In today’s episode, the moms dig into one of the creepiest intersections of pop culture and true crime: the curse of the Joker. From eerie Hollywood tragedies surrounding actors who portrayed the character, to real-life criminals who adopted the chaotic persona, the Joker has left a trail of darkness behind the makeup.

This isn’t Gotham—these are the real crimes, real victims, and real tragedies linked to one of the most infamous villains ever created.

In this episode we talk about:✅ The Hollywood “Joker Curse”

• The haunting stories surrounding actors who played the Joker

• The myth and truth behind Heath Ledger’s death and the urban legends that followed

• Joaquin Phoenix and the intense, unsettling transformation fans worried about

• The coincidence, the curse, or the internet making connections where there aren't any?

• Criminals who dressed as the Joker during violent attacks

• Robberies and stabbings where perpetrators referenced the character

• How the Joker has become a symbol for chaos in some extremist crimes

• The psychology of why villains like the Joker inspire copycats

• The Aurora Theater shooting during The Dark Knight Rises

• The media myth that the shooter “called himself the Joker”

• What was true, what was misleading, and how misinformation shaped public panic

• The victims, the aftermath, and how this forever changed theater security

• The obsession with villain aesthetics

• The blurred line between fandom and fixation

• Why some killers attach themselves to fictional icons

• The power—and danger—of symbolic villains