Toxic

What happens when toxic masculinity goes unchecked for far too long? Domestic violence journalist and advocate Amanda Kippert along with co-host Jenna Brandl shine a spotlight on the men who have chosen to abuse more than just their male privilege. Through candid and unreserved conversions with survivors, advocates and experts, we're calling out the audacity of men, one abuser at a time. To end domestic violence, abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment and general male bad behavior, it's time we call it as we see it.

Ep: 90: Women Are Fed Up: The 4B Movement Says Eff Off to Men. Plus—Why Does Arizona Need More Babies? It's Already So Hot Here 04/23/2024

Ep. 89: Power and Money Has Allowed Sean "Diddy" Combs to Abuse Women for 30 Years 04/09/2024

Ep. 88: Ally Toyos Is Silent No More—Her Story of Surviving Parental Reunification Camp at 16 03/12/2024

Ep. 87: Turns Out, Men CAN Stop Rape, Say Men Who Run MCSR 02/27/2024

Ep. 86: The Taylor Swift Conspiracy Theories Exist Because We Can't Just LET WOMEN LIVE 02/09/2024

Ep. 85: We're Talking Grooming, But Not the Body Hair Kind 01/30/2024

Ep. 85: We're Talking Grooming, But Not the Body Hair Kind Can you believe it's been three years of Toxic? And wouldn't you know it, we haven't run out of toxic topics to discuss yet. Go, society! Thank you for sticking with us through the hard conversations. To celebrate, we were given the best present: our first award. We recently found out that we won the Social Change Maker Award from She Podcasts' first-ever Sonic Bloom Awards and we're a little proud of that. OK, a lot proud. To effect social change through these conversations is our number one goal. These stories aren't always easy to hear, but we believe anger fuels action. You have to get angry about some of this in such a way that makes you want to do something…anything…to help. And for us, that begins with talking and morphs into education, awareness, marching, voting, and reaching all of you. Today's episode is all about grooming. But not your armpit hair and not your goldendoodle. Grooming of victims by abusers. The most at-risk group for this are women between 18 and 24, but groomers can target teens who are often even more vulnerable. We welcome Eileen Martin, mental health therapist and survivor, to talk about her own experience of being groomed at 17. Parents and anyone who exists around teens will definitely want to listen for what the red flags are that could indicate a young person is being groomed. Before we talk grooming, Jenna and Amanda also HAVE to give a shout-out to their hero, excuse me, shero, of the f'ing week: E. Jean Carroll. A jury out of Manhattan just awarded her $83.3 million from former president and accused rapist Donald Trump after he verbally harassed and degraded her for years following her 2019 disclosure that he assaulted her in a dressing room. She says she can't wait to spend the settlement on something he hates, like helping other survivors of sexual assault. Do you have a story you think we need to discuss or a guest we should have on? Visit us at and tell us all about it. Please help us spread this conversation further by sharing an episode of Toxic with a friend, your dentist, a random stranger in line at the grocery store, etc., by following us on your favorite podcast platform or social media, or by leaving us a review. We appreciate you. /episode/index/show/toxicthepodcast/id/29713113

Season 3! Ep. 84: Jill Duggar Wearing Pants Isn't Actually the Bravest Thing She's Done 01/16/2024

Ep. 83: "The 12 Men of Christmas" Was a Banger — Jenna and Amanda Review 12/24/2023

Ep. 82: Tyesha Wayne, Another Survivor of Domestic Violence Arrested for Self-Defense 12/11/2023

Ep. 82: Tyesha Wayne, Another Survivor of Domestic Violence Arrested for Self-Defense We’ve seen this story play out one too many times. After a documented history of domestic violence by her partner Daniel Walker, 40-year-old Tyesha Wayne of Sahuarita, Arizona fought back this past August. While he attacked her in their garage, she grabbed a gun, pointed it at him, and asked him to leave her alone. He didn’t. Tyesha fatally shot Daniel in self-defense and the courts are calling it premeditated murder, saying Tyesha’s previous record would show a history of domestic violence against Daniel. Her previous record? Being strangled by Daniel to the point of unconsciousness only for her to be arrested immediately afterward. It’s almost like the system has a vendetta against women…..but that can’t be real, can it? Oh, but it seems it can be. Previous episodes of Toxic where we discuss survivors who were arrested and often jailed for defending themselves from their abuser include: Ep. 64—Nikki Addimando was sentenced to 19 years for killing her abusive partner. She’s still in jail but is set to get out next year….finally. Ep. 60—Kayla Fassio didn’t serve jail time but she was arrested after she called for help after an altercation with her abusive partner. Ep. 55—Rachel Bellesen shot her abusive ex after he attacked her and tried to rape her. She faced life behind bars. Ep. 42—Marissa Alexander was originally sentenced to 20 years in jail after firing a warning shot toward her husband who had attacked and then threatened to kill her. Ep. 32—Kim Dadou Brown spent 17 years behind bars for killing her abusive partner as he tried to strangle her to death. Ep. 30—Survivor Robin nonfatally shot her abusive partner after he attacked and tried to kill her. She was arrested and he was not. He then went on to abuse his next wife. Tyesha deserves justice, peace and safety, and we hope you think so, too. Toxic will provide updates as we learn them. Also, mentioned in the episode was a previous one we did with Ed Sakwa, CEO of Emerge in Tucson, talking about whether or not abusers can reform. That episode number is 38 if you want to learn more about that. Do you have a story you think we need to discuss or a guest we should have on? Visit us at and tell us all about it. The best holiday gift you can give us is helping to spread this conversation further. You can do that by sharing any episode of Toxic with a friend, a coworker, your mom, a random stranger in line at the post office, etc.; by following us on your favorite podcast platform or social media; or by leaving us a five-star review. We appreciate you. /episode/index/show/toxicthepodcast/id/29023833

Ep. 81: We Finally Need to Talk About Brad Pitt 12/04/2023

Ep. 81: We Finally Need to Talk About Brad Pitt One of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's children created a post on Instagram lamenting his "f*cking awful human being" of a dad, calling the Oscar winner a "terrible and despicable person" who will "never understand the damage you have done to my family." Though Pax, now 19, posted this in 2020, the image was recently leaked for all of us to read and no longer avoid. In 2016, the apparently Toxic Brad drunkenly attacked his then-wife Angelina and his children while flying on a private jet. The incident was said to be the impetus for the couple's subsequent divorce. And while Brad was heralded for getting sober after the fact, what wasn't as highly publicized was his attempt to silence Angelina about his previous misdeeds by making her sign a non-disclosure agreement. With disappointment that yet another man we all once thought was the cat's pajamas has grossly failed us, we've got to talk about this. However, we're not reluctant to talk about Matt Rife, because we all kind of knew he was a tool, right? If you haven't heard of this comedian who thinks jokes about violence against women are the best way to connect with his mostly female audience, well, strap in. Also, we need to discuss the some 3,000 civil lawsuits filed thanks to the Adult Survivors Act, a New York state law that granted victims of gender-based violence permission to sue their attackers even after the statute of limitations ended. This is like an early Christmas present for us all. The law expired on Nov. 23 (though will hopefully be renewed) and then the headlines went wild. We're talking Axel Rose (not shocking), Sean P. Diddy Combs, Jamie Foxx, the entire New York prison system and many more. TAKE 'EM DOWN, SURVIVORS. Do you have a story you think we need to discuss or a guest we should have on? Visit us at and tell us all about it. You can also find a link to our store and get some pretty sweet merch preaching about how women don't want to be killed anymore! Makes for a great Christmas present! Also, please help us spread this conversation further by sharing an episode of Toxic with a friend, your favorite teacher, your least favorite teacher, a random stranger in line at the post office, your wine aunt, etc., by following us on your favorite podcast platform or social media, or by leaving us a review. We appreciate you. /episode/index/show/toxicthepodcast/id/28917723

Ep. 80: Maine Shooter Robert Card Likely Mad at Women (Shocker) and a Maryland Judge is Killed for Protecting a Mom 10/31/2023

Ep. 80: Maine Shooter Robert Card Likely Mad at Women (Shocker) and a Maryland Judge is Killed for Protecting a Mom In breaking news, it seems guns aren't the only problem America has. We know half the population may not like this news, but it appears men are also an epidemic. Not all but far too many males are throwing temper tantrums with semi-automatic rifles when angry at women for setting actual boundaries or trying to live independently. Of the 565 mass shootings SO FAR THIS YEAR in the U.S., every single one has been perpetuated by a man. And accroding to Everytown for Gun Safety, at least 60 percent of mass shooting have roots in domestic violence, but that's only counting the domestic violence that was disclosed. In the case of Robert Card who, last week, took the lives of 18 individuals ranging in age from 14 to 76, sources close to him say he chose a bowling alley and a bar because they were spots he and his ex-girlfriend frequented in the past and he was likely hoping she'd be among his victims. Jenna and Amanda discuss the motivation of those in charge for keeping women safe: Why are we so reluctant to do that? Why is it so hard to stay alive as a woman being stalked by an abuser? It can't possibly be because we're worth less than other humans, right? You'll also hear about Judge Andrew Wilkinson who ruled that a violent and scary abusive man couldn't be trusted with his four young children and this logic cost him his life. In the meantime, why do police only protect women after an abuser has killed someone? On this last day of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, make a pledge to do one thing to be a part of the solution. Start talking about what's going on. Help us spread this conversation by sharing an episode of Toxic with a friend, your dentist, a random stranger in line at the grocery store, etc., by following us on your favorite podcast platform or social media, or by leaving us a review. We appreciate you. Do you have a story you think we need to discuss or a guest we should have on? Visit us at and tell us all about it. /episode/index/show/toxicthepodcast/id/28474256

Ep. 79: When Mimi Tried to Leave for the Final Time, He Took Her Hostage 10/03/2023

Ep. 78: Dishing on Danny Masterson—Who Doesn't Do Drugs But Will Slip Them to Others—the Hullabaloo Around Catching Danilo Cavalcante But No One Else and the Gross Entitlement of Luis Rubiales Oh, we have some beef with some dudes in this episode. First up is once-escaped murderer Danilo Cavalcante and the upwards of 500 law enforcement officials who searched weeks for him (say it with us: What I want from each and every one of you is a hard-target search of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in that area!). While we love to see the effort, what we wish is that the thousands of other survivors who ask for help from police when an abusive partner informs them of their plans to murder them (see last episode) would get the same influx of attention. Alas, it seems to be that the most pronounced response from those who are here to protect us only comes after we're killed. Next on the chopping block is Danny Masterson. Seems that most of his That '70s Show costars don't think he deserves a stay in the clink because he's against drugs (all their letters read earily similar). Tell that to the victims who were drugged and then woke up to Danny assaulting them. We also have to talk about Luis Rubiales, the Royal Spanish Football Federation president who said he had every right to grab his D in front of the Queen of Spain and her teenage daughter because he was so jazzed about sports. He then smushed his mouth parts onto a female player because....he was so jazzed about sports. It's no big deal guys, men get so excited they just can't help it! Finally, it's National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. This is a topic that deserves more discussion. Someone dies by suicide every 11 minutes. And for every death, there are 38 incomplete attempts by others. If you're contemplating suicide, please call 988 in the U.S., the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or chat online at 988lifeline.org. is a a national effort by the Suicide crisis line which helps spread the word about actions we can all take to prevent suicide. Also, if you have an abusive partner who is talking suicide, this can be a huge red flag for homicide as well. Don't ignore it. Read "" on DomesticShelters.org. Do you have a story you think we need to discuss or a guest we should have on? Visit us at and tell us all about it. Please help us spread this conversation further by sharing an episode of Toxic with a friend, your babysitter, your favorite barista, etc., by following us on your favorite podcast platform or social media, or by leaving us a review. We appreciate you. /episode/index/show/toxicthepodcast/id/28068972

Ep. 77: Will He Kill You? The Warning Signs You Need to Know That an Abuser Is Heading Toward Homicide 09/04/2023

Ep. 76: Toxic Dish—The Hot Goss, Some Personal Shiz, Lizzo Allegations and Depp Documentary 08/15/2023

Ep. 75: Not the Fun Kind of Camp—Family Reunification Camps, aka, Legalized Kidnappings, Are Disturbing as Hell 08/07/2023

Ep. 75: Not the Fun Kind of Camp—Family Reunification Camps, aka, Legalized Kidnappings, Are Disturbing as Hell Tina Swithin, survivor, author and family court advocate, joins Amanda and Jenna in today’s episode to talk about the confounding decision some family court judges are making to force traumatized and abused children to see or even live with their abusive parents. Utilizing something called Family Reunification Camps, these judges order already terrified children to be forcibly removed from a protective parent’s home and sent to a facility where they’re isolated, abused and gaslighted into believing the abuse they just recently escaped from never happened at all and that the parent they saw beat their mom is real sorry about that. Sweet! It recently happened to the children of Josh Homme, accused abuser of his wife Brody Dalle. Homme, vocalist/guitarist of Queens of the Stone Age and drummer for Eagles of Death Metal. Though he threatned to kill his wife, among other atrocities, and despite Dalle testifying that Homme had hit the children, drove drunk with them and that they were scared to be with him, his two young sons were forcibly removed from their home and haven't seen their mom in over a year. Not shockingly, abusers who insist on having custody of their kids who are terrified of them is a power move by abusers to punish and control their partners, and not about these a-holes being any kind of decent parent. And since our criminal justice system was largely built by men to benefit men, these legalized kidnappings track. But that doesn’t mean they have to continue. Thanks to the efforts of tireless advocates like Swithin, we’re hoping these so-called “camps” will disappear into the ether very soon. Find Swithin at or @OneMomsBattle on Instagram or TikTok. Visit the to get involved or learn more. Do you have a story you think we need to discuss or a guest we should have on? Visit us at and tell us all about it. Please help us spread this conversation further by sharing an episode of Toxic with a friend, following us on your favorite podcast platform or social media, or by leaving us a review. We appreciate you. /episode/index/show/toxicthepodcast/id/27688995