The Real Story Behind The Wolf of Wall Street: Nadine Macaluso on Abuse and Recovery
Get Obsessed : With Living Your Best Life
10/22/25
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️In this Get Obsessed Podcast episode, host Julie Lokun, JD and Mika Altidor sit down with Dr. Nadine Macaluso, the real-life ex-wife of Jordan Belfort, famously portrayed by Margot Robbie in The Wolf of Wall Street.
While Hollywood glamorized the excess, Dr. Nadine reveals the hidden truth — the emotional and psychological abuse, manipulation, and trauma that came with life behind the movie.
This powerful conversation goes beyond the film’s chaos to explore trauma recovery, toxic relationship patterns, and how Nadine rebuilt her life as a licensed therapist and trauma expert.
Her story is a masterclass in reclaiming your voice, transforming pain into purpose, and understanding the psychology of abuse and healing.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- The real story behind The Wolf of Wall Street — beyond fame and fortune.
- The psychology of abuse and how to recognize toxic patterns.
- How Dr. Nadine Macaluso turned her trauma into a powerful message of healing.
- Why Hollywood’s portrayal missed the emotional depth of her reality.
- Actionable advice on healing after trauma, rebuilding confidence, and setting boundaries.
- How to move from victimhood to victory — and reclaim your power.
About Dr. Nadine Macaluso
Dr. Nadine Macaluso is a licensed marriage and family therapist, trauma expert, and author who helps individuals heal from abusive and narcissistic relationships. Once married to infamous stockbroker Jordan Belfort, Nadine’s story inspired Margot Robbie’s character in The Wolf of Wall Street.
Today, she uses her platform to raise awareness about emotional abuse, trauma bonding, and post-traumatic growth.
️ Learn more about Nadine’s work here: https://www.drnadinemacaluso.com
️ Follow Nadine on Instagram: @drnadinemacaluso
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Quote from the Episode
“Healing doesn’t mean forgetting what happened — it means reclaiming the parts of you that survived.”
About Get Obsessed Podcast
Hosted by Julie Lokun, JD, and Mika Altidor Get Obsessed is a globally acclaimed podcast that dives deep into transformation, resilience, and the human spirit. Each episode spotlights bold thinkers, change-makers, and survivors who turn adversity into advantage.
Whether you’re obsessed with self-growth, mental wellness, or real-life comeback stories, this is your weekly dose of empowerment.
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About the Hosts
Julie Lokun, JD and Mika Altidor are the powerhouse duo behind Get Obsessed, a top-ranked global podcast where bold conversations meet personal transformation.
From trauma recovery to creative reinvention, every episode challenges you to get obsessed with your own growth and purpose.
MEET THE HOSTS LIVE IN CHICAGO AT CRE8TIVE CON 2025️
Get your tickets NOW-- www.cre8tivecon.com
About Mika Altidor
Mika Altidor is a visionary Vegan Chef, Credit Alignment Advocate, and CEO of Align 369 Enterprise — a company empowering individuals to elevate their financial wellness, spiritual alignment, and entrepreneurial mindset. As co-host of Get Obsessed and founder of Vegan Monarch Bakery, Mika blends conscious living with practical empowerment, helping others align their credit, creativity, and purpose to design lives of abundance and authenticity.
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Previous Episode
Listen To Bent Not Broken: Starting Over After Divorce with Deborah Griffiths-
Bent Not Broken: Starting Over After Divorce - Podcast - Apple Podcasts
ABOUT BENT NOT BROKEN:
Bent Not Broken is the podcast for anyone rebuilding their life after heartbreak. Hosted by inspiring voices who’ve been through the storm and come out stronger, this show dives deep into healing, resilience, and rediscovering joy after divorce. Each episode offers powerful conversations, expert insights, and real stories of transformation—proving that life doesn’t end after divorce, it begins again.
Whether you’re navigating the early days of separation, rediscovering who you are, or ready to rewrite your next chapter, this podcast reminds you: you may be bent, but you are never broken.
ABOUT THIS EPISODE OF OBSESSED PODCAST:
Television has long been called a mirror of society — but has it really reflected our families, or reshaped them entirely? In this fascinating episode of The Get Obsessed Podcast, host Julie Lokun, JD, sits down with Deborah Griffiths, creator of the powerful new show Bent Not Broken: Starting Over After Divorce, to explore how TV has shaped — and sometimes shattered — the image of the American family.
