Just The Gist

• Whatever Happened To Here Comes Honey Boo Boo?

  In 2012, a six-year-old beauty pageant contestant named Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson became America's most controversial reality TV star, thanks to her 'Go-Go Juice' and brilliant catchphrases like "A dollar makes me HOLLAR (Honey Boo Boo Child)!" What started as an appearance on TLC's Toddlers & Tiaras turned into the phenomenon reality show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, following Alana's entire family in rural Georgia - including Mama June Shannon, Sugar Bear, Chickadee, Chubbs and Pumpkin. But behind the viral memes and record-breaking ratings was a dark story of family dysfunction, drug addiction, and financial abuse. The show was abruptly canceled in 2014 amid major family scandals that shocked America. Now in her twenties, Alana Thompson has narrated a revealing 2025 Lifetime movie called 'I Was Honey Boo Boo', exposing the disturbing truth about what really happened behind the cameras - and where everyone in the infamous Honey Boo Boo family has ended up today.CW: This episode includes some brief discussion (without any detail) of sexual abuse. We give you Just The Gist, but if you want more, there's this:This article from The Hollywood Reporter Here Comes Honey Boo Boo review from The A.V. ClubThis article from Los Angeles Times Here Comes Honey Boo Boo Wikipedia pageShannon family Wikipedia pageAsk Dr. Drew podcast Alana's recent interview on Barely Famous Podcast Alana's TikTokLifetime's 2025 biopic Just The Gist is a Just The Network production. Executive Produced and hosted by Rosie Waterland. Produced and edited by James Joseph. Additional production support by Kate Leaver and Hayley Staveley, along with Acast legends Guy Scott Wilson and Simon McDermott. Production Assistant: PocketLooking for Breakin’ Nooz? It drops on every Tuesday, along with a whole lot of other bonus audio, video and behind the scenes content, which you can access for just a couple of bucks via the Just The Gist Patreon or Apple Subscriptions. Follow Just The Gist on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube @JustTheGistPodcast. Follow Rosie in all the places at @RosieWaterlandWant to give us a SuGISTion? Email us at [email protected]’t forget to follow and give us 5 stars, which means something apparently! Thank you, as always, for Gistening. Now go say something impressive at a dinner party. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• JTG MINI: Balloon Boy (Rosie's Version)

  On October 15, 2009, the world watched in horror as a homemade helium balloon shaped like a flying saucer drifted across Colorado skies with six-year-old Falcon Heene allegedly trapped inside. The "Balloon Boy" saga captivated millions for hours until the balloon landed empty and Falcon was found hiding in his family's attic. But when little Falcon told CNN "we did this for the show," the story took a dramatic turn. What followed was a media frenzy, criminal charges, and years of debate about whether the Heenes staged the whole thing as a publicity stunt or if it was a genuine accident that spiraled out of control.We give you Just The Gist, but if you want more, there's this:Balloon boy hoax Wikipedia page - Complete timeline and investigation detailsNetflix's Trainwreck: Balloon Boy documentary - The family tells their side of the story (2025)The Hollywood Reporter interview - "But What if 'Balloon Boy' Wasn't a Hoax?" (2025)People Magazine update - "Where Is the Balloon Boy Now? All About His Life After the 2009 Hoax" (2025)TIME Magazine analysis - "The True Story Behind 'Trainwreck: Balloon Boy'" (2025)ABC News 10-year retrospective - "'Balloon Boy's' family discusses life 10 years after incident" (2019)Medium retrospective - "Let's Revisit Balloon Boy. A hoax we'd no longer believe" (2021)Netflix trailer - Official Trainwreck: Balloon Boy trailer (2025)Just The Gist is a Just The Network production. Executive Produced and hosted by Rosie Waterland. Produced and edited by James Joseph. Additional production support by Kate Leaver and Hayley Staveley, along with Acast legends Guy Scott Wilson and Simon McDermott.Looking for Breakin’ Nooz? It drops on every Tuesday, along with a whole lot of other bonus audio, video and behind the scenes content, which you can access for just a couple of bucks via the Just The Gist Patreon or Apple Subscriptions. Follow Just The Gist on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube @JustTheGistPodcast Follow Rosie in all the places at @RosieWaterlandWant to give us a SuGISTion? Tell Rosie to stop singing so much? Email us at [email protected]’t forget to follow and give us 5 stars, which means something apparently! Thank you, as always, for Gistening. Now go say something impressive at a dinner party. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• The Woman Who Fell In Love With A Dolphin (Rosie's Version)

