← The Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told
The Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told
Gloria Allred: The Most Famous Female Lawyer in the World
00:38:29
Loading summary
Transcript44 lines
- [00:00]
Mary Kay McBrayer
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [00:05]
Tom Yamas
Taking over the helm of NBC nightly news, a 75 year old broadcast. It's a great responsibility. Good evening, I'm Tom Yamas. You have to go out there to bring people at home closer to the store. Wildfires continue to be a threat. With that massive hurricane comes the massive response. The best reporters in our business know how to listen. And when you listen, you get the truth. For NBC News, NBC News, I'm Tom Galamas. That's what we do every night.
- [00:31]
Mary Kay McBrayer
NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. Evenings on NBC.
- [00:35]
Gloria Allred
At Amica Insurance, we know it's more than a life policy. It's about the promise and the responsibility that comes with being a new parent, being there day and night and building a plan for tomorrow today for the ones you'll always look out for. Trust Amica Life Insurance Ameca Empathy is our best policy.
- [01:06]
Howie Mandel
Now more than ever. Lowes knows you don't just want a low price, you want the lowest price. And with our lowest price guarantee, you can count on us for competitive prices on all your home improvement projects. If you find a qualifying lower price somewhere else on the same item, we'll match it Lowe's we help you save price Match applies the same item current price at qualifying retailers. Exclusions and terms apply. Learn how we'll match price@lowes.com Lowest Price.
- [01:33]
Future Health
Guarantee future Health Weight Loss Want Ozempic but can't afford thousands a month? You need WeGovy for $399 all in, no hidden fees. The only FDA approved GLP1 for weight loss at the lowest price yet save hundreds on authentic, safe, effective WeGovy pre dosed injection pens for a limited time. No insurance needed, no trick syringes, just faster weight loss. Get this limited time deal@FutureHealth.com today for the best price on the market. These meds eliminate hunger and cravings while FutureHealth handles the rest. Easy. Join those losing 10 pounds their first month. Plus you don't have to drive to a doctor's office. It's all online via telehealth with licensed clinicians in your area. Go to futurehealth.com to see if you qualify and start losing weight this week. Visit futurehealth.com, future without the e futurehealth health weight loss Data Based on independent study sponsored by Future Health Future Health is not a healthcare services provider. Meds are prescribed to providers. Discretion.
- [02:42]
Mary Kay McBrayer
Diversion Audio A Note this episode contains mature content and descriptions of sexual violence that may be disturbing for some listeners. Please take care in listening. It was a warm spring Morning in 1985. Rhonda DaCosta read a copy of the Pasadena Star News, and she was furious. A year earlier, Rhonda used sex work to support herself and her young child. A man named Daniel Zabouski picked her up, and she agreed to have oral sex with him for $30. Instead, he raped, sodomized and robbed her. Many people don't report it after something like that happens. Some are too traumatized to even tell someone close to them, let alone speak about it in front of a whole courtroom full of strangers. But Rhonda knew that she deserved justice. Then the judge who was supposed to preside over her trial decided it wasn't worth his time. He dismissed the case, saying that the court was not responsible for resolving the contractual dispute between a whore and her trick. Then he actually apologized to the jury for wasting their time. As if all that wasn't bad enough, he then gave an interview with a local paper that made his views on the case even clearer. This is a quote. The law was set up to protect good people. You, my wife, my daughters, my granddaughters. It doesn't protect a street walking prostitute from a contract gone awry. This case shouldn't have been filed. A whore is a whore is a whore. I don't know about you, but a statement like this one is what would keep me from reporting an assault to family. The unstated policy that a victim has to have not deserved it to get justice. That would give me pause about whether the case should be filed, even though to use the judge's own verbiage against him, a crime is a crime is a crime. Which is part of the reason why our judicial system is broken. Anyway. Rhonda must have known that there were people in the American criminal justice system who didn't respect the rights of sex workers. But seeing it in writing, on written record like that, must have been shocking. Rhonda needed someone to fight for her, to prove to the world that sex workers had the same rights as anybody else. And eventually, she did