Vault: Were you sexually harassed at work?

Summary

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The Bert Show – "Vault: Were you sexually harassed at work?"

Release Date: August 5, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this compelling revisit episode, The Bert Show team (Burke, Kristin, Abby, Cassie, Tommy, and more) open up the phone lines for listeners to share personal experiences about sexual harassment in the workplace. Spurred by fresh allegations against Roman Polanski, the show explores how coercion and harassment can play out far beyond Hollywood, focusing particularly on power dynamics, workplace cultures, and the vulnerability of young, inexperienced workers. Candid and sometimes uncomfortable, the episode balances authentic stories with raw, reflective discussion from both the hosts and the callers.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Catalyst: Roman Polanski Allegations

• Entertainment News Recap:
  • [00:46] Burke and the crew recount the latest accusation against Roman Polanski, noting British actress Charlotte Lewis's press conference, where she alleges she was abused at 16 during her first film experience with Polanski in France.
  • The team acknowledges that Polanski fled the US and has avoided prosecution for years, underscoring his pattern of targeting young, vulnerable women.

“He just said very coldly, ‘If you’re not a big enough girl to have sex with me, you’re not big enough to do the screen test. I must sleep with every actress I work with.’”
— Co-host quoting Charlotte Lewis, [01:52]

2. Opening Up the Conversation

• Prompt to the Audience:
  • [02:12] Burke asks listeners: "Is this just a Hollywood thing? Or does this kind of quid pro quo really happen in regular workplaces?" Invitation for both women and men to call in.
  • The hosts discuss whether these situations tend to be explicit or more often implied.

3. Callers’ Experiences: Patterns and Reality

• Caller: Angel ([04:24]–[06:17]):
  • At age 16, her male boss at a fast food restaurant demanded she wore tight pants and made inappropriate comments and physical advances. He offered raises in exchange for sexual acts.
  • She recounts feeling trapped and unaware of her rights as a young employee, later realizing the depth of the manipulation.

“He would come up behind me and grab my hand and put it on his products... He told everybody that I did favors for him. I was 16.”
— Angel, [04:29]

• Host and Panel Reflection:
  • [06:17] The hosts discuss how predators exploit the naivety and inexperience of young employees, usually starting subtly and escalating over time.

“I think they know to manipulate and prey upon the younger women because they’re going to feel helpless. They’re not going to feel like they’ll ever have another job again.”
— Co-host, [06:32]

• Caller: Nima ([07:07]–[08:12]):
  • Details similar harassment at her first cashier job, with a manager insisting that sleeping with him was the route to promotion. Initially treated as a joke, the advances became relentless, leading to her resignation.

"He literally said, have sex with me, you get a raise... I didn't realize I could sue the company."
— Nima, [07:49]

• Caller: Music Industry Example ([08:20]–[09:51]):
  • At 21, working for a music management company in New York. Her boss insisted that “trust” in the workplace meant sleeping with him. One co-worker complied but received no promised rewards.

“He told us that...to trust us, we had to sleep with us. I was like, ‘You’re a loser, I’ll never sleep with you, and you’re a retard because you believe him.’”
— Caller, [09:09]

"She never made a dime. He kept every cent."
— Caller, [09:32]

• Caller: Corporate Power Dynamics ([10:07]–[10:57]):
  • In her 30s and married, she was propositioned by a wealthy CEO during a business trip, with an ultimatum to leave her husband or lose her job.
  • She refused and resigned immediately.

“He basically told me I needed to leave my husband and he needed to be with him...I told him that was never going to happen and he said, ‘Well then you can’t work here.’”
— Caller, [10:07]

• Caller: First Job After College ([11:54]–[12:37]):
  • At age 23, taking her first post-college job at a Fortune 500 firm, her boss told her, “I didn’t hire you for your potential or your background or your education. I hired you for what your lips or your mouth could do for me.”
  • She chose to quit rather than compromise her integrity.

“I had to make the decision to quit… I’d rather be broken poor and have some morals than be some guy’s mistress.”
— Caller, [12:13]

4. Patterns & Reflection

• Prevalence Among Young, First-Time Workers:

  • Hosts note how often these stories come from people in their first jobs, emphasizing the vulnerability and lack of knowledge about their rights.
  • Common theme of feeling isolated, powerless, and manipulated.

• Money & Power Enabling Abuse:

  • The hosts reflect on how wealth and power magnify negative behaviors.

