109 episodes

Novelist Andrea Dunlop is looking for answers. When her older sister was first investigated for Munchausen by Proxy abuse more than a decade ago, it tore her family apart. This catastrophic series of events sent Dunlop on a journey to understand this most taboo form of abuse. In this groundbreaking podcast, she talks to some of the top experts in the world to explore the criminology and psychopathology behind Munchausen by Proxy and to reveal the wide swath of destruction these perpetrators leave in their wake. Along the way, she becomes captivated by the case of Hope Ybarra. Dunlop speaks to those most familiar with the case, from the reporter who broke the story, to the detective who investigated it, to the family who lived through it. In the dramatic finale, she’ll speak to Hope Ybarra herself.​ ​ (LM032423)

Nobody Should Believe Me NSBM Plus

    • True Crime
    • 4.2 • 1.5K Ratings

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

Novelist Andrea Dunlop is looking for answers. When her older sister was first investigated for Munchausen by Proxy abuse more than a decade ago, it tore her family apart. This catastrophic series of events sent Dunlop on a journey to understand this most taboo form of abuse. In this groundbreaking podcast, she talks to some of the top experts in the world to explore the criminology and psychopathology behind Munchausen by Proxy and to reveal the wide swath of destruction these perpetrators leave in their wake. Along the way, she becomes captivated by the case of Hope Ybarra. Dunlop speaks to those most familiar with the case, from the reporter who broke the story, to the detective who investigated it, to the family who lived through it. In the dramatic finale, she’ll speak to Hope Ybarra herself.​ ​ (LM032423)

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    Special Report: Watching Take Care of Maya (re-release)

    Special Report: Watching Take Care of Maya (re-release)

    Warning: This content includes references to suicide and child abuse. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, help is available. Call or text 988 to speak with a trained crisis counselor 24/7. You can also visit 988lifeline.org for additional resources and support.
    As the Jack Kowalski v. Johns Hopkins All Childrens trial gets underway today in Sarasota, FL, we revisit our conversation with top experts Bea Yorker, Dr. Mary Sanders, Detective Mike Weber, and survivor Jordyn Hope about “Take Care of Maya” the Netflix documentary about the Maya Kowalski case. Today we introduce our third season of Nobody Should Believe Me, where we will delve into the complex notion of “false accusations” of medical child abuse, getting into everything we’ve uncovered about the Maya Kowalski case and the broader conversations happening around the nation. Is there really an epidemic of over-diagnosis of medical child abuse, or are offenders slipping through the cracks? 
    Andrea is a finalist for the Signal Awards! Best Host - Documentary Category: PLEASE VOTE HERE: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2023/shows/craft/best-host-documentary
    For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com 
    This show is produced by Larj Media 
    Follow host Andrea Dunlop on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andreadunlop 
    Buy Andrea’s books here. 
    To support the show, subscribe on Apple Podcasts or go to Patreon.com/NobodyShouldBelieveMe where you can listen to exclusive bonus content and access all episodes early and ad-free.  
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 50 min
    Introducing The Jordan Harbinger Show

    Introducing The Jordan Harbinger Show

    Today, we'd like to recommend the Jordan Harbinger Show. It's one of our all time favorite interview podcasts. Hope you check out all things Jordan soon.

    • 4 min
    Shelter

    Shelter

    As the Maya Kowalski case heads to trial, we dig into the massive trove of documents about this case and begin to unpack what we know about what really happened during Maya Kowalski’s fateful stay at Johns Hopkins All Childrens in October 2016.  
    The Netflix documentary about the case—and the prevailing media narrative---would have you believe that Maya was ripped from her parents by a corrupt system, and that this could happen to any parent of a sick child. But did Maya really have a deadly disease for which she required the massive amounts of ketamine and other drugs she was being given? Was the hospital unfairly biased against Beata Kowalski because she was difficult, or was something more sinister at play?  
    We talk to national law enforcement expert on medical child abuse, Detective Mike Weber, as well as a Florida pediatrician who helps us unravel some of the myriad strange details about Maya’s medical history.  
    The beginning of our multi-part deep dive into the case reveals the shocking events that led up to the family separation. 
    Produced by Larj Media 
    Follow host Andrea Dunlop on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andreadunlop 
    Buy Andrea’s books here. 
    To support the show, subscribe on Apple Podcasts or go to Patreon.com/NobodyShouldBelieveMe where you can listen to exclusive bonus content and access all episodes early and ad-free.  
    For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com 
      
