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- [00:00]
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- [00:09]
Chico Felitti
Hey Chico here. Just wanted to let you know that this episode has a short mention of self harm. Please take care while listening it was the fall of 2022. Desiree was in jail. She described the conditions in her book. An orange jumpsuit, a dirty mattress on the cold floor. And then there was Kat with her in the same cell, she wouldn't stop talking to Desiree, going on and on about what they needed to say and do to get out of jail. Desiree could barely focus on her own thoughts. She had struggled to sleep and it showed. The reality of her situation seemed to be finally sinking in.
- [01:07]
Desiree
My worst fear became true. I felt so ashamed by the way.
- [01:12]
Chico Felitti
Her words are spoken by an actor. Desiree had been told she was in jail because of an expired visa, but she knew there were going to be a lot more questions. What if they charged her with prostitution? Would she be sent to prison for a long time? The next day, an officer came to tell her they were being transferred to a state prison nearby in Maine. Desiree sat next to Kat as the officer drove them. Kat spoke to her in Portuguese, repeating how important it was to stick to the same story that Desiree was just a friend of Kat's that was visiting. Kat looks stressed with her eyes wide open and fixed on Desiree. When they arrived at the state prison, Desiree and Kat spent a few hours in the same cell. Then they were separated for the first time in a long, long time. Desiree was out of Kat's reach. She was on her own now, and her loyalty was about to face its greatest test.
- [02:36]
Monica Lewinsky
I would define reclaiming as to take back what was yours. Something you possess is lost or stolen, and ultimately you triumph in finding it again. Listen to Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky wherever you get your podcasts.
- [02:51]
Jesse Weber
When Luigi Mangione was arrested for allegedly shooting the CEO of United Healthcare, he didn't just spark outrage, he ignited a cultural firestorm. Is the system working or is it time for a reckoning? I'm Jesse Weber. Listen to Law and Crimes Luigi Exclusively on Wondery.
- [03:17]
Chico Felitti
From Wondery. I'm Chico Felitti, and this is don't cross cat. Episode 6 After the Spell the next morning, a guard woke Desiree up. It was 5:00am Two immigration and custom Enforcement agents were waiting to interrogate her. They asked if Kat had forced her into sex work. Desiree did as Kat had instructed and denied everything.
- [04:02]
Desiree
And the more I repeated the These false stories, the more I believed them. As if I were brainwashing myself.
- [04:16]
Chico Felitti
Then, in the middle of the night, Desi Resist. Two officers escorted her out of the cell and into a black suv. As the sun rose, she was put on the plane. She was being transferred yet again, this time to an immigration facility in Georgia. To Desiree, the whole thing seemed like a scene from a movie. When she got there, agents told Desiree they wanted to help her get out of this situation. All she had to do was work with them and file charges against Kat for human trafficking. But Kat's voice was still in Desiree's. Don't believe anyone. Desiree didn't know who to trust. So Desiree stuck to the story that it was all made up by Cat's enemies. Those next few days in, the tension became almost unbearable. The uncertainty of what would happen to her was eating at Tessire. The days seemed endless. She wrote that she even considered taking her own life. And every time, she was allowed to call her family. The call never went through. Until one day, they finally picked up.
- [05:43]
Desiree
When I heard my mother's voice for the first time after so long, my shoulders softened. I was relieved.
- [05:51]
Chico Felitti
But Desiree couldn't bring herself to tell her what she had done. She still told the same story she had shared with investigators. The agents tried to tell her that Kat didn't have her best interest at heart. But Estire still believed in Kat.
- [06:08]
Desiree
I thought, Kat would never do that to me. She could never be so cruel.
- [06:14]
Chico Felitti
I mean, think about it. Kat had been in her head for so many months. Desiree was isolated from the world. She had been so focused on pleasing Kat, no matter what, for so long. That was when her old friend Patty reached out. She left a message asking to talk. Desiree describes her reaction in her book.
- [06:40]
Desiree
I thought, damn, I don't have peace. Not even in prison.
- [06:45]
Chico Felitti
Kat's words still swirled in Desiree's mind. That people like Patty were responsible for Desiree being in trouble with the law, that no one was a good friend to her except for Kat. But as her separation from Kat continued, things slowly began to change. One day, Desiree was walking down one of the prison hallways when she came across a poster that caught her attention. It described in detail what human trafficking was. The posters used by the Department of Homeland Security tend to say things like, if you're controlled and don't have the freedom to leave, you may be a victim of human trafficking. Desiree stood there reading the poster over and over again. When the agents had first told Desiree about human trafficking. She had just felt overwhelmed and confused. But now, all by herself, staring at this poster without the agents or cat in her ear, she was finally able to really analyze the last few months. She remembered something an investigator had told her. That victims often grow attached to their traffickers and that the emotional detachment can take time, even after cutting contact with the person. That's when Desiree realized what Kat had really done to her in her book. Her reaction was almost physical.
- [08:29]
Desiree
My chest burned with anger. How could I let all this happen to me?
- [08:35]
Chico Felitti
It was like a blindfold came off. She could clearly see that Kat had never been a true friend. Desiree decided she'd finally collaborate with the agents, and she told them everything about how she lied to them about the sex work, the cash, cat's control. It took three weeks for the judge's decision. Desiree was granted a voluntary departure from the U.S. she had 30 days to leave the country. Her parents scraped together the money from friends and family to pay for her flight. Desiree spent a total of 49 days in prison and immigration detention. She had escaped criminal charges. Now she was going home. But what about her life coach? Kat had also flown back to Brazil, and her future was much less clear.
- [09:56]
Wondery Ad
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- [10:56]
Jesse Weber
In the early hours of December 4, 2024, CEO Brian Thompson stepped out onto the streets of Midtown Manhattan.
- [11:05]
Patty
This assailant pulls out a weapon and.
- [11:07]
Wondery Ad
Starts firing at him.
- [11:08]
Jesse Weber
We're talking about the CEO of the biggest private health insurance corporation in the world and the suspect he has been.
- [11:14]
Chico Felitti
Identified as Luigi Nicholas Mangioni.
- [11:16]
Jesse Weber
Became one of the most divisive figures in modern criminal history.
- [11:21]
Chico Felitti
I was targeted, premeditated, admit to sow terror.
- [11:24]
Jesse Weber
I'm Jesse Weber, host of Luigi, produced by Law and Crime and Twist. This is more than a true crime investigation. We explore a uniquely American moment that could change the country forever.
- [11:36]
Julia
He's awoken the people to a true issue.
- [11:41]
Patty
Finally, maybe this would lead rich and.
- [11:43]
Monica Lewinsky
Powerful to acknowledge the barbaric nature of our healthcare system.
- [11:47]
Jesse Weber
Listen to Law and Crime's Luigi exclusively on Wondery Plus. You can join Wondery plus on the Wondery app, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
- [12:11]
Chico Felitti
In November 2022, Kat arrived in Brazil with nothing but the clothes she was wearing and her iPhone. Brazilian authorities took her straight to jail, where she waited for a trial. Meanwhile, her husband Zach seemed to support her. He set up a GoFundMe page to ask for donations. The main photo on the page showed two of her pets, her cat that looks like a leopard and what I think is a ferret. He asked Kat's social media followers for money to feed the animals who were still in the US if any money was left, Zach said he would use it to visit Cat in Brazil. But in the end, the page only raised $356. Still, a lot of people were interested in what Cat was doing. Hola mi Agency to the ban converses after six months, the YouTuber Fernanda Piasencini managed to speak to Kat in prison. She said Kat weighed only 108 pounds. She also said Kat hadn't washed her hair in months and that the shirt she was wearing was full of holes. By the summer of 2023, Cat was charged with human trafficking and the enslavement of Desiree. The legal proceeding happened behind closed doors and without a jury. Thanks to a confidential source, I've been able to get a hold of recordings of a deposition that was used in this trial. Even though these are not open to the public or journalists, sources with access to the testimony confirmed that it played an important role in the proceedings. Kat sat at a long table six feet across from the judge. She wore a white plain sweater and her hair in a loose bunch. She didn't look anything like the supermodel Kat from Instagram. First, the judge asked Kat if she knew what she was being accused of, but Kat struggled to answer him. She eventually replied, human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Are these charges