Fantasy Town, USA

With Kate Middleton's "disappearance" in the headlines, Infamous investigates another Princess who absconded: Meghan Markle. But on the Infamous podcast, the real question is, who is Meghan? Is she a fearless advocate speaking out against an antiquated institution? Or an opportunist obsessed with managing her public image? Or…both? This week, we’re investigating Meghan’s complicated, layered family drama, from public conflict with her half-sister Samantha to her dad’s staged paparazzi photos. Vanessa gives us the inside scoop based on her reporting on Meghan for Vanity Fair and The Cut.  A Campside Media & Sony Music Entertainment production.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Check out Infamous for an interview that Taylor Swift gave for her first cover of Rolling Stone. Believe it or not, there was a time when Taylor Swift wasn’t the most famous person on the planet. She was just an up-and-coming country prodigy thrilled to land a cameo on her favorite TV show. During this time, Vanessa spent hours with her, in multiple cities, even on the set of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Listen to Infamous to hear it all. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Feeling pressure to evolve, Victoria's Secret confronts its checkered past and attempts an ambitious brand overhaul. Meanwhile, women who were once beholden to the brand's fantasy grapple with the residual damage. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Several new and inclusionary lingerie brands crop up as the culture shifts to focus on what women want. After years of dominating the market, can Victoria's Secret keep up? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Victoria's Secret continues its reign with the introduction of their youth line, PINK, and the diamond-encrusted Fantasy Bra. But some employees suspect that the glossy image is a mirage, signifying a possible turning point in the brand's vision. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Victoria's Secret heads into the world of high fashion and introduces an elite and exclusive tier of models called Angels. Behind the scenes, models eager to maintain Angel status fear what will happen if their wings are stripped away. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Back in the '80s and '90s, the modeling industry was largely fueled by young women but ruled by middle-aged men. These industry gatekeepers claimed they were discovering major talent, but some models say that, behind closed doors, it felt like they were being hunted for sport. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After acquiring Victoria's Secret, Les Wexner creates his own idyllic fantasy town in New Albany, Ohio, drawing the interest of many members of the local elite. Soon, Wexner would attract a New York money manager named Jeffrey Epstein. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An entrepreneur discovers a gap in the lingerie marketplace and creates a store built on the allure of a fictional British noblewoman named Victoria. But it’s not until eccentric Ohioan businessman Les Wexner acquires the brand that Victoria's Secret grows into the global sensation it is today. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Victoria’s Secret is a cultural phenomenon, known for its glitzy annual fashion shows, mass-market success, and superstar models known as "Angels." But behind the glittering facade of fierce female empowerment, the multibillion-dollar lingerie megabrand was built on something else entirely. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices