
Everyone knows the story about Richard Gere. Few know how it started. For four decades, a salacious and unproven rumor has shadowed one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Investigative reporter Allen Salkin spent six years chasing its origins — and uncovered a story about gossip, power, politics, the internet and the peculiar wiring of our own brains. New episodes every Thursday.
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 9 | Founded | 2 months ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | TV & FilmTrue Crime | |||

Gere has a story he tells friends about where this all started but does it hold up? We chase an espionage angle, consider Chinese disinformation as retaliation for his Tibet activism, file CIA FOIA requests and find surprising extra motivation for Ge... more
The Toronto Film Festival, a Hollywood sitcom writers room, and a Manhattan humor magazine provide clues through the murkiest origins of the rumor. Testimony from writers and reporters, and a key archival discovery, give unsettling clarity about when... more
Gerbils have been illegal in California since 1924. So how does the rumor even work? Allen road-trips to Arizona to meet real gerbils, becomes a casualty of a nasty hamster, consults Sigmund Freud, and calls up New York's "Rat Czar" to sort out smugg... more
Is "gerbiling” actually a real thing? Between a bestiality investigator's case file, a 2024 FBI report, and doctors who've seen things, we go looking for the line between urban legend and actual medical phenomenon.
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How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
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Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
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This show centers on long-running Hollywood rumors, investigative journalism, and the social dynamics of gossip, fame, and public perception. Across episodes, the host traces how a single unverified claim about a major star propagated through media ecosystems, archives, and personal narratives, weaving in expert commentary on urban legends, media ethics, and the human cost of reputational attacks. Noteworthy elements include a rigorous, archival approach to rumor origins, the exploration of disinformation before the internet era, and firsthand accounts from people who confronted the rumor or were affected by it. The program stands out for treating gossip as a cultural phenomenon—examining why people believe sensational stories, how power an... more
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Gerbil launched 2 months ago and published 9 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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Recent guests on Gerbil include:
1. Peter Goddard
2. Cathy Lett
3. Bob Coleri
4. Andy Simmons
5. Dave Hanson
6. John Gurney
7. Donna Anastasi
8. Bobby Corrigan
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