Blake Lively alleges that she’s been harassed while filming this movie, her attempts at wrestling back agency stall out. Ultimately, Lively is able to get back some power…but at what cost? And who is really making her pay?

Tess has sifted through the many legal filings in this case. As this story’s concludes (for now) what does it have to tell us about media and how easily we can all be manipulated by it?

Read the New York Times story “‘We Can Bury Anyone:’ Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine” by Megan Twohey, Mike McIntire, and Julie Tate.

Follow Pop Mystery Pod on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @popmysterypod

Pop Mystery Pod is written and produced by Tess Barker @tesstifybarker. Produced by Tyler Hill.

Theme song by Rick Wood @Rickw00d.

Support independent pop journalism and join us on Patreon at Pop Mystery Pod. Get access to ad free episodes, bonus content, and polls about upcoming topics. patreon.com/PopMysteryPod

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.