SPILLED.
Kendyl and Delaney Florence host SPILLED., a podcast that serves up history's hottest gossip every other Tuesday. They explore historic scandals, betrayals, rumors, and more in a light-hearted and educational way. Each episode focuses on an old story that provides fun facts for dinner parties. The podcast aims to make history more fun and juicier.
Episodes
Pocahontas: Literally Everything You Know is Wrong!
She was eleven years old when the English arrived. Disney made her twenty-something with a love story. History gave her a name that wasn't hers. This week we're spilling the real story of Pocahontas — or Amonute, as she was actually named — and it's nothing like what you were taught.We're breaking down the Powhatan Confederacy (one of the most powerful empires on the eastern seaboard), what John S
WWII & Lesbian Step-Sisters: Men Wish They Knew These 4 Stories
You loved our first WWII episode, so we're back with MORE! This week we're covering stories that your history teacher definitely skipped: women in codebreaking, queer resistance, and psychological warfare. Think cracking Nazi spy rings from behind a desk, two lesbian stepsister artists using "paper bullets" to take down an occupying army, and a 21-year-old Jewish refugee who had German soldiers wr
Sugar Baby, Then She Led the Black Panther Party: Elaine Brown's Story
She had a married sugar daddy funding her LA apartment. Then she dumped him and became the first — and only — woman to lead the Black Panther Party. This week we're spilling everything on Elaine Brown: her rise through the Black Panther Party, what black feminism actually looked like in the 1960s, and why history class completely left her out. If you've ever wanted to understand the civil rights m
The Secret Lives of Henry VIII's Wives
Henry VIII's six wives — Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Katherine Parr — were more powerful, more capable, and more fascinating than Tudor history ever gave them credit for. Let's fix that.SOURCESCatherine of Aragon:Bergenroth, G. A., ed. "Introduction." Calendar of State Papers, Spain. London, 1868. British History Online. https://www.british
What To Say When a Man is Mansplaining WWII
CORRECTION: In this episode we reference Audie Murphy as the "most decorated American soldier in WWII." His kill count was 240, not 33 -- we misspoke, he had 33 awards. In this episode, we get into what to say when a man starts mansplaining WWII… and the stories he’s probably leaving out. We talk about Lyudmila Pavlichenko, known as Lady Death, and how she became one of the deadliest snipers of th
Ancient Greece's Gay Army (and Their Swords) | The Theban Sacred Band
In this episode, we get into the Sacred Band of Thebes, an elite ancient Greek army made up of 150 pairs of male lovers who quite literally fought side by side. We talk about why the Thebans believed love made soldiers stronger, how this unit became one of the most feared forces in Greece, and how they went head to head with Sparta at the height of its power.If you loved The Song of Achilles, this
The Watergate Scandal was MESSY - Do You Really Know What Happened?
Watergate is one of the biggest political scandals in U.S. history, but do you actually know what happened? This week we spill the story behind the Watergate break-in, the cover-up, and how it all led to the resignation of Richard Nixon. We also get into the wild side of the scandal, including the outspoken Martha Mitchell and the mysterious source known as Deep Throat. Lies, secret tapes, politic
The Peaky Blinders Were Real? Everything You Need To Know
Even if you haven't seen the show (Kendyl hasn't), you're going to want to tune in to this one. This week we’re getting into the real history behind Peaky Blinders. Inspired by the hit series Peaky Blinders, we break down who the Peaky Blinders actually were, the true gang wars of early 1900s Birmingham, and the core figures who built the gang’s reputation long before TV dramatized it.We talk bad
F*ck, Marry, Kill: Aqua Tofana, The Original Husband Poison
This week, we’re talking Giulia Tofana and the infamous Aqua Tofana — the legendary 17th-century poison rumored to be colorless, tasteless, and almost impossible to detect. We break down the history, the myths, and why this story still fascinates people today, especially its ties to women secretly poisoning abusive husbands in a time when divorce wasn’t an option.Plus, because it’s us, we’re playi
The Salem Witch Trials Debunked
We're back with our MOST requested episode yet -- the Salem Witch Trials! Join us to hear us unpack the biggest misconceptions, implications, and causes of the witch hunts and trials that plagued Salem, Massachusetts between February 1692 – May 1693. We cover famous trials, shocking facts, and as always, one too many dirty jokes.SOURCES: Deodat Lawson, A Brief and True Narrative of Some Remar
We Thought the World Was Ending? Y2K Explained
Everyone jokes that Y2K was fake. It wasn’t. It was stopped.In this episode, we break down how a tiny design choice made decades earlier put banks, power grids, hospitals, air traffic control, and even nuclear systems on edge as the clock approached January 1, 2000. We explore why the Y2K bug was a real, systemic risk, how hundreds of billions of dollars and years of invisible labor quietly defuse
Shrooms, Rome, and Reddit: 10 Christmas Tradition Origins
Come with us on a holly jolly holiday episode on debunking 10 Christmas traditions and their origins. This episode is a little different, though -- you'll be in charge of guessing if each of the 20 traditions is "Real or Reddit." That's right, Kendyl did her trademark Reddit deep-dive to find 10 family traditions that'll keep you guessing if the origin is Pagan, Nordic, Victorian, or some plain an
They Were the Richest People in the World, then the Murders Started: The Osage Nation
Imagine becoming the richest community in America overnight—only for people around you to start turning up dead.This episode uncovers the stunning rise of the Osage Nation during the Oklahoma oil boom: how they strategically secured “worthless” land that sat on massive oil reserves, built extraordinary wealth, and shaped a cultural renaissance that most history books barely mention.Then we get int
The Dancing Plagues - There Wasn't Just One...
