Obsession

Episode 1. What is unrequited love, a.k.a. limerence, and where is the tipping point when it becomes obsessive or pathological? In this first episode of the series, the concept is defined and its effects are explored. We hear personal stories, like that of Will and Abby, a couple whose budding love story falls apart and turns toxic. We also hear from author Lisa Phillips, who shares her own tale, and Professor Albert Wakin, who stu...

Episode 2. There are many reasons why we get involved in unhealthy relationships. What are the red flags? In this episode, the story of a young woman’s high school obsession with a boy reveals some signs we should be wary of, as does the ongoing saga of Will and Abby’s broken relationship. Sex and love addiction expert Dr. Alexandra Katehakis helps us better understand how “attachment” styles developed early in life can lead to the...

Episode 4. Stalking is often a precursor to violent behaviors and serious crimes, even murder. In this episode, we look at some of the headline-grabbing stalking cases in Hollywood. Former L.A. County Prosecutor Marcia Clark details two cases she worked on: O.J. Simpson’s murder trial and the death of actress Rebecca Schaeffer. We also explore stalking and obsession with the help of fiction writer Caroline Kepnes, author of YOU, wh...

Episode 5. Modern technology and the accessibility of personal information online has given rise to cyberstalking and revenge porn. In this episode, we look at how this can invade our privacy and even ruin lives. Director Neil Jordan, of Focus Features film Greta, breaks down the chilling effect of social media and the vulnerability of private information in the digital age. Victims of cyberstalkers detail their frightening account...

From Focus Features and L.A. Times Studios brand team comes the new podcast series, CONVICTED: ACROSS BORDERS. Hosted by famed lawyer and bestselling author, Marcia Clark, we'll hear straight from the mouths of the men and women who lived through these trials. Through these stories, we'll explore how seemingly benign actions can lead to incarceration in foreign lands, how to navigate different legal systems when you don't even spea...

"Foretold" is the newest podcast from the L.A. Times, and we're sharing a preview of the first episode with you here today. 

In the fall of 2019, reporter Faith E. Pinho received a tip from a woman named Paulina Stevens. Paulina claimed she had grown up in an insular Romani community in California, where she was raised to be a wife, mother and fortuneteller — until she decided to break away. That first call unraveled a story spannin...