true or false? The judge asked. No. Never in my life would I do such a thing, she told the judge. I know that I can be very crazy, she went on. But no Matter how crazy, I could never exploit anyone. I couldn't even hurt a cat or a dog or a fly, she said. The questioning went on for more than five hours, and there were flashes of the cat I'd come to recognize from her Instagram. But at other times, she seemed like a different person, someone who had lost all control. Interrupting the judge, talking over him, bursting out in tears. Before the trial, her lawyer had requested that she undergo a psychiatric evaluation. That evaluation found Kat to be competent enough to stand trial. But it's clear from the deposition that Kat was also erratic and possibly struggling with her mental health. At times, the judge tried to redirect Kat's attention, but her mood kept shifting. She'd go from crying loudly to seething with anger when she talked about Desiree and Leticia. It's this new era of young girls who want to get rich at any cost and just be famous, she told the judge. They're amoebas, Kat said. At one point, Kat lost her cool with the judge. She told him to calm down or else she would lose her train of thought. But he didn't lose his composure. The judge listened patiently as Kat claimed to be the real victim. She said Desiree and Leticia used her. They went to the US with the intention of using me for prostitution without me knowing, Kat claimed. Desiree saw an opportunity with me and she took it. She was a rat, like the rats I see in my prison tell. After hours of trying to get a straight answer from Kat, the judge started to close in on one of the most essential questions. Did Desiree and Leticia live in Kat's house? This was important to show the level of influence she had over them. Kat was doing everything she could to deny they live with her. So the judge pressed her again. You don't know where they lived. They say they lived in your house. Kat said they lived at a different man's house every day. Eventually, he asked Kat if the woman stayed at her house when she traveled. Kat contradicted herself. She admitted the women stayed at her house while she was out of town with Zach. They stayed there only because they were taking care of my 300 plants, reptiles and animals, she said. Kat didn't understand why Desiree and Leticia weren't the ones in prison. To Kat, they were sex workers because they wanted to be. They were grown women, and she had only been dragged in the middle of it all. All of Brazil was waiting to see what would happen to cat tourists, including. I've tried to interview Kat multiple times, and in early 2024. She said she would be willing to talk to me, but her lawyers told me that first the doctors in prison needed to get her on the right medication. So for six months, I waited, and in the end, there was no interview. I should mention, too, that in Brazil, inmates are not allowed to make phone calls. There's not a single payphone inside a jail. But they can write and receive letters. And back in 2023, Kat did respond to a letter from me. She wrote that she had lost nearly 50 pounds. She went days without eating, that all she could think about is her dog Nathaniel, the big fluffy one she always showed in her videos. Kat said she felt for her flower followers, who had lost something much greater when they watched their idol being imprisoned. She also said she still got help, both from the voice and the spirits of light. They help her stay calm. At the end of my letter exchange with Kat, I asked her what she was planning on doing next when she got out. She wrote she needed to go back to the US she had composed 15 songs. Now she wanted to become a country singer. In June 2024, a Brazilian judge sentenced Kat to eight years in prison for human trafficking and slavery. She had once told desireet that spirit guides would unshackle her if she were ever in prison. But no one has come to her rescue, not even her husband, Zach. At first, he said he would try to visit Kat in prison, but then he seemed to go cold on the idea. After his GoFundMe failed to raise enough money, he wrote to Kat's life lawyer saying he didn't want to see his wife anymore. He said Kat should get in touch with him after she got out of prison. At Kat's request, the lawyer tried to contact him multiple times after that, but Zach stopped responding. But not everyone has abandoned Kat. Her childhood friend Julia told us she thinks Kat is unwell, that she was never the same after her ayahuasca face in Los Angeles.
- [22:06]
Actor
I think Kat's mental health harmed her.
- [22:10]
Chico Felitti
Her words are spoken by an actor.
- [22:12]
Actor
It ended up making her a criminal because I think she couldn't even understand what she was doing to these people and why it was wrong. She was really a very good friend, you know? So for me, it's so weird to see the things that she did to these women who lived with her. I just have this feeling that, I don't know, something was distorted in Kat's head.
- [22:37]
Chico Felitti
Julia thinks it's obvious that Kat needs treatment.
