The Cocoverse Crumbles

In the spring and summer of 2021, Coco Berthmann seemed to be at the height of her popularity. She recorded a TEDx talk and appeared at events with Elizabeth Smart. But behind the scenes, more and more people were starting to doubt her story. Her solution? Come up with a bigger lie. But even as Coco announced her cancer “diagnosis” on Instagram, internet sleuths were documenting her every move. And soon, Coco would find that even her most trusted friends were starting to catch on to the truth. If you or a loved one is struggling, help is available: Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988 National Human Trafficking Hotline: 888-373-7888 RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): 855-897-5910 National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Resources Mental Health Hotline: 866-903-3787 A word from our sponsors: Daily Harvest: Keep yourself and your freezer full with hassle free meals from Daily Harvest. Go to dailyharvest.com/believable to get up to 65% off your first box. RocketMoney: Stop throwing your money away. Cancel unwanted subscriptions and manage your expenses the easy way – by going to RocketMoney.com/believable. Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Om Podcasten

Coco Berthmann became internet-famous by sharing her story of surviving sex trafficking as a young child growing up in Germany. She was sheltered and supported by families in Utah, where her faith and fame intertwined. But in 2022, Coco was arrested for raising money for a fake cancer diagnosis, and people began to doubt everything that she had ever said. Is her life story truly one big elaborate lie? Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Sara Ganim and Edward R. Murrow Award-winning showrunner Karen Given investigate in Dear Media’s first true crime podcast.