Deep Cover Presents: Snowball — Episode 4: Charmed

Pushkin Industries | Released November 24, 2025
Host: Olly Wards

Main Theme

In Episode 4, "Charmed," Olly Wards delves deep into the labyrinthine fantasy world created by Californian con woman Leslie Mnookian, focusing on a bizarre subplot involving a supposed celebrity-studded book and movie deal. Through a trove of emails, Olly exposes how Leslie built intricate fictions—not just to charm, but to conspire, covering her tracks with a cast of invented assistants, lawyers, and even Hollywood stars. This episode explores the purpose and psychology behind these deceptions and marks the beginning of Olly’s on-the-ground investigation in the US and Lake Tahoe, searching for tangible truths about Leslie’s elusive past.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Book and Movie Deal Fantasy

• Olly discovers, through Leslie’s emails, an elaborate story involving a memoir, a film adaptation, and a supporting cast of characters—all apparently invented by Leslie.
• Central to this scheme is “Eric T. Weiss,” Leslie’s supposed entertainment lawyer, who claims a roster of celebrity clients and orchestrates book and movie deals for Leslie.

Notable Quote:
“Lesley wrote that in her divorce letter to my brother Greg. It's like she was toying with him... Leslie does draw blurry lines between fantasy and reality."
— Olly Wards [02:28]

• Emails refer to negotiations with real publishers (e.g., Simon & Schuster), a film to be shot by Sony, and actress Alyssa Milano set to play Leslie.
• Details are layered, with mentions of negotiations, legal threats, and script rewrites—making the fantasy nearly airtight for observers.

2. The Call Sheet: A Fictional Cast of Characters

• The emails introduce Eric’s "assistants" (like Jackie, out for a hysterectomy) and a "ghostwriter" named Scooter, each with backstories and direct conversations with Lesley’s family.
• Olly notes the soap-operatic detail in the storylines, even down to mundane logistics and personal anecdotes, making the web more convincing.

Memorable Moment:
“It’s like a soap opera in Lesley’s inbox… If Lesley was creating all these characters then in a weird way it’s almost like she was writing a book. But it’s just a fictional world created in emails.”
— Olly Wards [12:22–14:23]

3. The Real Purpose: Money and Evasion

• The emails often revolve around royalty payments and cash advances that never materialize.
• Eric's emails explain away missed payments, systems delays, and make excuses for Leslie's mounting debts—to her own parents, creditors, and banks.

Notable Quote:
“Eric is like a buffer between Lesley and her parents. If money owed to Lesley’s parents is delayed, Eric has a good reason.”
— Olly Wards [19:43]

• Olly links this web of fiction directly to Leslie’s need to buy time, excuse absent funds, and maintain credibility with increasingly skeptical family members.

4. The "Eric T. Weiss" Revelation

• Upon closer examination, and following up on mysterious CC’d emails, Olly uncovers that Eric’s Gmail account uses the same password as Leslie’s, suggesting a single person behind both personas.

Key Exchange:
Olly: “So you’re saying that the password you were using for Lesley’s emails is exactly the same password that logs in to the account for Eric T. Weiss, which is a Gmail account. So it’s the same password, two different accounts?”
Father: “Yes.”
[25:37–25:56]

• This is a eureka moment for Olly and the family: the intricate world of lawyers and assistants is traced back to Leslie herself, casting doubt on all correspondence involving Eric.

Reaction:
“It’s crazier than I thought it was. So there it is. Eric and Leslie had the same email password. Ladies and gentlemen, Leslie Houdini. The Great Houdini.”
— Olly Wards [26:00–26:36]

5. Family Motives and Search for Closure

• Olly discusses with his parents and brother Greg their hopes, disappointments, and search for closure, reflecting on the emotional wake Leslie left behind.
• The family’s main concern is neither revenge nor compensation, but understanding and acknowledgment of the damage Leslie caused.

