Atonement: The John Paulk Story – Details, episodes & analysis
Podcast details
Technical and general information from the podcast's RSS feed.
John was an ex-gay, ex-drag queen and an evangelical Christian. He married an ex-lesbian, had three children and became the poster boy for “conversion therapy” for over 15 years, traveling across the world to preach the idea you can ‘pray away the gay’.
John Paulk was living proof that they could change, that God would love them, and that they could live a “normal” heterosexual life.
But John was living a lie: he was still gay.
Now, he’s ready to tell his story.
Recent rankings
Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.
Apple Podcasts
🇨🇦 Canada - documentary
18/06/2026#87🇺🇸 USA - documentary
18/06/2026#46🇺🇸 USA - documentary
17/06/2026#48🇨🇦 Canada - documentary
16/06/2026#85🇺🇸 USA - documentary
16/06/2026#42🇨🇦 Canada - documentary
15/06/2026#68🇺🇸 USA - documentary
15/06/2026#39🇨🇦 Canada - documentary
14/06/2026#91🇺🇸 USA - documentary
14/06/2026#37🇺🇸 USA - documentary
13/06/2026#35
Spotify
No recent rankings available
Shared links between episodes and podcasts
Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.
See all- https://omnystudio.com/listener
1130504 shares
- https://www.crisistextline.org/
2657 shares
- https://988lifeline.org/
1949 shares
RSS feed quality and score
Technical evaluation of the podcast's RSS feed quality and structure.
See allScore global : 58%
Publication history
Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.
Introducing: Atonement: The John Paulk Story
Season 1
mardi 6 janvier 2026 • Duration 02:27
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1. The Dancefloor
Season 1 · Episode 1
mardi 13 janvier 2026 • Duration 59:20
John steps back into the story he once tried to outrun.
Alongside expert insights and survivors of “Conversion Therapy”, John begins peeling back the layers of how he became one of the most totemic figures of the ex-gay movement.
—
Atonement: The John Paulk Story is a production of iHeart Podcasts and Goldhawk Productions in association with Marks Media Co.
—
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues covered in this series, you can find help and support at the following links:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress. Call or text 988 or chat online.
Crisis Text Line
If you are in crisis, text CONVO to 741741 in the US for free, confidential, 24/7, support.
The Trevor Project
The leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people. If you or someone you know needs help or support, The Trevor Project’s trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via the website or by texting START to 678678.
RAINN
RAINN - the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network - provide free, confidential, 24/7 help. Call 1-800-656-4673 or the website to chat with a support specialist.
If you’re in the UK, please find a range of helplines and support networks here.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2. There’s No Place Like Home
Season 1 · Episode 2
mardi 20 janvier 2026 • Duration 01:03:57
John makes his way to the residential program that will shape his life forever.
There, he meets John Smid, the former director of Love in Action. And the woman who would become his wife.
—
Atonement: The John Paulk Story is a production of iHeart Podcasts and Goldhawk Productions in association with Marks Media Co.
—
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues covered in this series, you can find help and support at the following links:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress. Call or text 988 or chat online.
Crisis Text Line
If you are in crisis, text CONVO to 741741 in the US for free, confidential, 24/7, support.
The Trevor Project
The leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people. If you or someone you know needs help or support, The Trevor Project’s trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via the website or by texting START to 678678.
RAINN
RAINN - the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network - provide free, confidential, 24/7 help. Call 1-800-656-4673 or the website to chat with a support specialist.
If you’re in the UK, please find a range of helplines and support networks here.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3. For Better or For Worse
Season 1 · Episode 3
mardi 27 janvier 2026 • Duration 46:52
John’s marriage becomes the jewel in the ex-gay movement’s crown.
Soon the couple are everywhere: Oprah, national ad campaigns, even the cover of Newsweek. But beyond the spotlight, cracks are forming.
—
Atonement: The John Paulk Story is a production of iHeart Podcasts and Goldhawk Productions in association with Marks Media Co.
—
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues covered in this series, you can find help and support at the following links:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress. Call or text 988 or chat online.
Crisis Text Line
If you are in crisis, text CONVO to 741741 in the US for free, confidential, 24/7, support.
The Trevor Project
The leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people. If you or someone you know needs help or support, The Trevor Project’s trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via the website or by texting START to 678678.
RAINN
RAINN - the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network - provide free, confidential, 24/7 help. Call 1-800-656-4673 or the website to chat with a support specialist.
If you’re in the UK, please find a range of helplines and support networks here.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5. A House of Cards
Season 1 · Episode 5
mardi 10 février 2026 • Duration 48:56
When John Paulk slips into a D.C. gay bar, everything he’s built looks set to collapse.
Caught, exposed, and suffocated by shame, he clings to a lie that fools no one - not even himself.
—
Atonement: The John Paulk Story is a production of iHeart Podcasts and Goldhawk Productions in association with Marks Media Co.
—
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues covered in this series, you can find help and support at the following links:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress. Call or text 988 or chat online.
Crisis Text Line
If you are in crisis, text CONVO to 741741 in the US for free, confidential, 24/7, support.
The Trevor Project
The leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people. If you or someone you know needs help or support, The Trevor Project’s trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via the website or by texting START to 678678.
RAINN
RAINN - the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network - provide free, confidential, 24/7 help. Call 1-800-656-4673 or the website to chat with a support specialist.
If you’re in the UK, please find a range of helplines and support networks here.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4. The Gospel According to John
Season 1 · Episode 4
mardi 3 février 2026 • Duration 50:56
John looks back at the spiritual wreckage the ex-gay movement leaves behind - and the lives it destroys.
Publicly, he’s its polished poster boy. But behind the public halo, he’s drowning.
—
Atonement: The John Paulk Story is a production of iHeart Podcasts and Goldhawk Productions in association with Marks Media Co.
—
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues covered in this series, you can find help and support at the following links:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress. Call or text 988 or chat online.
Crisis Text Line
If you are in crisis, text CONVO to 741741 in the US for free, confidential, 24/7, support.
The Trevor Project
The leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people. If you or someone you know needs help or support, The Trevor Project’s trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via the website or by texting START to 678678.
RAINN
RAINN - the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network - provide free, confidential, 24/7 help. Call 1-800-656-4673 or the website to chat with a support specialist.
If you’re in the UK, please find a range of helplines and support networks here.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Related Shows Based on Content Similarities
