Jan Broberg, kidnapping survivor and subject of the Peacock documentary Friend of the Family: True Evil (plus scripted series Friend of the Family), shares her story of how a man from church befriended her family when she was a child, grooming and seducing both of her parents to get to Jan. She discusses how the man, Robert Berchtold, kidnapped her and set up an elaborate scheme to convince her that she had a mission involving an alien race... and the way to complete it was to have his baby. And that's just the first kidnapping. 



This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp! Learn more and save 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/trust





Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at Trust Me Pod @gmail.com








INSTAGRAM:



@TrustMePodcast



@oohlalola



@meaganelizabeth11








TWITTER:



@TrustMeCultPod



@ohlalola



@baberahamhicks








TIKTOK:

Jan Broberg, kidnapping survivor and subject of the Peacock documentary Friend of the Family: True Evil (plus scripted series Friend of the Family), shares her story of how a man from church befriended her family when she was a child, grooming and seducing both of her parents to get to Jan. She discusses how the man, Robert Berchtold, kidnapped her and set up an elaborate scheme to convince her that she had a mission involving an alien race... and the way to complete it was to have his baby. And that's just the first kidnapping. 

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp! Learn more and save 10% off your first month at <a href="https://www.betterhelp.com/get-started/?go=true&amp;transaction_id=10225485ab904d9c9d109f422f841a&amp;utm_source=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=1093&amp;utm_medium=Desktop&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_term=trust%C2%AC_found=1&amp;gor=start" target="_blank">BetterHelp.com/trust</a> 


Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at Trust Me Pod @gmail.com

 

INSTAGRAM:

@TrustMePodcast

@oohlalola

@meaganelizabeth11

 

TWITTER:

@TrustMeCultPod

@ohlalola

@baberahamhicks

 

TIKTOK:

Trust Me is a weekly interview podcast about cults, extreme belief, and the fine line between devotion and delusion—told through firsthand accounts from the people who lived it. Hosted by two women who’ve been in cults themselves, Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth, the show features survivors from groups like Heaven’s Gate, the Manson Family, NXIVM, OneTaste and more–sharing personal stories of how they got in, how they got out, and everything in between.

Each week, they invite these guests alongside experts who can dive deep into seductive leaders, the darker aspects of organized religion, and the subtler shades of groupthink and the psychology of influence. Trust Me explores it all with unfiltered honesty, dark humor, and a lot of heart. This isn’t a sensationalized deep dive into cults—it’s a compassionate, first-person exploration of what it means to believe, to belong, and to break free. At the end of the day, wanting to believe in something bigger than yourself is one of the most human instincts there is.

Trust Me is a weekly interview podcast about cults, extreme belief, and the fine line between devotion and delusion&mdash;told through firsthand accounts from the people who lived it.&nbsp;Hosted by two women who&rsquo;ve been in cults themselves, Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth, the show&nbsp;features survivors from groups like Heaven&rsquo;s Gate, the Manson Family, NXIVM, OneTaste and more&ndash;sharing personal stories of how they got in, how they got out, and everything in between.
Each week, they invite&nbsp;these guests&nbsp;alongside experts who can dive deep into seductive leaders, the darker aspects of organized religion, and the subtler shades of groupthink and the psychology of influence. Trust Me explores it all with unfiltered honesty, dark humor, and a lot of heart.&nbsp;This isn&rsquo;t a sensationalized deep dive into cults&mdash;it&rsquo;s a compassionate, first-person exploration of what it means to believe, to belong, and to break free.&nbsp;At the end of the day, wanting to believe in something bigger than yourself is one of the most human instincts there is.

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Jan Broberg, Part 1: Family Grooming, Aliens, and the First Kidnapping

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c7039a4b-1803-4223-a31c-b2de012a5bfe/transcript

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