Two things can be true- a person can be abused and they can murder their abuser. It wasn’t legally self defense but I can’t believe the prosecutor tried to paint her as some evil manipulator who spent years hurting herself to paint him as an abuser. It’s a sad case and I hope people watching will be careful when starting relationships. Believe them when people show you who they truly are- you can’t fix them. Prayers lifted for all involved.

The narrator is horrible. She believes one way and tells the story as if it is literally impossible for a jury to come to the conclusion they did.

Both narrator and the way this story is placed has been excellent. So glad Nikki is out and I really hope this sad story changes history for domestic violence. Still listening to the podcast and ready to finish. Thank you for sharing. Thank you for staying next to Nikki’s side. I would have done too same way this narrator got sucked on the story. Nikki deserves more. We deserve more 💜

Good for you to be able to understand the depths of domestic violence. Not everybody can, and most of them have to have been through it to truly understand. A lot of the stories I hear about or listen to like this one brings me back to the time where I was in a similar situation. I always used to be able to protect myself and my mom and my little brother so that saying you could’ve just left used to be the way I thought and looked at those type of situations. Until I was in one and realized it’s not that easy and I couldn’t protect myself. So many times I played through my head if I can’t protect myself, how am I gonna protect myself and my kids? That part about the gun, reminds me of a time when I had hid my gun from my ex-husband after I found out, he was taking it from my lockbox. This was deep into the abuse already going on and I remember when he put hands on me until I showed him where the gun was. At this point I was so beat and broken in that moment I felt like I had to shoot him. When I pulled the gun out from under the mattress, I thought about it for a split second, and then I hesitated, and before I knew it, he had the gun which was loaded and pointing at my head. I was terrified to leave him even if I got me and my kids away from him he wasn’t going to let me just leave. He would’ve found me. It wasn’t until the day My nanny said she couldn’t hear me anymore from the bedroom and thought I was dead so she called 911 that’s when I was finally able to get away. Through that time I thought to myself over and over how was I going to get out, will I have to kill him to get away to protect myself and my kids every single day I thought about that. Had it got to that point it might’ve been a time where he wasn’t being abusive in that exact moment. But when you are trying to escape something so scary and life threatening you don’t wait until your life is at risk again to run you wait for the right opportunity and if the only opportunity you have is to make the same decision, Nicky made, then why should it matter the timing or if Chris was asleep. She had the opportunity in that moment to be free of him or take the risk of losing her life and her kids suffering for the rest of theirs I would’ve believed him. I would’ve believed that he was going to do the things he said he would do. But self-defense in the eyes of the justice system wouldn’t have been considered, that’s what’s so sad. They don’t understand the nightmare Victims are living every moment of their life while in the grasp somebody so evil. I never knew when my husband was going to get Violet with me. It would be so left field and out of the blue he was a time bomb. I’m sad for Nicky and her kids…… but thank you for being a voice for Nikki and believing her.

Get ready to get disgusted at the justice system a little more and the ignorance of people when it comes to domestic violence and the reality that “just leave” isn’t realistic.

I am black and I grew up poor. That doesn’t make you a thief or commit crime or be violent. Being poor tells you only one thing about a person…they are poor. Being poor does not equate to poor character. For all her activism and organizing, she is doing a disservice to the poor! Being poor, if you have a functioning brain and parents with ethics, is a temporary state of existence. Screaming racism and inequality like a toddler does nothing good for the poor. Particularly if that’s one’s only exposure to poor people. Poverty doesn’t mean you’re above the law. I bet she wouldn’t believe it if someone told her the vast majority of poor people aren’t violent when they’re offended and don’t steal because their baby needs pampers. She needs therapy.

Great storytelling. The people interviewed who don’t understand domestic violence are infuriating.

Thank you for telling Nikki’s story. Nikki: you are unbreakable and unstoppable and your story will touch so many. I wish for you and your children peace and love. 🩷

An excellent telling of a horrific story. So grateful for all the voices who helped put this together.

I just stumbled upon this podcast. Wonderful podcast

I’m late to this podcast but wow, just wow, I binged this today and it makes me want to help. Also so sick of man sympathizing. Great story and work!!!

