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Send us Fan Mail If something calls your name from the woods… NO, IT DIDN'T. 🌲👀 Spooky Month continues, and this week we're heading straight into the world of cryptids, creepy encounters, and Appalachian folklore! We're talking Mothman, the Jersey Devil, the six-legged Wampus Cat, and those terrifying Appalachian Mountain rules that have us questioning whether we ever need to go outside again. Why shouldn't you whistle in the woods at night? What happens when everything suddenly goes silent? And are these creatures actually real, or is it just a raccoon having a really weird day? Plus, we discover that we might actually be mermaids or aliens (honestly, it explains a lot), debate whether we'd survive a night alone in the Appalachian Mountains, and tackle a Bigfoot-inspired Am I the A-Hole? And then there's our review of Hulu's Sasquatch documentary. We came for Bigfoot. We got marijuana farms, questionable characters, and a whole lot of confusion. WHERE. IS. BIGFOOT?! 😂 If you love cryptid sightings, unexplained mysteries, spooky folklore, paranormal encounters, and true crime documentaries, this episode is for you! 🎧 Next week: We're talking WITCHES and reviewing the 1990 movie The Witches! ⭐ Follow This Is My Circus and leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Welcome to the spooky circus. 🎪🖤

Send us Fan Mail Spooky Month has officially entered the circus. 🧛‍♀️🎪 And we're kicking it off with VAMPIRES—but not just the hot, broody, morally questionable kind we apparently have a weakness for. We're going back to a time when entire communities genuinely believed the dead were crawling out of their graves and draining the life out of their families. And their solution? Dig up the body and see what it's been up to. Obviously. We're talking the bizarre connection between tuberculosis and the New England vampire panic, the very real story of Mercy Brown, why bodies were dug up, staked, rearranged and occasionally had their organs burned...and then we get to Vlad the Impaler, aka the terrifying real-life inspiration connected to the Dracula legend. But don't worry. We eventually leave the corpses behind and tackle the truly important vampire question: Would you let them bite you? 😂 Damon Salvatore? Klaus? Edward Cullen? Angel? Spike? Apparently Stefanie and Meredith have a type when choosing their hypothetical vampire situations. Plus, we've got a vampire-adjacent AITA, a wild TikTok vampire story, and our review of The Curse of the Highgate Vampire—which we can summarize in two words: DON'T. WATCH. IT. Seriously. We suffered so you don't have to. 🧛‍♂️ Vampire history, spooky lore, questionable decisions, hot fictional men and two women who absolutely cannot stay on topic. Welcome to Spooky Scary Circus Month. 🎃🎪 ⭐ Follow This Is My Circus and leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Next week: Don't Go Into the Woods 🌲👀

Send us Fan Mail Last week we told you this story was going to get darker. We weren't kidding. This week, we're finishing Netflix's Death of the Pastor’s Wife, and we're getting into Episodes Two and Three as Mica Miller begins trying to take her life back. She's recognizing the relationship for what it is. She's documenting everything. She's filing police reports. She's trying to become financially independent. She's changing phone numbers, moving from place to place, seeking legal help, and eventually filing for divorce. But the more Mica tries to get away, the more disturbing the allegations become. We're talking about stalking, tracking devices, razor blades in tires, intimate photos posted online, repeated psychiatric holds, financial control, alleged sexual abuse, religious manipulation and Mica's growing fear that she may actually be in danger. Then, on April 25, 2024, JP is served divorce papers. Two days later, Mica is dead. And this is where we have A LOT of questions. We walk through the timeline of Mica's final day, the 911 call, the evidence investigators found, JP's behavior immediately following her death, the growing #JusticeForMica movement, and the details that made this case explode across social media. We also get into the FBI investigation, what Mica's attorney had already collected, the federal charges that eventually followed—and why this case has sparked a much bigger conversation about coercive control, stalking, domestic abuse, and just how difficult it can be for someone to actually get out. This was a heavy one, but it's also an important one. ⚠️ CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses suicide, domestic abuse, coercive control, stalking, sexual abuse, religious trauma, psychiatric hospitalization and other disturbing subject matter. 🎧 This concludes our Death of the Pastor’s Wife documentary breakdown. And next week? 👻 SPOOKY MONTH BEGINS. We've actually planned ahead for October, which honestly may be the most shocking development we've covered yet. 😂🎪 ⭐ Follow This Is My Circus and leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. At Episode 102, we're clearly never going to stop asking.

