Unicorn Girl – Episode 2: "Used Tos and Always Dids"

Release Date: August 18, 2025
Host: Charlie Webster
Podcast: Unicorn Girl, Apple TV+ / Seven Hills

Overview

This episode delves into the unraveling of Candace Rivera's seemingly perfect life through the eyes of those who once considered her a close friend. Award-winning journalist Charlie Webster weaves together first-hand accounts from women who were part of Candace's inner circle, revealing the ways Candace wielded influence, manipulated relationships, and left a trail of strained friendships, controversy, and moral questions. The story navigates through unsettling incidents in the MOPS group, Candace's chaotic divorce, and her emergence as a public-facing medical advocate. The episode asks: Was Candace a visionary empowering women—or a master manipulator?

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Unsettling MOPS Photo Shoots

• [00:04 - 07:47]
  • Lacey's Experience: Lacey describes being progressively pressured by Candace into posing nude for a photoshoot that was supposed to be about female empowerment.
    • “At that point I was like, well, now I feel like I'm so far into this. How do I get out of this?” — Lacey (00:35)
  • Timber’s Perspective: Timber, also on the leadership team of the Mothers of Preschoolers group (MOPS), shares that Candace orchestrated similar boudoir shoots for the entire team, presenting it as “liberation” but pushing boundaries.
    • “She would not take no for an answer.” — Timber (03:01)
  • Timber discusses ethical and power dynamics, highlighting issues of coercion and confidentiality.
    • “If you are telling them that they have to do something, then they will feel like…in order to be part of this group, I have to do that thing, and that is not okay.” — Timber (04:07)

2. Crossing Boundaries & Trust Within the Group

• [07:47 - 11:15]
  • Patricia’s Story: Patricia, another MOPS member, describes how Candace attempted to insert herself into her family’s emotional farewells and ultimately caused a rift by twisting confidences and making advances towards Patricia's husband after Patricia moved away.
    • “She took a lot of the things that I had said within our friendship, and she twisted them...crafted all sorts of different kinds of stories that actually had a pretty negative impact on my marriage and my life.” — Patricia (08:27)
    • “She just laughed and said, ‘Oh, I wouldn't try to sleep with him. He's too short for me.’” — Patricia (10:40)
  • This marked the breakdown of trust and the definitive end of Patricia's friendship with Candace.

3. Candace’s Unraveling Leadership and Missing Money

• [11:15 - 13:52]
  • As Candace’s personal life grew more tumultuous due to her divorce, her management of MOPS faltered. Timber and Lacey recount erratic behavior, increased alcohol use, inappropriate discussions, and missing fundraiser money.
  • Lacey recalls being stonewalled by Candace over $300 from a fundraiser.
    • “We made a couple hundred dollars, and Candace had taken the money...she kind of kept putting me off and putting me off.” — Lacey (12:07)

4. Escalating Concerns, Leadership Challenge, and Candace’s Removal

• [13:52 - 17:13]
  • Candace accused her ex-husband Patrick of abuse, further complicating group dynamics.
  • Lacey and Timber, disturbed by Candace’s interactions with others’ husbands and general instability, approach the church pastor to remove her as MOPS leader. Initially dismissed, they persist until Candace is finally ousted.
    • “I went to the pastor of the church, and I said, hey, I think we should consider having Candace step down...” — Lacey (14:09)
  • Candace eventually returns the missing money and leaves MOPS, marking her departure with a somewhat surreal unicorn video message.
    • “At the end of the video, she pulled out her unicorn head...our best unicorn girl danced around the room in her favorite mask.” — Charli (17:24)
  • “I knew it was just going to be like a never ending hamster wheel.” — Timber (18:07)

5. Fallout, Support, and Candace’s Downward Spiral

• [17:41 - 23:53]
  • Most friends distance themselves, but Danielle remains loyal, supporting Candace as she loses her home and cycles through temporary housing.
  • Accounts of further boundary-crossing: Candace inappropriately uses host friends’ debit cards and flirts with husbands, leading to more broken friendships.
    • “Evelyn called me furious because she told me that Candace had taken money from her debit account...and they asked her to leave.” — Danielle (21:50)
  • Finally secures her own townhouse, expressing loneliness but resilience in social media updates.

6. Navigating Grief and Seeking Purpose

• [23:53 - 26:02]
  • Danielle describes helping Candace honor her deceased twin daughters—one of the few intimate moments showcasing Candace’s raw vulnerability.
    • “She had lost her twin daughters...It's coming up on the girl's birthday...Will you come do it with me?” — Danielle (24:08)

7. Shift to Medical Advocacy and Public Persona

• [25:20 - 36:55]
  • Candace throws herself into medical advocacy, leveraging nursing background and launching into rescue efforts for orphans in Ukraine.
  • When her passport is stolen, she goes on local news to plead for its return—not for herself, but for her rescue mission.
    • “It’s not about me...There are kids waiting and I need to go get them.” — Patricia, reading Candace's words (26:58)
  • During COVID, her plans are derailed, but she adapts by networking with old friends, like nursing school bestie Danny Remington, to help with remote medical assessments for adopted Ukrainian children.
    • “She said it would be a big help to her and that this was something the adoptive mother would be very appreciative of.” — Danny (29:22)

8. Founding the Nonprofit Exodus—A New Chapter (or Pattern)?

• [33:20 - 36:55]
  • Candace teams up with Drew, a physician assistant in Salt Lake City, to co-found a nonprofit, Exodus, to support trafficking victims and provide aftercare.
    • “She really got stoked about that...She said that she’d started multiple businesses with her ex husband. She had a really good marketing, public facing persona...” — Drew (Patrick Leard) (35:20)
  • Early impressions: Candace as charismatic and seemingly qualified but with shifting narratives about her credentials (nurse vs nurse practitioner).

9. Utah Context, Religion & Reinvention

• [38:27 - 44:43]
  • Charlie and producer Jackson tour Salt Lake City with Aura, another friend, exploring the intersection of Mormon culture, community, and Candace’s role as a “safe” confidant for those questioning their faith.
    • “All of a sudden, your brain is like a blank sheet of paper, but your legs are also cut off...Candice was there for me. She was safe to talk to...” — Aura (42:35)
  • Candace gives Aura her first formal job—at Exodus nonprofit.
    • “She's like, I have the perfect opportunity...you’d be perfect as my secretary.” — Aura (43:55)

10. The “Candace World” Persona & Perspective on the Divorce

• [44:43 - End]
  • Aura recalls how Candace rallied soccer moms to her side by depicting herself as the wronged party in her messy divorce, painting Patrick as a villain.
    • “She just was like this larger than life woman who was fun and happy and pretty...just was really good at talking and sucking everyone in. We were kind of surrounding her, being her support...” — Aura (45:20)
  • The episode ends on a cliffhanger, teasing an upcoming interview with Candace’s ex-husband, Patrick Leard, offering his side of the story.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “She would not take no for an answer.” — Timber (03:01)
• “She just laughed and said, ‘Oh, I wouldn't try to sleep with him. He's too short for me.’” — Patricia (10:40)
• “We made a couple hundred dollars, and Candace had taken the money...she kind of kept putting me off and putting me off.” — Lacey (12:07)
• “At the end of the video, she pulled out her unicorn head...our best unicorn girl danced around the room in her favorite mask.” — Charli (17:24)
• “I knew it was just going to be like a never ending hamster wheel.” — Timber (18:07)
• “She was so kind to my family. But she did tell me after I left the church, ‘I’m so glad.’” — Aura (43:45)
• “She was telling me, like, yeah, I just had to get tested for STDs, but like, I'm good type of a thing. But, yeah, like, really bubbly about it.” — Aura (45:29)
• “So you're the infamous ex husband that everybody talked about?” — Charli (46:55)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:04 – Lacey describes the first boudoir photo shoot with Candace
• 03:01 – Timber explains Candace’s coercion within the MOPS group
• 08:05 – Patricia recounts the emotional farewell and betrayal
• 12:07 – Lacey on missing fundraiser money
• 14:09 – Lacey and Timber begin efforts to remove Candace from leadership
• 17:13 – Candace’s unicorn farewell video
• 21:50 – Danielle on Candace’s misuse of a friend’s debit card
• 24:08 – Remembering Candace’s late twin daughters
• 26:58 – Candace’s local news plea for her passport
• 29:22 – Danny Remington on Candace’s remote medical advocacy work
• 35:20 – Drew (Patrick Leard) on cofounding Exodus with Candace
• 42:35 – Aura describes Candace as a safe confidant after leaving Mormonism
• 45:29 – Aura’s account of Candace’s demeanor during her divorce
• 46:55 – Preview: Charli interviews Candace’s ex-husband, Patrick

Tone & Style

The episode maintains a probing yet empathetic tone, centering the authentic voices and emotional states of Candace’s friends while interjecting with journalistic curiosity and dry humor from host Charlie Webster. Complexities around power, consent, and trust are explored with nuance.

Summary prepared for listeners seeking a comprehensive, story-driven recap of the twists and revelations in "Used Tos and Always Dids".