It became obvious 21 minutes in that she doesn’t understand what she is talking about. Asking someone to tell the story backward is a way to show when someone is lying. Also yes, if you shoot someone when you have the upper-hand and they are not fighting back, you are guilty of manslaughter. You could have held the gun to him and called the police or just taken the kids and left. You have the weapon here.

I loved this. My significant other’s sister went to high school with Nikki, and was friends with her loosely for a few years after. The comment about her possibly inflicting upon herself is mind blowing my outrageous. This is very well put together

Nikki’s story is without a doubt horrific, heartbreaking and a tragic tale is the truth that far too many are living everyday! In an age when women have come so far, we still have so far to go! It’s bad enough that women are victimized in every hour of every day. Nikki’s story clearly shows how women are still victimized by society and our judicial system. I planned on listening to one episode but found myself completely drawn in and couldn’t stop until the end! When at last victory comes, it is far too little and took seven years! Justine, not going to attempt to spell her last name, does a brilliant job of putting the story together. She incorporates real life recordings with her own style of journalism to create a powerful, gripping and enlightening story. Though a story that shouldn’t even exist she tells it with intelligence, compassion and revelations of how broken our justice system remains today. Justine leaves no stone unturned and goes above and beyond to seek out even the smallest details of truth. Exoneration, though not the victory it should have been, I’m certain would not have come without her diligence. She seeks truth and justice for Nikki as if she were her own sister. And, she found so many flaws in the fight for justice in this case that she has remained involved in the fight for justice for abused women still today. Don’t miss out on this story of a courageous mother of two, that has endured abuse her entire life. Yet somehow she remains a wonderful mother and a woman full of grace and courage even as the justice system continues the cycle of abuse in her life. Unfortunately, this story is a sad reminder of how far women still have to go to gain equality and power. But, in the end Nikki is finally given the victory that will give her the chance to live free and able to resume her role as a mother to her two children. And, hopefully someday she can win the gift of complete exoneration.

Nikki is brave, strong and a loving mother. It is a true story of survival. This is what I took away from this podcast. It is absolutely frightening to hear the details regarding the prosecution and some of the views of the jurors and friends of the abuser. People put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Try to have empathy and see the other side. I hope Nikki finds happiness and peace and gets the much deserved help she deserves.

Intelligent, well produced, serious reporting that true crime deserves. No giggling hosts her.

Good story, but the police are bad, white men are bad, the DA is bad, society is bad, friends and neighbors are bad, laws are bad, medical personnel are bad. It’s their fault the husband got shot in his sleep.

The reporting and storytelling of this case are so well done but fair warning that it will make you absolutely furious with the US justice system.

Honestly, the women and men speaking in this podcast both frustrate and anger me. The utter stupidity being spewed is amazing. Abuse doesn’t actually happen like it does on tv? He wasn’t seen in photos so he didn’t know or participate? I. Just. Can’t. With. These. People. I’m not one of these people who believes all women. This woman? Yes. Believe her. God help those that don’t. I truly hope they’re able to keep their head in the sand and their daughters or sons don’t find themselves in this situation.

Giving women a voice. They like us dead so they can then say how helpless we were… just how they like us.

The funny part is it seems as if they thought they were making a real effort at examining both sides of the story. But anyone from the husbands side was quickly shot down as either having incorrect thinking or was mocked. An interesting listen but not journalism.

Good up until the 5th episode. Of course, somehow, a podcast about how a white woman was prosecuted for murder turns into how all of America is racist and how black people are incarcerated more than white people. How do the 2 even correlate? Annoying. Not worth listening and you’ll be bored by ep 2.

The podcast is so full of bias. It’s one sided for Nicole. Which, I believed her, but the podcasts bias makes you start to doubt her story because of how biased it is. Podcast is also on an agenda against “white men” and the second amendment.

This is so sad but so important for people in the US to listen to. This isn’t just the story of one woman who got blamed for her own abuse, it’s indicative of something that happens ALL THE TIME. If it’s ever going to stop there has to be awareness. It’s hard to listen to but that’s why you need to listen.

I started this pod cast right after finishing Blind Plea….how anyone can think that either Nikki or Deven deserved the prison time received after defending themselves, the biases projected on them by LE, the DA and courts, and the ignorant reviews on both of these podcasts is beyond me…Then again, reading the negative comments only reinforces how small minded, misogynistic, and racist so many are in this country. This truly leaves me feeling scared.

Great, albeit disgusting, podcast. Don’t forget to donate if you can!

Clearly Nikki was a victim of domestic violence and abuse and had a very sad and traumatic upbringing. But she murdered Chris while he was asleep. Period.

I’m so so happy Nikki is free . I believe you Nikki you are the strongest women I’ve heard off . Your children sound so adorable and beautiful. I’m so sorry you had to go through that abuse from your partner you are the strongest lady I’ve ever heard of. I’ve already said that I wish you the best in your new life with your children. You are a rat Nikki you are a survivor…

One of my pet peeves is when an innocence project podcast masquerades as true crime. This is not journalism: it’s advocacy that uses a parade of “anti-system” themes that is common among those who have not lived outside of the United States. Without a hint of irony, the podcast host criticizes the prosecutor for downplaying facts unhelpful to the government’s case and focusing on the helpful ones, while the host does exactly the same thing. The jurors got it wrong because of systemic sexism, a rigged legal system, unfair prosectors, and bad defense attorneys that resulted in a completely innocent woman convicted of murder - that’s the podcast in a nutshell.

If you arnt small minded give it a try, the story is very sad. But you will be happy NIKKI has someone to help tell her TRUTH. NOT EVERY PODCAST MADE TO TELL THE STORY. A LOT ARE TO SPREAD AWARENESS, Look for missing people, OR ADVOCATE FOR VICTIMS. VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, MURDER, OR SEXUAL ABUSE. THIS IS A PODCAST TO ADVOCATE FOR NIKKI, AKA BELIEVE HER. This is for the Ignorant small minded person that claims Nikki had “ plenty of chances “ to leaves. You should be ashamed of yourself. People like you are the reason domestic violence victims don’t feel they can come forward. You are the reason this county doesn’t put more resources into fighting against it. You wouldn’t say to a parent of a missing child “ you are not looking hard enough that’s why you can’t find your child” would you? I’m sorry the reviews made me really upset. I just did what I hate, but I couldn’t help myself. It drives me crazy when people leave 1 star due to their own stupidity. That doesn’t help people reading the reviews to get a feel for the show / product/ company. Examples. A listing clearly says youth sizes , yet all the reviews are 1 star because “ it’s kids sizes” not adult. OR 1 star for a podcast called “ BELIEVE HER” not telling both sides, being bias , AND OR BELIEVING HER.

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You buncha pearl clutching broads!

The bias folks are complaining about is excusable because the angle of this podcast is not inherently to reexamine the case but to showcase the ways in which the justice system did not handle the case well. She’s making a pretty unbiased case for that. the bias comes from the fact that the reporter is open about her own view on the matter in terms of what the verdict should have been. She’s entitled to that opinion after weighing the evidence. And it’s clear from the beginning based on the title. It’s not a matter of opinion to state that important evidence and witnesses like the therapist and others were wrongly excluded from trial. It’s not an opinion to state our society has a long way to go in terms of how we assess abusive relationships and the psychological processes and cycles that women go through which keep them from leaving their abusers. That’s pretty well documented. My take: Nikki was never diagnosed with mental illness besides PTSD. Nobody in her life ever questioned her stability. Why would she hurt herself? As for how the jury should have ruled, i need to dive deeper into self defense law. Her abuse definitely should have been considered an extreme mitigating circumstance. She shouldn’t have been given a maximum sentence.

Bravo to the creators of this podcast for an engaging podcast that highlights this terribly egregious aspect of the legal process. I hope they continue to cover this. I’m inspired to do something to help but not sure what to do!

The most heavily biased podcast host I may have ever heard. This is an important story, but it gets lost in the hosts complete disregard for objectivity - including blatant disrespect of jurors. She needs a lesson in Journalism 101, because this is just irresponsible.

Ridiculous. This could have been great. Stop with the constant lies about racism.

