The C-Word

Lena Dunham & Alissa Bennett

With every episode, Lena Dunham and Alissa Bennett take you on a historical deep dive into the life of a woman society dismissed by calling her mad, sad, or just plain bad: Lindsay Lohan, Judy Garland, Winona Ryder, Mariah Carey, Lil Kim and many more. Join them for a rich, hilarious, and heartbreaking look into exactly what it means when we call a woman “crazy.”The C-Word was originally published behind a paywall from 2019 - 2022. This is the first time it’s being released to all major podcast platforms.

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60 episodes
Updated Thursday
Explicit

Episodes60

Newest first

Nov 13, 2025 · 51 min
Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes
Lena and Alissa unpack the persona of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, multihyphenate artist and one third of the R&B group TLC. In Lopes’ life her immense talent and style stood alongside personal struggle, culminating in a tragic end. To many, she was the so-called “crazy” in CrazySexyCool, but the truth is much more complicated. This episode was first published on 02/20/2020.
Nov 11, 2025 · 2 min
Presenting unPAUSED with Dr. Mary Claire Haver
Welcome to unPAUSED, the podcast where bold, unfiltered conversations take place about what it really takes for women to thrive in the second half of life. Every week, Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a board-certified Obstetrician-Gynecologist, Certified Menopause Practitioner, and #1 New York Times best-selling author, tackles the conversations women actually need to hear. Dr. Haver sits down with a variety of medical experts, CEOs, and risk-takers to discuss everything that matters, from hormones and identity to financial power, relationships, and the tools needed to build the life you want. unPAUSED is about reclaiming your healthspan—not just the number of years you live, but the number of years you live well.
Nov 6, 2025 · 1 hr 6 min
Judy Garland, Part 2
“If I am a legend, then why am I so lonely?” When we last left Judy Garland in part one of this deep dive into her rise and fall, she’d just had a big hit with the film Meet Me In St. Louis, she was married to Vincent Minnelli, and she had baby Liza in her arms. But things go downhill from there, as her addiction, health, debt, and “unpredictable” behavior worsens through the 1950s and 60s. Lena and Alissa continue to follow Garland’s career through her next three marriages, A Star Is Born, and those final, heartbreaking concerts that the world will never forget. This episode was first published on 02/06/2020.
Oct 30, 2025 · 48 min
Judy Garland, Part 1 (with Andrew Rannells)
Legend Judy Garland has been called a Hollywood icon and the greatest entertainer of all time. She’s also been called “crazy” for behind-the-scenes bad behavior, nervous breakdowns, suicide attempts, and several marriages to gay men. In this episode, Lena and Alissa talk about Judy’s early years — her vaudevillian roots, her stage mom who introduced her to the pills she’d rely on for the rest of her life, her studio-sanctioned starvation, and of course, The Wizard of Oz. Then, Lena talks to Andrew Rannells about his love for Judy. This episode was first published on 01/23/2020.
Oct 23, 2025 · 47 min
Jocelyn Wildenstein
You may know Jocelyn Wildenstein from those clickbait “PLASTIC SURGERY GONE WRONG” articles, but her story is deeper—and weirder—than you can even imagine. The wife of art-dealing royalty with a flair for acquiring wild animals as pets, Jocelyn made headlines as “Catwoman” for her plastic surgery obsession and her dishy, expensive divorce. But in the end, Jocelyn prevailed and walked away with a payout of 2.5 billion. Lena and Alyssa celebrate the money moves of a woman who truly follows her own script. This episode was first published on 01/09/2020.
Oct 16, 2025 · 41 min
Kiersten Rickenbach Cerveny
The world learned about Kiersten Rickenbach Cerveny in October 2015 when she was found dead in an East Village apartment. A wealthy Long Island dermatologist and mother of three kids, Kiersten’s life looked flawless from the outside. Lena and Alissa discuss Kiersten’s life and death, the disconnect between private vs. public life, and what it means to party when you’re in your 40s. This episode was first published on 12/26/2019.
Oct 9, 2025 · 54 min
Lady Rosemary Aberdour
Rosemary Aberdour seemed to most like a shy, awkward wallflower, but underneath her drab exterior lurked an appetite for jewels, parties, and larceny. Born into an unassuming middle-class English home, Rosemary secretly stole thousands of pounds to fund her new glamorous identity as titled aristocracy—that’s “Lady Aberdour” to you! Lena and Alissa cover Rosemary’s wild parties, outrageous schemes, her ultimate downfall and discuss what it’s like to feel unseen and unappreciated. This episode was first published on 12/12/2019.
Oct 2, 2025 · 59 min
Barbara Hutton
Barbara Hutton, the "quintessential poor little rich girl,” was an American socialite and heiress to the Woolworth dime-store fortune. Tabloids ridiculed her for her seven divorces (including to Cary Grant) as she suffered from anorexia and alcoholism. She threw money at everyone around her, but never got the one thing she wanted: love. This episode was first published on 11/29/2019.
Sep 25, 2025 · 56 min
Sean Young
Sean Young got her big break when she was cast in Blade Runner at 22-years old. But after rumblings that she was “difficult to work with,” and troubling romantic rumors, her reputation plummeted. Lena and Alissa trace Sean’s career through her plea to play Catwoman to some ill-fated talk show appearances to Hollywood outcast. This episode was first published on 11/14/2019.
Sep 18, 2025 · 52 min
Maryam Haley
Maryam Irene Haley was known as adult actress Haley Paige. She engaged with intense online scrutiny before her death at age 25. Lena and Alissa discuss 2000s internet forum culture, why people consume the downfall of women and then forget about them, and what Maryam means to Alissa. This episode was first published on 7/20/2019. It has been slightly edited from the original version.
Sep 11, 2025 · 53 min
Miranda Grosnevor (with Sia)
Lena and Alissa dive into the story of legendary love-scammer Miranda Grosvenor, a woman who anonymously enchanted Hollywood’s most famous men over the phone. Some of her confirmed callers include Warren Beatty, Robert DeNiro, and Billy Joel. Lena and Alissa discuss the isolation of fame, the long-lost magic of landlines, and then talk to Sia about the intentions behind hiding one’s face. This episode was first published on 7/13/2019.
Sep 4, 2025 · 38 min
Jean Seberg
Jean Seberg was a French New Wave actress and pixie cut icon. She was also an active supporter of the Black Panthers Party. As her career floundered and rumors hurt her reputation with the public, Jean became convinced the FBI was surveilling and sabotaging her because of her political activity. At the time everyone thought she was paranoid, but the truth is much darker. This episode was first published on 06/29/2019. It has been slightly edited from the original version.
Aug 28, 2025 · 36 min
The Han Twins (with Margaret Cho)
Margaret Cho joins Lena and Alissa to discuss The Han Twins. Sunny and Gina Han were twin sisters and best friends. They were even joint valedictorians at their high school graduation. But only a few years later, Gina plotted to murder her sister and steal her identity. The tabloids dubbed it the case of “good twin versus bad twin” but the real story is much more complicated. This episode was first published on 06/22/2019.
Aug 21, 2025 · 49 min
Lizzie Siddal
Lizzie Siddal was an iconic Victorian-era model, muse, and poet. Lena and Alissa discuss her tumultuous relationship with painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti, her addiction to laudanum, her reputation as a ill-tempered redhead, and the appeal of sickness. This episode was first published on 06/15/2019.
Aug 14, 2025 · 41 min
Tania Head
Tania Head’s 9/11 survival story was one of the most tragic accounts of the attack. She became the face of 9/11 and the President of the Survivors’ Network support group, but it was all a lie. This episode was first published on 06/08/2019.
Aug 7, 2025 · 43 min
Mariah Carey
In 2000, Mariah Carey was the world’s biggest pop star. By the end of 2001, she was a national joke. Why? A little movie called Glitter. Lena and Alissa dig into the famous flop, Mariah’s divorce from Tommy Mottola, her comeback, and why we’re so eager to destroy our idols. This episode was first published on 06/01/2019.
Jul 31, 2025 · 43 min
Lisa Nowak
In 2007, astronaut Lisa Nowak became a national punchline after (maybe) donning adult diapers to facilitate her violent pursuit of a romantic rival. Lena and Alissa discuss ambition, break-ups, and the cruelty of late-night TV jokes as they unpack the “diaper astronaut.” This episode was first published on 05/25/2019.
Jul 31, 2025 · 38 min
Robin Givens
Actress and model Robin Givens was called “the most hated woman in America” during her 1989 divorce proceedings from Mike Tyson. America called her a home-wrecker and a gold digger—but Robin claimed she was fleeing Mike’s violence and temper. This episode was first published on 05/18/2019.
Jul 31, 2025 · 41 min
Casey Johnson
Heiress to the Johnson & Johnson fortune, Casey was a 2000s tabloid staple known for her wild partying, badly-behaved pets, and tumultuous relationships, before her untimely death at age 30. Lena & Alissa discuss wealth, fame, and growing up in the public eye. This episode was first published on 05/11/2019. It has been slightly edited from the original version.
Jul 28, 2025 · 2 min
Re-Introducing The C-Word
After years behind a paywall, Lena Dunham and historian of bad behavior Alissa Bennett are breaking The C-Word out of the vault and into your hearts. With every episode, Lena and Alissa take you on a historical deep dive into the life of a woman society dismissed by calling her mad, sad, or just plain bad: Lindsay Lohan, Judy Garland, Winona Ryder, Mariah Carey, Lil Kim and many more. Join them for a rich, hilarious, and heartbreaking look into exactly what it means when we call a woman “crazy.” The first three episodes drop on July 31st and then weekly after that.