For years, I’ve told other people’s stories. But long before I was interviewing reality stars and documentary filmmakers, I was navigating complicated family circumstances that quietly shaped everything I do. An estranged father who disappeared, a boarding school for underprivileged children, a White House internship during a political scandal, and a series of deeply formative, Forest Gump–ish moments, including the death of my boyfriend when I was a senior in high school. These experiences didn’t just happen before the show—they are the reason the show exists.
After hundreds of episodes, it felt right to explain my origin story. In these episodes, you’ll hear about reuniting with my father, who may have been working as a foreign agent, and how I built this show nine years ago. This collection also marks the genesis of the Saturday Series, where I began highlighting the personal stories of the people in my life, and eventually, of strangers. It was the moment the lens turned inward, and storytelling became not just what I do, but who I am.
The episodes are included below.
Kate shares her experience as a student at Milton Hershey School, a private K–12 boarding school in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Founded by Milton S. Hershey and his wife Catherine to educate orphaned children, the school has grown into a state-of-the-art, multi-campus community serving over 2,000 income-eligible students nationwide. Support for the school continues through the broader Hershey destination, helping sustain Mr. Hershey’s vision and empower students to reach their full potential.
Kate reflects on her time as a college student in Washington, D.C. at Trinity College, including her experience as a White House intern during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, a wedding she regrets not stopping, and a crucial tip she shared with the FBI.
Kate tells the story about moving to Los Angeles, and then receiving a call from her sister that their father had been found.
Kate asks her mom some difficult questions about her marriage to her father, about his obsession with Ireland, and whether she believes he was doing something strange in the 80s.
Kate discusses the results of her Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the FBI, her conversation with Jonathan Mark about her grandmother, and the most perplexing event that happened to her mother when Kate was 4 years old.
Part one of Chris DeRosa’s interview with Kate about her childhood and years at Milton Hershey School.
Part two of Chris DeRosa’s interview with Kate.
Wow! Look forward to listening to all of this. My cousin Brooke was a WH intern in the 90's, but missed the scandal. I, on the other hand, got fired from my dream job in Redlands, CA– a devastating blindside– in part for reading about the Clinton Lewinsky scandal on the new-at-the-time world wide web.