885: Bless This Mess
Key Takeaways
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Petito's YouTube channel reached seven million views post-death
“At the time of her of her death, it had less than 500 views. But currently, like now, as of the publishing of the documentary, it had over seven million views.”
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Police incorrectly labeled Petito as the domestic aggressor
“They almost arrested Gabby for being the aggressor. What a bunch of dumbasses.”
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Laundrie briefly left Petito to empty storage units
“He flew to Florida to empty a storage unit or, he flew somewhere because he had to empty a storage unit out.”
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Gabby Petito intended to end her relationship
“Gabby starts talking to Jackson... wanting to leave, telling Jackson that she wanted to leave Brian.”
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Ex-boyfriend Jackson missed Petito's final phone call
“He received a call from Gabby but was at work and could not answer. And Gabby would later go missing that day.”
Episode Description
At a time when the U.S. government is trying to make American history tidier, we try to learn from the mess. Including the untold, messy story of Paul and Essie Robeson. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription. Prologue: Guest Host Emanuele Berry talks to Nichole Hill about the Black movie characters Nichole was curious about as a child. (7 minutes) Act One: A giant of the Harlem Renaissance, Paul Robeson was the most famous American of his day. Until he wasn’t. Nichole Hill tells the messy, complicated story of Paul and his wife, Essie Robeson. (38 minutes) Act Two: In 1865, a formerly enslaved man named Jourdan Anderson received a letter from his former enslaver, asking Jourdan to return to the plantation and work. Actor Laurence Fishburne reads Jourdan’s response. Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org This American Life privacy policy. Learn more about sponsor message choices.