Betrayal Weekly: LIVE! on Virgin Voyages

Podcast: Betrayal: Weekly
Host: Andrea Gunning
Producer/Moderator: Monique Laborde
Date: October 30, 2025

Overview

This special live episode of Betrayal Weekly brought together two families whose stories were featured in previous seasons, for an open, survivor-centered discussion at sea on Virgin Voyages. The conversation, moderated by producer Monique Laborde, dives into the personal, legal, and emotional aftermath of betrayal and abuse, the experience of turning real-life trauma into a true crime podcast and TV show, and the empowering journey of resilience, truth, and community among survivors. The episode offers raw, candid exchanges, guidance for others, and sheds light on themes of institutional betrayal, survival mode, and public scrutiny.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introduction to the Panel (03:22–06:32)

• Live Format Launch:

  • Andrea and Monique introduce this first-ever live Betrayal event on Virgin Voyages, joined by Stacy, Tyler, and Mikayla (Season 3), and Caroline Braga and her children (Season 4).
  • Andrea highlights the show’s focus: “It's really a show about strength and resilience.” (05:09)

• Casting Survivor Stories:

  • Monique discusses the importance and emotional complexity of sharing such painful stories live:
  • “It's a little strange to be on stage clapping and cheering for some of the worst things that have ever happened to someone.” (06:00)

Season 3 Family: Confronting Trauma & Sharing Their Story (06:32–21:38)

Watching Their Trauma Turn Documentary (07:15–08:40)

• Stacy on Seeing Her Life on Screen:
  • “It wasn’t our story. We were like, ooh, what's gonna happen next?...There were some moments that were tough.” (07:15)
• Tyler on Public Impact:
  • “It's really big to me that I get my story out there and I show a lot of other young men that this is not so uncommon and a lot of other men go through these struggles.” (08:03)

The Aftermath & Ongoing Legal Struggles (09:17–11:29)

• Tyler on Retaliation:
  • “He is currently suing me for defamation… It's a bunch of bullshit. I'm going to be real. I'm blunt. I'm not going to hide who I am.” (09:18)
• Andrea on Silencing Tactics:
  • “I think it was a scare tactic to try to keep Tyler from speaking… we see perpetrators try to control this story.” (10:09)
• Stacy on Perpetrator’s Lack of Remorse:
  • “Every time he does this, it’s another nail in his coffin.” (11:29)

Decision to Go Public—Family Healing & Solidarity (11:40–13:48)

• Stacy on Unity:
  • “I told him, if we do this, we do it all together. And it was just something that we felt… we needed to do for healing.” (11:40)
• Tyler’s Motivation:
  • “As a child going through all this, I genuinely thought I was the only boy in the world who knew what this was like.” (12:40)
  • “If you're a man who's been through something like this... You're not alone.” (12:40)

Scenes Left Out & the Importance of Invisible Victims (14:09–16:16)

• Andrea on Unseen Moments:
  • “We were just like, working out and talking about life… and that was, like, my favorite. And it didn’t make it to air.” (14:09)
• Mikayla as Silent Victim:
  • “I was the stronghold for our family, and...I was kind of put on the back burner.” (15:15)
• Stacy’s Recognition:
  • “All of the focus was really on, like, Tyler and his healing...it was a really good moment for us to say to you that...we were sorry.” (15:42)

Reporting Abuse – Mandated Reporter Dilemma (16:30–19:43)

• Mikayla's Experience:
  • “It was like, let's get this done. Let's do the right thing.” (16:30)
  • Describes stepping into action, handling evidence, and the shock of realizing her family’s involvement.

Family Reflections on Growth and Healing (20:03–21:41)

• Mikayla on Tyler’s Journey:
  • “Just watching him help other people is something that I can't even explain...” (20:03)
• Stacy’s Pride:
  • “There are people that are free because of you, and I'm incredibly proud to be your mother.” (20:30)
  • Humorous aside: “He still don’t take the trash out enough, though. We could work on that.” (21:41)

Season 4 Family: Caroline Braga’s Perspective (26:58–47:49)

Initial Betrayal & Fallout (27:09–30:20)

• Caroline’s World Unravels:
  • Vivid account of finding out about her husband’s cheating, the shock, and the sudden need to inform her adult children.
  • “I was able to maintain my composure. I gently closed my laptop and then I walked out and I made it to a street corner before I just completely lost it.” (27:30)
• Nicole’s Reaction:
  • “Is daddy okay?...Did he get caught cheating on you?” (27:50)

Law Enforcement as Institution – Double Betrayal (31:00–32:02)

• Caroline’s Sacrifice:
  • “He joked and called it the Love me room because everything in there was all about him and showed all the love from the community.” (31:00)
  • Describes supporting his career, balancing family life, and the overnight loss of trust in both her marriage and the institution.

