PODCAST · society
Behind the Filter
by Johnette Cruz
We love authenticity....we love a centrist point of view and we don’t follow a specific narrative. We're about having real, unfiltered conversations about society, culture and life! Behind the Filter is about creating strong connections, having meaningful discussions and sharing stories that can cultivate a sense of community. Follow us and subscribe to get the latest content and news related to lifestyle along with trending topics and viral stories Learn more at johnettecruz.com
Episodes
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The Race for Indiana State Treasurer
This week on Behind the Filter, we sit down with Coumba Kebe, a Healthcare Executive and Democratic candidate for Indiana State Treasurer. A first-generation American who grew up in Franklin Township, Coumba explains why she left corporate healthcare, what pushed her into politics, and how she’d...
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Survival Mode, Sudden Loss, and Finding Grace in the Chaos
After six weeks completely off, I return to the podcast for my most raw, unfiltered, and emotionally transparent solo episode yet. August and September pushed me into pure survival mode. I break down why I went silent and open up about the devastating passing of my close friend, colleague, and…
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What My Puerto Rican Mom Never Told Me (Until Now)
What happens when you sit your Puerto Rican mom down in front of a microphone while on a family vacation? A LOT. From Río Piedras, Puerto Rico—with the natural chirps of the El Yunque rainforest coquís humming in the background— I sit down with my mom, Wanda, for one of the most eye-opening...
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Truth, Consent, and Community Accountability
In this episode of Behind the Filter, we sit down with Sierra for an honest conversation about her experience surviving sexual battery by a prominent local figure in the Indianapolis Latin dance scene. Sierra walks us through the night that changed everything, the emotional weight of self-blame,...
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Inside The Central Indiana Teen Challenge Lawsuit Part 3
In Part 3 of our ongoing investigation into the Troubled Teen Industry, Behind the Filter brings you the testimonies of survivors Isabella and Haven . Together, they pull back the curtain on Central Indiana Teen Challenge (CITC)—now operating as Refuge Girls Academy in Lebanon, Indiana—a facility...
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Inside The Central Indiana Teen Challenge Lawsuit Part 2
In Part 2 of our deep dive into the "Troubled Teen Industry," we pull back the curtain on the expanded federal lawsuit against Central Indiana Teen Challenge (now operating as Refuge Girls Academy). What was marketed to desperate parents as a safe, faith-based residential haven for struggling…
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After Dark Edition :: Objective Facts, Subjective Feelings, and Artificial Inception
The studio lights are hot, but the hot takes are hotter in this week’s unmedicated ADHD edition of Behind the Filter: After Dark. This week, we expose the wildest parts of our inbox—from self-righteous keyboard warriors attacking an unbiased news report, to a follower who went from "you're my...
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Unfiltered Weekly: Inside the Central Indiana Teen Challenge Lawsuit Part 1
In this week's episode of Behind the Filter: Unfiltered Weekly, we break down the newly amended federal lawsuit filed by CohenMalad, LLP against Central Indiana Teen Challenge (now operating as the Refuge Girls Academy) in Lebanon, Indiana. What was marketed to families as a safe, faith-based...
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After Dark Edition :: Bot-Dating Drama, Stage Splits, and the Truth About Quiet Dumping
We are officially back in the studio, feeling normal, and completely on schedule! In this edition of Behind the Filter: After Dark, we dive headfirst into the internet drama we unwittingly sparked on TikTok after sharing our thoughts on AI relationships, break down China’s terrifying new $175,000...
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Unfiltered Weekly: From Dark Web Extremists to AI Miracles
Welcome back to another episode of Behind the Filter: Unfiltered Weekly! In this newsy edition, we break down an indictment out of Tennessee that exposes the terrifying reality of NVE (Nihilistic Violent Extremist) groups like 764 targeting our kids online. Then, we shift gears to the trending...
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After Dark Edition :: Toxic AI Boyfriends, Reality TV Secrets & The Science of Virginity
After a month-long disappearance due to some brutal immune system flare-ups (and a temporary loss of our voices), we are celebrating our 100th Episode Milestone the only way we know how: completely unfiltered and filled with pure chaos. In this special After Dark edition, Ashley gives us the...
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Who Do You Think You Are? Reclaiming Your Identity with Kat Perkins
Who do you think you are?" It’s a question most of us answer with our job titles or our family roles, but author and speaker Kat Perkins says those are often just identities handed to us by someone else. In this powerful follow-up episode, Kat returns to Behind the Filter to discuss the launch of...
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After Dark Edition :: Motherhood, Men, and Medical Miracles
In this week’s After Dark edition of Behind the Filter, Ashley is joined by her Netflix Age of Attraction castmate, Michelle Yoswa. Michelle is pulling back the curtain on what it’s really like to be a "baddie" in her 50s navigating a dating pool of younger men. The ladies dive deep into the...
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After Dark Edition :: What Netflix Didn't Show
The world knows her as the "39-year-old virgin" from Netflix’s Age of Attraction, but there is so much more to Ashley’s story than a viral headline. In this kickoff to our special Age of Attraction After Dark series, we’re peeling back the filters and diving deep into the deleted scenes that...
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The Daughter Who Solved Her Mother’s Murder
In this deeply personal and technical episode, we sit down with Megan Tomlinson to discuss a journey that feels like it was written for a true crime script—except it was her reality. Megan spent years teaching herself Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) to help find missing persons, never realizing...
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After Dark Edition :: Spilling Reality Tea at 3UP
The filter is coming all the way off! This week, Johnette and Ashley took the podcast on the road to the award-winning 3UP Rooftop Lounge in Carmel, Indiana. Joining the table is the hilariously unfiltered Erin from the Netflix hit show Age of Attraction. The ladies dive deep into why women often...
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Unfiltered Weekly :: Vanished in Indy; A Daughter's Fight for April Marie Garcia
This week on Unfiltered Weekly we dive into the disappearance of April Marie Garcia who walked out of her home on the South Side of Indianapolis on April 1, 2025 and hasn't been seen since. She left behind her identification, her cell phone, and the life-saving epilepsy medication she needs to...
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After Dark Edition - No Matter What: Faith, Netflix, and Finding My Voice
While the cameras only captured a glimpse of her time on screen, on Age of Attraction; Ashley’s story was far too powerful to stay hidden. In an inspiring masterclass on reclaiming your narrative, Ashley took to TikTok to share her authentic truth—her proud choice to remain a virgin until…
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Disability Awareness Month: A Deep Dive with Sycamore Services CEO Yolanda Kincaid
What does it mean to truly "push pause" for inclusion? In honor of Disability Awareness Month, we sit down with Yolanda Kincaid, CEO of Sycamore Services, to discuss the vital work of supporting Hoosiers with intellectual and developmental disabilities. From "First Steps" therapies for infants to...
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After Dark Edition :: Dirty Laundry, Secret Settlements, and Childhoods Interrupted
In this "After Dark" edition, Ashley and Johnette dive into the darkest, weirdest, and most controversial corners of social media and reality TV. We’re moving past "emotional support chickens" and diving straight into a habit that left us speechless: a woman addicted to the scent of her father’s...
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Unfiltered Weekly :: Stories Behind Indiana’s Prison System
In this Unfiltered Weekly edition of Behind the Filter, Johnette Cruz pulls back the curtain on the Indiana Department of Correction. What started as a viral TikTok investigation has evolved into a massive archive of harrowing testimonials from former staff, medical professionals, and families of...
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After Dark Edition :: Hair, Health, and Reality TV
In this unfiltered "After Dark" edition, we are back to tackle everything from health hurdles to the latest viral tea. We’re diving deep into the tech-side of wellness, updating you on the latest viral stories, recapping the messiest moments of Love is Blind and reacting to the viral "Kitty...
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Preventing Child Abuse Before it Starts: Lessons from Indiana’s Latest Data
Behind the filter of the latest headlines lies a sobering reality: child fatalities in Indiana are on the rise. In this episode, we sit down with Nicholle Probst, Senior Director of Childhood Development and Safety at Prevent Child Abuse Indiana, to move beyond the numbers and into action....
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Healing is Not a Straight Line: Navigating Setbacks and Sickness
In this episode of Behind the Filter, I’m pulling back the curtain and giving you a "fly on the wall" seat at my latest appointment with functional health expert Ashley from Total Body Wellness. We get real about navigating a three-week holiday setback and how recent illness impacted my lean…
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After Dark Edition :: The Return of Ashley, Strange Addictions & New Year Actions
The duo is finally reunited! After a chaotic holiday break and a string of "on-the-go" travels, Ashley is back—though she’s sporting a raspy new voice and a post-laser glow. In this unfiltered "After Dark" session, we go down the deepest rabbit hole of My Strange Addiction yet. From the "semen...
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Unfiltered Weekly: "Sin" Taxes, Singlehood, NEO, the Robot Maid and Chatfishing
In this week’s episode, we’re unpacking the headlines that are blurring the lines between the digital and the physical. We start in Florida, where a controversial 50% "OnlyFans Sin Tax" has sparked a viral feud, the launch of NEO, the robot maid, and 5 red flags to spot "Chatfishing".
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Unfiltered Weekly : RFK’s Beef, $40B Playdates, and the Death of the "Karen"
This week on Unfiltered Weekly, we’re diving into the new 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines released by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., we look at the $40 billion industry that has turned your child's Saturday soccer game into a private equity playground, a Detroit family is finally getting…
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Unfiltered Weekly: The Mercedes Wells Story
This week we sat down with Mercedes and Leon Wells to discuss the traumatic event that sparked a national outcry and federal legislation. After being discharged from Franciscan Health Crown Point Indiana while in active labor, Mercedes was forced to give birth in the front seat of her husband’s...
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After Dark Edition :: Indy’s Hidden Oasis
This week, we’re on-location at Elysian Medspa & Rejuvenation Center on Indy’s Northeast side. We explore this "hidden gem" in the trees to talk about everything from revolutionary dry eye therapy to their brand-new, cash-based Primary Care facility. Then, Ashley and I get into the "After Dark"...
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Unfiltered Weekly : Disparities, Debates, and Deadly Missteps
This episode of Behind The Filter: Unfiltered Weekly tackles three major stories: the escalating HIV crisis among Black women in the Southern U.S. due to limited access to care and political hurdles; the political battle over menopause care funding in California, highlighted by celebrity…
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After Dark Edition :: The Only Facial
Step Behind the Filter with us as we visit The Only Facial in Indianapolis! After Dark Edition chats with owner Madison about how she brought the highly-rated concept to Indy. Discover what makes their experience unique: a single, customized 11-step facial for $125 with gratuity and all add-ons...
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Unfiltered Weekly: Qahwah House
This episode of Unfiltered Weekly features Ahmed Shaik, the owner of QahWah House in Fishers, Indiana. Ahmed discusses the history of his organic Yemeni coffee brand and its immediate success in Fishers. Critically, he shares the difficult story of facing racist attacks and competition-driven…
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After Dark Edition :: 317 Aesthetics Lounge by Dr. Christopher Jones
In this must-listen After Dark episode, we visit 317 Aesthetics Lounge by Dr. Christopher Jones in Downtown Indy, where Ashley and I sit down to chat all things beauty and wellness. The core of our discussion covers the latest skincare secrets, social media trends, and viral beauty stories.
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From NYC Grit to Hoosier Hospitality
This episode features a powerful and intimate conversation with the co-founder of Prana IV Hydration and Wellness Clinic Payal Rana sharing her unique journey from a global upbringing to building a community hub in Fortville, Indiana. She recounts the incredible, life-altering medical emergency…
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After Dark Edition: Miracle on Maryland
This week's Behind The Filter: After Dark Edition is a special on-location episode from the new, over-the-top Christmas pop-up bar in Downtown Indianapolis: Miracle on Maryland! Ashley and I are totally immersed in the holiday spirit, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling décor and sipping on their...
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Unpacking The Ugly Truth About My Health
This episode features Ashley Regal of Total Body Wellness, discussing extensive lab results that finally explained my chronic symptoms after traditional doctors found "nothing wrong" in addition to the auto immune disease I have. Key findings include a Gut Crisis—pathogenic overgrowth and severe...
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After Dark Edition :: Christmas Nights of Lights at the Indiana State Fairgrounds
For this episode Ashley and Johnette are at The Indiana State Fairgrounds for the Christmas Nights of Lights! This popular holiday tradition in Indianapolis is back for another season. The drive-thru light show is available now through December 31, featuring more than one million LED lights...
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Unfiltered Weekly 10-28-25
Welcome back to another episode of Unfiltered Weekly brought to you Behind The Filter! This will catch you up on the latest news from the week. In this episode we chat about the NBA Gambling Bust. Child Predators coming out of Nebraska, "Manopause" Ketamine, He Knows Your Name Ministry and then...
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Unfiltered Weekly 10-28-25
Welcome back to another episode of Unfiltered Weekly brought to you Behind The Filter! This will catch you up on the latest news from the week. In this episode we chat about the NBA Gambling Bust. Child Predators coming out of Nebraska, "Manopause" Ketamine, He Knows Your Name Ministry and then...
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After Dark Edition :: Viral Stories, Trending News and More!
In this episode we discuss trending stories and topics about AI in school instruction, a crazy story from prison, IG tries to put parental controls on the youth, the latest debacle from Skims, some interesting dating stories and more!
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After Dark Edition: PRANA IV Hydration & Wellness Clinic Part 2
We are back at Prana IV Hydration & Wellness Clinic to continue our chat on wellness, girl talk, DMs of the week and the latest viral stories! We also interview Ashley from Prana and OUR Ashley gets and IV Drip.
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Unfiltered Weekly 10-2-25
This week we talk about Charlie Kirk, the Bad Bunny Controversy, a quick education tutorial on the background of Puerto Rico, New developments in IVF Treatments and pregnant women turning to Cannabis.
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My Health Journey with Total Body Wellness
Total Body Wellness offers tailored solutions to help you feel your best. They're a one-stop-shop, offering everything from hormone and gut health to IV therapy and personal training. I'm starting my own health series with them to find the root cause of my long-term struggles. With a history of...
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After Dark Edition: PRANA IV Hydration & Wellness Clinic Part 1
On this week's episode of Behind The Filter’s After Dark Edition, we’re talking all things health and PRANA IV Hydration and Wellness Clinic! In the heart of Fortville, Indiana, a new approach to health is redefining what it means to feel truly vibrant. At PRANA Wellness, the mission is simple…
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Meet Blythe Potter
A new challenger is stepping up in the race for Indiana Secretary of State. Democrat Blythe Potter, an Army veteran and small business owner, has announced her candidacy. Potter, who served in Iraq, says her experience has taught her to lead with integrity. She aims to modernize the Secretary of...
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Unfiltered Weekly 9-01-25
Another Week of Unfiltered Weekly! This week we discuss brain tumors and the birth control, immigration, menodivorces, Roblox/Meta lawsuits, brain damage in the military and clear protein! Yes we've hit everything this week!
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Unfiltered Weekly 8-21-25
This week we talk about the latest news happening that is trending across the outlets and platforms. Stories featured: 75-year-old man in China in love with AI Chatbot, a new term for menopause. ASMR spa opens in New York City, Alcohol consumption is down, COVID-19 Vaccine problems, Cancer can…
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Unfiltered Weekly: The Unsolved Murder of Taylor Jay Miller
Two and a half years after the tragic shooting death of 21-year-old Taylor J. Miller, his family is still searching for answers, and they believe the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) has failed to deliver justice. In a recent interview, Taylor's mother, Ashley, shared her...
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After Dark Edition: Tea Time Part 2
Ashley and I are back with a new episode of diving deep into the internet's most buzzing topics, from the wildest social media viral moments to the stories everyone's talking about, We're tackling some controversial topics plus-DM's of the week and the audacity!
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After Dark Edition: Tea Time Part 2
Ashley and I are back with a new episode of diving deep into the internet's most buzzing topics, from the wildest social media viral moments to the stories everyone's talking about, We're tackling some controversial topics plus-DM's of the week and the audacity!
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
We love authenticity....we love a centrist point of view and we don’t follow a specific narrative. We're about having real, unfiltered conversations about society, culture and life! Behind the Filter is about creating strong connections, having meaningful discussions and sharing stories that can cultivate a sense of community.
Follow us and subscribe to get the latest content and news related to lifestyle along with trending topics and viral stories
Learn more at johnettecruz.com
HOSTED BY
Johnette Cruz
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Behind the Filter have?
Behind the Filter currently has 112 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Behind the Filter about?
We love authenticity....we love a centrist point of view and we don’t follow a specific narrative. We're about having real, unfiltered conversations about society, culture and life! Behind the Filter is about creating strong connections, having meaningful discussions and sharing stories that can...
How often does Behind the Filter release new episodes?
Behind the Filter publishes regularly with 112 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Behind the Filter?
You can listen to Behind the Filter on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Behind the Filter?
Behind the Filter is created and hosted by Johnette Cruz.
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