From Leave It to Beaver and Father Knows Best to The Brady Bunch, The Cosby Show, Roseanne, Modern Family, and even The Kardashians, Julie and Deborah journey through the decades — unpacking what each era’s most popular shows reveal about gender roles, family values, race, divorce, and cultural change.
This episode is a nostalgic, eye-opening trip through television history that will make you laugh, question, and maybe even rethink what “family” really means in the media age.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode
- How post-war prosperity shaped the “perfect” families of the 1950s
- The rise of single moms and blended families in the 1970s and beyond
- When TV first dared to say the word divorce — and why it mattered
- How shows like The Cosby Show and Family Ties brought strong family ideals into the 1980s
- The impact of reality TV — from The Real Housewives to The Kardashians — on our sense of self and family identity
- Why the media continues to influence how we love, parent, and live todayDo you want to learn more about THE GET OBSESSED PODCAST and Julie and Mika?MEET US LIVE IN FEBRUARY in CHICAGO: LEARN MORE HERE Follow us on Instagram: (2) Instagram Visit Mika's Bakery in Winter Haven Florida: Home | Victor & Mika’s Bakery Vegan Food. Real Good.
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Next Episode
Are you an OBSESSED CRIME JUNKIE like us? We love true crime!
Welcome to Get Obsessed, where we go deep, dark, and disturbingly curious. Host Julie Lokun, JD, confesses what millions secretly feel: an unshakable obsession with true crime.
This isn’t your casual Dateline-before-bed fascination. This is the 2:00 AM rabbit hole of Googling Ed Gein, forensic entomology, and “how did a handyman from Wisconsin become the inspiration for Psycho, Silence of the Lambs, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre?
Julie explores her morbid curiosity through the Netflix phenomenon “Monsters: The Ed Gein Story” and the psychology that keeps us clicking “next episode.” With humor, honesty, and a touch of self-reflection, she delves into her addiction to true crime.
In This Episode
• Why True Crime is the #1 podcast genre — and why 70% of listeners are women
• The eerie pull of The Ed Gein Effect — what it reveals about control, fear, and fascination
• How shows like Crime Junkie Podcast and My Favorite Murder build a dark sisterhood of survival
• The secret reason our brains crave fear in safety — and why your 5 AM walk feels like FBI training
• Why understanding monsters might just make you safer, smarter, and stronger
Listener Takeaways
• Learn the psychology behind The True Crime Effect — feeling fear while knowing you’re safe
• Discover how bingeing horror stories is actually a form of rehearsal for danger
• Join a sisterhood of women who study murder not out of morbidity, but empowerment
About Julie Lokun, JD ( A TRUE CRIME JUNKIE)
Julie Lokun is a communications strategist, lawyer, and true crime analyst who explores the intersection between psychology, justice, and curiosity. As the host of Get Obsessed, Julie blends her legal mind with her fascination for human behavior — decoding what drives us to fear, fixate, and find meaning in the macabre.
OBSESSED WITH TRUE CRIME
We might not be addicted to murder — we’re addicted to survival.
Get Obsessed. Get curious. And as Julie says — trust no one... except us, the obsessed.
SHARE OBSESSED PODCAST
Rate, Review, and Subscribe on Apple Podcasts & Spotify.
Share this episode with your favorite fellow crime junkie — because if loving true crime is wrong, we don’t want to be right.
FAQs About This Episode
Q1: Where can I watch the Ed Gein documentary featured in this episode?
A: Stream Monsters: The Lyle and Ed Gein Story on Netflix. Viewer discretion is advised — it’s as dark as it is fascinating.
Q2: What is the Crime Junkie Podcast that Julie mentions?
A: Crime Junkie Podcast is one of the world’s top true crime podcasts hosted by Ashley Flowers. It inspired millions — including Julie — to explore the psychology behind real cases.
Q3: Why are so many women drawn to true crime?
A: Studies show over 70% of true crime listeners are women, often because true crime content offers a safe space to study danger. It’s both thrilling and empowering — a masterclass in intuition and survival.
Q4: What is “The True Crime Effect”?
A: Julie defines it as feeling fear while knowing you’re safe. It’s that paradoxical comfort of being terrified under your blanket — knowing the monster can’t reach you, but your mind still dances with danger.
Q5: Where can I follow Julie Lokun?
A: Connect with Julie on Instagram and visit GET OBSESSED to explore our past podcasts, speaking events, and creative projects.
MEET JULIE AND MIKA LIVE IN CHICAGO AT CRE8TIVE CON IN FEBRUARY:
Learn More About Mika's Vegan Bakery:
VEGAN MONARCH BAKERY IN WINTER HAVEN FLORIDA
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