find someone to make that case. Rhonda found Gloria Allred. Welcome to the greatest true crime stories ever told. I'm Mary Kay McBrayer. Today's episode, we're calling Gloria Allred, sexual assault survivor turned powerhouse attorney. The press loves to paint a picture of Gloria Allred as a flinty female lawyer standing in front of a bank of cameras pretending to care about her client's crocodile tears. But the real Gloria is obviously much more complicated. She's an icon who's been involved in so many major legal cases, O.J. bill Cosby, the fight for gay marriage, priest abuse cases, and AIDS discrimination. She's seen it all. She's been practicing law for nearly 50 years, and in that time she's been a hero, a villain, and everything in between. More after the it's common to hear about how fame corrupts people, makes them prioritize their image more than their humanity. We often think of it in vanity metrics. How many followers will you lose if you post a political pic? But there are practical concerns too. Will your sponsors pull their ads because they don't want to be associated with the grim reality you need to share? And if so, what does that look like in your everyday life? Not only with monetary concerns like can you afford your mortgage now? But can you go out to eat with your kids without getting harassed, even if you are in the right? Basically, if your Persona affects the perception of you publicly, especially on a big scale, then what you say matters. Especially because the public can turn so quickly from lauding someone to canceling them. Gloria eventually went on to file a civil suit against Rhonda's attacker and an official complaint against the judge who dropped her case. Sadly, Rhonda died in a car accident before she could go to trial. But just getting the case filed was a big step in itself. I mean, it shouldn't have been. It shouldn't be that hard to prosecute a rapist just because of the profession of the person whom he assaulted. But it was. These are the kinds of cases that Gloria took on throughout her career. Cases that are, as Gloria puts it, not even about justice. Justice would be that they had never been raped or abused or fired. They're cases that shouldn't have been groundbreaking. But they were. Because we have a long way to go. Let's go back to the beginning, or rather Gloria's beginning, before she fought for women's rights in the courtroom. Gloria Allred was Gloria Rachel Bloom, a kid growing up in a working class Jewish neighborhood in Philadelphia. Her father was a door to door salesman and her mother was a stay at home mom. Though the family was poor, they seemed like they were genuinely happy. Gloria's parents doted on her. Neither one of them ever made it past the eighth grade and they wanted their daughter to have all the opportunities they never got. Gloria graduated from an all girls high school with a partial scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania. She seemed to be on the right track for becoming a high powered, influential lawyer. But then Gloria picked Peyton Bray. Peyton was the kind of guy who seemed Too good to be true because he usually is too good to be true. They met in Gloria's first week of college and were married a year later. She was pregnant. By the age of 19. Gloria's carefully planned future was starting to veer off course. Peyton entered the military after college and then he dropped out of boot camp after a bipolar episode. One evening while cooking, Peyton burned something on the stove and he threw the pan of hot food across the room. Gloria must have told herself that this was just a one time thing, that he wouldn't do it again. But then he did. Again and again. In 1962, the pair divorced and Gloria moved back in with her parents. She took a job at Gimble Brothers department store where she worked long, difficult hours and made $15 less per week than a man in the same position. Gloria's first step towards getting out of that slump was to go back to school. Twice a week she commuted to grad school in New York. She also took a job teaching at a low income high school in Philadelphia. The Gloria Allred who worked at Benjamin Franklin High was very different from the outspoken force of nature we know today. For one thing, she was a lot less political. In one of her NYU classes, she remembers a professor asking her if she ever thought about women's rights. Gloria asked, what rights don't women have? In 1966, Gloria took a job at a low income school in east la. It wasn't much different than the job she had in Philadelphia, but as she put it, I figured if I was going to be poor, then I'd be poor where it was warm. Gloria was surprised and appalled by the conditions of the schools. In Watts she had students in the 11th grade who didn't know how to read. But in spite of the overcrowding and underfunding, Gloria loved being a teacher. She might have continued to teach if not for