All Episodes

January 16, 2019 3 mins

Dani Shapiro reveals what it feels like to uncover a family secret and how that secret leads to self-exploration.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark as Played
Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let me tell you what it's like to find out
you were wrong, just plain wrong about who you are
and where you come from. To look in the mirror
one day and see a stranger staring back at you.
That's what happened to me. My name is Danny Shapiro,

(00:28):
and this is family secrets, Secrets that are kept from us,
secrets we keep from others, and the secrets we keep
from ourselves. A family secret was kept from me for
my entire life, the family secret which I stumbled upon
purely by accident, at the age of fifty four, that

(00:50):
my dad wasn't my dad. Since then, I've walked the
halls of my home looking at the photos and portraits
that hang on the walls. My father is a boy.
My grandmother and grandfather, great aunts and uncles, cousins from
the old country. My father's family was big un posterity

(01:15):
from as far back as I can remember. I was
told their stories, and their stories became my stories. Now
I stop and stare at each one of these people, who,
it turns out, are not my ancestors. The woman in
a high collared velvet blouse, her hair parted severely in

(01:36):
the center, the man in the ponce Ney wearing a suit,
his hand resting on a book, and further back, solemn
people in a dusty Polish village. Who are you to me?
I asked them, who are you to me? And in
the middle of the night I sometimes asked myself this question.

(02:00):
Who am I? Who am I? Now that I know
the truth? Welcome to Family Secrets, my new podcast. Each
week I delve deep into a family secret with a
very special guest. Here's an interesting fact. Not one of

(02:20):
the people I invited on the show to have a
very public conversation about their family secret said no, not one.
Some of my guests have written books or made films
about their discoveries. Some have never spoken of it before
to anyone outside their most intimate inner circle. But everyone
who has lived a portion of their lives in the

(02:41):
dark understands that secrets are deadly. They hold an invisible
power over us and shape our lives without our even
knowing it. But when the veil of secrecy drops, we
gain a new understanding, a new perspective on who we
really are and what has formed us. Family Secrets will

(03:04):
launch on February fourteenth. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts
or on the i Heart Radio app, or wherever you
listen to podcasts. H

Family Secrets News

Advertise With Us

Follow Us On

Host

Dani Shapiro

Dani Shapiro

Show Links

AboutStore

Popular Podcasts

CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist

CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist

It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.