Warning: The following article describes situations of abuse.
Beloved host of beloved true crime podcast, Ben Kissel appears to have left the network. On October 4, Last Podcast on the Left shared a message on its Twitter feed:
The post has left fans devastated and scratching their heads. Always the voice of reason on the show, the good cop, and somewhat of a moderator of the conversation between Marcus Parks and Henry Zebrowski, Kissel seems to be on a downward spiral these past couple of months, and some would say for the past couple of years.
Here’s the formula the podcast followed: Marcus tells a story about a serial killer, cult leader, cryptid, etc., while Henry and Ben react to the story and pose questions about the landscape, motivations, and secondary and tertiary characters in the case. Henry goes off on endless tangents and creates characters that make multiple appearances throughout the sometimes up to 150-minute episode, while Ben attempts to reign him in and keep things on track.
When did Ben Kissel leave Last Podcast on the Left? And why?
“BLL’s” has been somewhat of a running gag on the show, which stands for Bud Light Limes, a rumored favorite drink of Kissel’s. We have watched him go from clean-cut comic with a girlfriend to long-bearded rotund face-for-radio podcast mogul in recent years. But what was the reason for the drastic change in his physical appearance? We knew he broke up with his girlfriend, Brooke Rogers, but was there something else going on?
On Sept. 13 it was announced that Kissel would be going into treatment for his “mental health and physical health,” which we as fans assumed to be rehab. This came on the heels of another breakup, this time with Taylor Moon. This relationship was short-lived and self-described (by Kissel) as mostly “long-distance.”
Upon their breakup, Moon took to social media to announce that “You’ll never get to drunkenly pin me to the bed and call me a pathetic f*cking loser or stupid f***ing b**** ever again,” without specifically naming Kissel. She later qualified the statement on the Friends with Davey YouTube show, once again only describing her abuser as a “celebrity podcaster.”
In the 44-minute stream, Moon described a night in Las Vegas with her “boyfriend at the time,” after his show, where the three couples (presumably Marcus and Carolina, Henry and Natalie, and she with Kissel) planned to go out, but she didn’t want to go so she stayed in the hotel room. Kissel came back to the room inebriated, they started to argue, and that’s when he allegedly got on top of her and “pinned her down” on the bed. “He pressed his forehead into mine and pinned me down on the mattress. And I told him that he was hurting me.”
Rolling Stone has interviewed other women with similar stories, some of which claim that the other cast members of Last Podcast on the Left were made aware of the allegations, almost in real-time. Fans can only assume that the show and network are choosing to divorce themselves from the situation to avoid being canceled.
Kissel has released a statement to Rolling Stone, denying the claims.
“Through weeks of intense therapy at an in-patient facility I have realized that I use alcohol as a way to try to cope with childhood trauma. In addition, I tend to gravitate towards relationships with other trauma survivors, which, of course, can make for a toxic combination. I had a long-distance relationship with Taylor [Moon] over the course of about 15 months. We never lived together.
Our connection mostly consisted of text messages and phone calls followed by brief in-person visits, all of which were marred by frequent arguments instigated by Taylor which is why I ultimately chose to end the relationship on July 22nd. I want to make it clear that I have never been physically or verbally abusive with Taylor or any other woman in my life. As fans who have listened to me over the years know, I encourage everyone to spread love even in the midst of adversity.”
While Kissel has taken responsibility for his alcohol addiction, he has refuted Moon’s indirect accusations of abuse. As stated above, Last Podcast on the Left has only stated Kissel’s need for rehab as the reason for his absence from the podcast and is yet to address the allegations against its former host.