Reading some of the very few negative reviews, it is obvious those individuals have little experience or empathy for those who have experienced domestic violence. This podcast shares an important backstory that Nikki could not provide and one that people would not necessarily believe. And probably still don’t. I have been tossed across the room and broke my elbow, dragged out of my home by my feet, pushed through a wall, sat in a truck going over 120 mph while driver threatened to crash it, told time and again I was going to be killed or was lucky that I hadn’t been yet. All by a charming ex husband who had an answer or excuse for everything, was well known in the community, and incredibly popular. I got out, but only because we didn’t have children and I had my own money. I would have never made it otherwise. Thank you for working so hard to help us feel seen.

Why are people shocked that this is a podcast that sides with Nikki when it’s literally called Believe Her? We weren’t misled to think this would be an examination of both sides, it’s very clear what this podcast set out to do and it was done very well.

As a child who grew up in a very abusive home, this series while extremely triggering for me personally I had to take breaks. It’s not the life-sharing events that were so triggering, but rather the jurors, judge and prosecutor. They undermine themselves with the ignorant narrative. How dare someone say that while extensive torture and abusive is happening in a home, the children aren’t in danger!? They absolutely were always in danger. It’s a ticking time bomb. They aren’t afforded a life of safety, they are witnessing these horrific events and it does impact their brain development. I grew up in NY. I know how broken the system is there. I have many many accounts with the police as a child of a mother terribly abused, that have forever impacted me. The podcast itself, incredible. Nikki, my heart goes out to you. Your pain is felt all around the world. The justice system did a disservice for THE PEOPLE. I’m happy to see they made an effort to right some of their wrongs, but the extended trauma Nikki and her family has to endure is gut wrenching.

As a survivor, this was hard to listen to. To the people interviewed who questioned Nikki, SHAME ON YOU!!! Do you truly believe an abuser will beat someone in public for all to see so they get caught???? No!!! They are master manipulators and make people believe they are wonderful human beings. The pod was hard to listen to, but it's definitely worth a listen.

I hope this podcast is being paid by the woman who killed her husband because it’s not remotely an attempt at objective reporting. The narrator is an advocate for, at best, vigilante justice and, at worst, knocking off someone so you can control the narrative. 25 minutes in and the only value of the podcast is how ridiculous it is. The worst of the dozens and dozens of podcasts I’ve listened to. But hey, that’s something!

This podcast does an excellent job of tackling difficult subject matter

Unfortunately Nikki was just further victimized by the system. Alas! She is free and now maybe her & the family can begin to heal. I am disgusted by the reviews saying the journalist is biased. Ya, bc it’s ridicules that she was punished for saving the lives of herself and her kids! He was a pig. He abused her, terrorized her and was escalating his cruelty. She did what she had to. No doubt about it. Also blind plea is an excellent podcast about this very topic. 💕

Podcast is ok. A little biased but seems that’s what lemonada does. Also, the simpls or whatever it’s called commercial needs to be redone by someone who doesn’t sound like they are going to start crying at any moment. Her voice is awful.

This provides a two sided perspective and I don’t understand how people could say that the other side isn’t presented. The work here is done phenomenally, and you are doing great work for victims of domestic violence.

Ted Bundy’s mom was equally delusional. Bundy was also very charming. These people really don’t get it; including large segments of society, the criminal justice system, judges, etc., etc. The statement that the only believable victim is a dead one is shamefully true.

As much as I agree with the majority of the points discussed in this podcast, I gave 4 stars instead of 5 due to the level of bias by the reporter. I would have liked to have been provided a more neutral outline of the case against Nikki. With that being said, it seems important to point out that the State seems to have presented a case that was largely based on a long standing bias towards individuals suffering from domestic abuse. In particular the DA tapped heavily into the archaic narrative of- “why didn’t she just leave?” and “she is just another troubled woman seeking attention.” I read several reviews that suggested similar ideologies to the prosecutor’s in that - she could have just left. I wish we could all challenge ourselves to take a look at the ever mounting evidence that It is not that simple! I firmly believe this podcast did an excellent job exploring why this narrative was exactly the thought process that Nikki was paralyzed by and why this ended with the tragedy of a life lost.

Non traditional, free thinking, intelligent podcast. So many true, good points made

This is one of the most gripping and innovative true crime podcasts out there. They’ve really raised the bar.

Finally the truth and untold facts have been shared. Thank you for uncovering the evidence that was hidden from this case. Hopefully Nikki’s story will help change how we support criminalized victims of Domestic violence