Blackballed With James Di Fiore

David Wallace has seen it all. He is a former political fixer who recently blew the whistle on himself in order to expose the nefarious antics of the cult known as the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. He is also the architect of the leaked dossier known as the #klondikepapers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt Le Tissier was a formidable footballer for the Southampton Football club in the UK. Today, he is a formidable critic of the UK's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Le Tissier talks to James about his opinions re the pandemic, the Big Pharma vaccine rollout, and his views on The Great Reset. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MASIA ONE is a veteran hip hop artist who hails from...well, everywhere. She has roots in Malaysia, Canada, Jakarta and all over southeast Asia. She is also a dope emcee, and an entrepreneurial spirit. But her greatest gift is how she embodies hip hop culture, without even trying. She IS hip hop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cheryl Hope and Lane Admiraal are both survivors of the abuse they suffered at the hands of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. Today they are encouraging other victims to leave the cult and begin new lives. We will also discuss the hundreds of cult-owned businesses in North America, and why Amazon has a partnership with the PBCC despite their anti-gay, anti-women agenda. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emm Gryner is one of those people who has a slew of top tier gifts and talents. She is a singer/songwriter, and the author of the book 'The Healing Power of Singing - Raise Your Voice, Change Your Life (What Touring with David Bowie, Single Parenting and Ditching the Music Business Taught Me in 25 Easy Steps). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ales Fesiak is an IT professional who had found himself in the middle of a volunteer project to help get much needed equipment to the front lines in Ukraine. He joins James to talk about how this has helped countless people, the emotional experience of helping his fellow countrymen and friends, and what he has learned by stepping up into this altruistic role. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For 55 years, Peter Tatchell has been traveling the world and putting himself in the line of fire for one issue - gay rights. He was the subject of the Netflix documentary Hating Peter Tatchell and joins James to discuss his ongoing activisim Putin's homophobic policies, and why the Monarchy is no longer relevant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Najjah Calibur is one of the most all-around talents in Canada. He's a singer/songwriter, and emcee, and was just named the official FIFA World Cup Host and Ambassador for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anne Schwartz has the distinction of being the reporter who first broke the Jeffrey Dahmer story in Milwaukee. She is also the author of Monster: The True Story of the Jeffrey Dahmer Murders, and was featured in the new Netflix documentary Conversations With a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Spencer is an urban warfare expert and the author of the critically acclaimed book 'Connected Soldiers: Life, Leadership, and Social Connections in Modern War. He joins us to give his expert opinion on the current state of the conflict in Ukraine, and why Russia is almost certainly on the brink of losing the conflict. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Michael Geist is Canada's foremost expert on Internet Law and Policy, and is a fierce critic of Bill C-11, the Trudeau govt's internet censorship bill. He joins James, along with Dean Blundell, to talk about the details of the bill and why the government seems so determined to pass it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Atkinson became a viral sensation during the convoy protest after he stood up to protestors outside of his home, becoming known as the Blue Jacket Guy. He now co-hosts the True North Eager Beaver podcast and is easily one of the nicest and smartest people James knows. James and Paul discuss politics, mental health, politics, and music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senator Leo Housakos is a staunch conservative Senator, but he has something in common with many progressives in Canada - he is against curtailing the rights and freedoms of online users, both as individual users and independent digital producers. Bill C-11 would give the CRTC sweeping powers over user generated content, and the government is ac ting like it would do no such thing...even though it says it will right in the legislation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reality Winner served 5 years in prison for leaking classified documents detailing Russian interference in the 2016 election. She was made an example by the Trump administration and not pardoned despite Trump himself commenting on how harsh the sentence was. Reality is now a cross-fit trainer and is looking at other issues to attach herself to in order to keep fighting against government action and inaction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mental health is the second pandemic, or at least James seems to think so. He invites regular listeners of Backballed, along with top digital strategist/entrepreneur George Easton, to discuss the toll this pandemic, and also the state of the world we currently live in, on our collective mental health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spencer Rice is known for his hilarious TV show Kenny VS Spenny, but these days he is all about politics. Spenny gives his two cents on living in a polarized society, the toxic impact of social media, and what the blowback might be if Trump is not allowed to run for president. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Advocate, lawyer, and political cartoon creator Caryma Sa'd returns to Blackballed to talk about the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the monarchy, UFOs/aliens, her most recent political cartoons and the issues that inspired them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caitlin Erikson and Christina Hutchinson were former students from thre Saskatoon Christian Centre Academy, now known as the Legacy Christian Academy. Both former students and others have made allegations of abuse against the institution. Tonight they tell their stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not many rappers have had the type of longevity that Halifax rapper Classified has enjoyed, especially in Canada. Classified joins me to talk about his acoustic album Retrospected, the upcoming tour, and the tragedy of losing his friend, fellow Nova Scotian and battle rap champion Pat Stay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nobody tweets like Eric Alper. Many of his followers begin and end the day on one of his positive or nostalgia-generating musings. He joins James to talk about music's cultural imprint, the difference in how we consume music from one era to the next, and how our tendency to establish an emotional connection to music remains intact. Eric's ability to paint a compelling picture to demonstrate an affinity with the artist and the fan is worth spending the hour listening to this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard Marsh is the ex member of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church who was hunted down by the cult after blowing the whistle on an alleged NHS scam in the UK involving a PBCC company. David Wallace is the guy the cult hired to hunt him down. Gerald Chipeur is the former lawyer for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the former General Counsel for the Conservative Party of Canada, and the PBCC attorney who hired David Wallace to hunt down Richard Marsh. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maxime Bernier is the leader of the People's Party of Canada and the most controversial politician in the country. Since the pandemic Maxime has been traveling coast to coast delivering a message of liberty to supporters in response to the Trudeau Government's mandates/regulations. Will the backlash against Trudeau be enough to earn the PPC seats by the time the next election arrives? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen Maher is an award-winning journalist and author. He is also a contributing editor at Macleans Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lane Admiraal is a former member of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. He was excommunicated from the cult in 2008 and has alleged horrible abuse from its members, as well as a serious accusation of an illegal, anti-gay petition sent to MPs in Canada when gay marriage was being decided. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jacky Hart is an ex member of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, not to mention played a role in trying to get the charitable status removed from the PBCC in the UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cheryl Hope rejoins James to discuss the ongoing police investigation into the man she accused of assaulting her when she was a child, and how her interview unleashed a tidal wave of various accusers claiming they were also abused by members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the past two months, Blackballed has been the only networking to extensively cover the culture and abuse of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. This episode will get listeners up to date on how a couple of interviews exploded into a trend among the cult's ex members. Now that it is widely known within the PBCC, James talks about the next steps in making the PBCC a household name for being a dangerous, unaccountable cult. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Bachelard is a deputy editor for Australia's The Age, and also the author of the compelling 2008 book Behind The Exclusive Brethren. SHOW LESS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corinna Cohn is a trans activist whose views set her apart from the status quo. In this episode we try to navigate the waters of gender activism, and the tropes that come with it, in order to find both common ground and a way forward that is inclusive for everyone, including the diversity of opinion within the trans communities. SHOW LESS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spencer Rice had one of the greatest Canadian shows of all time - Kenny VS Spenny. Today he still tours with Kenny, has a music career as a solo artist, and has a lot to say about life, the digital age, and internet trolls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Spencer is an expert on urban warfare, He is also the author of the critically acclaimed book Connecting Soldiers: Life, Leadership and Social Connections in Modern War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael de Adder talks about being a political junkie, an artist, and why he doesn't watch The Simpsons anymore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dave Troy is an investigative journalist who has painstakingly detailed the history and present day alliance between religious extremists and corporate fascists in the USA and Canada. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Friend of the show Richard Marsh joins us with his uncle, Richard Marsh. Both are ex members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Cult. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ron Fawkes was once the leader of the Australian Plymouth Brethren Christian Cult. He is now one of their fiercest critics, and has a message for members currently trapped inside the PBCC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Podcast host and tv/radio veteran Ryan Jespersen joins James to discuss religion, politics, and the emergence of magic mushrooms as a therapeutic drug. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ashley Lindley joins James to open up about being the estranged daughter of a man convicted of murder; how it has shaped her as an adult, if there are long-lasting impacts, and if she will ever forgive him for what he did. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carmen Drever is the granddaughter of former Plymouth Brethren Christian Church leader James Symington, and she is speaking out against the cult she had been a part of since birth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carmen Drever was like royalty in the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. Her grandfather was James Symington, a former Universal Leader of the cult. Carmen talks to us about what it was like inside the cult, how she left, and why she is worried about the young people still inside. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lawyer Caryma S'ad has the unique ability of making ideologues angry, sometimes without doing or saying anything at all. Rebel News used Caryma as a political prop in their hit piece against the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, an organization with skeletons and a penchant for being as extreme as the groups they target. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt Cundill is largely considered one of the most innovative minds in the podcast industry. Matt helps us understand how both industries co-exist, and his excitement for being a part of a podcast renaissance, where creators are making decision independent of big outlets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Criminal defense lawyer Rob Kivlichan joins host James Di Fiore in the inaugural episode of Heinous Cases as they go over the Karla Homolka plea deal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ex members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church live very difficult lives. They live between wanting to see their families, and not wanting them to feel the blowback of having a relative excommunicated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dean Blundell joins James to discuss the uniqueness of the podcasting format, how he still hates anything to do with politics, and how religion is weaponized via politics and public relations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rob Davis is a conservative consultant who has a few issues with the removal of Patrick Brown's leadership candidacy. He helps us understand the politics behind it, and why the lack of transparency could actually hurt the Conservative Party of Canada. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Patrick Brown had already been unceremoniously removed by the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party in 2018. This time he was vying to become leader of the Conservative Party of Canada when he was disqualified. James goes over the reasons why he was ousted, and whether or not any of the candidates can claim to be running a clean campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Janja Lalich describes the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church as "the most dangerous Christian cult on the planet." She along with Richard Marsh joins us to discuss what escapees face when they attempt to leave cults like the PBCC, and how society is ill-equipped to deal with these types of nefarious groups. We also touch on how Canadian politicians like Stephen Harper and Pierre Poilievre seem to be beholden to the group. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church is an organization with many skeletons, including an assortment of heinous sexual crimes against children. In this episode, ex PBCC member Richard Marsh helps us understand the culture of secrecy and loyalty inside the church and how that translates into child victims who never see justice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cheryl Hope was once a member of the cult-like religious group, the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. After years of being an ex-member, she is ready to come forward to share her story of abuse at the hands of Alan Drever, an elder of the PBCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices