10 episodes

How did Larry Nassar, an Olympic gymnastics doctor, get away with abusing hundreds of women and girls for two decades? Believed is an inside look at how a team of women won a conviction in one of the largest serial sexual abuse cases in U.S. history. It's a story of survivors finding their power in a cultural moment when people are coming to understand how important that is. It's also an unnerving exploration of how even well-meaning adults can fail to believe.

Believed NPR

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.9 • 12.9K Ratings

How did Larry Nassar, an Olympic gymnastics doctor, get away with abusing hundreds of women and girls for two decades? Believed is an inside look at how a team of women won a conviction in one of the largest serial sexual abuse cases in U.S. history. It's a story of survivors finding their power in a cultural moment when people are coming to understand how important that is. It's also an unnerving exploration of how even well-meaning adults can fail to believe.

    The Good Guy

    The Good Guy

    How did former Olympic gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar sexually abuse hundreds of girls and women for decades? To understand how he got away with it, we have to begin with the doctor in his prime, when everyone thought of him as Larry, the good guy.

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    • 17 min
    How He Got Away

    How He Got Away

    In this episode, we take you back to 2004 - 13 years before Dr. Larry Nassar would admit in court that he sexually abused children. This incident with a teenager will show you not just what Larry was doing to so many of his patients, but how he got away with it again and again.

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    • 27 min
    The Basement

    The Basement

    Sometimes the people who don't believe you are the people who love you the most. This episode will take you into Larry Nassar's basement, through the memories of a young girl - a family friend who he abused for years.

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    • 21 min
    Gaslighting

    Gaslighting

    It's time to hear from Larry, and we've got the tape. In 2014, the doctor was interviewed by a police detective after another patient reported him for sexual assault. You'll hear for yourself how Larry lies, manipulates and convinces police to believe him instead of the victim.

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    • 28 min
    How He Got Caught

    How He Got Caught

    Larry Nassar's world starts to fall apart in the summer of 2016, thanks to three things: a tough Michigan detective, a team of journalists in Indiana, and a homeschooling mom from Kentucky. In this episode, you'll hear Larry's facade collapse - on tape.

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    • 26 min
    The Parents

    The Parents

    Many parents were in the room when Larry Nassar abused their daughters. They had no idea it was happening. That's because Larry didn't just manipulate his victims, he manipulated their parents, too.

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    • 25 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
12.9K Ratings

12.9K Ratings

just_jenna97 ,

good research & presentation!

My Domestic Violence Clinic professor had our class listen to this podcast to help us think about trauma and believing survivors and how abusers are able to hide their abuse and instill self-doubt through charm. Before listening, I had heard of Larry Nassar, read a few articles, but hadn’t understood how so many people failed to see what he was doing, and how the system failed to stop him earlier. This podcast did a great job of answering my question, in an accessible, well-researched, and well-organized way.

Snowberg99 ,

Unbelievable how hard it is to be ‘Believed’

I so applaud the young women who tried to plead their case only to have their concerns dismissed by their parents, therapists and the police. I have a lot of sympathy for otherwise strong and powerful women who waited far too long and were far too conflicted to report the crimes committed against them. One can only wish that some of these women, like Trine, were empowered enough to find their voices sooner in order to support the brave young women who did so against such great obstacles and were left to suffer for years. We need to speak up and teach our children to do so and NEVER question them.

megan_w/the egg sound ,

Great journalism, horrific story

This is a great resource for anyone who wants to know more about these atrocities. I appreciate the thoughtful and responsible storytelling.

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