Melanie dies. Jayson takes control of her estate. Then he moves in with her mother.
Her children are stunned. They suspect something isn’t right, especially as questions about Melanie’s will and health begin to surface. Jayson was the last person caring for her before she passed.
Just when we think the story is over, another woman comes forward. We’re calling her Julie. She says she was seeing Jayson during this same time.
In this episode, we unravel what really happened after Melanie’s death and why her family is still looking for answers.
Written and Produced by: Javier Leiva & Mackenzie AmesEditor: Puneeth Shenoy with https://podcastpundits.com/Theme Music: by Thechicken.net
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45:52
Listen Now: Business Wars
In the year 2000, the merger of AOL and Time Warner seemed like the
moment that the pendulum shifted from offline to online media. But the
megamerger went off script fast. In-fighting, cooked books and incompatible
corporate cultures would turn it into a marriage from hell, one that would scar
both companies. But before any of that could happen, AOL had to overcome
the odds…to take America online. In this season of Business Wars, we
explore why the biggest merger in US history turned into a corporate
catastrophe. Listen to Business Wars: The AOL Time Warner Disaster right
now wherever you get your podcasts: Wondery.fm/BW_IFD
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7:30
2202: The Playwright part 2
In Part 2 of The Playwright, we shift focus to the show at the center of it all: The History of Now.
Written and directed by Jason Bartlett, the play was billed as a bold, political drama. It was a plan meant to honor a woman he claimed to love. But former cast members and collaborators started noticing red flags. Was this play ever really meant to open? Or was it all just a front?
Was The History of Now a sincere artistic project...or just another performance?
Written and Produced by: Javier Leiva & Mackenzie AmesEditor: Puneeth ShenoyTheme Music: by Thechicken.net
Episode Credits:
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2201: The Playwright part 1
In this episode, we investigate the mysterious Jayson Bartlett and the many women whose lives he upended.
Emma was a single mother in England who fell for Bartlett’s charm and artistic persona. At first, everything seemed perfect. But soon, she realized she was being gaslit, lied to, and emotionally manipulated.
Then there’s Melanie. She lived in North Carolina and had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. She thought she had found love and a creative partner. Instead, Jayson took control of her finances and disappeared.
Episode Credits:
Written and Produced by: Javier Leiva & Mackenzie AmesEditor: Puneeth ShenoyTheme Music: by Thechicken.net
🔓 Get Early Access:
Hear the next episode early and unlock bonus content by subscribing to:Pretend Plus on Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/pretend/id6443456985
Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/c/pretendradio
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BONUS: The Digital Trail to Epstein’s Island
What if your phone could place you at the scene of a crime—years later?
In this bonus episode of PRETEND, we uncover how nearly 200 mobile devices that visited Jeffrey Epstein’s private island left behind invisible data trails. Using just a free trial from a location data broker, an outsider was able to map those devices back to homes, offices, and even gated communities across the U.S.
This episode dives into how mobile advertising IDs—those “anonymous” trackers buried inside your apps—are being used to surveil people without their knowledge. It’s not just Epstein’s guests. Similar tactics were used to target abortion clinic visitors in Wisconsin… and the law hasn’t kept up.
Sources and Further Reading:
WIRED: Location Data From Phones Used to Track Epstein Island Visitors
https://www.wired.com/video/watch/we-tracked-every-visitor-to-epstein-island
Motherboard (VICE): A Data Broker Was Selling Location Data on People Who Visited Abortion Clinics
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/02/meet-abortion-bans-new-best-friend-your-phone/
EPIC.org: Data Broker Helped Anti-Abortion Group Target Planned Parenthood Visitors
https://epic.org/data-broker-helped-anti-abortion-group-target-planned-parenthood-visitors-wyden-letter-reveals/
U.S. Congress: American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Data_Privacy_and_Protection_Act
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