- [22:41]
Actor
They're just locking people up and punishing them when they need to be treated.
- [22:45]
Chico Felitti
You know, Julia sent Kat a letter and Kat's response worried her.
- [22:50]
Actor
She's like, oh girl, can you ask my fans on Instagram for help instead stuff. I mean, she's truly detached from reality. You can tell she has no idea what's going on.
- [23:04]
Chico Felitti
Julia said she's gotten word that the medication Kat was given at first was too strong. More than one time, Kat had to be carried from the yard to her cell because she couldn't walk on her own.
- [23:17]
Actor
I really want her to be well, you know, for her to be healthy and for all this to help her understand what she did. I don't think an apology from her will solve anything in her victims lives. But I do think that at the same time it's necessary, like for Kat to understand and to regret and to hopefully never do anything like that again.
- [23:52]
Chico Felitti
I don't know how sick Kat really is, but I do know she caused a lot of harm to Desiree, to Patty, and to their friendship. In fact, Patty wondered if she and Desiree could truly heal from it. Patty had spent so much time and so much energy to bring her friend back. But now she couldn't help but wonder, was Desiree still the friend she had fought to save? Or had Kat's influence changed her forever?
- [24:33]
Julia
What if your mind could trick your body into feeling sick or even worse? In Hysterical, I investigate the bizarre medical mystery that unfolds in a high school in upstate New York. It starts with one girl developing strange violent symptoms. And then another. And then another. Rumors begin to swirl. Is it something in the water inside the school? Or is it all in their heads? Hysterical is my search for answers. And along the way, I uncover surprising connections to unexplained incidents around the world. Events that challenge everything we think we know about our bodies and our minds. Named Podcast of the Year at the Gambies, Hysterical is a mind bending, unforgettable ride. Binge all episodes right now exclusively and ad free on Wondery. Start your free trial of Wondery in the Wondery app or on Apple podcasts.
- [25:42]
Chico Felitti
In late December 2020, two days after her release from immigration detention, Desiree landed in so Paulo International. Once off the plane, Desiree scanned the airport terminal for her family, the few people she had left in her life. And there they were. Desiree was no longer under cat spell. But recovering from it all would take some time. At first, she locked herself in her room for most of the day. She was trying to avoid contact with with the outside world.
- [26:26]
Desiree
I was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety. During these months, I experienced Panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, insomnia, and nightmares.
- [26:41]
Chico Felitti
Back in Vancouver, Desiree's old friend Patty waited for news on how she was doing.
- [26:47]
Patty
I was sad and scared for her, for the way that she will deal with everything. She's maybe not in the place that she wants to, but she's alive.
- [27:04]
Chico Felitti
But Patty also had her own healing to do. After all, Desiree was the one who gave Kat the photos of her and her kids that Kat used to attack Patti online. She was still recovering from that betrayal.
- [27:18]
Patty
I also became a victim when she started saying this fake stuff about me and my kids and the Internet. I had a hard time to understand that. So sometimes I would be a little bit angry. I just wanted to help. And now I had this big problem.
- [27:43]
Chico Felitti
Soon after Desiree arrived in Brazil, Patty still hadn't heard from her until one night when she was getting ready to go out.
- [27:54]
Patty
So I was doing my hair or something, and then I saw she text me first, and she was like, oh, can you talk?
- [28:02]
Chico Felitti
Patty didn't think twice. It was the scene she had been playing in her mind for so long.
- [28:08]
Patty
I had so many questions, but just wanted to listen to her. I was a little bit scared about her too, because at this point, I didn't know if she was being transplanted and she really wanted something or she just wanted to have information to help cats to get off of the jail too. Should they be really open to her.
- [28:33]
Chico Felitti
Patty had built a wall. The instinct to protect herself kicked in.
- [28:38]
Patty
I had to trust her again.
- [28:42]
Chico Felitti
Desiree opened up first.
- [28:44]
Patty
She said how much she was sorry, and she explained a little bit what happened to her. And then I just felt love for her and sorry for everything that happened.
- [29:02]
Chico Felitti
Patty's wall started to crumble. She decided it wasn't the time to revisit the trauma.