Why Their Story, & Institutional Betrayal (32:16–35:25)

• Andrea on Storytelling Choices:
  • “It was important for betrayal to focus on stories that really feel like the everyday, that feel like that could be your neighbor or your friend because it feels accessible...” (33:23)
• Monique Introduces 'Institutional Betrayal':
  • From psychologist Dr. Jennifer Freyd: It's distinct from personal betrayal — “not just grief of my nuclear family. It was grief of my community.” (35:58)

Deciding to Go Public, Family Dynamics (37:34–42:56)

• Caroline’s Internal Barriers:
  • “[Participating] was scary because I didn’t want to have this define my kids… It was really difficult for me to… call out some of my colleagues and put that on blast.” (37:55)
  • “Suck it up, buttercup. Put your head up, throw your shoulders back, and be the damn voice for women who are living in terror and shame.” (39:18)
• Kids on Owning Their Narrative:
  • Nicole: “People just assumed, or they just flat out told lies about our family. …So that was the main reason why I wanted to do this.” (39:57)
  • Son: “It takes courage to platform these stories… And the messages we receive on a daily basis… this could be us.” (40:53)

Transparency, Truth, and New Family Values (43:52–47:49)

• Andrea on Narrative Control:
  • “Joel was… planting seeds about who you were as a person...it was so much more than just the sexual misconduct…” (42:56)
• Nicole Reflects on New Core Values:
  • “We realized that we just want to be our authentic selves. And to do that comes truth and accountability and recognizing each other's paths and really just being each other's advocates.” (44:22)
• Healing as a Process:
  • “We had to go through this process of healing together. And it's a nonlinear process. …truth and transparency has to be a bedrock of a… new foundation after you face that.” (45:10)

Survivor Camaraderie & Reflections on True Crime Media (52:22–66:17)

Survivors Supporting Each Other (52:43–54:00)

• Caroline and Stacy’s Fast Bond:
  • “Fast friends and sisterhood in this camaraderie in this crazy ass way… It's been incredible.” (52:43)
• Andrea on Community:
  • “You understand betrayal, you understand deception, and how that can really fundamentally change your sense of reality…” (54:07)

The Difference Between Life and Storytelling (55:20–58:11)

• Living the Trauma vs. the Podcast Version:
  • Mikayla: “Nothing beats actually living through it. So it's almost like you're a little desensitized.” (56:01)
  • Stacy: “Healing started with betrayal… it's been instrumental in all of our healing.” (56:49)

How True Crime Looks From the Inside (58:11–61:00)

• Mikayla's Changed Perspective:
  • “Growing up… I was like, oh, come the fuck on. …And then as this started to unravel, I was like, oh, my God, people are thinking that about me.” (58:35)
• Andrea on Red Flags:
  • “A huge part about our project is really explaining that there often are none… perpetrators are really good at hiding who they are.” (61:00)

Survival Mode, Self-Blame, and Grace (64:17–67:26)

• Stacy & Caroline on Decision-Making in Crisis:
  • “You're literally just going from one thing to another every day of trying to put out fires and make sure that your children are still eating…” (61:00)
  • “That first year was autopilot, just absolute autopilot. …You can’t beat me up any more than I beat up myself.” (64:17)
• Andrea Explains Survival Brain:
  • “The majority of these individuals are living in survival mode for a year, two years… with time and healing, you can look back and really start to process. But those are two different states of mind.” (65:52)
• Stacy on Getting Through Each Day:
  • “All you do is try to get through… to get to bed that night.” (67:26)

Handling Online Criticism, Dark Humor, & Community Support (68:16–76:57)