Poignant Quotes:
“What I would really like is for her to acknowledge that she’s caused a lot of strife, to basically understand what she’s done and to try and not do things like this in the future.”
— Olly’s father [31:04]

“An apology would be nice. Before dad packed up the big box of Leslie docs, he had one last ditch idea about how to tie up some loose ends. Dad pitched this story to America’s TV drama magnate, Dr. Phil.”
— Olly & Greg [31:32]

6. The US Road Trip: Chasing Leslie’s Past

• Olly, joined by his brother Simon, lands in California to trace Leslie’s early business ventures and personal history.
• Visiting Leslie’s childhood home and old bars, they discover a consistent pattern: unpaid bills, evictions, and failed businesses that mirror the collapse in New Zealand and Hawaii.

Notable Moment:
Marina Manager on Leslie: “She ran it into the ground, she didn’t pay rent and we had to evict her.”
— Recapped by Olly [47:11]

• They analyze court documents reflecting the Mnookians' entanglement in rent disputes, suggesting the parents’ involvement in the Tahoe bar business was more than passive.

7. Patterns and Open Questions

• Olly questions if Leslie’s parents are just victims or potential enablers, noting their names on business registrations and court filings.

“Are Lesley’s parents just hapless victims in all this? Or are they turning a blind eye to what Lesley does?”
— Olly Wards [48:16]

• The episode ends with a new lead: a glowing review for Leslie’s next venture, a restaurant in Paso Robles, setting the stage for the next leg of Olly’s investigation.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments with Timestamps

• “You’ll never really know what was real or not.” — Leslie (via Betty), [02:28]
• “Sony cannot go forward with the movie until the book has been released. I have recommended that they film in Sun Valley...” — “Eric T. Weiss” (voice actor), [07:36]
• “Alyssa Milano has signed on.” — Betty, [08:11]
• “Leslie is prepared to use fake personas. So tracking her down and working out what's real and what's not could be more difficult than I thought.” — Olly Wards, [28:55]
• "She ran it into the ground, she didn't pay rent and we had to evict her." — Marina manager, summarized by Olly [47:11]
• “There it is. Eric and Leslie had the same email password. Ladies and gentlemen, Leslie Houdini.” — Olly Wards, [26:35]
• “It’s like a soap opera in Lesley’s inbox.” — Olly Wards, [12:22–14:23]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [02:11] — Introduction of voice actors for email characters
• [03:31] — Discovery of Leslie’s supposed book deal
• [04:12] — Introduction of Eric T. Weiss character
• [07:36] — Movie adaptation fiction and Alyssa Milano’s involvement
• [13:12] — The ghostwriter "Scooter"
• [17:49] — Analysis of motives: money, evasion, and family manipulation
• [25:37] — Revelation: Eric and Leslie’s email accounts share a password
• [31:04] — Family’s wish for acknowledgment and apology
• [34:41] — Start of the US road trip; reflections on family motives
• [40:05] — Tahoe courthouse visit; evidence of unpaid bills and evictions
• [47:11] — Marina manager recounts Leslie’s business downfall
• [48:22] — Discovery of Leslie’s next restaurant venture and preview of next investigation steps

Episode Tone and Atmosphere

The episode is investigative but conversational, blending the emotional stakes of personal loss and deception with Olly's wry, self-deprecating humor. The show is unflinching about the damage done by Leslie, but also fascinated by her creative reinventions and the surreal invention of her alter egos.

Summary

Episode 4, "Charmed," vividly exposes the extent and complexity of Leslie Mnookian’s deceptions—intertwining make-believe stardom with real-world consequences. Olly's investigation reveals not just the technical tricks Leslie employed, but the emotional effects on those around her, especially her family, who remain trapped in the uncertainty of what was real. As the curtain lifts on Leslie's invented Hollywood fantasy, Olly sets off across California to unpick the true story behind the con—one small-town court document and skeptical marina manager at a time, with more revelations promised to come.

For the next stage: Olly’s search for Leslie leads him to Paso Robles, chasing fresh clues and fresh questions about whether closure is possible for any of her victims.