"Money makes you more of what you are. If you’re creepy, money’s gonna make you feel like it’s okay to be creepier."
— Burke, [11:17]

• Cultural Cynicism & Gender Dynamics:
  • The team jokes at points about “who do they have to sleep with for this job?”, acknowledging the pervasiveness of such stereotypes even in jest.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“That’s how I get to know them, how I mold them.”
— Charlotte Lewis recounting Polanski’s words, [01:52]

“You do this thing to me and I will give you a raise.”
— Angel, [05:45]

“I thought that that was what was supposed to happen.”
— Angel, [05:33]

“I’d laugh out loud if somebody said to me you have to sleep with me in order to get a promotion”
— Co-host on perspective with age & experience, [06:17]

“I hired you for what your lips or your mouth could do for me.”
— Caller recounting boss’s explicit statement, [12:07]

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Important Timestamps

• 00:46 – Roman Polanski case recap and catalyst for the topic
• 02:12 – Opening the phone lines: Burke asks the public about real-world experiences
• 04:24 – First major caller (Angel) shares her fast-food job story
• 07:07 – Nima describes her experience as a teenage cashier
• 08:20 – Music industry caller: culture of implied sexual “trust”
• 10:07 – Caller recounts high-level executive proposition
• 11:54 – Caller shares Fortune 500 company experience
• 12:38 – Hosts reflect on the alarming recurrence among first jobs

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Tone & Language

• The episode maintains an open, sometimes irreverent, but deeply empathetic tone.
• Hosts oscillate between serious, reflective commentary and moments of dark humor or disbelief, always grounding listener stories in empathy and a commitment to platforming their voices.

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Takeaways

• Sexual harassment and coercive workplace dynamics are, unfortunately, both common and insidious—often hidden beneath jokes, implications, and manipulations, especially targeting young, inexperienced workers.
• The power and money held by harassers often embolden them, while victims, especially young women, may feel powerless to respond or even recognize their rights.
• The episode serves as both a platform for survivors and a wake-up call to listeners about the prevalence and reality beyond “Hollywood clichés.”

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This episode is a raw and relevant listen, shining a spotlight on a difficult subject through the voices of those who have personally experienced it.

Transcript

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[Caller 1]

the

[Host (Burke)]

Birch show so, Jen Hobby, I want to revisit the story that you had in the entertainment buzz this morning about Roman Polanski.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

He is being accused again by another woman of sexually abusing her when she was just 16. Her name is Charlotte Lewis. She's a British actress, and she claims she was also abused by Roman Polanski in Paris, France, when she was 16. And it happened after she had been cast in one of his movies. So she came forward, she had a press conference about it, and she says she doesn't want his case, that he, you know, he was basically fled the United States and he's been sort of hiding out for the last 20, 30 years. Where? In France?

[Co-host or Panelist 2]

I think it was in France.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

In France. And then now he's having to, you know, he's having to defend it. And she says she's now coming forward because his legal team is portraying his previous offense against the minorities as an isolated incident. And she said it's not an isolated incident.

[Host (Burke)]

There's, there's one or two sentences there that I want to focus on. And he basically said to her, look, like if you want to be in the movie or if you want to be an actress, you basically need to sleep with me.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

Yeah. According to her, he said this is her quote. He said, he just said very coldly, if you're not a big enough girl to have sex with me, you're not big enough to do the screen test. I must sleep with every actress that I work with. That's how I get to know them, how I mold them.

[Host (Burke)]

Okay. She was 16 at the time. He's 55.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

He's 50. 50.

[Co-host or Panelist 2]

All right.

[Host (Burke)]

Here's the question that I have because this, this feels like such a Hollywood thing. And we'll use the voice disguiser. I want to talk to women that have real life experience with this. Like the boss said to you, you can have this job or you're keeping this job only if you sleep with me. I want to know what that sounds like. Is it inferred or is it straight up? This is how it's gonna be. Because I'm sure it's happened. Although it just feels like a very Hollywood cliche.

[Caller 2]

Cliche.

[Host (Burke)]

I'm sure it's happened in the real world, right?

[Co-host or Panelist 2]

I guess, Yeah, I would assume so. I mean, of course, I think everybody's made fun of somebody who didn't think was qualified for a job and got the job. And the first joke that everybody has is, who do they sleep with to get that right?

[Host (Burke)]

404,741Q100. If the boss straight up said to you, you can keep this job or you can have the job, but you have to sleep with me, the fascinating call to me would really be if a dude called up and said, the woman said. And the woman boss is the one that said, you can have the job, but you gotta sleep with me. Or if you're gonna keep it, you gotta sleep with me.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

That's crazy. I can't imagine that how, how that conversation starts or how it goes down. Because it would have to build up over time and it would have to be sort of implied, right? Because.

[Host (Burke)]

Don't know, I don't know. Outside of you guys, I have no idea.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

Like if.

[Co-host or Panelist 2]

Yeah, but I really wanted this job.

[Host (Burke)]

Well, you're still here for.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

I know you must have been doing something.

[Co-host or Panelist 2]

I'm not qualified to do this. Are you kidding?

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

But it has to start slowly and then be implied. Because, I mean, what if you go for it and then he doesn't give you the promotion, you know, and you don't get the job? Like it has to be. It can't be like some written contract or something.

