Episode 181: The Rise and Ruin of Dorothy Stratten

Dorothy Stratten had the looks of an angel, the fame of a goddess, and a particularly bad taste in men. In 1980, the Playboy Playmate of the Year was on the brink of Hollywood stardom when her jealous husband decided if he couldn’t have her—no one could. This is the twisted, tragic rise and fall of a woman chewed up by fame, obsession, and the dark side of the dream factory.

On May 15, 1993, while Ringo Starr celebrated the CBS premiere of his show Best Wishes inside Hollywood’s Roosevelt Hotel, a young man fell from the roof to his death. No one came forward. No family claimed him. And the media didn’t cover it.Over 30 years later, he remains unidentified — known only as Missing Persons Case UP3736.In this premiere episode of Die After Dark, we revisit that day to shed new light on a forgotten case. Through eyewitness accounts, archival reporting, and never-before-shared details, we can help identify the man who vanished from memory that spring evening.If you recognize him or have any information, please contact:👉 Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner👉 NamUs Case #UP3736 https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/3736 Someone, somewhere, knows who he was.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, Mr. Peanut waved to tourists, Whoopi Goldberg sold donuts, and Mariah Carey dropped Glitter. Then, the world changed forever. This episode revisits 9/11 through the surreal lens of entertainment — the commercials, concerts, albums, and cultural weirdness that collided with tragedy in real time.

He was the voice of a generation — and then another after that. From Detroit to Hollywood, from Shaggy in Scooby-Doo to the warm sign-off of American Top 40, Casey Kasem shaped how America listened to music. But behind the smooth delivery were battles with perfectionism, family turmoil, and a tragic decline that ended in lawsuits and headlines as surreal as any radio outtake. In this episode, we trace the full life, career, death, and fallout of Casey Kasem — the man who told us to keep our feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Three brilliant frontmen lit up the 1990s with voices that could break your heart with songs that still echo today. Jeff Buckley soared with Grace before vanishing into a Memphis river. Blind Melon’s Shannon Hoon danced barefoot through MTV fame, only to spiral into addiction on a tour bus in New Orleans. Alice in Chains’ Layne Staley turned despair into anthems, then faded into reclusion until his lonely death in Seattle. This episode unpacks their meteoric rises, their drug-fueled downfalls, and the enduring legacies they left behind.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

He was the king of clueless confidence, the man who could steal a scene with just a raised eyebrow. Fred Willard built a decades-long career out of playing the guy who had no idea what was going on — and making sure everyone was crying laughing while he did it. From his improv roots and his unforgettable mockumentary turns in Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, and A Mighty Wind to late-career gems on Modern Family and Anchorman, Willard never stopped delivering.But behind the laughs was a performer who hustled for decades, weathered personal scandals, and kept working until the very end. This episode dives into the triumphs, stumbles, and lasting brilliance of Fred Willard — a man who proved that being totally clueless could be an art form.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kobe Bryant wasn’t just a basketball player — he was a prodigy who skipped college, a three-time champ with Shaq, a scandal magnet, a scoring machine, and eventually the face of the Lakers dynasty. Off the court, he became an Oscar winner, investor, and girl-dad icon. But on January 26, 2020, Kobe, his daughter Gianna, and seven others died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. In this episode of Death in Entertainment, we trace the high-flying, controversial, and tragic life of the Black Mamba.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

They begged for help. They cried on camera. They told stories of kidnappers and faceless strangers. And the world believed them. But behind the tears was a darker truth—parents who murdered their own children, then turned their grief into theater for the cameras.In this episode, we uncover four of the most shocking cases where killers attempted to weaponize the media to hide their crimes: Jake and Rebecca Haro in California, Diane Downs in Oregon, Charles Stuart in Boston, and Chris Watts in Colorado.Each story reveals how easily the performance of grief can sway public opinion—and how devastating the fallout can be when lies unravel in plain sight.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

July 2025 was no ordinary month—it was a mass curtain call. Icons of music, film, and wrestling all took their final bows within weeks of each other, leaving fans stunned and pop culture forever changed. From the stage to the screen to the squared circle, we dig into the lives, scandals, triumphs, and tragic ends of the legends who left us too soon. Dark humor, true-crime grit, and a spotlight on the moments that made them unforgettable—this is Death in Entertainment.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

He thought they were his friends. They thought he was lunch. In this episode, we dive into the wild and tragic story of Timothy Treadwell — the self-styled “Grizzly Man” who spent 13 summers living among Alaska’s most dangerous predators… until one fatal October day in 2003. Equal parts jaw-dropping, heartbreaking, and darkly absurd, we unpack the man, the myth, the bears, and the audio tape no one will ever hear.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.