the trip to Acapulco. Gloria was on vacation with a friend when a doctor asked her out. The man told Gloria that before they could go to dinner, he needed to check on a patient in the hospital. She waited for him at his clinic. Afterward, he said he had one more stop at another patient's hotel who'd already checked out of the hospital to make sure they were recuperating all right again. Gloria followed along. When they got to the hotel, there was no one in the room. She turned around to ask the doctor what was going on and saw that he had a gun pointed at her. The man raped her. Gloria felt powerless. She couldn't go to the police. Why Would they believe her over the word of a respected doctor? More importantly, she didn't want to tell anyone something horrible happened, and all she wanted to do was put it behind her. In the documentary Seeing Allred, the interviewer asks Gloria if the rape was the worst thing that ever happened to her. Gloria smiles slightly and shakes her head. The worst moment of her life came after. When Gloria got back to the United States, she discovered that she was pregnant. This was seven years before Roe versus Wade, and in California, abortion was still illegal. So Gloria got an abortion from an unlicensed provider. When she started hemorrhaging after the procedure, she called the man who performed the operation. He told her, we did what you paid for. We're not responsible for what happens afterwards. Back then, as opposed to now, women weren't being penalized for getting abortions. Only the people who provided them were penalized. But Gloria didn't know that, so she was afraid to seek care. It wasn't until she had a 106 degree fever and was on the verge of bleeding to death that Gloria went to a special ward for women who had botched abortions. The doctors covered her in ice to bring down her fever. A nurse looked down at her and said, this will teach you a lesson. Gloria couldn't stop rape from happening, but she could and would work all her life to change the systems that punished its victims. More about that after the break.
- [15:18]
Tom Yamas
Taking over the helm of NBC nightly news, a 75 year old broadcast. It's a great responsibility. Good evening, I'm Tom Yamas. You have to go out out there to bring people at home, closer to the store. Wildfires continue to be a threat. With that massive hurricane comes the massive response. The best reporters in our business know how to listen. And when you listen, you get the truth. For NBC News, NBC News, NBC News. I'm Tom Yamas. That's what we do every night.
- [15:44]
Mary Kay McBrayer
NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. Evenings on NBC.
- [15:49]
Amica Insurance
I can't tell you how often I hear, oh, I'm a little ocd. I like things neat. That's not ocd. I'm Howie Mandel and I know this because I have ocd. Sexual OCD causes relentless unwanted thoughts. What if I did something terrible and forgot? What if I'm a bad person? Why am I thinking this terrible thing? It makes you question absolutely everything and you'll do anything to feel better. OCD is debilitating, but it's also highly treatable with the right kind of therapy. Regular talk therapy doesn't cut it. OCD needs specialized therapy. That's why I want to tell you about no cd. NOCD is the world's largest virtual therapy provider for ocd. Licensed therapists provide specialized therapy virtually and it's covered by insurance for over 155 million Americans. If you think you might be struggling with OCD, visit nocd.com to schedule a free 15 minute call and learn more. That's nocd.com@amica insurance we know it's more.
- [16:52]
Gloria Allred
Than a life policy. It's about the promise and the responsibility that comes with being a new parent, being there day and night and building a plan for tomorrow today for the ones you'll always look out for. Trust Amica Life Insurance Amica Empathy is our best policy.
- [17:19]
Future Health
Future Health Weight Loss Wato zempic but can't afford thousands a month. You need WeGovy for $399 all in no hidden fees. The only FDA approved GLP1 for weight loss at the lowest price yet save hundreds on authentic, safe, effective WeGovy pre dosed injection pens for a limited time. No insurance needed, no tricky syringes, just faster weight loss. Get this Limited time deal@FutureHealth.com today for the best price on the market. These meds eliminate hunger and cravings while futurehealth handles the rest. Easy join those losing 10 pounds their first month. Plus you don't have to drive to a doctor's office. It's all online via telehealth with licensed clinicians in your area. Go to futurehealth.com to see if you qualify and start losing weight this week. Visit futurehealth.com future without the e Future Health Weight Loss Database on Independent Studies sponsored by Future Health. Future Health is not a healthcare services provider. MEDSA prescribed to providers discretion.
- [18:27]
Mary Kay McBrayer
Gloria was still a single mom who needed to make a living. She taught high school and Watts for two more years. Then in 1968 she took a job as the first full time female staffer for the Los Angeles teachers organization. Chicano parents and students were fed up with the quality of education in their schools. Mexican American students were experiencing a 60% dropout rate largely due to the racism they experienced from school administrators. Some teachers banned students from speaking Spanish and purposefully funneled Chicano students into vocational programs rather than encouraging them to pursue further education. In March of 1968, more than 15,000 students walked out of East LA schools in protest. Gloria organized a teach in, but perhaps most importantly, she saw firsthand the profound impact that a well organized protest can have. Eventually, Gloria made community protests a key tool in her future playbook for winning cases. Gloria had long been interested in becoming a lawyer. Back in Pennsylvania, she even looked into law school, but the cost was just too much. Now her experiences as an educator and organizer brought law school back up again. And in 1968, she met someone who would solve her money problems for good. William allred was handsome and charming. Most importantly, he saw Gloria for the strong, dynamic woman she was, Even when she couldn't see herself that way. They married in 1968, and Bill encouraged her dream of going to law school by paying for her education. He was, by the way, a multi millionaire who owned an aircraft parts manufacturing company. Gloria graduated from Loyola law school in 1975. With two other lawyers and the support of her adoring husband, she started her own law firm. It was clear from the beginning that as a lawyer, Gloria had two qualities that stood out. Her flair for the dramatic and her sense of what was right. Gloria and her partners started out with criminal defense work, but they quickly switched over to civil cases involving racial and sexual discrimination. In the late 70s, Gloria started volunteering with the national organization for women, and it was through them that she held her first press conference. Governor Jerry brown made a campaign promise to appoint more women judges, but he failed to follow through. Gloria read a prepared statement for the cameras A few weeks after the conference. Governor Brown did appoint more female judges. And then when Gloria hosted another conference several months later, he appointed more. The lesson Gloria took from this was clear. Press conferences worked for Gloria. These were good times. Her money problems were a thing of the past. She had a happy marriage with a supportive husband who believed in her, and she was making a difference. Over the next decade, she had impressive wins. She sued a drugstore for separating toys by gender. Then she sued a restaurant that had a special unpriced menu for women eating with men, because obviously the man would be paying. Next, she sued the sheriff of Los angeles county on behalf of women forced to give birth in chains. Sorry, listeners, as a first time new mother, I need to diatribe here real quick. Imagine a mother who is actively in labor, shackled to a bed so she doesn't run away. First of all, anyone who's been pregnant knows that you can't run, period. Dude, pregnancy is miserable. And if someone says it's not, they're either straight up lying or their brain chemistry has tricked them into forgetting that their pelvis was a jigsaw puzzle and their lungs were compressed for weeks. Just to illustrate, for those who are not convinced that giving birth in chains is preposterous look, if you're in labor, well, first of all, if you get any drugs, then you physically cannot walk. If you don't have any drugs, the moment you try to stand, even if it's just to stagger to the bathroom, you get a debilitating contraction. So the idea of running away during labor is absurd. And if you're thinking, but what about after the baby is born? As a person who felt better immediately after giving birth, I can still assure you, no, your uterus is contracting in a period cramp like never before because it was just holding a violent little angel, and now it has to contract back to the size of one ounce starting right now, or you'll hemorrhage and potentially bleed to death. So you're not running away then either. And I'm not even addressing the instance that you could need surgical stitches to repair the damage to your vagina and rectum. You might hover for a moment to transition from a bed to a wheelchair, but you can't push it yourself. And you definitely can't push the wheelchair you're in while holding the newborn. And have you ever tried to run in an adult diaper? No. Fuck you. So, in conclusion, chaining a woman to the childbirth bed is solely for fucked up optics. But thanks to Gloria's 1980 lawsuit, it won't happen anymore. At least not in Los Angeles. All through the 80s, the hits kept coming. Gloria testified at a hearing where a conservative senator proposed banning abortion and putting limits on birth control. She ended her testimony by presenting him with a black leather chastity belt. She represented a lesbian couple who were sent away from a restaurant for sitting in a booth reserved for romantic couples and a man kicked out of a nail salon after the receptionist learned he had aids. One favorite is when she forced the Friars Club, a social club for showbiz professionals, to accept female members. Part of her strategy included bursting into their steam room, reporters in tow, wearing an 1890s swimsuit, holding a tape measure, and singing the Peggy Lee hit Is that All There Is? I love the drama. But not all of her cases were quite so fun. One of Gloria's most groundbreaking cases from the 1980s was on behalf of a then 22 year old Latina woman named Rita Mia. Growing up, Rita loved going to church. She sang in the choir, helped teach Sunday school, and had dreams of someday becoming a nun. Rita was 16 when the abuse began. Father Tamayo reached through a broken confessional panel to fondle her breast. He told her that he needed her to help him, and she Obeyed. She continued to obey for two years. Then when she turned 18, he took her to an abandoned house to have sex. On another night, he took her to an hourly motel. He started bringing in other priests as well, seven in all. Eventually, Rita became pregnant. When she told Tamayo, he suggested she get an abortion. But she would not. So instead, Tamayo sent her to stay with his brother in the Philippines. The plan was that she would have the baby there and then give it up for adoption. Rita agreed because Tamayo told her that this was what she needed to do to protect the church. But once she reached the Philippines, Rita felt as if the church abandoned her. During the seven months she was there, she lived on less than $450. She became malnourished and sick. During the pregnancy. She suffered from eclampsia, which is a severe condition that caused her to have seizures and pass out. I mean, you know, you've seen Downton Abbey. At one point, a priest was called to perform her last rites. While she recovered in the hospital, Rita decided not to give the baby up for adoption. When she returned to California, she contacted Bishop John Ward of the Los Angeles Archdiocese and told him everything that happened to her. He told her not to worry, that he would investigate. All she needed to do was wait, and don't say anything to anyone. Four months passed before he finally claimed there was nothing he could do. Then Rita found Gloria. In 1984, Gloria filed a lawsuit against the Catholic Archdiocese in Los Angeles and Gloria called a press conference. The interview was a success. But what Rita and Gloria didn't know was that as camera bulbs flashed and reporters yelled questions, seven priests slipped out of the city. Each of the men named in the lawsuit disappeared without a trace.
- [28:52]
Tom Yamas
Taking over the helm of NBC Nightly News, a 75 year old broadcast. It's a great responsibility.
- [28:58]
Mary Kay McBrayer
Good evening.
- [28:59]
Tom Yamas
I'm Tom Yamas. You have to go out there to bring people at home. Closer to the store. Wildfires continue to be a threat. With that massive hurricane comes the massive response. The best reporters in our business know how to listen. And when you listen, you get the truth. For NBC News, NBC News, I'm Tom Yamas. That's what we do every night.
- [29:18]
Mary Kay McBrayer
NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. Evenings on NBC.
- [29:23]
Amica Insurance
I can't tell you how often I hear, oh, I'm a little ocd. I like things neat. That's not ocd. I'm Howie Mandel, and I know this because I have ocd. Actual OCD causes relentless, unwanted thoughts. What if I did something terrible and forgot? What if I'M a bad person. Why am I thinking this terrible thing? It makes you question absolutely everything and you'll do anything to feel better. OCD is debilitating, but it's also highly treatable with the right kind of therapy. Regular talk therapy doesn't cut it. OCD needs specialized therapy. That's why I want to tell you about no CD. NOCD is the world's largest 4 virtual therapy provider for OCD. Their licensed therapists provide specialized therapy virtually and it's covered by insurance for over 155 million Americans. If you think you might be struggling with OCD, visit nocd.com to schedule a free 15 minute call and learn more. That's n o c d.com@ameca insurance we.
- [30:25]
Gloria Allred
Know it's more than just a car. It's the two door coupe that was there for your first drive, the hatchback that took you cross country and back, and the minivan that tackles the weekly carpool for the cars you couldn't live without. Trust Ameca Auto Insurance Amica Empathy is our best policy.
- [30:52]
Future Health
Future Health Weight Loss Want Ozempic but can't afford thousands a month? You need WeGovy for $399. All in no hidden FE the only FDA approved GLP1 for weight loss at the lowest price. Yet save hundreds on authentic, safe, effective WeGovy pre dosed injection pens for a limited time. No insurance needed, no tricky syringes, just faster weight loss. Get this limited time deal@FutureHealth.com today for the best price on the market. These meds eliminate hunger and cravings while FutureHealth handles the rest. Easy. Join those losing 10 pounds their first month. Plus you don't have to drive to a doctor's office. It's all online via telehealth with licensed clinicians in your area. Go to futurehealth.com to see if you qualify and start losing weight this week. Visit futurehealth.com, future without the E Future Health Weight Loss database on independent studies sponsored by Future Health. Future Health is not a healthcare services provider. Meds are prescribed to providers discretion.
- [31:52]
Mary Kay McBrayer
Rita's lawsuit reached a point of stagnation. All seven of the priests she named disappeared, and the Los Angeles Archdiocese refused to provide addresses for them, and the church went on attack against Rita. Later that year, a prominent bishop gave a television interview where he claimed that Rita had a bad reputation for fraternizing with the altar boys. Rita had never kissed a boy before she was abused by Father Tamayo, but that didn't matter. In 1987 the court ruled that the church was not responsible for the abuse. Rita waited too long before filing, and the statute of limitations ran out. Part of the reason was that church officials had told Rita to wait while they investigated. But it didn't matter. Rita's case would never go to trial. Things were at a low point for the case and for Gloria's personal life as well. In 1985, the US government began investigating Gloria's husband, Bill, for selling counterfeit airplane parts. The criticism she received up until this was from people angry that she challenged the status quo that she could handle. Now, because of something her husband did, she was in the wrong. For Gloria, his ethical lapse was a complete betrayal. Soon after the investigation began, the couple separated. Initially, it was mostly to protect Gloria's public image as well as the couple's assets. But after Bill was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the US Government, the separation became a very real divorce. After the end of her marriage, Gloria threw herself into her work. Though the case against the Los Angeles Archdiocese was thrown out, there was still something she could get for Rita. The identity of her child's father. In 1991, Father Tamayo returned to Los Angeles and contacted Gloria directly. His conscience finally got the better of him, and he was ready to come clean. The press conference was held in Gloria's office. Father Tamayo took a seat in front of the colorful tapestry and shifted under the heat of the bright lights. As he spoke, he said his superiors ordered his silence. They told him and the other priests to leave the country. In fact, the church paid Tamayo to flee to the Philippines in 1987. Tamayo wanted to return to Los Angeles, but once again, the church told him to stay away. Finally, Father Tamayo suffered a series of strokes. Perhaps seeing that the end of his life could be near, Tamayo seized the urge to repent. He returned to Los Angeles against the church's orders, and he brought with him extensive documentation of everything the church did to cover up Rita's abuse. It would be 11 more years before Rita would finally see something close to justice. In 2002, a California legislature extended the statute of limitations for victims of abuse by clergy members. Rita went on to win a $500,000 settlement from the court. And perhaps more importantly, she learned the identity of her child's father. After over a decade, Gloria successfully tracked down the two priests, slash rapists, who were most likely to be the father of Rita's child. They served one of the men with a paternity suit and conclusively established that he was her child's. Biological father. By then, Rita's daughter Jackie was 20 years old and starting her own family. The results of the test might not change much for them, but it did provide a sense of closure. By 2002, Gloria started taking on some very high profile cases. She represented Nicole Brown's parents in their civil case against O.J. simpson. And she filed multiple complaints about Michael Jackson with Child Protective Services. She represented Dodi Fayed's fiance, who sued Fayed for breach of marital contract after his affair with Princess Diana became public. Gloria also defended Rachel Uchito, one of Tiger woods mistresses who was being sued by woods for breaking her NDA. And she advised a former porn star during a House of Representatives Ethics Committee investigation for her part in the sexting scandal involving then Congressman Anthony Weiner. These women fell under the same umbrella of judgment as Rhonda DaCosta. The story @ the top of this episode, though the circumstances were of course, very different. Mistresses and porn stars did not constitute what the press considered deserving protagonists, listeners. You and I know better. And so did Gloria. The press observed that she just wanted to chime in on any subject that attracted attention. Everyone deserves justice, but people contain multitudes. Gloria represented people who deserve justice and attracted attention. At one point, she even starred in a courtroom reality TV show called we the People with Gloria Allred. The public was catching on to her tactics. Gloria became known as the queen of the press conference, a woman with a talent for manipulating the press and positioning herself as a heroic defender of the oppressed. I don't really mind that myself. I mean, why not do both? But the public was turning on her, and it showed. She was the butt of every joke. Look, there's nothing.
