682. Sunny and Claus von Bülow | Marriage, Mistresses, and Maids: June 1966 to December 1980

This week we pull one from the Patreon Vault to explore Clarendon Court in Newport RI, the home and its colorful history with so many spiderwebs. From its construction to its century of legendary owners, there is much more to this home than the location of two attempted murders. Sponsors Upgrade your every day! Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to ⁠Quince.com/TRASHY⁠. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and UK, too! Want early, ad-free episodes, regular Dumpster Dives, bonus divorces, limited series, Zoom hangouts, and more? Join us at⁠ patreon.com/trashydivorces⁠! Want a personalized message for someone in your life?⁠ Check us out on Cameo⁠! To advertise on our podcast, please reach out to ⁠[email protected]⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We begin a deeper investigation into the scandal that rocked high society in the 1980s, the twice attempted murder of Sunny von Bulow and the subsequent trials of her second husband Claus von Bulow for those crimes. In this first episode, we introduce and get to know the main characters in this story, Martha “Sunny” Sharp Crawford and Claus von Bulow. What happens in their lives before and up to their marriage in 1966? There are so many sticky spiderwebs that might surprise you in this one, including Coco Chanel, Truman Capote, Ann Woodward, and the very first case of murder by insulin poisoning – it really does all come together. Sources The Von Bulow Affair, by William Wright (Amazon link) Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote, The Millionaire’s Wife, and the Murder of the Century, by Roseanne Montillo (Amazon link) FATAL CHARM: The Social Web of Claus von Bülow | Vanity Fair | August 1985 (archive.vanityfair.com) Martha Sharp Crawford (1932-2008) – HouseHistree Kenneth Barlow: the first documented case of murder by insulin – PMC (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) When Truman Capote Met Ann Woodward, Recently Minted Widow, in Saint Moritz ‹ CrimeReads   Want early, ad-free episodes, regular Dumpster Dives, bonus divorces, limited series, Zoom hangouts, and more? Join us at⁠ patreon.com/trashydivorces⁠! Want a personalized message for someone in your life?⁠ Check us out on Cameo⁠! To advertise on our podcast, please reach out to ⁠[email protected]⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this bit of a bonus episode, we pulled out a few delightful tales from long ago Patreon episodes to celebrate Dolly Parton just a little while longer. Included are anecdotes from Kenny Rogers, long time collaborator that will melt your heart, and a story from Keanu Reeves too that no one saw coming. Sponsors Upgrade your every day! Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to ⁠Quince.com/TRASHY⁠. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and UK, too! Vinted. See what’s hiding in your closet – you might be surprised how much you can earn with Vinted! Download the Vinted app for free to start listing with no seller fees, and for a limited time, enjoy free shipping in the US. For a limited time, get 60% off your first order, plus free shipping and free treats for life, when you head to Smalls.com/TRASHY. Want early, ad-free episodes, regular Dumpster Dives, bonus divorces, limited series, Zoom hangouts, and more? Join us at⁠ patreon.com/trashydivorces⁠! Want a personalized message for someone in your life?⁠ Check us out on Cameo⁠! To advertise on our podcast, please reach out to ⁠[email protected]⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we honor the queen of our hearts by revisiting a long -ago story from Season Five. Stacie revealed the details about the start of her career, when country superstar Porter Wagoner plucked her from obscurity to be his “Girl Singer.” Seven years later, her split from him drove him off the stage and into a courtroom, but Dolly would always love him anyway. As a follow up, we celebrate Saint Dolly just a little more, remembering more about her life, career, and legacy. Sponsors Upgrade your every day! Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to ⁠Quince.com/TRASHY⁠. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and UK, too! Vinted. See what’s hiding in your closet – you might be surprised how much you can earn with Vinted! Download the Vinted app for free to start listing with no seller fees, and for a limited time, enjoy free shipping in the US. For a limited time, get 60% off your first order, plus free shipping and free treats for life, when you head to Smalls.com/TRASHY. Want early, ad-free episodes, regular Dumpster Dives, bonus divorces, limited series, Zoom hangouts, and more? Join us at⁠ patreon.com/trashydivorces⁠! Want a personalized message for someone in your life?⁠ Check us out on Cameo⁠! To advertise on our podcast, please reach out to ⁠[email protected]⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Content Warning: While we avoid graphic descriptions of abuse, this story is inherently about the sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking of children and a crew of horrible people who allowed it to play out over decades. It is upsetting, disturbing, and enraging. Listener discretion is encouraged. Alan Dershowitz was a key player in one of the most appalling and long-running miscarriages of justice in generations. In 2005, his friend Jeffrey Epstein learned that he was being investigated by police for sexually abusing young girls. Epstein did what anyone would; he called the most aggressive lawyer he could think of. Alan spent the next several years smearing victims, strong-arming prosecutors, and possibly cooperating with an intense harassment and intimidation campaign against investigators. And it paid off; Alan's hard work meant that his friend Jeff could continue abusing girls for nearly 15 more years, but Alan also found himself in the crosshairs when Epstein's victims began to come forward. Sponsors Upgrade your every day! Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to ⁠Quince.com/TRASHY⁠. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and UK, too! Vinted. See what’s hiding in your closet – you might be surprised how much you can earn with Vinted! Download the Vinted app for free to start listing with no seller fees, and for a limited time, enjoy free shipping in the US. For a limited time, get 60% off your first order, plus free shipping and free treats for life, when you head to Smalls.com/TRASHY. Want early, ad-free episodes, regular Dumpster Dives, bonus divorces, limited series, Zoom hangouts, and more? Join us at patreon.com/trashydivorces! Want a personalized message for someone in your life? Check us out on Cameo! To advertise on our podcast, please reach out to [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices