CHAPTER TWO
brOOKLYN
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Casting my eyes over the notes I’ve been reading from, I glance back at the camera and smile.
“Well, that’s all for tonight, you guys.
Thank you for all your comments and information you’ve been sending in.
Don’t forget you can find the links to the donation pages my team has personally vetted for the stories we covered today. ”
I take a quick glance at the comments and force my smile to stay in place.
The Leo Taylor story has gone viral.
It’s every podcaster’s dream, but given he’s such a popular actor with multiple generations, asking questions about his, shall we say, dating life, has stirred a huge pot.
I don’t care.
If the man has been sexually abusing women, then I intend to expose him. My job is to ask questions and gather information. To discuss topics and, if necessary, lead people to the authorities.
In this situation, that’s definitely the case.
The power of podcasts is the freedom of speech and the reach we have. Unearthing the truth has always been something I’m passionate about, and in doing so, I have to sift through the details and fight for those who have been hurt because of lies.
It’s what gets me out of bed, fuels my hours of researching, and allows me to face my large audience. Those who both love and hate me.
It comes with the job.
Thinking that the entire population on the planet is going to agree with or like me is simply insanity. It’s that freedom of speech—and thought—that drives me.
So I have to suck it up.
And employ someone like Milly—my social media manager—to review comments so I can protect my mental health.
Scott, Milly, and I have helped the community here in NYC in many ways. From getting changes done to three different pedestrian crossings after two deaths, to better accessibility at the library, and outing a government official suspected of money laundering.
The latter put me on the podcast map.
Times have changed. No longer are people going to the same three media outlets for their news and being told what to believe.
Now people are asking questions, joining like-minded groups to investigate what really is going on.
Sleuths—generally moms and sometimes dads—are searching the web, archived library records, and anywhere they can think of for information about people, places, and events to get to the truth.
It's not just my podcast—there are thousands.
Find your tribe, and there is someone digging up facts about something important to you.
I might be an investigative journalist, but you still need a tough outer skin to do this job. There are powerful people in this town—country—and money talks. So when Leo Taylor’s story landed in my inbox, I did think twice.
Not for long.
When I started to understand how he’d used his power and influence in the movie industry to abuse women, I knew I couldn’t stay silent.
To be fair, if I had a dollar for every celebrity who was accused of this type of thing, I’d be on the billionaire list. This was different. Originally, I saw a comment on a thread by a woman, and it struck me as true.
Which, in this day and age, is strange, right?
The post was an entertainment news article about Leo Taylor's nomination to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She said he didn’t deserve it after what he’d done to her and other women.
I wasn’t looking to cover a celebrity story.
After all, I’d worked at The New York Times prior to this, so I wasn’t a gossip columnist. Yet, I snuck into her DMs and asked if she would speak to me about Leo Taylor.
It took Susan (not her name) a day to respond, but when she did, we quickly set up a call, and within ten minutes she had my full attention.
In my line of work, I believe I can spot a liar.
The emotion in her voice, in the details, was heartbreaking. Then again, she was an actress, so I told her I needed her to file a complaint with the police before I’d go public.
She agreed.
“It was almost ten years ago. I know I should be over it,” Susan said.
“Don’t do that,” I replied. “What Taylor did to you is illegal and cruel, and not something you just move on from.”
Afterward, I reached out to my legal team to discuss how we could proceed. The way we say things, encouraging discussion while being morally fair, is important.
It’s up to our audience to decide what they think.
We are not the courts.
I take what I do very seriously. I’m aware that we can make or destroy someone’s life, but this is America, where we are privileged to have free speech, and it’s everyone’s responsibility to protect it.
Historically, humanity has been suppressed by kings, queens, dictators, and leaders. Then someone invented the internet and social media. Now we all have a platform for our voices. It’s human evolution in its next stage.
Will it destroy us or make us better?
History will be the judge of that...not me...or you.
As far as I’m concerned, criminals harming children and innocents should be exposed.
And it was for that reason I agreed to share Susan’s story.
I just never thought I’d get inundated by so many others.
“I’m Brooklyn McKenna, and you have been listening to The McKenna Files .” I give the audience a smile, my signature salute, and end the show.
