He was the king of clueless confidence, the man who could steal a scene with just a raised eyebrow. Fred Willard built a decades-long career out of playing the guy who had no idea what was going on — and making sure everyone was crying laughing while he did it. From his improv roots and his unforgettable mockumentary turns in Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, and A Mighty Wind to late-career gems on Modern Family and Anchorman, Willard never stopped delivering.

But behind the laughs was a performer who hustled for decades, weathered personal scandals, and kept working until the very end.

This episode dives into the triumphs, stumbles, and lasting brilliance of Fred Willard — a man who proved that being totally clueless could be an art form.

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Kobe Bryant wasn’t just a basketball player — he was a prodigy who skipped college, a three-time champ with Shaq, a scandal magnet, a scoring machine, and eventually the face of the Lakers dynasty. Off the court, he became an Oscar winner, investor, and girl-dad icon. But on January 26, 2020, Kobe, his daughter Gianna, and seven others died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. In this episode of Death in Entertainment, we trace the high-flying, controversial, and tragic life of the Black Mamba.

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They begged for help. They cried on camera. They told stories of kidnappers and faceless strangers. And the world believed them. But behind the tears was a darker truth—parents who murdered their own children, then turned their grief into theater for the cameras.

In this episode, we uncover four of the most shocking cases where killers attempted to weaponize the media to hide their crimes: Jake and Rebecca Haro in California, Diane Downs in Oregon, Charles Stuart in Boston, and Chris Watts in Colorado.

Each story reveals how easily the performance of grief can sway public opinion—and how devastating the fallout can be when lies unravel in plain sight.

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July 2025 was no ordinary month—it was a mass curtain call. Icons of music, film, and wrestling all took their final bows within weeks of each other, leaving fans stunned and pop culture forever changed. From the stage to the screen to the squared circle, we dig into the lives, scandals, triumphs, and tragic ends of the legends who left us too soon. Dark humor, true-crime grit, and a spotlight on the moments that made them unforgettable—this is Death in Entertainment.

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He thought they were his friends. They thought he was lunch. In this episode, we dive into the wild and tragic story of Timothy Treadwell — the self-styled “Grizzly Man” who spent 13 summers living among Alaska’s most dangerous predators… until one fatal October day in 2003. Equal parts jaw-dropping, heartbreaking, and darkly absurd, we unpack the man, the myth, the bears, and the audio tape no one will ever hear.

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Welcome... to Jurassic Dark.

In this prehistoric death march, we dig up the bones of the Jurassic Park franchise—not the dinosaurs, but the stars who didn’t make it past the sequel. From the clever girl who met a clever end to the gatekeepers, storm chasers, and eccentric billionaires who now reside in that big theme park in the sky, we’re breaking down the real-life tragedies behind the blockbuster beast.

Spoiler alert: Life finds a way... but not for everyone.

Buckle up for a wild ride through mosquito amber, Hollywood mayhem, and some deathly detours. Because here at Death in Entertainment, no one is safe—not even Samuel L. Jackson’s arm.

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In this killer episode, the Death in Entertainment crew dives mask-first into the chilling true story of Juana Barraza — a Mexican lucha libre wrestler who moonlighted as a serial killer. Known as The Lady of Silence, Barraza body-slammed her way into infamy by targeting elderly women across Mexico City. Was it a tragic backstory, a botched investigation, or just a lethal heel turn? Step into the ring as Kyle, Ben, and Jerii unravel one of the strangest double lives in true crime history. ¡Ay caramba!

Story by Brandon Preo

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The curtain rises again on humanity’s most jaw-dropping exits. In Part 2, we dive headfirst into a fresh wave of high-stakes disasters — from fiery race car crashes witnessed by millions, to deadly attempts at breaking world records that went down in history for all the wrong reasons. These are the moments where ambition, danger, and audience collide… with tragic results. Because when the spotlight hits, sometimes death takes center stage.

🔊 Listener discretion is advised. Things get wild.

Death in Entertainment is hosted every week by Kyle Ploof, Jerii Aquino and Ben Kissel.

Story by Brandon Preo

#truecrime #racecardisasters #worldrecordfails #darkhistory #publicdeath #podcast

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