Send us Fan Mail We talked about the Mica Miller case when it was unfolding in real time. Now Netflix has released Death of the Pastor’s Wife—and we're going back in. This week we're covering Episode One, “A Note From Your Pastor,” and Stefanie has been WAITING for this one. 👀 The documentary takes us back to the beginning: Mica's deep connection to her faith, meeting Pastor John-Paul “JP” Miller when she was just 13, becoming increasingly involved in his church, and the relationship that would eventually change the course of her life. From the outside, Mica and JP eventually appeared to be a powerful Christian couple leading a thriving Myrtle Beach church. Behind closed doors? A very different story begins to emerge. We're talking about the allegations surrounding their relationship, the enormous power imbalance, Mica's mental health treatment, the people around her who began noticing red flags, and the disturbing behavior described by her friends and family. And because Stefanie grew up deeply involved in church herself, this documentary hits differently. We're also having a bigger conversation about religious authority, forgiveness, trust, and how easy it can be to explain away red flags when someone is viewed as a “man of God.” Then Episode One ends with a text that takes things to an entirely different level: “I'm on my way and I'm armed.” And we're just getting started. ⚠️ CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses suicide, coercive control, alleged domestic abuse, sexual coercion, mental health, religious trauma, stalking and harassment. 🎧 This is Part One of our Death of the Pastor’s Wife breakdown. We'll continue with Episode Two next week. If you remember when we originally talked about the Mica Miller case, welcome back down the rabbit hole. If this is your first time hearing the story... buckle up. 🎪 ⭐ Follow This Is My Circus and leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. Seriously. We're still asking. 😂

Send us Fan Mail WE MADE IT TO 100 EPISODES. 🎉🎪 One hundred episodes of questionable book choices, weird internet stories, conspiracy theories, true crime rabbit holes, AITA debates, documentaries, oversharing our personal lives, and repeatedly asking, “Wait... is this actually real?” And somehow, y'all kept listening. 😂 For Episode 100, we're doing something a little different and looking back at the evolution of This Is My Circus. From the early days when we were just two moms giggling our way through recording and thought we were starting a fun little podcast, to realizing we may have actually been documenting our slow descent into insanity. We're answering rapid-fire questions, handing out our own podcast superlatives, revisiting the stories we STILL think about, debating our best and worst book choices, remembering our favorite rabbit holes, and discussing some of the moments that probably should've been edited out. We also pulled the numbers, and this little circus has officially reached: 🎧 6,011 downloads 🌎 93 countries 📍 949 cities 🎪 100 episodes of absolute nonsense We talk about how much the podcast has changed, how much we've changed, what this show has meant to both of us through some pretty major life changes, and where we think we'll be when Episode 200 rolls around. Spoiler: Stefanie still thinks we're going to be famous. Meredith is slightly more grounded. 😂 And before we wrap up, we're giving you a sneak peek at next week's documentary episode. We're heading back to a case we covered while it was unfolding: the Mica Miller case, now the subject of Netflix's The Death of the Pastor's Wife. We're going back to what we knew then, what we know now, and what the documentary reveals. To every single person who has listened, shared an episode, sent us a message, laughed with us, or stuck around through all 100 episodes: THANK YOU. Seriously. We love you guys. Here's to the next 100. 🥂🎪 And because apparently asking 47 times during the episode wasn't enough... ⭐ LEAVE US A REVIEW. 😂 Welcome to This Is My Circus. Episode freaking 100. We did it.

Send us Fan Mail The murders were horrific. But actually proving Charles Manson was responsible? That was a whole different problem. This week, we’re wrapping up Netflix’s Conversations with a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes with Episode Three, and somehow the story gets even more bizarre once everybody ends up in a courtroom. The Manson Family essentially starts unraveling itself, Susan Atkins can't keep her mouth shut, and investigators FINALLY connect the dots. Then begins what would become one of the most infamous murder trials in American history. But there’s a catch: Manson didn't personally commit the murders. So how do you convict a cult leader of murder when his followers actually did the killing? We’re getting into the prosecution’s famous Helter Skelter theory, whether that was REALLY the motive behind the murders, the Family's absolutely bonkers behavior during the trial, women camping outside the courthouse in support of Manson, X’s carved into foreheads, shaved heads, courtroom threats, and Manson doing an excellent job of demonstrating his ability to control people while simultaneously arguing that he didn't control people. Sir. 😂 And after three episodes, we have THOUGHTS about what actually motivated these murders, Manson's obsession with fame, his failed music career, and how much of the story most of us know today may have been shaped by the prosecution's version of events. ⚠️ CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses murder, violence, abuse, sexual assault, cult manipulation, racism, and other disturbing subject matter. 🎧 This is the final part of our Charles Manson documentary deep dive. Next week, we're returning to our regularly scheduled circus. And after three straight episodes of Charles Manson, we are READY. ⭐ Follow This Is My Circus on Apple Podcasts and leave us a five-star review. It helps other people find our little corner of chaos. 🎪

Send us Fan Mail The free-love hippie commune is officially gone and in Part Two of our Charles Manson deep dive, things take a horrifying turn. This week, we’re continuing Netflix’s Conversations with a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes with Episode Two, “The Devil’s Business.” Manson’s control over the Family is getting darker, Tex Watson is desperate to prove himself, harder drugs have entered the picture, and the group’s bizarre “creepy crawls” are just the beginning. Then everything escalates. We get into the murder of Gary Hinman, Manson’s increasingly unhinged obsession with starting Helter Skelter, and the horrific events that led to the murders of Sharon Tate and her friends, followed just one night later by the LaBianca murders. And somehow, while Los Angeles is terrified that seemingly random killers are on the loose, law enforcement is missing connections that feel painfully obvious in hindsight. We’re talking cult psychology, manipulation, drugs, murder, the Manson Family’s descent into violence—and asking one very interesting question: If Charles Manson had actually gotten the record deal he desperately wanted, would any of this have happened? ⚠️ CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses murder, sexual assault, abuse of minors, drug use, and graphic violence. 🎧 This is Part Two of our Charles Manson documentary deep dive. Next week, we’re wrapping up Netflix’s Conversations with a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes with Episode Three. If you love true crime documentaries, cult stories, Netflix documentary reviews, criminal psychology, and two best friends trying to make sense of stories that absolutely do NOT make sense… welcome to the circus. 🎪 ⭐ Follow This Is My Circus on Apple Podcasts and leave us a five-star review to help more people find the show!

Send us Fan Mail This week, we’re diving into Netflix’s Conversations with a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes and somehow the Charles Manson story is even more disturbing, bizarre, and completely unhinged than we realized. We went into this thinking we knew the basics: Charles Manson, the Manson Family, Sharon Tate, Helter Skelter, cult leader, murders. We were NOT prepared for everything that came before it. In Part One, we’re getting into how Manson found vulnerable young women and pulled them into his “family,” the manipulation and control happening behind the free-love facade, life at Spahn Ranch, and how his obsession with becoming a famous musician somehow involved The Beach Boys. Yes. The Beach Boys. We also get into his disturbing childhood, the book that helped teach him how to influence people, his obsession with The Beatles’ White Album, the origins of Helter Skelter, and the moment this supposedly peaceful hippie commune started turning into something much darker. And obviously, because this is This Is My Circus, we have questions. How did this tiny man convince all these people he was basically a messiah? How did we not know half of this? How does a Beach Boy accidentally end up living with the Manson Family? And at what point during the “follow exactly in my footprints through the desert” exercise does somebody say, you know what, I think I'm gonna head out? ⚠️ Content Warning: This episode discusses murder, sexual assault, child sexual abuse, domestic violence, drug use, and other disturbing subject matter. 🎧 This is Part One of our Charles Manson deep dive. We’ll be back next week with Episode Two of Conversations with a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes. If you love true crime, documentaries, cult stories, and two best friends trying to process absolute insanity with inappropriate amounts of humor, welcome to the circus. 🎪 ⭐ Follow This Is My Circus and leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts—it helps more people find the show!

Send us Fan Mail Things get DARK this week… but don’t worry, Florida Man shows up to bring the chaos. Stephanie and Meredith are catching up on life, dating updates, questionable shopping habits, and why taking a proctored exam from your bathroom might actually be a new form of psychological warfare. Then we head into true crime with the absolutely WILD investigation unfolding in Philadelphia involving Eugene Horsch. Missing women, hundreds of thousands of disturbing images, unidentified cremated remains, fake federal credentials, a bizarre basement setup—and a father whose own history makes this story even stranger. There are a LOT of questions here, and this investigation is far from over. We’re also talking about the Lindsay Clancy case, a Florida Man leading police on possibly the slowest getaway in history, and a Charlotte neighbor who apparently thinks living next door comes with complimentary printing, tool rental, and childcare services. And for our bookies, we’re reviewing It’s Your Turn Now by Theo Baxter. Let’s just say… Daisy tested our patience, the plot felt VERY familiar, and our rating isn't exactly going on the back cover. Plus: dating updates, college recruiting news, Family Feud dreams, Meredith's bathroom exam adventure, and the usual ADHD-fueled detours that somehow become half the episode. 🎧 Next week: We’re watching Netflix’s Conversations with a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes. Follow This Is My Circus so you don’t miss it—and if you enjoy hanging out in our circus every week, leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more people discover the show!

Send us Fan Mail Think you've seen every shocking true crime documentary on Netflix? Think again. This week, Stefanie and Meredith break down A Toxic Love Story, the jaw-dropping Netflix documentary that had us questioning EVERYTHING. Every time we thought we had the case figured out... another Uno Reverse hit. What starts as a terrifying story of stalking, fake Craigslist attacks, and threatening emails quickly turns into one of the wildest true crime twists we've ever covered. In this episode, we discuss:  🎬 Our spoiler-filled review of A Toxic Love Story on Netflix 🤯 Every shocking plot twist and Uno Reverse moment 🚨 Fake pregnancies, fake cancer, catfishing, and manipulation 💔 The real victim behind the headlines 👮 How abuse, coercive control, and gaslighting fooled everyone—including law enforcement 🎪 Our completely unfiltered reactions, theories, and "WAIT... WHAT?!" moments If you're obsessed with Netflix documentaries, true crime, psychological manipulation, and stories that leave your jaw on the floor, this episode is for you. ⚠️ Spoiler Warning: We reveal major details from the documentary, so watch it first if you don't want the ending spoiled. 🎧 Follow This Is My Circus on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. If you're loving the chaos, leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review—it helps more people find our circus!

Send us Fan Mail School is back, emotions are high, and the circus is in full swing. This week, Stefanie and Meredith trade perfectly polished conversations for real life. From the stress of senior year, football injuries, and college applications to dating app updates that actually give us hope, this episode is packed with honest conversations, laughs, and the random internet rabbit holes you've come to expect. Plus, we're reviewing The Block Party by Jamie Day—a neighborhood thriller filled with secrets, lies, family drama, and murder. Is it worth adding to your reading list? We break down our spoiler-filled thoughts and give our final rating. In this episode:  🎪 The emotional rollercoaster of senior year and college prep  💕 A dating app update that might actually restore your faith  📚 The Block Party by Jamie Day book review (spoilers!) 🦈 Giant sharks, mysterious black panthers, and missing giraffes 😂 An "Am I the A**hole?" relationship dilemma 🎃 Why we're already counting down to Halloween If you love relatable life stories, book reviews, pop culture, true crime, internet rabbit holes, and two best friends who can't stay on topic, you're in the right place. 🎧 Follow This Is My Circus on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. If you're enjoying the chaos, we'd love a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review—it helps more people discover the circus!

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered how well you really know someone from a dating app? This week, Stefanie and Meredith dive into Netflix's Should I Marry a Murderer?, a jaw-dropping true crime documentary that starts with a whirlwind Tinder romance and quickly spirals into secrets, lies, and one unbelievable confession. We break down the shocking case, discuss the red flags we would've missed (and the ones we definitely wouldn't), debate what we'd do in Caroline's impossible situation, and question just how much you really need to know about someone's past before saying "I do." Along the way, we also go off on our tangents, including dating app disasters, loyalty, bad decisions, and why maybe a background check should come before an engagement ring. If you love:  🎬 Netflix documentary reviews  🔎 True crime discussions  💕 Dating stories & relationship red flags  🚩 Internet rabbit holes  😂 Unfiltered conversations between best friends  🎪 A healthy dose of sarcasm and chaos ...welcome to This Is My Circus. 🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you're loving the chaos, we'd be so grateful if you'd leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review—it helps more people find the circus!