Nudging the microphone back, I flop back in my seat and glance around.
“Nice work,” Scott, my sound engineer, says.
Milly taps away at the keyboard, managing the comments and posting the post-show content across all the social channels.
It’s a lot of work now that we are so big.
My father calls it that little show. Even after my team and I were paramount in giving the local authorities information to find the killer of a five-year unsolved murder in North Carolina. And...drum roll please...the evidence to keep him locked up.
Little show, my ass.
“Thanks.” I stretch my neck and let out a sigh. “God, I need a glass of wine, or ten.”
“I have to skip this week,” Scott says. “The wife is going out to some show, so I’m the babysitter.”
“You aren’t the babysitter; you’re the dad.” I roll my eyes.
Sometimes his comments get my goat, but he’s an excellent engineer and researcher.
How his wife puts up with the things he says, I don’t know.
But she loves him. And his two little girls are adorable.
If they lived in my house, though, I’d want to wring their cute little five- and seven-year-old necks.
I’m single and set in my ways after living alone for a while. I like things to be tidy, peaceful, and organized. White sofas and children don’t really go well together.
Perhaps that’s why I got a white, blue-eyed Ragdoll kitten. Although that didn’t pan out the way I thought it would when Luna chucked up on my two-thousand-dollar rug.
Still, it’s hard to be angry at such a pretty fur ball. But if she does it again...
Friday drinks have become a regular thing after a busy week. We walk down to Midnight’s Bar on Madison and let off some steam, then finish up for the weekend. My apartment is only a few blocks away, so it’s a short walk home.
Milly glances up quickly. “I’ll be five more minutes. Don’t leave without me.”
“I’ll go freshen up,” I say, climbing out of my chair then turning to Scott. “Say hi to Jada for me.”
“Will do.” Scott pulls his satchel over his head and pockets his phone. “I’ll work on the Taylor case over the weekend and see what else I can dig up.”
I wave goodbye over my head and walk down to the bathroom.
This story bothers me.
We didn’t air anything until Susan filed a complaint, and we independently confirmed a few of the facts she told us. I believe Susan, but whether there’s a bigger story here, I’m not sure.
Except...why do my Spidey senses get triggered every time I think about the famous actor?
Leo has been nominated for his Hollywood Walk of Fame star, and the decision will be made next month. Listeners have been demanding that his nomination be rejected.
That’s outside my control...but not my influence. I’m almost certain the Chambers Board of Directors will now be watching the show since it went viral.
And if he’s guilty, then I agree, he shouldn’t get it.
The final decision is with the City of Los Angeles, so it's anyone’s guess what they’d do if it got to that level.
He meets the other criteria: over five years’ experience and a history of charitable contributions. I don’t know the man, but that’s likely part of the reason why he did it.
Yes, I’m cynical.
Clearly, it’s important to him. The fee to cover the star, ceremony, and installation is over seventy-five thousand dollars.
So, if Taylor is guilty, one woman complaining probably won’t get enough mainstream media attention to stop the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce from proceeding. Especially given the number of celebrities being accused of this, that, and the other thing on social media.
But they might be wary.
We will see how it unfolds in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, the team and I plan to keep researching and digging through listener comments and emails.
Was Susan the only one?
I suspect not.
“The guy doesn’t deserve it if he’s guilty.” Scott shook his head yesterday after insisting we keep going with the story. “If someone hurt my little girls, no matter how old they were, I don’t know what I’d do.”
While he wasn’t a large man or someone I’d refer to as physically strong, Scott loves his family. I know he’d fight in one way or another to protect his girls.
He wouldn’t be silent, that’s for sure.
“He deserves to be locked up if he’s guilty,” Scott added.
“Well, we aren’t the judge and jury; we need to remember that,” I told him. “But I hear you, and I agree. No one else is looking into this, and it would be a slap in the face for his victims watching him be celebrated publicly. Still, they need to speak up.”
“Yeah, they do.” He nodded and walked off.
The truth was important. More than one big player in the movie industry has been destroyed because of sexual abuse claims. Some untrue.