True crime has become a topic that millions of people love to listen, watch, and read about, and even celebrities have gotten in on the trend. With the rise of people tuning into podcasts over the last few years, some of the biggest true crime podcasts have blown up. Crime Junkie began at the end of 2017 and has consistently stayed at the top of the charts for over four years now. Fans are obsessed with Ashley Flowers' storytelling skills and her friendship with Brit Prawat, but with all the success, some unfortunate truths have come to light.
Ashley Flowers has since gone on to add more podcasts to her resume, with Supernatural, The Deck, International Infamy, Very Presidential, and Red Ball. Despite countless allegations and controversies, her career in podcasting has taken off and some fans are sticking by her side.
8 The Beginning Of The 'Crime Junkie' Podcast
Ashley Flowers, alongside her childhood best friend, Brit Prawat, co-hosts Crime Junkie. It began as just a hobby that two best friends could enjoy together, but quickly became so much more. The two best friends grew up loving true crime, and despite the competition, became a success.
7 'Crime Junkie' Quickly Rose In Popularity
Within a few weeks, the podcast had achieved thousands of downloads, which is pretty unusual for a new podcast. Unless the host already has a following on social media or is a celebrity, most podcasts don't see success that fast. However, with the success of Crime Junkie came some rough controversies.
6 Allegations Of Plagiarism
Crime Junkie was hit with allegations of plagiarism back in 2019. Multiple reporters, podcasters, and researchers came forward to show that Crime Junkie was using their work word-for-word without citing or giving any credit. Crime Junkie was such a success that Ashley Flowers has gone on to create more podcasts, and these allegations followed her.
5 Deleting Episodes
After their plagiarism scandal came to light, the two began going back on all of their episodes and including references in the show notes. However, so many episodes were plagiarized verbatim from other researchers that Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat decided to just start deleting episodes. If they didn't have a way to cover up their mistakes, then they would just delete the episode.
4 False Information
Along with researchers coming forward, the loved ones of victims have also come forward. People have taken to social media to accuse Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat of only doing the podcast for money, considering the false information that is included in their episodes. When accused of having information wrong about the victims, they once again decide to delete their episodes.
3 Mixed Reviews About Co-Host Brit Prawat
Every podcast gets negative reviews, but there is a major pattern in Crime Junkie's reviews. While Ashley Flowers does the research and tells the listeners the story, Brit Prawat doesn't contribute much. One listener gave a one-star review, saying "I just have such a hard time with Brit saying the same 5 lines over and over... Brit alone makes me want to peace out."
2 Even Celebrities Love 'Crime Junkie'
As an April Fools' Day joke, Crime Junkie released an episode that was fake. While many fans hated this joke, it did get a big reaction from stars, especially Taylor Swift. At the end of the episode, they revealed that it was inspired by a lyric in Taylor Swift's new album, evermore. Taylor Swift then took to Instagram Stories to reveal she listened to the episode and loved it.
1 Staying At The Top Of The Charts
Despite countless allegations and proof of their plagiarism and releasing false information, Crime Junkie still stays at the top of the charts in the podcasting world. The podcast is consistently at the top of the true crime genre, as well as all genres of podcasts. They still get bad reviews and social media users still reveal more lies told by Crime Junkie, but their fans are loyal, and the two best friends stay at the top of the charts.