    Download the APSAC's practice guidelines here. 
    *** 
    Sponsored by: 
    *Hello Fresh, America’s #1 meal kit 
    Go to HelloFresh.com/50believe and use code 50believe for 50% off your first order plus 15% off the next 2 months! 
    *Brilliant Earth  
    Well-made and responsibly sourced. Find beautiful, unique styles at BrilliantEarth.com. 
    *Who Killed Mia (Relatable)  
    Get Who Killed Mia for your next game night, and get 20% off with promo code BELIEVE at Relatable.com/whokilledmia. 
    Note: This episode contains sensitive content related to child abuse. Listener discretion is advised. 
    *Better Help  
    To be matched with a licensed therapist, visit Betterhelp.com/BelieveMe to get 10% off your first month. 
    *FACTOR MEALS
    Visit Factormeals.com/nobodypodcast50 and use code nobodypodcast50 to get 50% off.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 44 min
    In a Heartbeat

    In a Heartbeat

    In our third episode, we look at a central piece of the story that was left unfinished at the time of Beata Kowalski’s death: the police investigation into her for medical child abuse. 
    Along with Detective Mike Weber and our anonymous Florida pediatrician friend, we unpack shocking new details from the police investigation and from Jack Kowalski’s interview the Detective Stephanie Graham. Was Jack really just being pressured to throw his wife under the bus? Or did he have suspicions of his own about her?
    We also unpack some of the many discrepancies in Maya's medical history and the troubling behaviors of her mother Beata, showing that that this pattern of deceptive behavior went way beyond the question of whether her daughter’s diagnosis of CRPS was correct or not
    As the Kowalski v Johns Hopkins All Children’s trial unfolds in real time, we examine the facts of the case as they stood when Beata died and show how the prevailing media narrative about this case is getting it all wrong. 
    To support the show, subscribe on Apple Podcasts or go to Patreon.com/NobodyShouldBelieveMe where you can listen to exclusive bonus content and access all episodes early and ad-free, including weekly recaps of the Kowalski trial. 
    Produced by Larj Media
    Follow host Andrea Dunlop on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andreadunlop
    Buy Andrea’s books here.
    For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com
    Download the APSAC's practice guidelines here.
    ***
    Sponsored by:
    *Hello Fresh, America’s #1 meal kit
    Go to HelloFresh.com/50believe and use code 50believe for 50% off your first order plus 15% off the next 2 months!
    *Brilliant Earth 
    Well-made and responsibly sourced. Find beautiful, unique styles at BrilliantEarth.com.
    *Who Killed Mia (Relatable) 
    *Better Help  
    To be matched with a licensed therapist, visit Betterhelp.com/BelieveMe to get 10% off your first month. 
    *FACTOR MEALS
    Visit Factormeals.com/nobodypodcast50 and use code nobodypodcast50 to get 50% off.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 46 min
    Retaliation

    Retaliation

    Note: This episode contains sensitive content related to child abuse and suicide. Listener discretion is advised. 
     
    Beata Kowalski’s tragic death by suicide in January of 2016 is at the center of the $220 million lawsuit Jack Kowalski has filed against Johns Hopkins All Childrens hospital. But did Beata really take her own life to free her daughter from the hospital keeping her captive as the plaintiff claims? As with everything in this story, the truth is much more complicated. The narrative told in the Netflix film “Take Care of Maya” is far from a complete picture of the harrowing series of events that led to Beata’s death.   
    In this episode we go through the police reports of the incident and various testimonies of those who were present to fill in the gaps of the days and hours leading up to Beata’s death. We also examine the final court hearing Beata attended, which gives us a glimpse into where the case stood at the time of her death.  
     
    To support the show, subscribe on Apple Podcasts or go to Patreon.com/NobodyShouldBelieveMe where you can listen to exclusive bonus content and access all episodes early and ad-free, including weekly recaps of the Kowalski trial.  

    Produced by Larj Media 
    Follow host Andrea Dunlop on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andreadunlop 
    Buy Andrea’s books here. 
    For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com 
     
    Download the APSAC's practice guidelines here. 
    *** 
    Sponsored by: 
    *Hello Fresh, America’s #1 meal kit 
    Go to HelloFresh.com/50believe and use code 50believe for 50% off your first order plus 15% off the next 2 months! 
    *Brilliant Earth  
    Well-made and responsibly sourced. Find beautiful, unique styles at BrilliantEarth.com. 
    *Better Help  
    To be matched with a licensed therapist, visit Betterhelp.com/BelieveMe to get 10% off your first month. 
    *FACTOR MEALS
    Visit Factormeals.com/nobodypodcast50 and use code nobodypodcast50 to get 50% off.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 49 min
    The Women

