Betrayal: Weekly
Episode Title: Alicia | Betrayal Weekly
Date: September 4, 2025
Host: Andrea Gunning
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts and Glass Podcasts
Episode Overview
This episode of Betrayal: Weekly features the harrowing story of "Alicia" (a pseudonym). It’s a powerful, first-person account of how Alicia, a lifelong dancer and studio owner, discovers her husband’s web of manipulation, lies, and abuse at the center of their shared dance community. As students reveal the extent of his control, Alicia must confront the destruction he wrought—transforming her safe haven into what her students describe as a cult.
The episode explores themes of trust, gaslighting, coercive control, manipulation within youth mentorship, and Alicia’s journey from confusion and heartbreak to action and advocacy.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Alicia’s Early Life and Dance as Salvation
[03:59] - [05:18]
- Alicia grew up in a turbulent, chaotic household in the 1980s, often fending for herself and her siblings due to a parent’s addiction.
- Her father signed her up for dance at age seven, which became her “safe space” and saved her from the dysfunction at home.
- Quote: “I was the little scraggly kid in the back... The instructor made me feel seen and like it was okay.” – Alicia [04:37]
- Her instructor became a lifelong mentor and role model.
Full Circle: Teaching and Mentoring
[05:50] - [06:28]
- After college, Alicia returned to her childhood studio to teach, hoping to empower and nurture kids as her mentor had done for her.
- Alicia describes the immense joy and meaning in “giving back” and helping students feel seen.
Meeting Kevin: Shared Trauma Bonds and Rising Careers
[06:28] - [11:48]
- Kevin enters the studio circle—talented, charismatic, specializing in hip hop. He and Alicia bond over challenging upbringings and a shared passion for dance.
- They become close friends. Kevin expresses deeper feelings, lavishing Alicia with affection, gifts, and attention.
- Quote: “He even got me this necklace... symbolized me shedding my last tear and that he wouldn't ever hurt me so I would never have to cry again.” – Alicia [09:08]
- Their relationship evolves into a whirlwind romance, culminating in a grand proposal at Windows on the World in NYC.
Marriage and Building a Dance Legacy Together
[11:48] - [14:09]
- Alicia and Kevin marry. Their shared commitment to dance and teaching continues. Kevin, a magnetic new teacher, quickly becomes beloved by students and parents.
- However, Alicia's mentor is wary, sensing something amiss about Kevin.
- Quote: “They didn't seem to be clicking for some reason, and I thought that was unusual.” – Alicia [14:13]
The First Red Flag: Kevin Is Fired
[14:38] - [16:46]
- A parent complains to the studio about something Kevin said to a student. The owner lets him go, citing "artistic differences."
- Kevin frames the firing as an act of jealousy and betrayal. Under pressure, Alicia sides with Kevin, leaving the beloved studio.
- Quote: “I had no other choice but to support him at that time. So then I had to leave the studio as well.” – Alicia [16:12]
New Beginnings: Opening Their Own Studio
[21:04] - [24:23]
- Kevin and Alicia open a new dance studio, designed as a supportive, pre-professional environment. Student and parent support is overwhelming.
- Alicia ensures multiple layers of safety: observation windows, cameras, open-door policies for transparency.
- Kim, a gifted former student and protégé, becomes their first hire.
- Quote: “I had observation windows, I had cameras, because you always want to make sure that the parents feel comfortable and feel safe, especially with a male teacher.” – Alicia [22:09]
- Kevin’s hip hop crew achieves major success—national titles, TV appearances, wide acclaim.
Marriage Drifts, Kevin Loses Interest, Trouble Brews
[24:23] - [25:58]
- The partnership turns platonic; Alicia sacrifices her own dreams (including having children) as Kevin grows more obsessed with his dance crew.
- Her request to separate is met with surprising calm from Kevin, who moves out immediately.
The Betrayal: Uncovering Kevin and Kim
[26:52] - [30:18]
- Student unrest grows. A young dancer confides in Alicia about Kim and Kevin's inappropriate relationship.
- Quote: “She started saying that she didn’t like the way that Kim and Kevin were acting and what they were doing was disgusting.” – Alicia [27:00]
- Alicia reviews security footage: physical affection confirms a secret relationship between her ex-husband and Kim, whom they've both mentored since she was a child.
- Quote: “It was creepy and disgusting.” – Alicia [30:18]
The Levee Breaks: Cult Dynamics Exposed
[31:24] - [37:14]
- After finding out about the relationship, Alicia is approached by numerous former students who reveal Kevin’s far-reaching psychological manipulation. They describe his group as a “cult.”
- Quote: “They were telling me that they got out of a cult.” – Alicia [31:38]; repeated, [35:37]
- Kevin lied about his resume (claiming to be a backup dancer for Britney Spears), fabricated trauma to trauma-bond with students, and ran “life chats” to mine their vulnerabilities.
- Quote: “He would shape shift into whatever each student needed him to be.” – Alicia [37:03]
- He created a constant communication cycle (texts, group chats) and responded with anger or accusations if students were unresponsive.
Escalation: Sexual Coercion, Manipulation, and “Light Warrior” Claims
[38:09] - [43:00]
- Kevin took control over how students dressed, looked, and acted, rationalizing it as industry norms.
- The manipulation turns sexual: he gives explicit instructions about masturbation, frames sexual expression as essential to dance, and pushes students (some as young as 13) into sexual encounters with each other.
- Quote: “He would say that they needed to learn how to masturbate, and he would teach them how to do that.” – Alicia [38:53]
- Kevin claims superhuman powers—calling himself a “light warrior,” demonstrating supposed psychic abilities, and weaving fantastical stories to further control students.
- Quote: “He would say he was mastering how to manipulate and start fire from his hands.” – Alicia [41:25]
Alicia Takes Action
[43:00] - [44:41]
- On learning the depth of the abuse, Alicia flees to a lawyer and is advised to shut down the studio immediately. With her father, she changes locks and posts a closure sign before Kevin can confront her.
- Quote: “I grabbed all the stuff... put a sign up on the door saying, we are no longer in business. And then I ran out of there. I thought I was going to pass out.” – Alicia [43:39]
Seeking Justice: Hitting Systemic Roadblocks
[45:12] - [47:56]
- Alicia gathers evidence and student testimonies for the prosecutor’s office. Despite strong stories, the authorities decline to press charges, regarding the case as unprovable or not “serious enough.”
- Quote: “[T]hey said if he was playing devil's advocate, that I came across as an ex wife scorned who was trying to take down her husband and was jealous of him being with a younger woman.” – Alicia [47:07]
Aftermath & Reflection
[48:33] - [49:53]
- Kevin briefly continues his “cult” out of another space; gradually, all students leave, some apologizing to Alicia for lashing out at her under Kevin’s sway.
- Alicia is wracked by guilt for not seeing the signs but is affirmed by students who say her shutting down the studio finally let them escape.
Revelations and Healing
[50:13] - [52:07]
- Alicia meets Kevin’s sister and discovers that all the stories of mutual trauma (alcoholic parent, abuse claims) were fabrications—his whole persona was built upon lies to gain sympathy, trust, and control.
- Quote: “He pretty much formed this Persona that would trauma bond with me and match all the things that I went through in order for us to become relatable.” – Alicia [51:54]
The Industry’s Dark Side & Alicia’s New Mission
[53:20] - [54:14]
- Alicia sees Kim—a former student and assistant—as a victim of Kevin’s grooming and coercive control.
- She attempts to return to teaching but finds it impossible; instead, Alicia becomes an advocate to improve safety and regulation in the dance world.
- Quote: “I want to spark a deeper conversation about the dance industry and how victims of abuse have gone through similar things in a very unchecked, highly unregulated system.” – Alicia [53:45]
Memorable Quotes
- “For the first time, I felt seen and I felt heard in a way that others couldn’t really understand. And it felt very validating.” – Alicia [08:46]
- “He would shape shift into whatever each student needed him to be.” – Alicia [37:03]
- “He started to encourage them to date each other... He would even drive students over to other people’s houses for them to have sex... A lot of times he would drive students home from dance... students said they felt uncomfortable.” – Alicia [39:31]
- “Once I closed down the studio, it finally gave permission for the ones that were struggling to leave.” – Alicia [45:12]
- “He pretty much formed this Persona that would trauma bond with me...” – Alicia [51:54]
- “I want to help other students, other children feel seen, validated, and then create a safe environment for them to be able to enjoy dance.” – Alicia [54:21]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Alicia’s childhood & salvation through dance: [03:59]–[05:29]
- Meeting and falling in love with Kevin: [06:28]–[11:48]
- Kevin’s firing & Alicia leaving childhood studio: [14:38]–[16:46]
- Opening their own studio, initial successes: [21:04]–[24:23]
- Divorce and the first rumors about Kevin & Kim: [25:04]–[30:18]
- Students reveal cult dynamics and manipulation: [31:24]–[43:00]
- Alicia takes legal action, shuts down studio: [43:00]–[44:41]
- Failed attempts at prosecution: [45:12]–[47:56]
- Systemic trauma and Alicia’s advocacy: [50:13]–[54:14]
- Alicia’s reason for sharing her story: [54:21]
Why Alicia Shared Her Story
[54:21] Alicia says she sees her advocacy as a legacy for the children and students she could never have herself. She aims to prevent abuse, help students feel safe and validated, and push for positive change in the dance industry.
“This is my way of taking control of the situation that happened with me and making it into something positive.” – Alicia [54:21]
Conclusion
This episode is a wrenching exploration of how predatory control systems can hide in passionate, creative spaces—illustrating the ripple effects of betrayal and the courage it takes to confront both the abuser and systemic failure.
Note: This summary preserves the integrity, tone, and key details as shared by Alicia and host Andrea Gunning, offering a powerful resource for those unable to listen to the episode.