Madonna can do no wrong. It's a statement I've said, screamed, sometimes slurred, to anyone who's dared speak ill of Ms. Ciccione in front of me. I've defended her dating choices, her fake British accent, and yes, her right to inject whatever she wants in her face. Seriously, random trolls on the internet - you sing and dance through 81 3 hour stadium shows at the age of 66 and then I’ll ask your opinion on what aging gracefully looks like.

There's a reason Madonna has been a global force for over 40 years. She's never one thing. She's been a subversive pop punk. A dance music cowgirl. She's played Eva Peron. Madonna loves reincarnating Madonna. Maybe that's why Madonna also loves Kabbalah -a spiritual practice that's rooted in reincarnation and eternal youth.

Kabbalah is a secretive, woo woo belief system that took celebrities by storms in the early aughts. Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Charlize Theron, were all stepping out wearing these red Kabbalah bracelets. The Kabbalah Centre on Beverly Hills' Robertson Blvd. became a hot spot for tabloid snapshots. Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore go married there. Madonna, the leader of this pack of famous faithful, made Kabbalah into one of her many iconic personalities.

But what was going on really, behind those secretive Kabbalah doors?

The paparazzi weren't catching the stories of financial abuse and psychological control that Kabbalah's non-famous members were quietly enduring.

The Kabbalah Centre appears to be something more sinister than just a trendy way to meditate. Maybe Madonna did do one thing wrong. Maybe she joined and enriched a multi-national cult.

Today, I have a special crossover episode for you guys. Joining me to parse through this strange organization are Desi Jedieken and Rachel Fisher - the hosts of the Hollywood Crime Scene, podcast. I love Desi and Rachel’s show, and this episode is like a prayer I wana take you there.

If you have thoughts on Kabbalah or any other celebrity cults you want me to look into - email me at tess@popmysterypod.com. The journalists Harriet Ryan and Kim Christensen did some amazing pieces on Kabbalah for the LA TImes back in 2011,which I used quite a bit for my research. I’ll link to some of their pieces in the show notes if you want to learn more!

Aliens: their existence seems kind of inevitable, right? So why are they such a fringe topic? They’re not, to legendary comedian Dan Aykroyd, who has spent his entire life studying alien encounters. This SNL founding member has a lot to say about extraterrestrials, and Tess brings on comedian CJ Sullivan (@cjsullivanwastaken) to sift through what Dan Aykroyd knows, and what the government is (and isn’t) telling us.

Follow Pop Mystery Pod on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @popmysterypod

Pop Mystery Pod is written and produced by Tess Barker @tesstifybarker. Produced by Tyler Hill.

Theme song by Rick Wood @Rickw00d.

Support independent pop journalism and join us on Patreon at Pop Mystery Pod. Get access to ad free episodes, bonus content, and polls about upcoming topics. patreon.com/PopMysteryPod

Follow Tess’s other podcasts Lady to Lady and Toxic: The Britney Spears Story wherever you get your pods.

Make sure to leave us a review! And tell a friend about the show!

Brandon Lee was supposed to have a long and successful film career. Instead, he died in a freak shooting accident on the set of his breakout film “The Crow.” He was shot by a blank. So how was that shot fatal? Tess talks with professional armorer Mike Tristano about how and why this horrific tragedy occurred.

Follow Pop Mystery Pod on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @popmysterypod

Pop Mystery Pod is written and produced by Tess Barker @tesstifybarker. Produced by Tyler Hill.

Theme song by Rick Wood @Rickw00d.

Support independent pop journalism and join us on Patreon at Pop Mystery Pod. Get access to ad free episodes, bonus content, and polls about upcoming topics. patreon.com/PopMysteryPod

Follow Tess’s other podcasts Lady to Lady and Toxic wherever you get your pods.

Make sure to leave us a review! And tell a friend about the show!