- [38:40]
Amica Insurance
There's no greater definition of stupid or liar than Gloria Allred.
- [38:45]
Future Health
Well, notwithstanding that, Gloria Allred got her.
- [38:49]
Mary Kay McBrayer
Hooks into Amber, and we've seen that show many times now. And Saturday Night Live, Karen from Boston asks, I saw your latest freak show press conference with Ms. Diaz, and I have to ask, is there anything you won't do to push your butt ugly mug in front of a camera? Another good question, Karen. I have to think about that. But I guess my answer would be no. Even the Simpsons gotta dig. Shut up, all of you, or I'll sue.
- [39:21]
Amica Insurance
Oh, save it for your next book, you little snitch.
- [39:24]
Mary Kay McBrayer
That's assault. That is assault. Maybe defending a woman who got fired after having a boob job isn't the most important case in the world, but that doesn't make it unimportant. And representing her Certainly doesn't negate all the very important good work she did, like defending six migrant farm workers who were denied employment because of their gender or representing the first same sex couple to be married in California. Gloria might chase exciting cases, but she takes plenty of modest ones, too. Whose fault is it really if we're more interested in hearing about famous mistresses than exploited farm workers? Up until 2017, that was pretty much the story behind Gloria Allred. A good woman who got a bad rap. But 2017 is the twist. That summer, two reporters investigating the crimes of Harvey Weinstein came across a damning letter from the lawyer defending him. That lawyer was Lisa Bloom, Gloria's daughter. Like her mother, Lisa grew up to become an advocate for women's rights and known for taking on powerful predators. She played a key role in cases against Donald Trump and Bill O'Reilly. But now she agreed to defend Harvey Weinstein, as in famed sexual predator Harvey Weinstein. Perhaps part of Lisa's motivation was the fact that Weinstein was going to be making her book into a film or that he was paying her a $50,000 retainer and an $895 hourly fee. But back to that letter. It was a query letter explaining what Lisa would do for Harvey once he hired her. And it was bad. She writes about Rose McGowan, who was accusing him of rape. Quote, I feel equipped to help you against the roses of the world because I have represented so many of them. They start out as impressive, bold women, but the more one presses for evidence, the weaknesses and lies are revealed. She doesn't seem to have much going on these days except her rapidly escalating identity as a feminist warrior. After that, there's a list of tactics she'd use on Weinstein's behalf. Things like, quote, come out publicly in a preemptive interview where you talk about evolving on women's issues prompted by the death of your mother and maybe nasty, unfounded, hurtful rumors about you. And quote, place an article regarding her becoming increasingly unglued so that when someone Googles her, this is what pops up. She was using the tactics she learned defending women to discredit them. And as the two journalists investigated further, they discovered that Gloria herself had also played a role in covering up Weinstein's crimes. In 2004, a young dancer named Ashley Maddow contacted Gloria's firm about an incident where Harvey nearly raped her. Gloria was unavailable at the time, but one of the partners at her firm took the case. He told Ashley that she wasn't strong enough to go up against a producer like Harvey. He said her best option was to sign an NDA in exchange for money, of which the law firm would take a 40% cut. Later, when Ashley saw all the harm that Weinstein caused, she called Gloria to see if there was a way for her to break her NDA. She recalled Gloria saying that she was lucky to get her on the phone. Gloria usually only talked to very important people. When she asked about the NDA, Gloria basically told Ashley that she was too poor to break anything. The firm bought a woman's silence and it wasn't the only time they'd done it. Gloria herself also helped facilitate similar deals for Victims of Bill O'Reilly and ex gymnastics coach Larry Nassar. You could argue that Gloria's firm was just doing what was best for their client. Maybe they really believed that Ashley wouldn't hold up to the life ruining scrutiny that comes with accusing a powerful man of rape. If that was true, then taking the money was the best way for her to get anything out of a really traumatic event in her life. Or