Adele: The Pop Star Repurposed by the Criminal Underworld
episodePreviously titled “laDGL04_Adele_CLFMix01b_052826” — renamed by the publisher on Aug 3, 2026
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What fears influenced Adele's rise to fame?
This is exactly right. I'm Michelle McPhee, and I've been unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever reported on. A Mormon polygamist and an Armenian businessman.
Multi-million dollar house, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, a billion dollar fraud.
But how long can this alliance last? Tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. How much you weigh, Wanda? Right now, I'm about 130. I'm at 183. We should race.
No, I want to leave here with my original hips. On the podcast, The Matchup with Aaliyah, I pair prominent female athletes with unexpected guests. On a recent episode, I sat down with undisputed boxing champ, Clarissa Shields, and comedian, Wanda Sykes, to talk about Wanda's new movie, Undercard, the art of trash talk, and what it really means to be ladylike. Open your free iHeartRadio app, search The Matchup with Aaliyah, and listen now. Brought to you by Novartis, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports Network.
In 2023, Bachelor star Clayton Eckerd was accused of fathering twins, but the pregnancy appeared to be a hoax.
You doctored this particular test twice, Ms. Owens, correct?
I doctored the test once. It took an army of internet detectives to uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing.
Greg Gillespie and Michael Mancini.
My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trapped. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
The story about Adele is a story about fear. Fear of performing on stage, fear of losing your voice, fear of dying young like two of your idols. It's also a story about con artists and concealed weapons, about Michael Corleone and Tony Montana and Dog Day Afternoons, and about how the criminal world has repeatedly tried to cash in on the universal appeal of Adele. And this is because Adele makes great music. Unlike that clip I played for you at the top of the show. That wasn't great music. That was a preset loop from my Mellotron called the Guns of Tottenham MK1. I played you that loop because I can't afford the rights to Grenade by Bruno Mars. And why would I play you that specific slice of unrequited love cheese?
Could I afford it? Because that was the number one song in America on January 24th, 2011. And that was the day that Adele released her sophomore album, 21. A record so impactful that it made her a new musical favorite of millions around the world. Not least of all, the felons and con artists who appropriated her fame. On this episode, felons, con artists, Corleones, dead idols, fear, and Adele. I'm Jake Brennan, and this is Disgraceland.
Disgraceland.
Sidney Lumet's classic 1975 film, Dog Day Afternoon, opens on a hot summer day in New York City. Construction workers talk shit while the sweat soaks through the backs of their t-shirts. Neighborhood kids splash in a public pool. Fruit vendors, derelicts, and day traders all crowd the sidewalks while stray dogs root through the garbage in the street. But then, a car pulls up against the curb outside the First Brooklyn Savings Bank. And inside the car are three men. The driver gets out. He paces nervously on the pavement. Nearby, the bank's one security guard takes down the American flag hanging outside the bank's door. It's closing time. The driver doubles back to the car. He leans into the passenger window, speaking to the man sitting there.
And the man is Sonny, played by Al Pacino.
How did Adele's music impact cultural events?
And though we can't hear what the two are talking about, we can see the very clear emotion which takes over Pacino's eyes. Fear. Pacino's character is dreading what he's about to do, but there's no turning back now. There are things he needs in this life, and he has no other way of getting them, or so he thinks. He's desperate, and he has to move fast before that security guard locks the front door behind him.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What fears influenced Adele's rise to fame?
0:01–5:17
2
How did Adele's music impact cultural events?
5:17–11:20
3
What role did fear play in Adele's career decisions?
11:20–16:35
4
How did Adele navigate her personal struggles publicly?
16:35–22:00
5
What inspired Adele's song 'Rolling in the Deep'?
22:00–27:45
6
How did Adele's experiences shape her identity as an artist?
27:45–33:53
7
What challenges did Adele face during her vocal issues?
33:53–39:35
8
How did Adele's divorce affect her public image?
39:35–49:04
Speakers
6 identifiedMore from DISGRACELAND
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