In this episode, we get into the absolutely unhinged Dancing Plague of 1518 — the real moment when hundreds of people in Strasbourg danced for days, weeks, and sometimes literally to death.We look at the dance manias that came before, the political and religious chaos that had everyone on edge, and how it all escalated after Frau Troffea started dancing and just… didn’t stop. We break down the com
Exotic Dancer Turned WWI Spy: Mata Hari
efore she became the most infamous “female spy” of World War I, Mata Hari was a Dutch dancer who turned her heartbreak and reinvention into performance art. Celebrated across Belle Époque Europe for her seductive “Eastern” dances, she embodied every fantasy — and every fear — men had about powerful women.When war broke out, that fantasy turned fatal. Accused of being a double agent, Mata Hari was
Abe Lincoln’s Ghost & White House Seances
Is Abraham Lincoln still haunting the halls of the White House? This week on SPILLED., we’re talking presidential paranormal activity. He showed up in offices and bathrooms alike. Was Honest Abe trying to warn us… or just checking in on democracy?Join us as we unpack the ghostly lore surrounding Lincoln, the séances held in the White House, and why America’s most solemn president became its most
No Blood, No Sparkles — China’s Hopping Vampires
A corpse that hops through the night in Qing dynasty robes—sounds fake, right? But the jiāngshī was once a very real fear. This week, we’re talking about China’s “hopping vampires,” and how they came from something way less supernatural: family obligations, burial delays, and the weird science of what happens to a body when you can’t lay it to rest.We get into corpse-walking rituals, qi-stealing,
How to Spot a Witch: The Origin of Witches, Witch Hunts, and…Demon Sex?
Join Kendyl and Delaney as they explore the origins of witches and witch hunts across early modern Europe when bad weather, curdled milk, or a cranky neighbor could get you accused of serving the devil. We unpack what actually made someone a “witch,” who decided that, and how it all ties back to the social and religious stressors of the time.Plus: Kendyl buys a spell off Etsy (for science) and lea
Was Versailles Just Overcompensation? Insecurity, Bizarre Rules, and Freestyle Rapping
Versailles wasn’t just a palace — it was Louis XIV’s ego on display. In this episode, we break down how the Sun King’s insecurity complex shaped court life, from the bizarre rituals around his daily routine to the rules designed to keep everyone competing for his attention. We also trace how these traditions turned Versailles into the most theatrical (and exhausting) place on earth. We also may or
Confessions of the Castrated Choir Boys
This week we’re diving into the castrati, the choirboys who paid the ultimate price to hit the high notes. We cover how the church justified it, what actually went down in the procedure (spoiler: it’s grim), and why these singers were so popular. Of course, we can’t resist the scandals, the bedroom rumors, and all the messy ways castrati blurred gender and power. As always, there are way too many
Should Men Farm and Women Fight? The Dahomey Amazon Warriors
This week we’re talking about the Dahomey Amazons, the all-women military force from West Africa who had European colonizers absolutely terrified. We get into how their story has been twisted over time, what they tell us about gender roles, and why African history deserves way more credit than it usually gets. Along the way there are plenty of side tangents, questionable sex jokes, and a few momen
Was Ben Franklin a Zaddy?
Before he was flying kites in storms or posing on the $100 bill, young Benjamin Franklin was stirring trouble—and hearts. In this episode, we sift through the flirtatious, scandalous, and occasionally eyebrow-raising side of America’s favorite Founding Father: from the cheeky Silence Dogood letters that charmed colonial Boston, to fathering a child out of wedlock, to his rumored Parisian romance w
The Truth Behind (some) Catholic Virgin Saints
What do a beheaded music lover, a teenage runaway, a dragon-slayer, and a girl who just wanted to stay single have in common? They all became virgin saints — whether they asked for it or not.In this episode, we unravel the lives (and afterlives) of St. Agnes of Rome, St. Cecilia, St. Margaret of Antioch, and St. Margaret of Cortona — four women whose stories were polished, rebranded, and passed do
The Dark Lady of Doona: Ireland's Pirate Queen
In this episode, we dive into the legend and legacy of Ireland’s Pirate Queen: from her wild childhood as “Grace the Bald” to the rumors she gave birth on a ship and went back to battle within the hour. We chart her rise through maritime conquests, clan warfare, and a jaw-dropping face-to-face with the English queen herself. Along the way, we unpack the geopolitical tug-of-war between England and
Before Cleopatra: The Woman Who Ran Rome (and Antony)
You know Cleopatra—the scandal, the eyeliner, the drama. But before she stepped onto the scene with Marc Antony, there was Fulvia: a Roman powerhouse, political strategist, and all-around boss. In this episode, we dig into the story of the woman who didn’t just love Antony—she leveraged him. From leading armies to stirring up civil war, Fulvia was making major moves long before Cleopatra made head
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