maybe they thought that 60% of the NDA's payoff was life changing money. Maybe she wasn't the prototype of a deserving protagonist so she could help herself, but for whatever reason, her case might not help other women. Any of these things could be true, but I do know that no matter how you slice it, that was Ashley's decision to make. So I don't know, is Gloria a hero, an ambulance chasing fame junkie, or a villain wearing the thin disguise of a women's rights crusader? When she started out, Gloria wanted to change the systems that hurt her, but that meant working inside them. And we all know what happens when you gaze long into the abyss. The abyss gazes back into you. Thank you to Gloria Allred for her autobiography Fight back and my 30 year fight against Injustice and how you can win your own battles. It was a great help in writing this episode. Other sources include the film Seeing All Red and several news articles. All of these sources are linked in our show notes. If you want to learn more, join me next week on the Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told for the tragic story of Sinadu Tedesa, a young woman who survived a turbulent childhood, studied hard, and made it to Harvard only to lose the battle with her own mind. The Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told is a production of Diversion Audio. Your host is me, Mary Kay McBrayer and this episode was written by Zoe Louisa Lewis. Our show is Produced by Emma DeMuth and edited by Antonio Enriquez. Our theme music is by Tyler Cash Executive Produced by Scott Waxman Foreign.
- [47:07]
Future Health
Ozempic but can't afford thousands a month. You need WeGovy for $399 all in no hidden fees. The only FDA approved GLP1 for weight loss at the lowest price yet. Save hundreds on authentic, safe, effective WeGovy pre dosed injection pens for a limited time. No insurance needed, no tricky syringes, just faster weight loss. Get this l limited time deal@FutureHealth.com today for the best price on the market. These meds eliminate hunger and cravings while futurehealth handles the rest. Easy join those losing 10 pounds their first month. Plus you don't have to drive to a doctor's office. It's all online via telehealth with licensed clinicians in your area. Go to futurehealth.com to see if you qualify and start losing weight this week. Visit futurehealth.com future without the e Future Health Weight Loss database on independent studies sponsored by Future Health Future Health is not a healthcare services provider. Meds are prescribed to providers discretion.
- [48:04]
California Psychics
This message comes from Greenlight. Ready to start talking to your kids about financial literacy? Meet Greenlight, the debit card and money app that teaches kids and teens how to earn, save, spend wisely, and invest. With your guardrails in place. With Greenlight, you can send money to kids quickly, set up chores automate allowance, and keep an eye on what your kids are spending with real time notifications. Join millions of parents and kids building healthy financial habits together on Greenlight. Get started risk free@greenlight.com iheart@ California Psychics.
- [48:36]
Mary Kay McBrayer
We know that sometimes you can wake up thinking, I don't know if I'm in the right career ew or the right relationship.
- [48:46]
Amica Insurance
But whatever your life dilemma, at California Psychics, we'll give you the guidance you.
- [48:50]
Mary Kay McBrayer
Need to feel certain about your life choices.
- [48:53]
Amica Insurance
And because we only connect you with the very best, we guarantee if your reading isn't life changing, it's free. California psychics call 1-800-PREDICT today and get 20 minutes for just $20.
- [49:07]
Howie Mandel
We got one play. Everything we work for comes down to this quick question.
- [49:11]
Mary Kay McBrayer
Speaking of workouts, how would you rate your athletic program?
- [49:14]
Howie Mandel
Bro, we're in the middle of the state championship.
- [49:16]
Mary Kay McBrayer
Oh, so like a BP plus then? Dude, get out of our huddle. Well, at homes.com we leave it all on the field to get you detailed.
- [49:23]
Howie Mandel
Information on local schools.
- [49:25]
Mary Kay McBrayer
Off the field, off the field. Copy.
- [49:27]
Tom Yamas
All right.
- [49:28]
Future Health
Go sports.
- [49:29]
Howie Mandel
How'd he even get in here?
- [49:31]
Future Health
Holmes.com Bingo.
- [49:32]
Mary Kay McBrayer
We've done your homework.
- [49:35]
Future Health
This is an iHeart podcast.