• Online Criticism and Humor as Coping:
  • Mikayla: “We make it a joke… instead we can just laugh about it.” (68:43)
  • Tyler: “About 85, 90% of the time, that troll has about third grade grammar, or you can tell they didn't finish the show…” (70:04)
  • Stacy: “Comments on the podcast really, really got me. And I decided…if people had to hate me for his story to get out…that I was okay taking that.” (70:43)
  • Caroline: “Is that Barnes & Noble that carries that Amazon Prime? So I didn't have that.” (72:33)
  • Stacy: “Let's be horrified at the people who did the crime. Yep. Let's be horrified.” (75:05)
  • Caroline: “It's comments like those that keep people silent. So you are a part of the problem, and you are damning the solution.” (75:30)

Advice for Future Podcast Subjects (75:41–76:57)

• Caroline: “Don't read the comments.” (75:50)
• Mikayla: “Don't be afraid… Don't be afraid. Tell your story. Scream it from the mountaintops.” (75:54)
• Tyler: “Not a damn person face to face has made fun of me for what has happened to me. …I don't think that's something you have to worry about.” (76:34)

Audience Q&A Highlights (81:50–86:49)

• Caroline on CSPD's Institutional Betrayal:
  • “There’s so much more to the story that you would just fall out if you knew… a very, very high ranking female… actually turned my ex husband in for sexual harassment… nothing was done.” (82:22)
• Stacy on Trust Post-Betrayal:
  • “It's hard to ever trust somebody again. I mean, you lay next to somebody for seven years ... and they're completely someone that you had no idea.” (83:12)
• Nicole & Caroline's Son on Breaking Contact with Father:
  • “He didn't come to my high school graduation, and he didn't come to this… so then it's like, why worth trying.” (84:57)
• Support from Audience:
  • “I think you are amazing mother. My mom did not believe me. And when I watched the episode, I was screaming at the TV because I was like, yes, mama. Yes, you go.” (85:36)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Tyler (on the power of speaking out, 08:03):

  • “I get my story out there...and I show a lot of other young men that this is not so uncommon.”

• Stacy (on the defamation suit, 09:55):

  • “His lawyer told me, you have to have character to say a defamation of character. And we've clearly proven that you don't have character.”

• Andrea (on survivors’ rights, 10:09):

  • “Oftentimes we see perpetrators try to control this story. And I think he was used to being in control for a really long time.”

• Caroline (on institutional loss, 35:58):

  • “I didn't just lose my nuclear family. I lost my extended family within the law enforcement community. And… it was just vanished.”

• Caroline (on why to go public, 39:18):

  • “Put your head up, throw your shoulders back, and be the damn voice for women who are living in terror and shame to discuss this.”

• Nicole (on reclaiming the family narrative, 39:57):

  • “People just assumed, or they just flat out told lies about our family...so that was the main reason why I wanted to do this.”

• Andrea (on red flags, 61:00):

  • “There often are none, because perpetrators [are] really good at hiding who they really are.”

• Stacy (on piecing it together, 61:00):

  • “It's like this puzzle…and when you get to the end, then you’re like, oh, and then the puzzle...becomes clear.”

• Caroline (on criticism, 75:30):

  • “It's comments like those that keep people silent. So you are a part of the problem, and you are damning the solution.”

• Mikayla (on advice, 75:54):

  • “Don't be afraid...Tell your story. Scream it from the mountaintops. It's better to do it that way instead of live in fear.”

Timestamps for Significant Segments

• Show and guests introduction: 03:22–06:32
• Reflections on seeing their stories broadcast: 07:15–08:40
• Legal struggles and defamation: 09:17–11:29
• The decision to participate in the podcast: 11:40–13:48
• Reporting abuse as a family member: 16:30–19:43
• Institutional betrayal and law enforcement culture: 35:25–37:55
• Discussion on truth, transparency, and family dynamics: 43:52–47:49
• The impact of dark humor in healing: 68:43–70:43
• Advice for survivors considering telling their story: 75:41–76:57
• Audience Q&A: 81:50–86:49

Conclusion

This live episode shines a light on the deep wounds that betrayal and abuse inflict, but also emphasizes the importance of telling one’s story, reclaiming agency, and building supportive communities with other survivors. It offers honest discussion on legal retribution, institutional complicity, the reality of surviving in crisis, and advice for other survivors. The families’ commitment to truth and healing—combined with a healthy dose of dark humor—provides a powerful blueprint for resilience and breaking the silence around taboo subjects.