A Little Bit Culty

Sharp, compassionate, and clarifying as ever, this replay episode from our second convo with Dr. Ramani finds her fresh off the release of her book It’s Not You: Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic People. She reframes narcissism away from labels and toward impact, helping listeners understand why these relationships can be so destabilizing and why recovery is absolutely possible.

She also dug into the patterns that keep people stuck in narcissistic relationships, why self-blame is so common, and how healing starts with seeing the dynamic clearly instead of internalizing the damage. If this episode resonates, it’s the perfect warm-up for next week’s episodes with Mark Vicente, who’ll be talking about his new film, Narcissist’s Playbook.

Follow Dr. Ramani on Instagram, Facebook, or X @doctorramani.

Also…let it be known that:
The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.

Buy the A Little Bit Culty book on Amazon or order a signed copy.
Check out our amazing sponsors
Join A Little Bit Culty on Patreon
Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag
Support the pod and smash this link
Check out our cult awareness and recovery resources
Watch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, Scarred

CREDITS:
Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames
Production Partner: Citizens of Sound
Co-Creator: Jess Tardy
Audio production: Will Retherford
Production Coordinator: Lesli Dinsmore
Writer: Sandra Nomoto
Social media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke Keane
Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

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

To prep for next week’s “Where are they now?” chat with Mark Vicente, we’re replaying our first convo with licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Ramani Durvasula from Season 5. Are malignant narcissists born or made? How do you recover after narcissistic abuse? Dr. Ramani tackles our burning narc-y questions. She’s the author of two books on the subject: Should I Stay or Should I Go: Surviving A Relationship with a Narcissist, and Don’t You Know Who I Am?: How to Stay Sane in an Era of Narcissism, Entitlement, and Incivility. Her work has been featured at SXSW, TEDx, the Red Table Talk, the Today Show, and Investigation Discovery.

Check out Dr. Ramani’s program on healing from narcissistic relationships and follow her on Instagram, Facebook, or X @doctorramani.

Also…let it be known that:
The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.

Buy the A Little Bit Culty book on Amazon or order a signed copy.
Check out our amazing sponsors
Join A Little Bit Culty on Patreon
Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag
Support the pod and smash this link
Check out our cult awareness and recovery resources
Watch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, Scarred

CREDITS:
Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames
Production Partner: Citizens of Sound
Co-Creator: Jess Tardy
Audio production: Will Retherford
Production Coordinator: Lesli Dinsmore
Writer: Sandra Nomoto
Social media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke Keane
Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:
Elevate your summer wardrobe. Go to Quince.com/culty for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.

You don’t have to say yes to everything this summer. Find support in therapy.
Sign up and get 10 percent off at BetterHelp.com/culty.

Patio season is here and these deals won’t last. Head to Wayfair.com right now to get your outdoor space ready for way less.

Get up to 50% off your first order, plus free shipping at MeUndies.com/culty, promo code culty.

To get your new wireless plan for just $15 a month, go to MINTMOBILE.com/culty.

If your glasses are overdue for a refresh, now is the time. Go to Zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first order.

Upgrade your dad’s everyday routine. Go to BuyRaycon.com/culty to get 15% off. Thanks Raycon for sponsoring!

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

In Part 2 with Dr. Christine Marie, we dive into Netflix’s Trust Me: The False Prophet and why the lack of victim-shaming in the response has been a dream come true. She walks us through the strategy (and frustration) of working with the FBI on the Sam Bateman investigation, why she needed footage of Sam committing obstruction of justice to get him arrested, and the devastating mistake of housing all the underage victims together in one group home where older girls could obstruct interviews. We discuss the heartbreak of watching Nomz and other victims serve prison time despite being coerced themselves, and Christine's proposal for a new kind of facility.

We talk about Sam's ongoing manipulation from jail (he's going to trial next month just to psychologically torture the girls who turned against him), the $15,000 white leather jacket that should be a crime in itself, and why coercive control laws could change everything for FLDS survivors and beyond. Christine shares why public love and dignity after shame is the most healing thing that could ever happen, her work with Voices for Dignity, and her next mission: promoting empathy, fighting online cruelty, and making kindness cool again. Plus: Christine reads her journal entry about Keith Raniere and Sarah reads the Facebook message where she told him to “de-cult” himself—spoiler: he didn't listen.

Definitely watch Trust Me on Netflix and visit the websites for Dr. Christine Marie and Voices for Dignity: ChristineMarie.com, VoicesForDignity.org. And follow her on Instagram @dr.christinemarie and on TikTok @drchristinemarie.

Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of child sexual abuse, ritualistic abuse, human trafficking, and the criminal justice system's treatment of cult survivors.

Also…let it be known that:
The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.

Buy the A Little Bit Culty book on Amazon or order a signed copy.
Check out our amazing sponsors
Join A Little Bit Culty on Patreon
Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag
Support the pod and smash this link
Check out our cult awareness and recovery resources
Watch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, Scarred

CREDITS:
Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames
Production Partner: Citizens of Sound
Co-Creator: Jess Tardy
Audio production: Will Retherford
Production Coordinator: Lesli Dinsmore
Writer: Sandra Nomoto
Social media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke Keane
Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

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

Dr. Christine Marie joins us to talk about surviving manipulation, public shaming, and the long road to healing after her experience with a false prophet and the people around him, as documented in Trust Me: The False Prophet on Netflix. In Part 1 of our convo, she traces how her Mormon upbringing, business struggles, and search for meaning made her vulnerable to coercion, how NXIVM’s Keith Raniere first entered her life, and how she eventually began recognizing the pattern of abuse for what it was.

She also shares how a docudrama distorted her story through Frankenbiting and public humiliation, and why that misrepresentation pushed her to go back to school and finish her PhD in media psychology. It’s a powerful conversation about victim shaming, cult recovery, media ethics, and turning painful experiences into something useful for others. You’ll want to listen to Part 2 this Thursday.

Definitely watch Trust Me on Netflix and visit the websites for Dr. Christine Marie and Voices for Dignity: ChristineMarie.com, VoicesForDignity.org. And follow her on Instagram @dr.christinemarie and on TikTok @drchristinemarie.

Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of sexual coercion, religious abuse, trafficking, suicide, and public humiliation.

Also…let it be known that:
The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.

Buy the A Little Bit Culty book on Amazon or order a signed copy.
Check out our amazing sponsors
Join A Little Bit Culty on Patreon
Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag
Support the pod and smash this link
Check out our cult awareness and recovery resources
Watch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, Scarred

CREDITS:
Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames
Production Partner: Citizens of Sound
Co-Creator: Jess Tardy
Audio production: Will Retherford
Production Coordinator: Lesli Dinsmore
Writer: Sandra Nomoto
Social media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke Keane
Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

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

In Part 2, we continue our wide-ranging convo with Danny Rensch, which starts with a very pointed critique of Netflix editing and the way it framed both Sarma Melngailis and the Hans Niemann scandal in Untold: Chess Mates. He gets into the ethics of Chess.com’s cheating investigations, why nuance gets flattened in public narratives, and how hard it is to explain a private, evidence-based process to people who only see the headline version.

We also moved into bigger questions about power, accountability, and self-doubt, including Danny’s reflections on running a huge platform, being called the “chess mafia,” and trying to build a system with real checks and balances. Finally, he covers why emotional timing matters, how transitions make people more vulnerable, and why taking a breath before reacting can matter just as much in life as it does in cult recovery.

Be sure to watch Untold: Chess Mates on Netflix, read Danny’s memoir, Dark Squares: How Chess Saved My Life, and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X, or LinkedIn.

Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of manipulation, coercion, public accusations, cheating allegations, power dynamics, and emotional abuse.

Also…let it be known that:
The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.

Buy the A Little Bit Culty book on Amazon or order a signed copy.
Check out our amazing sponsors
Join A Little Bit Culty on Patreon
Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag
Support the pod and smash this link
Check out our cult awareness and recovery resources
Watch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, Scarred

CREDITS:
Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames
Production Partner: Citizens of Sound
Co-Creator: Jess Tardy
Audio production: Will Retherford
Production Coordinator: Lesli Dinsmore
Writer: Sandra Nomoto
Social media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke Keane
Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.