885: Bless This Mess

Key Takeaways

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  Brian Laundrie flew to Florida alone

  “He flew to Florida to empty a storage unit or, he flew somewhere because he had to empty a storage unit out. So she was alone. I knew she was alone because she was staying in a hotel room, working on a YouTube channel. I don't recall a storage unit being spoken about, but Stu said that is what happened.”

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  Gabby Petito contacted her ex for help

  “Gabby starts talking to Jackson, wanting to leave, telling Jackson that she wanted to leave Brian. And he got a sense that she was unsure of how to do this, you know, how to do the uncoupling of the two with this whole van. They pot this van together and everything. And he let Gabby know that he was there for her.”

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  Gabby's YouTube views spiked after death

  “At the time of her death, it had less than 500 views. But currently, like now, as of the publishing of the documentary, it had over seven million views. I didn't go watch it, I got to go watch it. It might have double that now after the documentary and all the attention on the case.”

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  Office culture mimics high school bullying

  “Working in an office with women is like, work is like going to high school. There's the same people that were bitchy and bullies in high school are bitches and bullies in the corporate office too. That's just the way. I had never worked in an office setting like this until the last year, really, and it was a bit of a shock to me.”

• •

  Ending the van life relationship was difficult

  “Gabby continued to contact Jackson as they worked their way up to Wyoming. And he received a call from Gabby but was at work and could not answer. And Gabby would later go missing that day. He didn't realize it, but that was that day that they went, and it was the last time she was heard from.”

Episode Description

At a time when the U.S. government is trying to make American history tidier, we try to learn from the mess. Including the untold, messy story of Paul and Essie Robeson. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription. Prologue: Guest Host Emanuele Berry talks to Nichole Hill about the Black movie characters Nichole was curious about as a child. (7 minutes) Act One: A giant of the Harlem Renaissance, Paul Robeson was the most famous American of his day. Until he wasn’t. Nichole Hill tells the messy, complicated story of Paul and his wife, Essie Robeson. (38 minutes) Act Two: In 1865, a formerly enslaved man named Jourdan Anderson received a letter from his former enslaver, asking Jourdan to return to the plantation and work. Actor Laurence Fishburne reads Jourdan’s response.  Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org This American Life privacy policy. Learn more about sponsor message choices.