We're back! Sorry for the hiatus, but life threw us some curveballs (we'll tell you about them in this episode).

But really, we're here to talk to Mae Scott, survivor and author who so bravely shares her story of what abuse can look like up close: not just fear, but confusion, manipulation and a slow erosion of reality. Then comes the fun part (read: not fun at all)—navigating a legal system that doesn't seem to want to believe or even listen to women.

It's raw, frustrating, and necessary listening about what survivors are really up against—and why believing them matters more than ever.

Got a story we should be talking about? Or a guest we need to have on? Tell us everything at ToxicThePodcast.com. You'll also find some sweet merch bound to start conversations.

If you're dealing with an abusive partner, you don't have to navigate it alone. You can connect with a trained advocate through DomesticShelters.org.

And if this episode lit a fire under you (rage counts), don't keep it to yourself. Share it. Follow. Leave a review. Help us get these stories in front of more people who need to hear them—and maybe a few who really need to hear them.

After Donald Trump publicly berated Kaitlan Collins of CNN for pressing him about the Jeffrey Epstein files, he used a cheap power move familiar to women worldwide.

"Why aren't you smiling?"

Because apparently women exist to decorate the room — and keep powerful men comfortable.

It's also a great way to deflect questions you don't want to answer.

In this episode, we unpack the long history of telling women to "smile" — and why it's one of the most annoying things men can say next to....oh, about anything. We examine how policing women's expressions becomes a way to reassert dominance, derail accountability and minimize a woman's place in a professional seetting.

Because when a woman is told to smile, it's rarely about happiness.
It's about control.

We want to hear from you. Do you have a story we need to discuss or a guest we should feature? Visit us at ToxicThePodcast.com and share your story. We're sorry if we can't reply to every email immediately, but we we are trying our best to respond to everyone who writes in. Just know that we hear you and you're not alone.

If you're experiencing abuse or domestic violence, please consider connecting with a trained advocate near you. You can find one through DomesticShelters.org.

Finally, help us spread these important conversations further. Share an episode of Toxic with someone just as pissed off as you that this keeps happening. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform or social media, and if you're willing, leave us a review. Your support helps us amplify these critical stories.

Together, we can create change.

We're starting this episode with Jenna's take from the frontlines in Minneapolis, where she lives, and the horrors she's seen there firsthand in the wake of ICE's terror campaign. Spoiler: It's all bad. But you can do something, no matter where you are. Visit standwithminnesota.com to donate to families impacted and to the tireless volunteers standing guard in the negative temps 24/7.

Next, because we can't let ICE distract us from the fact that women are in peril every day, and most often by their own partners in their own homes, we're telling the story of Elizabeth "Lizzie" Weinstein. Lizzie was a mother, former ER nurse and outspoken critic of the family court system whose life ended under still-unclear circumstances last July.

After divorcing her ex-husband, prominent attorney Brian Stryker Weinstein, Lizzie alleged abuse and corruption within a system she said stripped her of her children, her finances and her credibility—while protecting power and wealth. What followed was a series of deeply troubling events involving her being put behind bars, subjected to psychiatric confinement against her will and court orders that raise more questions than answers.

This episode traces Lizzie's story through its many confusing and perplexing twists, exploring how family court can be weaponized against survivors—and why the full truth of what happened to her may never be known. We close with an interview with Natalie Blundell, Lizzie's friend, a domestic violence advocate and the founder of WeSpoke.org, who shares her perspective on Lizzie's final years and what her case reveals about systemic failures that continue to impact women across the country.

We want to hear from you. Do you have a story we need to discuss or a guest we should feature? Visit us at ToxicThePodcast.com and share your story. We're sorry if we can't reply to every email immediately, but we we are trying our best to respond to everyone who writes in. Just know that we hear you and you're not alone.

If you're experiencing abuse or domestic violence, please consider connecting with a trained advocate near you. You can find local advocacy groups and information on all facets of abuse at DomesticShelters.org.

Finally, help us spread these important conversations further. Share an episode of Toxic with someone just as pissed off as you that this keeps happening. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform or social media please leave us a review. Your support helps us amplify these critical stories.

Together, we can create change.