    The Women

    In the flattened version of the Maya Kowalski story that has dominated the headlines, Beata Kowalski is a mother who fell prey to age-old biases against women. This story attaches itself to the well-documented reality that women are all too often not believed when it comes to their own pain, the stories of their own lives, and their professional opinions. Beata is cast as the martyr in Netflix’s “Take Care of Maya” and two other women, Cathy Beady and Dr. Sally Smith, are cast as the villains. Today, we unpack the messy gender dynamics of this case.  
    Cathy Beady is the social worker with a troubling past who’s been accused of grooming and assaulting Maya Kowalski. What do we know about what happened during Maya’s stay at Johns Hopkins All Childrens? Was Cathy Beady really hellbent on keeping Maya and Beata apart? 
    Media coverage of the Maya Kowalski story has also done irreparable harm to the life and career of the respected doctor at the center of the controversy: child abuse pediatrician Sally Smith. She’s been accused of violating HIPPA in a single-minded crusade to create a case against Beata Kowalski. But is there evidence that Dr. Smith did anything other than her job? Did she drive Beata to death as the film suggests or is it possible her interventions saved Maya Kowalski’s life? 
    As we break down the narratives and misinformation surrounding this case we get to the heart of the matter. The Kowalski legal team’s claims that Munchausen by proxy is based on “junk science” and that Beata Kowalski wasn’t guilty of medical child abuse because this form of abuse isn’t even real.  
    To support the show, subscribe on Apple Podcasts or go to Patreon.com/NobodyShouldBelieveMe where you can listen to exclusive bonus content and access all episodes early and ad-free, including weekly recaps of the Kowalski trial.  Produced by Larj Media 
    Follow host Andrea Dunlop on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andreadunlop 
    Buy Andrea’s books here. 
    For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com  
    Download the APSAC's practice guidelines here. 
    *** 
    Sponsored by: 
    *Hello Fresh, America’s #1 meal kit 
    Go to HelloFresh.com/50believe and use code 50believe for 50% off your first order plus 15% off the next 2 months! 
    *Brilliant Earth  
    Well-made and responsibly sourced. Find beautiful, unique styles at BrilliantEarth.com. 
    *Who Killed Mia (Relatable)  
    Get Who Killed Mia for your next game night, and get 20% off with promo code BELIEVE at Relatable.com/whokilledmia. 
    Note: This episode contains sensitive content related to child abuse. Listener discretion is advised. 
    *Better Help  
    To be matched with a licensed therapist, visit Betterhelp.com/BelieveMe to get 10% off your first month. 
    *FACTOR MEALS
    Visit Factormeals.com/nobodypodcast50 and use code nobodypodcast50 to get 50% off.
     
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 37 min

Customer Reviews

4.2 out of 5
1.5K Ratings

1.5K Ratings

Zoot Suit Riot 55 ,

So well done

The content is interesting and very eye opening to the topic of medical child abuse. I have listened to seasons 1 & 2 and most of season 3. The host brings in so many professionals on the topic as well as her own personal experiences.

dew-boo ,

Great up until season 3

Season 3 is really disappointing. Lots of speculation, and it just feels icky. Having watched the Kowalski trial in full, hearing the host trying to break down the case when you have first person testimony coming from the family, it just is really upsetting. It feels very sensationalized and gross. This makes me wonder about the previous seasons as well.

BreezyTFord27 ,

A podcast newbie

Oddly enough, I’m 30 and I’ve never listened to a podcast until last week while driving home from vacation with my kids. I went through a few seeing how the vibes were. Honestly nothing caught my attention, then I landed on this one, and couldn’t stop. I’ve binged every episode, and I’m tempted to subscribe so I can listen to all of the restricted ones as well! I’m so ready for some new episodes/ a new season to come out!

Top Podcasts In True Crime

Murder in the Hollywood Hills
NBC News
Three
Wavland
Dateline NBC
NBC News
Crime Junkie
audiochuck
Morbid
Morbid Network | Wondery
Paper Ghosts: The Ozarks
iHeartPodcasts

You Might Also Like

The Girlfriends
iHeartPodcasts & Novel
Under Cover of Knight
Apple TV+ / Spoke Media
Betrayal
iHeartPodcasts and Glass Podcasts
Exposed: Cover-Up at Columbia University
Wondery
Texas Monthly True Crime: Shane and Sally
Texas Monthly
Dear Alana,
Tenderfoot TV & iHeartPodcasts