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The Dear Katie Podcast features survivors of sexual assault, rape, and abuse; supporters; authors; celebrities; and agents of change about their survivorship and support. Learn how their journeys can help all survivors and their supporters. Delve into backlash, legal systems, campus reactions, family and friends, mental health, PTSD, substance use, body image, and the journey from hurt to healing and thriving.
After Katie Koestner appeared on the cover of TIME Magazine at age 18 as the first person to speak out nationally and publicly as the victim of “date” rape, she received 100+ letters from others who had never told anyone about their own story. Katie wrote back to all of them, and some of them have now been guests on her Podcast 30+ years later to share their story with the world. The name “Dear Katie” honors all survivors in the power of sharing their story. Silence changes nothing.
Episodes
Thursday Feb 03, 2022
Thursday Feb 03, 2022
When she was eight years old, Lillyhanna was molested by her sixteen year old cousin. She was later raped by a family friend. It took many years for her to begin her healing process, but now she understands what it is she needs to do when she has memories of the past. She explains how she is surrounded by a strong support network, and how invaluable that is to her.
Hosts: Katie Koestner and Claire Kaplan
Guest Coordinator: Emily Wang
Editor: Tony Zaret
Voice Actor: Christina Johnson
Thursday Jan 27, 2022
Thursday Jan 27, 2022
Lilleana knows what happens when your abuser is well connected. The man who abused her, a family friend, molested her from age 9-11. She did report it, but nothing will be done since he has three sons on the police force and his brother is a detective.
Hosts: Katie Koestner and Claire Kaplan
Guest Coordinator: Emily Wang
Editor: Tony Zaret
Voice Actor: Zia Edgell
Thursday Jan 20, 2022
Thursday Jan 20, 2022
Laura Davis has helped survivors world over with her book The Courage To Heal, co-authored by Laura Bass. She has now written a memoir of her fraught relationship with her mother. The Shining Light of Two Stars is a riveting story of the love and anger that drew them together and pulled them apart in the decades since Laura told her mother that her grandfather sexually abused her. In this episode of Dear Katie: Survivor Stories, Laura discusses the dangers and the benefits of reconciling with a toxic family member, and what survivors can learn from her experience.
Hosts: Katie Koestner and Claire Kaplan
Guest: Laura Davis
Editor: Kelsey Styles
Guest Coordinator: Emily Wang
Thursday Jan 13, 2022
Thursday Jan 13, 2022
Ella is bold and sure of herself - and it is for this reason that, after two seniors rape her in her own dorm room, she doesn't report. It is only as she brags to her roommate about the encounter does her roommate correct her: "Ella, what happened to you was assault." She spends the next few years hiding behind the men she dates, until she finally graduates and is free. Ella provides listeners with their own courage to be the freest, truest versions of themselves. Her story will give you hope.
Hosts: Katie Koestner and Claire Kaplan
Guest Coordinator: Emily Wang
Editor: Kelsey Styles
Voice Actor: Melanie Hart
Thursday Jan 06, 2022
Thursday Jan 06, 2022
Kelly is a single mother ready to enter the world of online dating. She connects with a man whose friendly façade quickly fades to reveal a sexually violent manipulator who takes advantage of Kelly's vulnerability. His control over her doesn't last long, however; learn how this axe-throwing superwoman took back her power and prevented him from preying on anyone else.
Hosts: Katie Koestner and Claire Kaplan
Editor: Jake McFadden
Letter Voice Actor: Jeremiah McMillion
Thursday Dec 30, 2021
Thursday Dec 30, 2021
Fern's story doesn't add up. Four drinks leave her vomiting and unable to walk as she is practically carried to a shower where she is raped while unconscious. This survivor recounts in flashes her assault and the invasive legal processes that she hoped would lead to closure. Fern gives listeners tips for healing even after police insist she has no case.
Hosts: Katie Koestner and Claire Kaplan
Editor: Kelsey Styles
Guest Coordinator: Emily Wang
Letter Voice Actor: Anna Claire Walker
Thursday Dec 23, 2021
Thursday Dec 23, 2021
Actor Anthony Edwards joins Katie and Claire to discuss the sexual abuse he experienced starting at the age of 12 by a trusted adult mentor, and how that experience informs his acting, his career, and his personal life. Edwards is a four-time Emmy-nominated actor and winner of the Golden Globe Award in 1998 for his work on the network television series ER. He most recently performed as Mr. Franklin in the Broadway revival of Children of a Lesser God and as Mars Harper in Netflix's Designated Survivor. He has executive produced a number of award-winning television films and documentaries. Edwards is also a chairman and national spokesperson for the organization 1in6, which was founded by and for male survivors of sexual abuse.
Hosts: Katie Koestner and Claire Kaplan
Guest: Anthony Edwards
Editor: Kelsey Styles
Visit 1in6 at 1in6.org
Thursday Dec 16, 2021
Thursday Dec 16, 2021
Gordon Braxton joins Katie and Claire to discuss how his work as an activist and educator has shaped his upcoming book, which focuses on violence prevention and specifically addresses black boys. Braxton talks about challenging stereotypes, changing narratives, and the hope he sees in the next generation.
Braxton is a graduate of the University of Virginia and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He was a peer educator in an all-male anti-violence group at the University of Virginia and won the Black Fraternal Council's Man of the Year Award. After graduating from UVA, he traveled alongside Katie Koestner as a presenter on the topic of sexual violence prevention.
Hosts: Katie Koestner and Claire Kaplan
Guest: Gordon Braxton
Producers: Kelsey Styles and Emily Wang
Editor: Kelsey Styles
Guest Coordinator: Emily Wang
Thursday Dec 09, 2021
Thursday Dec 09, 2021
Jasmine woke up with a hangover and an unfamiliar pain: the ghost of handprints around her neck, gripping her collarbone. She stumbled into the bathroom where she found a sticky note on the mirror: "Plan B," it read, in her ex-boyfriend's handwriting.
Hosts: Katie Koestner and Claire Kaplan
Producers: Kelsey Styles and Emily Wang
Editor: Tony Zaret
Guest Coordinator: Emily Wang
Letter Voice Actor: Ziba Ates
Thursday Dec 02, 2021
Thursday Dec 02, 2021
Courtney is a meticulous counter. She counts napkins as she presses them at work. She left a little dot in her journal each day she was assaulted by an abusive boyfriend in her teens - adding up to a total of 27 times. This episode, Katie and Claire speak with a survivor whose partner so crushed her spirit that she lost herself, and how she finally untangled herself from his lies.
Hosts: Katie Koestner and Claire Kaplan
Producers: Kelsey Styles and Emily Wang
Editor: Tony Zaret
Guest Coordinator: Emily Wang
Letter Voice Over: Dustin Benke