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Diving deeper on the characters we love to consume! Laura Diez hosts guest conversations and shares stories exploring the portrayals of real people on reality tv, fictionalized women that stay in our memories, and pop culture legends. New episodes Tuesdays and Fridays.

308 Episodes
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After years of legal battles, financial uncertainty, and being made into the butt of late night talk show jokes, Anna Nicole had the opportunity to reinvent herself once again. The Anna Nicole Show allowed audiences to fall in love - until they fell out again. Then, her iconic TrimSpa diet pill partnership gave her "a makeover" the public couldn't get enough of. During this time, she begins dating Larry Birkhead, who would be the father of her baby - a title he fought for as other paternity claims were seemingly coming out of thin air. During her final year, Anna lived in the Bahamas, and was still no stranger to scandal. Finally, we will overview the tragic details of Anna Nicole's final 24 hours and untimely passing, and who was (and was not) held responsible. Vote for me for Top Host!!! https://tophost.org/2026/laura-diez Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/literallylaurad Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 01:29 The Anna Nicole Show on E! 04:07 Anna's mindset 1996-2000 08:02 Line with Von Dutch 08:34 TrimSpa, baby! 10:52 Larry Birkhead speaking out 13:32 Anna Nicole + Larry at the Kentucky Derby 16:28 Larry starts working for Anna Nicole 18:22 Larry moves in! 19:12 "The oil man" 20:43 Anna wants a baby 24:47 Larry's thoughts on Howard K Stern 25:50 Rough patches 27:36 Anna goes to The Bahamas 28:41 My personal interjections - Anna + Nassau 31:08 Home ownership 32:06 Immigration minister 34:43 Dannielynn's birth + Daniel's death 35:49 Commitment ceremony to Howard K. Stern 37:05 Daniel's cause of death, Dr. Sandeep Kapoor 38:48 Who is the father? 44:28 Anna Nicole's death - her doctor 48:07 Anna Nicole's final days 51:01 The final hours 53:24 Who is held resposible? 54:14 Anna Nicole and Daniel's gravesite 55:35 My personal reflections 57:37 Anna's archives Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nearly 20 years since her passing, the life and legacy of Anna Nicole Smith continues to play in the public's imagination. In this part, we're discussing the conflicting stories of her upbringing (was she really born in Mexia, Texas?) and how she crafted her backstory for the public, plus how the name Anna Nicole came to be. Plus, all about her billionaire husband, J Howard Marshall II and the battle for his estate, that went on for years after her passing. Vote for me for Top Host!!! https://tophost.org/2026/laura-diez Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/literallylaurad Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 02:14 Sources 04:25 Youth - Vicki Lynn Hogan 05:51 The Mexia years 08:10 Marriage and Baby Daniel 09:03 Dancing + surgeries 11:25 The photographer that changes her life 12:26 Playboy, Miss May 1992 15:30 GUESS 17:12 Becoming Anna Nicole 19:32 Meeting J Howard Marshall II 21:42 Billionaire's backstory 23:31 Wedding of Anna Nicole and Howard 24:38 Forced distance + Howard's death 26:06 The will is revealed 27:13 Did they really love each other? 30:48 The battle for the $1.6 Billion estate 36:28 Anna Nicole's personal battles Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After a soldier on duty in Vietnam purchased a lifetime subscription to Playboy, the brand had to follow through on an offer made years prior - that the first issue of a lifetime subscription would be hand-delivered by a Playmate. Jo Collins, Playmate of the Year 1965, was requested... and in January 1966, she flew to Saigon and spent three days touring combat areas. We're overviewing her history with the brand - from Miss September 1964 to a Bunny Mother and Playboy representative at Veterans Day events in the '90s. Plus, the details of her three days touring Vietnam, visiting American troops and signing photos of her pictorial that had been crumpled into helmets. Photos in the video version of this episode are primary by Larry Gordon for Playboy, sourced from "GI Jo: That Time We Sent a Playmate to Vietnam," May 26, 2026. Find me everywhere! Linktr.ee/LiterallyLauraD Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 03:08 Jo Collins, Miss September 1964 03:54 Playmate of the Year 1965 05:48 The request - "G.I. Jo" 07:33 Making it happen 09:04 Warm welcomes in Saigon 10:50 Day 1: Meeting Lt Price + hospital rounds 13:06 Day 2: Combat zones 15:02 Day 3: Honorary Sky Soldier 16:23 Post-POTY: acting, marriage, divorce 17:04 Playmate Forever 18:13 My curiosities 19:00 Playboy Magazine + Vietnam War 20:58 Conclusion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Shannon Tweed lived 14 months at the Playboy Mansion, 1981-1982, as Hugh Hefner's girlfriend. Her story begins on a mink ranch in rural Canada, and a string of odd jobs in her youth, that led to her winning Miss Ottawa beauty pageant and testing for Playboy magazine three times. After being named as Miss November 1981, she finds herself at the Mansion for her first Midsummer Nights Dream party ... she later moves in and starts the adventure of her career as one of the most recognizable B-Film actresses of her time. Stories shared as told in her 2009 memoir, Kiss & Tell. Find me everywhere! linktr.ee/literallylaurad Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 03:13 Childhood in Canada 05:32 The Ottawa experience 08:37 Toronto, testing for Playboy 09:46 Midsummer Night's Dream party 1981 11:16 Life at the Playboy Mansion 14:35 Jaded 17:36 Break-up 17:58 Shannon's Playboy appearances 18:45 Acting 19:43 Midsummers 1983, meeting Gene Simmons 21:18 Life after Playboy 22:06 My reflections Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Book club!! We're recapping and reflecting on Izabella St. James' memoir, Bunny Tales: Behind Closed Doors at the Playboy Mansion. As one of the girlfriends in the final group of seven, leaving just before the Girls Next Door era, Izabella reflects in this book on the benefits, drawbacks, and misconceptions about living as one of the Seven Girlfriends of Hugh Hefner. I'm highlighting anecdotes and pointing out some differences in what Izabella tells us in this 2006 account, versus what we're hearing more recently from her and others about this time at the mansion. Find me everywhere! Linktr.ee/literallylaurad 00:00 Intro (+ my biases!) 02:08 What Izabella really thought of Zoe Gregory 03:28 Zoe + Izabella vs Holly + Bridget 04:59 Youth 05:25 Pepperdine Law School in Malibu, her intro to Playboy 07:46 First Fun in the Sun 09:17 Graduation + prepping for the Bar; meeting Zoe 11:10 Grammys 2002 + not passing the Bar 15:02 Becoming a live-in Girlfriend 17:36 Rumors about previous Girlfriends 18:53 Housemates - Holly, Renee, Stacy, Bridget 22:01 Selling tickets to Playboy parties 25:58 Doing less 27:56 Internship at Playboy Entertainment Group 29:37 Benefits of Girlfriend Status - why won't he pay her loans? 35:20 Cost of his lifestyle 37:37 In-house Conflicts 39:29 Nightclubs + Bedroom Routines 41:51 Boys boys boys 43:16 Beauty standards 44:52 Playmates 46:33 Prepping to leave 53:06 Finally moving out 54:26 Unfriendly terms 55:50 Girls Next Door 56:47 Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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