  In the 1960s, Margaret Howe Lovatt became part of a NASA-funded experiment to teach a dolphin named Peter to speak English. What started as groundbreaking interspecies communication research quickly turned into something much more controversial when Margaret moved into a flooded house to live with Peter 24/7 for six months. As Peter reached sexual maturity, their relationship crossed boundaries in ways that would overshadow the entire experiment and become one of the most shocking animal research scandals in scientific history.We give you Just The Gist, but if you want more, there's this:The Guardian's comprehensive investigation - "The dolphin who loved me: the Nasa-funded project that went wrong" (2014)The Atlantic's detailed report - "How A Science Experiment Led to Sexual Encounters Between a Woman and a Dolphin" (2014)BBC documentary - "The Girl Who Talked to Dolphins" (2014)BBC documentary clip - "Teaching a dolphin to speak English" footageMargaret Howe Lovatt Wikipedia page - Complete biography and experiment detailsJohn C. Lilly's book - "Man and Dolphin" - The original research that started it all (1961)Medium article analysis - "The Girl Who Talked to Dolphins: Watch this documentary if you are into space" (2021)News18 retrospective - "When The Love Story Of A Dolphin And Woman Made News In The 60s" (2023)Just The Gist is a Just The Network production. Executive Produced and hosted by Rosie Waterland. Produced and edited by James Joseph. Additional production support by Kate Leaver and Hayley Staveley, along with Acast legends Guy Scott Wilson and Simon McDermott. Production Assistant: PocketLooking for Breakin’ Nooz? It drops on every Tuesday, along with a whole lot of other bonus audio, video and behind the scenes content, which you can access for just a couple of bucks via the Just The Gist Patreon or Apple Subscriptions. Follow Just The Gist on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube @JustTheGistPodcast Follow Rosie in all the places at @RosieWaterlandWant to give us a SuGISTion? Tell Rosie to stop singing so much? Email us at [email protected]’t forget to follow and give us 5 stars, which means something apparently! Thank you, as always, for Gistening. Now go say something impressive at a dinner party. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• JTG MINI: The OceanGate Titan Disaster

  On June 18th, 2023, the OceanGate Titan submersible imploded during a dive to the Titanic wreck, instantly killing all five people on board including CEO Stockton Rush. But this wasn't a freak accident - it was the predictable result of years of ignored safety warnings, with over 30 deep-sea experts telling Rush his experimental carbon fiber design would kill people. The four-day international rescue mission captivated the world, but the violent implosion had scattered the death trap submarine across the ocean floor in milliseconds.We give you Just The Gist, but if you want more, there's this:WIRED's exclusive investigation The New Yorker's detailed report BBC documentary footage The Fifth Estate investigationOceanGate Wikipedia page Titan submersible implosion Wikipedia pageYouTube analysisForbes report Daily Mail reportNew York Post coverageJust The Gist is a Just The Network production. Executive Produced and hosted by Rosie Waterland. Produced and edited by James Joseph. Additional production support by Kate Leaver and Hayley Staveley, along with Acast legends Guy Scott Wilson and Simon McDermott. Production Assistant: PocketLooking for Breakin’ Nooz? It drops on every Tuesday, along with a whole lot of other bonus audio, video and behind the scenes content, which you can access for just a couple of bucks via the Just The Gist Patreon or Apple Subscriptions. Follow Just The Gist on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube @JustTheGistPodcast Follow Rosie in all the places at @RosieWaterlandWant to give us a SuGISTion? Tell Rosie to stop singing so much? Email us at [email protected]’t forget to follow and give us 5 stars, which means something apparently! Thank you, as always, for Gistening. Now go say something impressive at a dinner party. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• The 'Disappearance' of Sherri Papini (Rosie's Version)

  In November 2016, California mother Sherri Papini vanished while jogging, sparking a massive search effort and national media frenzy. When she was found 22 days later on Thanksgiving Day, chained and emaciated on the side of a freeway, she claimed 'two Hispanic women' had kidnapped her for sex trafficking. But in 2022, the FBI arrested Sherri for faking her own kidnapping - revealing she'd actually been hiding at her ex-boyfriend's apartment, asking him to hurt her to make the injuries look real. Sherri was released from prison in 2023, after serving 10 months of her 18-month sentence. And in 2025, she (of course) started doing the media rounds, because she had a LOT to say. (Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of domestic violence and abuse.)We give you Just The Gist, but if you want more, there's this:ABC News report - Sherri Papini claims boyfriend abducted her in 2016 hoax kidnapping (2025)Sherri Papini kidnapping hoax Wikipedia page - Complete timeline and case detailsPerfect Wife documentary - Keith Papini's side of the story (2024)Sherri Papini: Caught In The Lie documentary - Sherri's version of events (2025)Sherri Papini on the Viall Files - Sherri tells her story (2025)People Magazine coverage - Where is Keith Papini now (2024)Daily Mail report - Sherri Papini's husband demands sole custody (2022)7News analysis - Sherri Papini's theatrics are what got her caught (2022)True Crime Daily podcast episode - Sherri Papini busted: California mom's kidnapping fake (2022)If you need support, please contact: Lifeline: https://www.lifeline.org.au/ 1800 RESPECT (domestic violence support): https://1800respect.org.au/---Just The Gist is a Just The Network production. Executive Produced and hosted by Rosie Waterland. Produced and edited by James Joseph. Additional production support by Kate Leaver and Hayley Staveley, along with Acast legends Guy Scott Wilson and Simon McDermott. Production Assistant: PocketFollow Just The Gist on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube @JustTheGistPodcast and Rosie @RosieWaterlandWant to give us a SuGISTion? Email us at [email protected] you, as always, for Gistening. Now go say something impressive at a dinner party. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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