[Host (Burke)]

You know, the sad message to y' all is that there are no shortage of calls here. I mean, we're not even close to a shortage of calls.

[Co-host or Panelist 2]

How.

[Host (Burke)]

And that one almost, it doesn't make sense to me. But as a 50 year old talking to a 16 year old who has no life, it's gross. But who has no life experience. Seems like I can see that happening. Whereas with an older woman, she not

[Co-host or Panelist 2]

well, I think, yeah, you got more life experience.

[Host (Burke)]

I'm not going for that.

[Co-host or Panelist 2]

I had the same thought that somebody that young would be Would feel more pressure to do it, you know.

[Host (Burke)]

Angel, good morning. You are on the Burke show. Do you want to be on the voice disguiser?

[Caller 2]

No, I'm fine.

[Host (Burke)]

Okay, go for it.

[Caller 1]

Okay. When I was 16, I started my first job, and the guy that hired me, he told me that I had to wear tight pants. I had to look nice for the supervisors that come in and for all the, you know, and then when the customers came in, he was like, you like my new hire? And this was just a fast food restaurant, But I would be in the drive through, like, taking orders, and he would come up behind me and grab my hand and put it on his products.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

Wow.

[Caller 1]

But he. He would, you know, make. Tell me that, you know, if. If you want to raise, you have to do this or do that. I never done it. But there was one time he did give me a raise, and he went. He told everybody that I did favors for him. But, yeah, it was. It was disgusting because I was 16, and at now my age that I am now, if I look back on that, I mean, he could have. I could have probably sued the company.

[Host (Burke)]

That's why you almost wonder, I mean, with your story and this Roman Polanski, you wonder if, like, older dudes know that. That they Prey on a 16 year old.

[Caller 1]

I mean, I worked there for seven years. That was my first job. I ended up becoming a manager and everything. But, I mean, at that time, you don't know no different. That's my first job. I thought that that was, you know, what was supposed to happen.

[Host (Burke)]

And the words out of his. And the words out of his mouth was, you do this thing to me and I will give you a raise.

[Caller 1]

Oh, yeah.

[Caller 3]

Oh, yeah.

[Caller 1]

He was like, you do this, I'll give you a raise. I mean, there was times he was in good with my mom and everything. Like, my mom thought he was just like the coolest person, you know, a good person to work for and everything. And he would actually drive me home. My mama, we lived way out in the country, so he would drive me home after work, and I'd be grasping onto the door so he wouldn't touch me, but he'd try to rub my leg and stuff. And it was. I mean, it was disgusting.

[Co-host or Panelist 2]

The woman. I mean, the first time that. First of all, I think I would. At my age now, I'd laugh out loud if somebody said to me that you have to sleep with me in order to get a promotion. I'd laugh out loud. And then as soon as my hand was touching his junk, then There would be a slap and I'd walk out in a lawsuit. You know what I'm saying? So.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

Yes, but I think they know that. They know to manipulate and play, you know, and prey upon the younger women because they're going to feel helpless. They're not going to feel like they're ever going to have another job ever again if they.

[Co-host or Panelist 2]

I don't want to speak up because I, you know, I just.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

I don't want to be rude. I don't want to be rude or

[Host (Burke)]

especially in that industry where you're so desperate to be a celebrity, you know.

[Co-host or Panelist 2]

What do you mean?

[Host (Burke)]

Robin Polanski, The Roman Polanski one, You know, you're so desperate, you want. You want to be a star and I'll do anything. It's not necessarily like that.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

You wanted to go from like the drive thru winner to the fries.

[Host (Burke)]

Yeah. Well, when I worked at Taco Bell, I would have done just about anything to be a manager. Hey, Nima. Good morning. You're on the Bird show.

[Caller 2]

Hi.

[Caller 1]

Yeah, well, my first job, kind of like the last.

[Caller 4]

Listen, I'm sorry. Last person. I was just talking. That's kind of what happened with me. It was my first job, and at the time I was maybe 16 or 17, and I was still technically a virgin. And all my co workers, because I was cashier and my manager, they all found out I was. And my general manager, he thought I was like the prettiest little thing because he thought I was pretty and actually be a virgin. That just really threw him off. So, you know, he kept pushing it and kept telling me I could be the head cashier in charge of all the other cashiers and blah, blah, blah. This other stuff, if I sleep with him.

[Host (Burke)]

So he literally said, have sex with me, you get a race.

[Caller 4]

Yes. And I just laughed it off because I thought he was joking around. I didn't know he was serious until he kept saying. Saying it more and more. And I've worked with him for maybe about a year and a half before I quit because it got to the point where I couldn't take it no more. And since I was young, I didn't realize, you know, same thing, just like her. I didn't realize I could sue the company.

[Host (Burke)]

Yeah, I think that's going to be the reoccurring theme in some of these, is that you're 16 or, you know, 15 years old. You have no idea.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

Yeah.

[Host (Burke)]

Hey, Susan. Good morning. You're on the Burke Show. Hi.

[Caller 4]

Hi.

[Host (Burke)]

Hey, you too, huh?

[Caller 3]

Yeah. There's a bunch of retards in this world. And I worked for one. So I was working in New York with a music management company, and they were out kind of going out scoping local clubs looking for bands. And the man I worked for was like, okay, so this was, like, almost 20 years ago, but he was, like, 50 then, trying to be 25, and I was 21. And he told us that there was a couple of girls that we worked together.

[Caller 1]

And he told us that, you know,

[Caller 3]

it was a very. You needed to have a lot of trust in this business. You had to trust in your team because people would stab you in the back and take your bands and take them to another label. And so to trust us, we had to sleep with us.

[Caller 4]

Wow.

[Caller 3]

Yeah. So one of the girls did. She was looking at me when he said this to me. It was like he said it to me openly. She looked at me and, like, nodded, like, yeah, you really have to. So I was like, you're a loser. I'll never sleep with you, and you're a retard because you believe him.

[Caller 5]

Wow.

[Caller 3]

Yeah.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

So did she ever get a raise? And did you get fired after that?

[Caller 3]

I walked out after that. And I saw her about three years later, and she told me that they had found a significant amount of bands to present, and she never made a dime. Like, he kept every bit of. Because it's all commission, and, you know, he kept every cent.

[Co-host or Panelist 2]

Of course she wasn't gonna fulfill that promise. I just think it's funny how she said he was 50 trying to be 20. I mean, in the music industry, that's pretty common. Most guys in the music industry try

[Host (Burke)]

to always be 20, right? No one's 50 trying to be 50. Unless you're Paul McCartney. Hey, Ann, you're on the voice disguiser. Go ahead.

[Caller 2]

Hey. Okay, so I was. I wasn't 16 or anything. I was in my 30s. I was married, and I started working for this company. And I could tell in the interview process that he really liked me. He was the CEO and he was very wealthy. And after only shortest lived job of my life, after three months, he took me down on his plane down to Florida to look at properties. And he basically told me that I needed to leave my husband and he needed to be with him. And he was going to buy me a big mansion on the side of the, you know, by the beach. And I told him that that was never going to happen. And he said, well, then you can't work here because it's too hard for me to see you.

[Host (Burke)]

Oh, wow.

[Caller 2]

His Ass off.

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[Caller 1]

Good for you.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

And you won.

[Caller 2]

No, I should have. In hindsight, I should have. But I went back to the office, I packed up my stuff, and I walked out.

[Host (Burke)]

So he wasn't just demanding you have sex with him. He was demanding you leave your husband?

[Caller 2]

Yes, Then I leave my husband and

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

go be with him, become his little kept woman. Creepy men with money think they can get away with anything, huh?

[Host (Burke)]

That wasn't rhetorical, was it?

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

I don't know. I'm just asking.

[Co-host or Panelist 2]

I think people.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

Would a man without money be able to do that to her? No.

[Host (Burke)]

I think what happens, and I forget what celebrities have said, is that money makes you more of what you are.

[Co-host or Panelist 2]

I think Oprah said that if you're a one of them that said that,

[Host (Burke)]

you know, it's just gonna. If you're creepy, just money's gonna make you feel like it's okay to be creepier.

[Co-host or Panelist 2]

And I do think. I do think it's very. I. I really believe it's difficult for men or women to have a lot of power without abusing it eventually. You know, I mean, I just. I think that because there's very few people who've had an immense amount of power and money that have actually stayed, you know, I don't know, behaved.

[Host (Burke)]

Here is one more call. Here. Here's Mary. Mary, you're on the voice disguiser job

[Caller 5]

right out of College. Fortune 500 company was there for 90 days, and my boss actually said, I didn't hire you for your potential or your background or your education. I hired you for what your lips or your mouth could do for me.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

You are kidding.

[Host (Burke)]

And you're, what, 22 years old at the time? Is that what you said at the time?

[Caller 5]

I was 23.

[Caller 3]

It was the first job.

[Caller 5]

It was almost six figures in the salary. And, I mean, everybody was like, I don't know how you got the job, but, yeah, I was so scared. You know, he basically had my whole life in his hands, so I had to. I made the decision to quit the job and kind of, you know, be broken poor. I'd rather be broken poor and have some morals than have, you know, be some guy's mistress.

[Host (Burke)]

Sure.

[Co-host or Panelist 2]

And the common theme is it's first job, first job, first job, first job. You know, young, gotta be careful. Young and naive. Yes.

[Host (Burke)]

The exact line was, I hired you for what your lips could do for me. The Birch show.

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