logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2024
52m 28s

334: What if your parachute didn’t open?

Wondery
About this episode

After coming out and finding self-acceptance, a man faces his greatest physical and emotional struggle yet when a celebratory skydive takes a terrifying turn.

 

Today’s episode featured Brad Guy. If you’d like to reach out to him, you can email him at hello@bradguy.com, or you can find him on Instagram and TikTok @bradjguy.


Visit bradguy.com to order his memoir “Freefall” and to book him for speaking engagements.


Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Aviva Lipkowitz

 

Content/Trigger Warnings: childhood obesity, being in the closet, self-hatred, serious accident, serious bodily injury, falling from a plane, parachute malfunction, death, suicidal ideation, explicit language

 

Social Media:

Instagram: @actuallyhappening

Twitter: @TIAHPodcast

 

Website: thisisactuallyhappening.com

 

Website for Andrew Waits: andrewwaits.com

Website for Aviva Lipkowitz: avivalipkowitz.com 

 

Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happening

 

Wondery Plus: All episodes of the show prior to episode #130 are now part of the Wondery Plus premium service. To access the full catalog of episodes, and get all episodes ad free, sign up for Wondery Plus at wondery.com/plus

 

Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link: thisisactuallyhappening.com/shop to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop. 

 

Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.com

 

Intro Music: "Illabye" – Tipper

Music Bed: Uncertain Outcomes

 

Services

If you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources:

 

National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Text or Call 988 

National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264

National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)



See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Yesterday
370: What if a bullet took your sight but not your vision?
A young father who rose up from the streets to achieve his musical dream is gunned down by a stranger during a trivial altercation, but as he rebuilds his life in the aftermath, a new, deeper dream emerges.Today’s episode featured Jason Miller, AKA Stone-Face. If you’d like to re ... Show More
56m 46s
Jul 1
369: What if you lit yourself on fire?
Suffering a life of struggle and addiction in the wake of early childhood abuse, a woman desperate for a dramatic change dowses herself in gasoline and strikes a lighter. Today’s episode featured Crystal Raye. Please find her contact and socials in her link tree here: https://lin ... Show More
57m 3s
Jun 24
368: What if you were the only one left to grieve?
A young girl's world shatters when one night, her mother’s stalker, who has threatened to annihilate her family, walks into her home with a loaded gun.Today’s episode featured Fallon Farinacci. You can reach out to her via email at contact@fallonfarinacci.com. Find Fallon on Inst ... Show More
54m 59s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2024
MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF: Jane Neumann
When a 30-year-old woman is found shot to death under the strangest of circumstances, police try to figure out exactly what happened, while her family is convinced there’s only one person who knows the truth… her husband.If you have any information about the death of Jane Neumann ... Show More
38m 55s
Jul 2024
MISSING: Carolyn Killaby
When a young woman goes missing in November 1995, no one knew just how close they were to a monster lurking in the area. What starts as a night out after an argument with her husband… ends in tragedy that’s left the family with so many questions.If you or anyone you know is think ... Show More
31m 26s
Mar 2019
Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love Pt. 2: Suicide Samurai
Grunge, grief, the Grateful Dead and a “teenage whore.” Part 2 of the Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love story picks up with Courtney’s ascent and the couple’s heroin-hazed pregnancy. An escape from rehab and a punk as f*ck group hug for Gen X.This episode contains themes that may be ... Show More
39m 11s
Sep 2024
Suicidology (SUICIDE PREVENTION & AWARENESS) with DeQuincy Meiffren-Lézine
Give yourself a hug and take a deep breath and let’s chat with renowned Suicidologist Dr. DeQuincy Meiffren-Lézine. He is an absolute wonder and helps us understand the risk factors for suicide, prevention strategies, socio-economic factors, gender statistics, LGBTQ+ suicide prev ... Show More
1h 59m
Sep 2024
MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF: John Bender
When a 44-year-old millionaire ends up shot and killed in his bed in Costa Rica, authorities are quick to put the blame on his wife. But what unravels next is a much bigger web of lies, injustice, and gems…If you or anyone you know is thinking about suicide, emotional support can ... Show More
44m 34s
Sep 2022
101. Drew #85: Don’t Suffer in Silence
***Trigger warning*** This episode contains potentially triggering and sensitive topics including suicide.  If you or someone you know needs help, please call 988 in the United States. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides f ... Show More
1h 11m
Feb 2025
Richard Pryor: Stabbing, Shooting, F***ing, Burning, and Freebasing
Richard Pryor was one of the funniest people who ever lived. He elevated stand-up comedy to an art form. But the real life that informed his stand-up – a life of pool halls, brothels, stabbings, shootings, and lots and lots of cocaine – was a source of constant pain. A pain that ... Show More
37m 23s
Apr 13
8: Dude, Where’s my Sperm?
As Jake lay locked-in and unable to move or speak, a sperm sample was taken without his explicit consent, sparking a complex legal and ethical battle that would stretch far beyond his hospital bed, and Jake’s fight to reclaim what was his. Content warning: Drug use/abuse, addicti ... Show More
35m 36s
Feb 2025
Surviving Trauma and Having a Few Laughs with Ophira Eisenberg
Ophira Eisenberg once believed that everyone had a trauma quota, a maximum amount of hardship that a person would face in life and once that mark was hit, nothing bad would ever happen again. It was a way of comforting herself after a car accident at age eight that seriously inju ... Show More
48m 21s
Mar 2025
5: Making Peace with Death
Jake was given just six months to live, and now that deadline is closing in. As his body is wracked by a series of violent autonomic storms, his hospice nurse fears the worst. The final moments seem inevitable—last rites are read, and his wife prepares to say goodbye. But then, J ... Show More
36m 19s