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Why She Stayed

Why She Stayed

Grace Stuart 81 Episodes Aug 18, 2026

A podcast that explores the complexities of domestic violence relationships, focusing on why it is difficult for victims to leave. Through survivor stories and conversations with guests, it examines abusive behaviors and how individuals eventually break free. The show aims to educate and foster understanding about the dynamics of abuse.

Episodes

95: I Had to Become Ruthless to Stay Gone: For the Person Who Keeps Leaving and Going Back
95: I Had to Become Ruthless to Stay Gone: For the Person Who Keeps Leaving and Going Back Aug 18, 2026 1:32:23 Ali shares the brutal reality of trying to leave an abusive relationship and how, after leaving and returning over and over again, she began to lose trust in her own ability to stay gone.In this episode, we talk about:Why repeated leaving and returning can create a deep distrust in yourself.How isolation can make you feel that talking to your family “too much” is strange or abnormal.How she began
94: Aubree's Story | PART 2
94: Aubree's Story | PART 2 Aug 11, 2026 1:30:04 Everyone asks what happened the day Aubree’s husband shot her twice, murdered their nearly six-month-old son, Kymani, and then took his own life.But the deeper question is: What happened long before that day?While many people assume lethal domestic violence begins with physical abuse, Aubree’s story demonstrates something experts on coercive control have long understood: the pathway to extreme vio
Ep. 93: In Honor of Kymani: Aubree's Story | PART 1
Ep. 93: In Honor of Kymani: Aubree's Story | PART 1 Aug 4, 2026 1:06:40 Everyone asks what happened the day Aubree’s husband shot her twice, murdered their nearly six-month-old son, Kymani, and then took his own life.But the deeper question is: What happened long before that day?In this episode of Why She Stayed, Aubree shares the story of the timespan leading up to the unimaginable tragedy that left her paralyzed and forever changed her life. While many people assume
Ep 92 Abusers Don't Lose Control- They Deploy It: with Lindsay Stoker creator of The Control Code
Ep 92 Abusers Don't Lose Control- They Deploy It: with Lindsay Stoker creator of The Control Code Jul 28, 2026 1:10:49 I sit down with Lindsay Stoker creator of The Control Code to unpack the most misunderstood aspects of coercive control and psychological abuse.One of the most powerful shifts in understanding abuse is learning to stop asking, “Was this incident abusive?” and instead asking, “What was this behavior designed to accomplish?” We discuss why the function of abusive behavior matters far more than the f
Ep. 91: What Every Woman Needs to Know About Coercive Control
Ep. 91: What Every Woman Needs to Know About Coercive Control Jul 21, 2026 1:11:53 If I could sit across from the woman I was back then, these are the 20 things I would tell her.In this episode of Why She Stayed, I reflect on my own experience of coercive control and share the lessons I wish someone had taught me while I was still living inside the confusion.In this episode, we unpack topics like:Why I found myself doing things that looked “sketchy” from the outside- like deleti
Ep. 90: What if I'm Wrong About Everything?: Why AI Helps Survivors Feel Sane: Aimee Says
Ep. 90: What if I'm Wrong About Everything?: Why AI Helps Survivors Feel Sane: Aimee Says Jul 14, 2026 47:40 What if you’re wrong about everything?It’s one of the most haunting questions survivors of coercive control ask themselves after years of psychological manipulation.In this episode of Why She Stayed, I sit down with Anne Wintemute, founder of AimeeSays, to unpack how blame-shifting rewires your thinking… and how abusers create the illusion of freedom, making you believe you can leave at any time w
Ep.89: The Damage of Chronic Deception
Ep.89: The Damage of Chronic Deception Jul 7, 2026 1:11:23 Brand new episode! This is a never-before-heard conversation.I’m joined by author Cora Leyderman, author of Meet Me at the Well, as she shares the story of her previous marriage to a pathological liar. While many people picture abuse as physical violence or obvious intimidation, Cora’s experience looked very different. Her husband’s primary tactics were relentless deception, psychological manipula
Ep. 87: (Re-Release) Lundy Bancroft Interview: Why Does He Do That?
Ep. 87: (Re-Release) Lundy Bancroft Interview: Why Does He Do That? Mar 17, 2026 59:11 This episode originally aired on May 13, 2025.Brand new episode will be released on Tuesday, March 24th.Lundy Bancroft is the author of the book "Why Does He Do That? Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men" as well as many other books and has worked extensively in batterer intervention programs. He has over 30 years of experience working with abusive men and their families and is a leading
Ep. 86: What If I Ruin His Life?- The Fear, the Grooming, and the People Who Said She'd Destroy Him.
Ep. 86: What If I Ruin His Life?- The Fear, the Grooming, and the People Who Said She'd Destroy Him. Feb 24, 2026 1:21:04 Lindsey shares the story of how her relationship slowly turned into something she didn’t recognize as abuse.What began as the gradual normalization of cheating became a pattern of psychological grooming. Over time, he reframed betrayal as “normal,” rewrote reality, and convinced her she was the one causing harm.He even faked medical emergencies- claiming she was causing him physical suffering fro
Ep. 85: Twist, Blame, Repeat
Ep. 85: Twist, Blame, Repeat Feb 10, 2026 1:37:25 In this episode, Kelly shares her experience of being in a relationship where reality was constantly twisted. Her abuser was skilled at blame-shifting, making her feel like she was the problem for asking reasonable questions, having needs, or expecting basic respect.What made it even more confusing was how differently he showed up to the rest of the world. Friends, family, and acquaintances saw so
Ep. 84: Quiet Control: When Culture Masks Coercion
Ep. 84: Quiet Control: When Culture Masks Coercion Jan 27, 2026 1:45:57 In this episode, Kelly shares her story of entering a relationship with a mild-mannered Arab Muslim doctor at a vulnerable point in her life, a time when she felt ungrounded and stuck in patterns of promiscuity. He positioned himself as a stabilizing force, framing the relationship as a way to “save” her from that path and introduce her to a more meaningful life.As the relationship deepened, eleme
Ep. 83: How Abuse Stripped Me of Myself
Ep. 83: How Abuse Stripped Me of Myself Jan 20, 2026 1:16:21 In this episode, Daniella shares her experience of being in a relationship marked by extreme intensity followed by sudden discard and abandonment. She opens up about how emotional abuse eroded her sense of self, fueled comparison and insecurity, and left her feeling like a shell of who she once was.Daniella also unpacks how her abuser used people outside the relationship to validate his false narr

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