Send us Fan Mail Starting over after divorce? Turns out it's awkward... but also kind of hilarious. This week, Stefanie shares an update on navigating the dating world after nearly three decades, why ChatGPT has become her unofficial dating coach, and the exciting new career path she's pursuing in hypnotherapy to help people transform their lives. Of course, we couldn't stay on one topic for long. We also dive into haunted house inspectors in Japan, the internet's favorite troublemaking seal, bizarre documentaries, our latest book club pick, and an Am I the A-Hole story involving a four-year affair between a husband and his wife's own sister that had us completely speechless. If you love:  🎪 Funny conversations between best friends  💕 Dating after divorce  🧠 Mental health & hypnotherapy  📚 Book Club discussions  👀 Reddit drama & relationship stories  🌎 Weird news & internet rabbit holes  😂 Unfiltered conversations that go completely off the rails ...welcome to This Is My Circus. 🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts—and if you're enjoying the chaos, we'd love a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review!

Send us Fan Mail One fake pregnancy. One stolen baby. One unbelievable true crime story that somehow gets more shocking every minute. This week, Stephanie and Meredith dive into Netflix's Maternal Instinct, breaking down one of the most disturbing true crime cases in recent history. From fake pregnancies and fabricated millions to manipulation, murder, and the devastating ripple effects left behind, this documentary had us questioning how someone could keep so many lies alive for so long. We also share our biggest WTF moments, the red flags that everyone missed (except a few very observant people), and why this case will stay with us long after the credits rolled. If you love:  🎪 True Crime  🎬 Netflix Documentaries  👀 Psychological Cases  🚩 Red Flag Discussions  ☕ Unfiltered Conversations  📚 Weekly Book Club & Pop Culture ...welcome to the circus. 🎧 Listen now, subscribe, and don't forget to leave a review—it helps more people find our little corner of chaos.

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to This Is My Circus — the podcast where vacation stories turn into survival tales, dating apps require emotional support, and somehow we end up talking about capybaras, fireworks, hot soccer players, Kanye telepathy, and murder books all in one episode. This week, Meredith is back from the Gulf Coast with stories about non-cuddly capybaras, a pontoon boat adventure that almost became an accidental trip to Cuba, and the kind of vacation reset she didn’t realize she needed. Meanwhile, Stefanie has entered a brand-new phase of life: Facebook dating. After being out of the dating world for 27 years, she’s learning the rules, Googling first-date expectations, and realizing that suggesting a hike with a stranger may not be the safest plan. 🎙️ In This Episode: We’re talking about: Meredith’s Gulf Coast vacation and the capybara experience that was less snuggly than expectedRenting a pontoon boat with almost no instructions and accidentally heading toward the GulfWhy clear water, sand dollars, and starfish beat Dirty Myrtle every timeStefanie joining Facebook Dating after 27 years out of the dating worldAwkward dating profiles, first-date anxiety, and why a picnic in the woods may not be the moveFourth of July fireworks, stressed-out dogs, and why fireworks are beautiful but also kind of terribleWorld Cup updates, attractive soccer players, and why Nigeria’s goalkeeper may convert Stephanie into a soccer fanFreddy from Germany still living his best American vacation lifeA mama beluga whale escaping captivity to find her babyWeird news involving Kanye West “telepathy,” Gorilla Glue revenge, and a nursing home party queenTaylor and Travis wedding talk, charity donations, and why we definitely weren’t invited💬 Am I The A-Hole? This week’s AITA story takes us onto a crowded bus where a woman reclines her seat directly into a teenage boy’s lap while he’s traveling for heart surgery. 📚 Book Club Review: The Night Shift by Alex Finlay This week’s book review is The Night Shift by Alex Finlay, a twisty thriller that starts on New Year’s Eve 1999, when four teenage girls working at a Blockbuster Video are attacked and only one survives. Fifteen years later, another group of teenage employees is attacked at an ice cream shop in the same town, and once again, only one person makes it out alive. 📖 Spoiler Warning We go deep into spoilers for The Night Shift, including the killer, the connection between the victims, and the twists that tie the two timelines together. 📚 Next Book: The Island Club by Nicola Harrison Next week’s read takes us to 1956 on Bulba Island, just off the California coast, where three women, hidden secrets, tennis, marriage drama, and society expectations collide. 🎬 Next Documentary: Maternal Instinct on Netflix We’ll also be talking about the Netflix documentary Maternal Instinct in next week’s episode. ✨ Join The Circus If you love funny podcast conversations, parenting chaos, dating after divorce, weird news, documentary reviews, true crime energy, BookTok-style book reviews, and two friends who can turn absolutely anything into a rabbit hole, you’re in the right place. Listen to This Is My Circus on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Buzzsprout, and wherever you get your podcasts. Follow, leave a review, and tell a friend to join the circus.