- [29:09]
Patty
We never really talked to what happened. I never got to ask her why she gave my kids pictures and everything. Because I wanted to give her space first and time to heal before asking any question that could bring more pain to her.
- [29:37]
Chico Felitti
It was clear to Patty that her friendship with Desiree was forever changed. They had changed. But there are still things that Paddy wants to say to Desiree. Like how Patty wishes, back when it all started, that she would have shown Desiree more grace, how she should have been, less critical of Desiree's bad decisions. Had Patty been closer to Desiree, maybe Desiree would have felt less alone, less sad, less prone to believing in lies of an Internet guru who said it was them against the world to show.
- [30:26]
Patty
Her that she was not alone, that People that are looking for her, they love her, that her family love her. Maybe if I tried to say that to her, she would see love on us.
- [30:45]
Chico Felitti
For now, Patty and Desiree talk only once in a while and occasionally text. The closeness they had before, it's not quite there anymore. There's a lot unsaid and perhaps unresolved between them. Patty knows Desiree is a different person now.
- [31:03]
Patty
When I talk to her, I see that she wants so bad to move on. It's a sad episode in her life, but it's not her life story. And she can help so many people. Talking about what happened to her and help other girls to because of the Internet is dangerous. I will call her sometimes just to know if she's okay. Now she. She's just need the space and time to heal and maybe to find herself again. I hope that the next time I'm going to bring Brazil I can see her. I think she knows that I love her. And I feel really grateful that the end of that story. It's maybe not the best happy ending, but it's still a happy ending because both girls, they are alive. They are so young. If they want, they can turn this bad thing into so much positive stuff.
- [32:27]
Chico Felitti
Today, Desiree appears to be focusing on her future. During the production of this series, I met up with her and we spoke at length in an interview. But after some time and thought Desiree chose not to take part. Leticia has also been moving on. Like Desiree, she made it back to Brazil without criminal prosecution. Kat, meanwhile, is still facing further charges related to human trafficking. This story could have ended in a lot of ways. Who knows what would have happened if Patty hadn't searched for Desiree or if she would have given up when Desiree had first rejected her help. But Patty stuck to it because she believed her hunch that her friend was in danger. And I don't want to imply that this is a neat ending. This search Desire's time would get. It all took a toll on their friendship. Their bond is fractured. Still, one thing holds true. Patty's love for her friend never wavered. She wanted her friend back. So she fought and she searched. And because of it, Desiree made it out, not unscathed, but in Patty's own words, alive and finally able to do whatever she wants with her life. In her book, Desiree includes a message for Patty.
- [34:05]
Desiree
I admit that I acted in a wrong, radical and immature way. So to those I hurt in some way, I'm so sorry.
- [34:14]
Chico Felitti
And Patty, she still has hope they can find their friendship once again.
- [34:20]
Patty
I still want to talk to her about this. I have a few questions. So maybe it's going to be in five years and 10 years. Maybe never will happen. We'll see.
- [34:51]
Chico Felitti
Follow Don't Cross Cat on the Wondery app, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes early and ad free right now by joining Wondery plus in the Wondery App or Apple Podcasts. Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short survey@wondery.com survey if you have a tip about a story you think we should investigate, please write to us@wondrey.com Tips from Wondery this is episode 6 of 6 of Don't Cross Cat. Don't Cross Cat is hosted and reported by me, Chico Felitti. Producer is Andres Caballero Senior producer is Fernanda Echavari Associate producers are Giovanna Romano Sanchez and Ottavio Bonfa. Additional production assistance by Beatriz Trevisa Fact checking by Zoe Sullivan Voice acting by Mariana Gular Theme song by Mariana Romano Sound designed by Stephanie Lebeau and Jacob Rossati Additional mixing by Julia Caruso and J.J. carubin sound ground Supervisor is Marcelino Villalpondo, Project Manager is Nancy Trujillo and supervising Senior Production Manager is Jessica Ellis. Managing Producer is Heather Baloga Development Producer is Olivia Weber Senior Development Editor is Rachel B. Doyle. Production Services by Futuru Studios Executive producers for Futuru Studios are Marlon Bishop and Maria Garcia. Executive producers for Wondery are Russell Finch, George Lavender, Marshall Lewy and Jen Sargent.
- [36:46]
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