Truly Unreal

John Titor: The Time Traveler That Broke The Internet

What if someone showed up online claiming to be from the year 2036...and actually knew things they shouldn't? In this episode of Truly Unreal, host James Lee Hernandez drops writer and performer Madeline Walter into the story of John Titor, who appeared on a fringe time travel forum in 2000, predicted the end of human civilization, and then disappeared into the ether forever. Through our choose-your-own-adventure format, Madeline steps into the role of an amateur detective named Razimus, who gets pulled into one of the earliest and most elaborate mysteries the internet ever produced. What follows is a 12-year rabbit hole, complete with a 1987 Chevy Suburban, a 55-pound IBM computer from 1975, and a Florida entertainment lawyer who says he's "just doing the work he was hired to do." Razimus claims he solved the case for good...but did he? Follow us!Truly Unreal [https://www.instagram.com/trulyunrealshow/]James Lee Hernandez [⁠https://www.instagram.com/iamthejlh/]Madeline Walter [https://www.instagram.com/madelynwalter/⁠]

The 90's Informercial King Who Made Millions Selling Wellness "Cures"

Ever wonder where wellness influencers learned to tell you about the "truth" they don't want you to hear? (they being Big Pharma, the government, the mainstream media....you know the drill) . In this episode of Truly Unreal, host James Lee Hernandez drops writer and performer Mary Sasson into the spectacular, infuriating, and completely true story of Kevin Trudeau, the guy who pioneered the MAHA movement long before the existence of social media. And the infomercial king who sold America photographic memory systems, coral calcium, and a weight loss cure that involves pregnancy hormones and staring into the sun. Through our choose-your-own-adventure format, Mary steps into the role of a charming, ambitious kid from Lynn, Massachusetts who discovers early that people will buy almost anything if you sell it with enough confidence. What follows is a decades-long masterclass in reinvention, from Mega Memory seminars to bestselling books to a years-long game of cat and mouse that ends in federal prison. Oh, and the $37 million he owes the FTC? Still missing. Follow us!Truly Unreal: https://www.instagram.com/trulyunrealshow/ [https://www.instagram.com/trulyunrealshow/]James Lee Hernandez: https://www.instagram.com/iamthejlh/ [https://www.instagram.com/iamthejlh/] Mary Sasson: https://www.instagram.com/marysasson/ [https://www.instagram.com/marysasson/]

The Teenage CEO Who Fooled Wall Street

At 19, you make your first million. At 20, you’re one of the youngest CEO’s in America.  And soon you’re worth at least 100 million dollars. But you’re not a Hollywood big shot...or a tech genius. You’re that guy from the carpet cleaning commercials. In this episode of Truly Unreal, host James Lee Hernandez drops podcast host Lola Berry into the completely absurd rise of ZZZZ Best, a carpet cleaning company that somehow turns into a massive “insurance restoration” empire without actually doing any insurance restoration...or much carpet cleaning, for that matter. Through our choose-your-own-adventure format, Lola steps into the true story of Barry Minkow, a pathological liar with enough charisma to pull the hood over Wall Street, Oprah and even the mob to become the one of the most famous teen entrepreneurs in American history. Truly Unreal: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/trulyunrealshow/ James Lee Hernandez: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/iamthejlh/⁠ Lola Berry: https://www.instagram.com/yummololaberry/

The Worst (or Best?) Kidnapping Plan of All Time

It's 1963. You're 23, broke, addicted to painkillers, and your stock trading career just imploded. But then God speaks to you through your car radio and tells you to kidnap someone. So naturally, you pick Frank Sinatra's son (Frank Sinatra Jr.), gather a team with zero experience, and head to a Nevada casino to pose as fake delivery guys. What could go wrong? This week, comedian and actress Lauren Holt (SNL, Barbie, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Comeback) steps into the shoes of Barry Keenan, the man behind one of the most bizarre, delusional, and weirdly polite kidnapping plots in American history.  Follow us! Truly Unreal: ⁠@trulyunrealshow [https://www.instagram.com/trulyunrealshow/] James Lee Hernandez: ⁠@iamthejlh/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/iamthejlh/⁠] Lauren Holt: ⁠@holtlauren [https://www.instagram.com/holtlauren/]

Ron Weaver: The Imposter on the Roster

What if you just didn't accept that your dreams were behind you? In this episode of Truly Unreal, host James Lee Hernandez drops comedian Charles Gould into one of the boldest identity scams in sports history. Through a choose-your-own-adventure format, Charles becomes Ron Weaver, a 27-year-old former player working at his parents’ liquor store, who isn’t ready to give up on his shot at the big leagues. When he discovers a loophole that could get him back on the field, he takes it, and somehow gets away with it… for years. But when a reporter starts asking questions, just days before the biggest game of his life, everything begins to unravel. Follow us! Charles Gould: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/charlesgould1 James Lee Hernandez: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/iamthejlh/⁠ Truly Unreal: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/trulyunrealshow/